Using Mirror Harness to Power Dual-Channel Dashcam

[Stang70Fastback]

I feel this is a long shot since 0.02% of people here seem to even have a dashcam, but I'm asking anyway.

I have a dual-channel dashcam that I originally hardwired to the fuse box months ago using some add-a-fuse adapters. (Always on +12V from STOP light fuse, Switched +12V from Power Outlet fuse, Ground to fuse box bolt.) Works fine, no issues.

My BRZ is a Series.Blue, which came with a frameless mirror, which is cool, but also lame in that it doesn't have homelink or a compass, and isn't powered in any way.

I was just made aware of the existence of Subaru Part #: H501SAJ010 (picture attached). This is the harness that would normally be used to connect a powered mirror to a pre-existing harness in the headliner (at the dome light location.) I'm tempted to purchase this $8 harness, and re-wire my dashcam as it allows me to eliminate wires running across the dash, and the extra fuses sticking out of the fuse box. My only question is if anyone knows offhand if this harness provides the same 3 types of power (constant, switched, and ground), and also if anyone has any idea if it would be okay to power the dashcam through it. I imagine a two-channel dashcam that gets warm during normal operation draws a decent bit more power than a mirror...

[Stang70Fastback]

My current setup has the wires running to the fuse box under the driver's side dash:

[Willie Swoopes]

I'm not electrically minded, but i ran my dash cam from behind the mirror, wire tucked into the headliner, down through the a pillar cover and into the power outlet in the glove box.

Works great. No wires on the dash or messing with the fuse box. Starts up everytime the car does.

Bill

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by Willie Swoopes

I'm not electrically minded, but i ran my dash cam from behind the mirror, wire tucked into the headliner, down through the a pillar cover and into the power outlet in the glove box.

Works great. No wires on the dash or messing with the fuse box. Starts up everytime the car does.

Bill

That works well if you don't want to use the parking mode on the dashcam, but I require those three types of power for that reason, so mine needs to be hardwired.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

That works well if you don't want to use the parking mode on the dashcam, but I require those three types of power for that reason, so mine needs to be hardwired.

I quickly went through the drawings but could not find a reference to the mirror circuit. I would think that it is only switched though since there would be no need to have it powered with the car off.


https://demos.starbase7.net/t3Portal...+2016+MY+FR-S+[05%2F2015+-+]&docid=989162&context=ti

[Darth Khan]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I quickly went through the drawings but could not find a reference to the mirror circuit. I would think that it is only switched though since there would be no need to have it powered with the car off.


https://demos.starbase7.net/t3Portal...+2016+MY+FR-S+[05%2F2015+-+]&docid=989162&context=ti

Your correct, I just installed the auto dimming mirror with the same adapter, I checked the power line so I would not have to disconnect the battery.

There is a single power line going to the mirror:

Off: COLD.
Accessory: HOT.
START: COLD.
Running: HOT (Obviously).

I did NOT check the amp rating on the fuse. I would suspect 3/5 amps but a pure guess. Truth is I don't even know if it has a dedicated fuse.

[Stang70Fastback]

Damn. Oh well. It was worth a try. That would have been convenient! Just makes me tempted to upgrade my mirror with one with HomeLink...

https://www.amazon.com/Gentex-Framel.../dp/B00PXGZESO

[Darth Khan]

After thinking about this you could make it work by using the power line to the internal light. There is power that goes to the ON switch, you could splice into this before the switch and use that line as your "Always On".

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by Darth Khan

After thinking about this you could make it work by using the power line to the internal light. There is power that goes to the ON switch, you could splice into this before the switch and use that line as your "Always On".

Yeah, that was always a possibility, but the idea here was a clean-simple install without any extra work or wiring, using the OEM harness. I'll just leave my current setup, I suppose.

[Darth Khan]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

Yeah, that was always a possibility, but the idea here was a clean-simple install without any extra work or wiring, using the OEM harness. I'll just leave my current setup, I suppose.

I'm assuming your dash cam is attached to your rear view mirror. If so I would do the following.

I would buy the Subaru auto dimming rear view mirror kit. It comes with the adapter and the mirror cable tidy. When installed correctly no cables are visible.

I would then splice in my power for the dash cam utilizing the same power lines as the mirror and the interior light. All of the cables would be in the head liner. There are a couple ways to do this, none of them are difficult.

Alternatively you could buy the cable tidy and the cable and keep the manual mirror.

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by Darth Khan

I'm assuming your dash cam is attached to your rear view mirror. If so I would do the following.

I would buy the Subaru auto dimming rear view mirror kit. It comes with the adapter and the mirror cable tidy. When installed correctly no cables are visible.

I would then splice in my power for the dash cam utilizing the same power lines as the mirror and the interior light. All of the cables would be in the head liner. There are a couple ways to do this, none of them are difficult.

Alternatively you could buy the cable tidy and the cable and keep the manual mirror.

The dashcam is already installed, and wired to the fusebox, with all the wires tucked away neatly along the bodywork and hidden out of sight. This was just an opportunity to simplify some of the wiring by making use of an existing harness, but needing to splice into existing wiring isn't really simpler than what I already have installed.

The dashcam isn't attached to the mirror, but to the front and rear windshield directly.

[extrashaky]

That harness may not be useful for a dashcam, but I bet it will do just fine for my Valentine 1.