DIY: BlackVue DR500GW-HD Car Cam w/Power Magic Pro Using Factory Option Connector

[ChiefG]

This is to be a DIY on installing a car cam. I'm using the BlackVue DR500GW-HD with the Power Magic Pro power module.

http://www.blackvue.co.kr/en/main/main.asp
http://www.blackvueusa.com/

I purchased it from http://massdrop.com as part of a group buy, and I bought the Power Magic Pro module on Amazon.com.

I'm also installing it using the factory option connector with a wiring harness purchased from forum member SVXdc. Website: http://www.ae64.com/

Using this method there's no need to go into your fuse box with add-a-circuit devices and the resulting problem of not being able to close the fuse box lid. It's much easier to run the wires. You're only running wires behind the passenger side dash and the radio, up the A pillar and under the headliner. I wanted this install to be as stealthy and easy as possible, and it was.

If you're shopping for a car cam, I recommend you go on YouTube and search for user Techmoan. This Brit does some outstanding reviews of car cams. Here's the review for the cam I chose: [ame]http://youtu.be/Mwjf-XEXCYo[/ame]

So let's get started. You're going to need a few standard tools and supplies.

• A 10mm socket wrench and extension to remove the radio
• some posi-connectors or crimp-on connectors, or solder and heat-shrink
• Panel-removal tool and a piece of cardboard to protect the dash panels
• A flexible wire or long wire tie to fish wires with.
• It helps to have a test light to verify your connections, but it's not necessary
• Wire ties
• Electrical tape

The BlackVue DR500-GW is a quality, full-featured cam. It comes packaged nicely.

[ChiefG]

I experimented with cam placement using some masking tape and the mount bracket. I tried all around the rear-view mirror and found that for me, the best location to mount the base was centered just below the rear-view mirror bracket.

You can remove the mirror very easily. Just grab the mirror base. rotate it clockwise 90 deg, and pull down. Doing this, I was able to make sure that I mounted the base in a location where it would not interfere with removal of the mirror in the future.

[ChiefG]

I separated the cam from its base, cleaned the area on the windshield, and carefully aligned and mounted the base. Then I reattached the mirror.

You'll note that the instructions for the BlackVue recommend mounting it so that the lens is centered under the rear-view mirror, but that put the connection too far to the right to be convenient for me, and it really doesn't make much difference if the lens is centered or not.



Here's the driver's view:



and here's a view from outside. This is a large cam. I wish it were more stealthy and was painted flat black. It's so obvious, that I may decide to remove it when parked in sketchy areas. That defeats using it to watch over the car while parked.

[ChiefG]

Now let's remove the radio. Start with prying off the bezel. Use a plastic tool, not a screwdriver. You probably don't need a panel tool, but they are handy if you can get one. I use a piece of card stock to protect the plastic under the panel tool.

Pry off the bezel, then pull off the trim panel to the right of it. Then remove the radio using a 10mm socket wrench and extension, and don't drop the bolts!

I keep a magnetic retrieval tool handy when working on the car, and I use a magnetic parts dish.

Pull the radio out. It helps to put a towel over your shifter and console for padding and to prevent scratching anything.

Next we're going to remove the A-pillar cover and the dashboard end-cap, but the next step is going to have to wait until next year. Happy New Year everyone.

[ChiefG]

Next we're going to remove the A-pillar trim. Insert a finger or two at the top of the trim where the headliner tucks in, then pull in the general direction of the radio. There's only one fastener holding it on. The fastener will release fairly easily.



Once released you'll see a green plastic retainer. You will need to release that retainer by turning it 90 deg. and slipping it through the slot. Easier said than done, but keep working on it and you'll get it out.


In the picture below, they green retainer has been removed from its slot, visible to the left of the green retainer. You can also see the pin that holds the panel in place. It's the small pink object just above my thumb. Once the green retainer is released, pull the A-pillar trim all the way out.

The green retainer can be a bear to remove. You need to twist it 90deg relative to it's slot. Keep working on it and you'll get it, you just have to figure it out and not give up. The A-pillar cover can be flexed quite a bit without breaking, so use a combination of twisting the green retainer and the A-pillar cover in opposite directions to get the head of the retainer to release from the slot.

[ChiefG]

Now remove the dashboard end panel. Insert your plastic panel tool in the panel seam and gently pry it off. It's held on with a bunch of white plastic clips. Be careful because some of these clips may not come out with their tabs and may fall inside the dash. This happened to me on all three of the dash panels, the one around the radio and the one in front of the passenger. The white clips are Subaru part no. 909130092. See drawing here: http://www.buysubarupartsnow.com/oem...left/909130092

I have not been able to find these clips from clipsandfasteners.com, so you're probably going to have to pay top dollar for them from a dealer or Subaru online parts.

In the picture I've removed the end panel and have passed the power supply cord for the DR500GW-HD cam through the square hole. Note that the power cord is NOT going to go through this opening! The wire is there so I can attach it to a fish wire. In the next step, you'll pass your fish wire up through that opening aiming for an opening at the base of the A-pillar.

[ChiefG]

In this series of pics I've connected the fish wire to the power plug and I'm preparing to fish it up through an opening at the base of the A-pillar.









In this last picture I have pulled the wire all the way to the Blackvue cam, tucked the wire up under the headliner and I'm getting ready to add some wire ties. Do not attach the wire or ties to any airbag parts! Keep the wire out of the way of the air bag.

[ChiefG]

In our last episode, we pulled the cam power cable through the dash and fished it up the A-pillar. Now you want to connect to the cam, fasten the wire to the windshield using one or two of the included adhesive-backed clips, and tuck the wire under the headliner. Use wire ties to tie the wire to existing wiring down the A-pillar, avoiding the area of the airbag.

Putting the A-pillar back on is easy EXCEPT for that !@#$% green retainer. I carefully trimmed some plastic from the slot that it twists in to. The part is not a very clean molding there and could use some cleanup. It only took a little shaving to make the retainer slip back in. NOTE THAT I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS! It's part of the airbag system and if you do what I did, it's on you, not me.

Then put the dashboard end panel back in place.

Now we're going to go inside the dash through the radio opening, make the connections, plug it all up, and tuck everything out of the way.

Here is the wiring harness I purchased from SVXdc's home page http://www.ae64.com/ You want the factory option connector. If you e-mail him, just describe what you're doing. He's very helpful and knows his shite.

I soldered the purchased harness to the Power Magic Pro harness. Black to black, yellow to yellow, red to red. Black=ground, red=accessory fused, yellow=battery fused. Heat-shrink insulates the splices.



Next I determined a place for the Power Magic Pro, connected it to the harness and stuck it in place. This photo shows the Power Magic Pro connected to the harness sitting in the glove box:



This shows how I ran the wires into the glove box to the Power Magic Pro. I chose to mount it to the top of the glove box compartment, in the vicinity of the screw near the center of the photo.



And here's the Power Magic Pro installed. At this point, we're almost done!!

[ChiefG]

Now connect the accessory plug into the socket on the Power Magic Pro Harness. Lighter sockets are far from ideal connectors and they weren't intended for the things they are used for now. They're friction fit and they can come undone. Since this connection is going to live deep in my dashboard, I secured the plug and socket with electrical tape.

You're going to do this working through the radio opening.

If you have not set the dip switches to configure your Power Magic Pro, do it now before you have power to the unit.



Then tuck it all into the dash. There's plenty of space, and with the passenger side trim panel off, you can look inside as well as access the area through the small hole. I bundled the wires with a wire tie and stuffed it in place.



Now take your purchased connector and connect to the factory option connector.

[ChiefG]

Now put your radio back in, push your trim panels back in place, and go test your new car cam. The cam will power up when you turn on accessory power.

I'll subscribe to the thread and answer any questions. If you need more pics just ask.

[ChiefG]

I can't wait to start posting videos of the stupid shit I see on the roads. I wish this thing had a side view so I could video texters and make them famous on YouTube.

[markmatley]

Which pinout kit did you get?

[ChiefG]

Originally Posted by markmatley

Which pinout kit did you get?

It's a connector that forum member SVXdc had made up. He sells them on his website http://www.ae64.com . You probably won't find it listed there. Just contact him through the website and tell him what you need. The price was quite reasonable.

[markmatley]

Originally Posted by ChiefG

It's a connector that forum member SVXdc had made up. He sells them on his website http://www.ae64.com . You probably won't find it listed there. Just contact him through the website and tell him what you need. The price was quite reasonable.

Cheers!