[DarrenDriven]

OK guys, this started as speculation and then I had a few beers and pulled the trigger. My BlackVue DR400G-HD ($260 @ Amazon) arrived about a week ago and I finally had some time to install it today.


Here is what you get in the package. The camera, a couple of cables, a 16Gb microSD with two different adapters, some sticky-backed cable holders, some quick instructions and a more in-depth instruction booklet.


One side of the camera (pictured) has the 12V DC input, the video output and the microSD slot while the other side has a large button that you use to turn the unit on and off. The mount seems pretty sturdy with a solidly-locking mechanism that releases with the push of a button and high-quality 3M sticky tape on the bottom.


1. Clean the glass where you are going to stick the mount.


2. It's best to adhere 3M tape on a warm day, or at least onto warm glass. If it's a cold day you should heat the glass and the tape with a hair dryer to insure that it will make a strong bond. Also, make sure you stick the mount where you can get the camera in and out without the rearview mirror getting in the way.


3. I plugged the cigarette lighter adapter in, turned on the camera and then used a monitor that I had laying around to adjust the angle of the camera, but you could also just guesstimate and then play the footage back on your computer to make fine adjustments. I set the height of my camera a bit high since I did the install in my angled driveway, but it's a snap to adjust the vertical angle of the camera in seconds.


4. Time to start running the power cable. I used one of the adhesive-backed cable holders to clean up the installation and to prevent tension from eventually pulling the wire out of the headliner. Then I just tucked the cable up between the headliner and the sheet metal. You really don't have to barely pull on the headliner to get the cable up there and it seems like it MIGHT fall down in the future, but it MIGHT not. I'll worry about tucking it farther up there if it falls out.


5. At the top right corner of the driver's side A-pillar you can just tuck the wire in. I didn't tuck it all the way for this photo so you could see how I ran it, but ince it is tucked behind the panels you can't see it at all.


6. The top left corner of the driver's side A-pillar is more tucking. I used a small flat-tipped screwdriver to lift the rubber window seal, then just pushed the wire behind it.


7. Super easy to run the wire from the top of the A-pillar to the bottom behind the window seal.


8. We are at the bottom of the window seal, time to remove the dash end panel by pulling gently on the bottom edge with your finger.


9. It should easily pop out, exposing the end of the dashboard.


10. Work the wire all the way behind the window seal, then use a flat-tipped screwdriver to tuck the seal back between the dash and the A-pillar.


11. Now we need to remove the lower dash panel. Remove the Phillips screw on the left side.


12. Then remove the Phillips screw at the bottom right of the lower dash panel.


13. The lower dash panel is now only held in with plastic pressure rivets(popits?) so just pull gently on the bottom right and the whole thing should pop off.


14. Now you can tuck the wire between the dash and the door seal so it is exposed right at the bottom of the dash.


15. I took this opportunity to cut the cigarette lighter adapter off of the end of the power cable. I left a few inches on the adapter in case I ever want to reattach it. I then carefully stripped the insulation, exposing the red (+12V) and black (ground) wires.


16. During another DIY I discovered a constant +12V (green/yellow) and ground (black/yellow) in the wiring plug behind the lower dash panel. Check my arrows and you will find them, too. Attach your camera's red wire to the 86's green/yellow and your camera's black wire to your 86's black/yellow wire. You can strip some insulation and solder the wires, or you can use 3M wire tap connectors. Since I already had soldered other wires in, I just attached my camera leads to the wires I had already had running through there. I connected to constant power so my camera will ALWAYS be running. Not sure if that will drain the battery or not... but if you want to connect to ignition power just attach your camera's red wire to the 86's red/blue wire that is a little below the green/yellow wire.


17. There is plenty of wire left over, so I bundled and cable tied it to another harness that will be hidden when we replace the dash panels.


18. Replace the lower dash panel and the dash end panel. As you can see, there is no trace of the camera wire at all.


No trace of the wire anywhere! It is completely hidden, yet still could be removed easily if you needed to move the camera to a different vehicle.


Here is some test footage of the new camera. I have it aimed a tad too high, so I will move the camera angle down a little to decrease the bright sky's effect on the footage.



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecHsSIS9Ri0"]Test Footage of the new dashcam: BlackVue DR400G-HD - YouTube[/ame]





[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3GG3VfO-so"]Night Test Footage of the new dashcam: BlackVue DR400G-HD - YouTube[/ame]