How to hardwire a dashcam to your car

The dashcam I fitted has front and rear facing cameras and needed to be hardwired to the car - so this video will show you how to hook it up.
Here's a link to the dashcam I bought:
www.aliexpress...

[@overigo9350]

Thanks so much for this video. I just wired Thinkware 200 Pro Dashcam ( rear camera too) in my 2021.5 CX-5 GT. I followed the route described in this video. Going along under the door sill panel was slick and easy. Besides the ease of using this route you can also accumulate some of the extra length of wires in the channel under the sill, then that way you don’t have to pull extra all the way from the back if you decide to reposition the front cam at a later date. No matter what route you decide on, feeding the wire through the rubber wire cover between the body and the hatch door is challenging. Upon my short lived victory of beating this stage I realized I had damaged the grommet the holds the rubber hose to the body. Realizing I had compromised the watertight seal, I decided to go buy a new grommet at Mazda for $2.04 . When it came to the fuse panel, I had bought mini fuse taps when in fact I needed low profile taps. I now see when people said the taps weren’t staying in the original fuse outlets. I taped the wire off to the side holding them in place.

[@howardkay422]

Iagree it is a great video, but why not just use 12 volt accessory sockets?

[@martincstee5335]

Just wondering if you could use any silicone seal to make it water tight?

[@GlennC-d8u]

Pppp ppl j

[@robs6295]

Got my dash cam installed today thanks to your video. Thanks!

[@PureTazr]

THANK YOUUUUUUU soooooo much I have been searching for a good install video for over a year, most people like 99.999999 are not detailed enough like you are great video. Earned a sub.

[@carfanfan]

Glad I could help mate 😊

[@NZHardhouser]

Great video, thank you! My issue was routing to the rear for the rear facing camera - your route looks fairly easy and avoids the curtain airbags too... love how the rear just unclips...

[@carfanfan]

Thanks for watching. The most difficult part is routing the cable through the rubber grommet between the tailgate and the body of the car. If you attach it to a piece of wire it makes it easier to pull it through.

[@DanielSparten]

I just did a front and rear dash cam install for a Mazda CX5 as well. This was helpful. One thing I will say is that grommet section is the hardest part. Really that rear and C pillar is the most controversial part. I actually worked my way back to the front mainly to avoid taking apart the grommet, because I had no additional wire pulling tool or fishing tool to make it through. I had to rely on pushing the cable through enough, then squeezing the grommet with the cable inside, lift the grommet near its exit so the wire has a straight angle out of it, to the headliner and just squeeze forward like I'm consuming those Yogurt tubes. I then have to pull down the headliner a bit. 3 clips holding the rear headliner, left, right and middle. I made sure not to crease the headliner a lot. There's definitely some creases inside but outside visually, there's no creases. I'm going to have to wait until warmer weather, see whether or not it will sag, but the 3 clips holding the rear headliner should prevent that somewhat. From there, its kind of the opposite. Route the wire along that headliner in the C pillar, then down to the floor. To the front and A pillar. So those without any fishing tools and/or don't want to take that grommet apart, this is an option. But if you go this route, please be mindful of the remaining wire you would be left with and that you may need to route the wire to the right side of the car. Because the left grommet is so packed with wires already, I wouldn't advise doing my method for the left grommet, only the right grommet. Since I had a very limiting wire length to work with, I had to route the wire all the way on the right side of the vehicle, and not the left. It was fine for me because I only planned on installing a plug and play dash cam (FitcamX) that powers by the sunroof, so I wasn't planning on going to the fuse box, didn't need to. But in the future if I do, I would need to take the entire wiring out of the right, maybe buy an extension in the process to switch to the left side.

[@carfanfan]

What I've s8nce found with rubber trunk grommets is its easier to lather it inside with Vaseline and also wrap the end of the camera plug with electrical tape and put Vaseline all over it. Then it slides through like butter. 😁

[@richbly9356]

Thank you! I just used your video to hardwire my 2020 CX-5. Very helpful!

[@carfanfan]

Excellent. Glad my video helped you 😉

[@RobertScheid]

Thanks for this guide! As a Mazda CX9 owner (being 20 inches longer than your CX5) installing a Blackvue DR750X-2CH (which requires the rear camera to BE PLUGGED IN TO THE FRONT CAMERA!!!), running the cable the same way you did resulted in a shortage of cable. Instead, I ended up running the line along the top of the car behind panels and made it to the back with plenty to spare. ***This as a note for CX9 owners looking to do the same***

[@carfanfan]

hey Robert, I hope you routed it behind the curtain airbag otherwise if someone T-bone's your car, anyone sitting on that side could be severely injured ;)

[@willskijza80]

I had to buy the 30ft cable for my CX-9 when I installed the DR750X-2CH. As CarFan Hilton said, by running it along the top of the car, you run the risk of interfering with the curtain airbags, which could be pretty dangerous in a crash.

[@TheHappyKamper]

Great job. Thanks a lot for sharing every little step!

[@reepy2]

Thank you! I was stuck at routing the rear cable but 9:14 gave me the hint I needed.

[@jawarakk4439]

very useful video. Especially running the cable from the front to the back of the car. Thanks for sharing this.

[@dlinkfpv4087]

Thanks for the great video, I was looking all over the net and finally found your video very helpful.

[@carfanfan]

Glad you found it helpful - I make these so that people can use them as reference when doing these little jobs on their cars so it makes me happy to hear it works ;)

[@andresalemany4572]

Great video i have a cx5 too and just got a viofo

[@Michael-hl5zs]

Great video thanks, I’ve got a Mazda 3 so it should be similar. I especially liked how you showed poking the cable under the trim at the rear as I was wondering how to do that.

[@robertotoledo8115]

Thanks! Such a great video for Mazda cars. I have a CX-3 so going to assume the installation will be quite similar. The only difference for me will be the rear cam, but I will work that out when I install it. The front cam should be pretty identical as far as installation goes.

[@carfanfan]

It will be almost identical for your CX3. Just check your fuses with a test light to identify accessory and battery constant. Then you will be good to go.

[@lukesheather8323]

Brilliant 👍 thanks so much for those super clear instructions, really helpful !

[@koennagle]

Installed mine yesterday, super helpful vid. Thx

[@TheRandalldr]

Lucky you had enough cable. Why not run directly from front camera along edge of roof all the way to back? Instead of dipping down below doors and up? A large plastic zip tie works great for 'fishing' wires through small openings..... Thanks for the video. Appreciate your help finding the right location in fuse box.... I have Mazda cx9.

[@carfanfan]

Thanks. 😊. I couldn't run it through the roof line because of the air bag. If that curtain airbag pops it would rip the wire and violently pull the dashcam down and could injure someone.

[@imaginative-monkey]

Wow, that was the right way to route the wires. I just hot-glued it around! 😂

[@carfanfan]

🤣

[@nevillefletcher7518]

Thanks for another great video!

[@u.b.1967]

Thank you for this helpful Video.

[@carfanfan]

I don't have the car anymore Oddly, none of my videos on this car were getting any views and now that I got rid of it everyone is watching them 🤣 But I'm glad this video helped you 😉

[@w_i_k_i_d]

Good job. Very well explained.

[@lorenzomartini6165]

Very nice installation setup and as close to factory as anyone could expect. You have a great amount of patience and your final results reflect that patience. Curious, are you or do you have an engineering background?

[@carfanfan]

Thanks Lorenzo. I'm actually an accountant with a love for cars and trains 😁

[@lorenzomartini6165]

That explains the eye for detail. Would love to see a train video featuring SA.

[@carfanfan]

@@lorenzomartini6165 I've got a few videos in my channel from 2009 and 2010 but yeah, I should do some train spotting again. It's a lot of fun.

[@youtube3489rd]

Perfection! Made the install a breeze.

[@pawelgotlib4581]

Hey, great video, thank you for posting! I am slightly concerned about lifting up the rubber seal, there is some tacky glue-like substance there (?). I presume you just put the seal back as-is, did it casuse any problems afterwards? Again, super nice of you posting this video, thank you for sharing!

[@carfanfan]

The sticky stuff on the rubber seal stays tacky so when you push the rubber back it simply sticks again. I had no issues with it coming loose.

[@pawelgotlib4581]

@@carfanfan Sounds good to me - thank you!

[@joebaumann6901]

Great Video, thanks. I missed what you did with the fuses you removed so you would not lose services. Please explain.

[@carfanfan]

I used an "add a fuse" adapter for where I plugged it in the fuse box. That way the original fuse can still be used on the add a fuse adapter and the dvr still gets power. Search add a fuse on eBay or Amazon. You get large ones, mini and micro. If memory serves me the Mazda has mini fuses.

[@jackeljack4372]

Great tips for me to DIY but i wonder why didn't you route the rear camera wire through the roof rather than below the kick panel

[@carfanfan]

Thanks. I ran it across the bottom because of the curtain airbag being in the way. I didn't know how to remove the headlining in order to get the cable behind the airbag. If you run the wire in front of the airbag and you're in an accident, it would pull the cable and could possibly injure people.

[@sushantacharekar]

Thanks for this , I did try to hardwire my cellink neo to no 9 however my fuse tap doesn’t latch securely to the fuse socket in the fusebox . Any idea what wrong would I be doing here? Or is that normal? I am using the mini one since cellink draws 9A of power

[@carfanfan]

I would recommend swapping it out for another fuse tap. It should clip in confidently.

[@rylene7755]

What do you mean when you said turning accessories on? Do you mean turning the car on so the accessories will turn on?

[@carfanfan]

When you press the start button without pressing the foot brake it turns on accessory mode.

[@archiethedog4515]

Is there any way to integrate the dashcam with the infotainment screen?

[@carfanfan]

Unfortunately not - the Mazda MZD connect system is pretty tight. It would be nice if Android Auto could allow one to stream video from a dashcam into head units, but Android haven't thought of that yet. I used to be able to download my dashcam app on my old Audi's Android head unit and control it from there - but the only way that can happen on modern cars is if Apple Car Play and Android Auto allow one to install the dascham's app

[@nickmalone3143]

Why wire back cam wire on bottom when can just take it all across top to the tailgate?

[@carfanfan]

Due to the curtain airbag

[@rammaychannel]

Thanks a lot bro. It helped a lot.

[@brianprovost844]

Thank You for your video. I live in Canada and have a cx-5 2021. The fuse block looks the same. I cannot find a fuse tap that will stay in place. I also found people with the same problem and without solution. The answers it seems to just buy a cheap $50 dash cam that will plug into your lighter. ( sorry no parking mode or back view)

[@carfanfan]

You need to make sure you use the right fuse adapter. The CX5 uses micro blad files not mini blade.

[@overigo9350]

What did you end up using? I read to try ATM rather than ATT style fuse tap as they have longer blades.

[@carfanfan]

@@overigo9350 Check the grooves of the fuse adapter you're using to see if they are the exact same as the fuse. Sometimes they make additional grooves on the sides of the fuse adapter which prevent it from seating in the fuse socket. You might need to file those grooves down on the sides so that it will slot in perfectly. I just had this issue with my Ford Everest.

[@overigo9350]

@@carfanfan thank you so much for your reply. I’ve put the cart in front of the horse here as I have bought the dash cam and have yet to take possession of my 2021.5 CX5. I’ve just been gathering as much info as possible before delivery of vehicle and my installation. Thank you for this tip I will add it to my list. Cheers!

[@jeffosgood8137]

Which side of the fuse was load side and which one was the draw side?

[@carfanfan]

Hey Jeff - not sure what you mean by load and draw but yellow is for battery constant, red for accessory (when the ignition is in accessory mode but engine not running) and black is for ground.

[@lickitysplits4u]

I will be transferring my dash cam from my old car to my new CX5 shortly once the weather breaks. this car looks much easier than the last one (yes I had to contort my body and painful ways) because of the access of the panel. Anyway the load side of the fuse is the side which has the 12 volts. the draw side is the side that's going out to the circuit. I thought when you put the piggy back fuse in the circuit incorrectly and if there's a short it will burn down the line. This info was from a installer (five star car stereo)I had watched before tackling this project. Anyway it looks like I'll be using the front accessories circuit which turns off with the ignition. Thanks for the video, well done. Jeff

[@carfanfan]

@@lickitysplits4u Thanks - that means my load fuse for 12 volts was number 18 and my draw fuse was number 11 for accessory to turn the dashcam on and off when you turn the ignition on and off. I simply grounded it to the bunch of Mazda grounds to the left of the fuse panel. That was the easy part, the hard part was getting that rear camera to the rear window :-D

[@ryanli3654]

Hi, thank you very much for the video. Found it very helpful. Just wondering if the grommet still sitting tight in place after reinstalled. Have seen someone complaining that the grommet become loose and water could get in.

[@carfanfan]

Thanks Ryan. I sold the car last year but know the guy who bought it. So far still good 👍

[@ryanli3654]

@@carfanfan Thanks a lot! Will do my own installation tomorrow.

[@Pavindran92]

@@ryanli3654 I am doing my installation soon, did you remove the grommet clips the same way as Jag mentioned, is the clips still intact? I noticed the white cracky part in the video which I think is normal as it is made of plastic? Also any idea if the clips are easily accessible from a local parts store or the dealership, appreciate yr response.

[@kenh86]

Why does all my fuses light up even when the vehicle is off. For example the fuse 19 for Audio3 is on even when power to vehicle is off. My constant wire is on fuse 19 and ACC wire is on fuse 9.

[@carfanfan]

If you wait for around 5 mins, some fuses should be off as the car turns all accessory off after that time usually. Only certain fuses will stay on all the time and it's correct as you have it with constant supply on 19 if 19 is constantly on - but 9 must be a fuse that will turn off after 5 mins. That means, the camera will still run for a few mins after turning the car off and then turn off when the car shuts down all accessory after 5 mins.

[@kenh86]

@@carfanfan thanks for the reply but I haven't touch the car for the whole day and it still doing that. Every fuse still on with no power.

[@carfanfan]

@@kenh86 that doesn't sound right. Can you tell me what fuse 9 is for? What does it list in your manual?

[@kenh86]

@@carfanfan fuse 9 is the sunroof. Also fuse 19 for the audio both side lights up on the fuse hole to see which one is positive so I can plug in the tap. Since both side lights up, I'm assuming it doesn't matter if I plug the tap upside down or either way right?

[@carfanfan]

@@kenh86 Do you have an Akera?

[@aang6421]

I have a 2024 CX-5 Turbo Signature. I was struggling to get behind the airbag in the apillar. It sits flush against the metal. Any opinions on what to do?

[@carfanfan]

There must be a small section where it is not attached to the pillar. They are all attached with clips.

[@aang6421]

@carfanfan There os a portion I might be able to squeeze by. I just can't tell if the circuitry there is the Pillar Tweeter or if it's SRS related. I'd hate to bump it during install and get bags deployed

[@carfanfan]

@@aang6421 as l9ng as the ignition is off the airbags should not deploy accidentally. To be extra safe, disconnect the negative terminal from the battery and place a towel under the terminal to prevent it from accidentally moving back to the battery or touching the battery, the airbags won't have any power at all.

[@lilyt7762]

Hi! Will the rear view dash cam drain Mazda CX's battery - especially if on park mode?

[@carfanfan]

Not if you buy one that has a sensor to sense when the cars battery voltage is dipping below 11.9 volts. Those dashcams will turn off as soon as they sense the battery is draining even in park mode. Just make sure when you buy your dashcam.

[@firewolf006]

Thanks 👍

[@ReyRiku]

Do u have to buy 2 separated cables for both of them to hardwire the camera or one will work for both of them?

[@carfanfan]

When you purchase a DVR with a rear camera, they will supply you the cable for hardwiring the dashcam to the car as well as the cable that plugs into the dashcam for the rear camera.

[@leiray8204]

Hi, so i have a 2019 Mazda CX-5, i purchased a low profile mini fuse tap kit for it thought it would fit. The fuse fitted fine on the left column for the battery, but when i try to connect acc to the right column, the fuse won't plug in since there are somoe plastic feet extendnig out to block the fuse from plugging in. I did some research online, some people say you need to use mini fuse(ATM) since they have longer blade so they will fit. But my concern is can you use a different type of fuse in the fuse box? Also, which brand fust tap did you use, beacause in the video you plugged in both fuse on the right column, didn't the plastic feet block the fuse tap? Thank you in advance.

[@carfanfan]

You can't use a different type of fuse. You must use the type of fuse that the car uses which in this case is a mini blade fuse. The smaller fuses are called micro fuses and can't be used on this car. Here's a link to fuse adapters that clearly show the difference between them:www.aliexpress.com/item/32867661773.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.19ae4581w7ivUW&algo_pvid=227206e4-96d8-4e9f-8910-2aff52e130f6&algo_expid=227206e4-96d8-4e9f-8910-2aff52e130f6-1&btsid=0bb0623d16071454469775842e1c8c&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_ Here's a link to the fuses I usually buy for my cars as they have all mostly used mini blade fuses. www.aliexpress.com/item/32871917334.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.19ae4581w7ivUW&algo_pvid=227206e4-96d8-4e9f-8910-2aff52e130f6&algo_expid=227206e4-96d8-4e9f-8910-2aff52e130f6-0&btsid=0bb0623d16071454469775842e1c8c&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

[@leiray8204]

@@carfanfan I am a little confused. I live in Canada and the fuse for 2019 cx-5 actually uses Low profile mini fuse, which is the micro fuse you showed in the link. And the micro fuse adaptor doesn't plug in to the fuse box. That's why i am considering usding mini fuse.

[@carfanfan]

@@leiray8204 A mini fuse might work but the size of a micro fuse is much smaller so I doubt it will fit in the slot. Odd Mazda changed this. Mine was a 2018 model.

[@leiray8204]

@@carfanfan Base on what read online, mini and micro are similar in width, the difference is mini has longer blade, so thats why people use mini when micro fuse tap not pluging in. I will check with the dealer to see if using mini is ok or not. Thanks you for your help.

[@carfanfan]

@@leiray8204 no probs. Good luck my friend. I hope you come right 😉

[@richardfrost1026]

hi i dont know if you can rember what was number 11? go to and 17 go for ?

[@carfanfan]

Sorry, I don't have the car anymore and can't remember. Check the fuse locations in the manual, it will tell you there.

[@bongskyeye2467]

where did you buy the dash cam?

[@carfanfan]

Hey Noel, check out the description below the video, there's a link to where I bought it.

[@richardgreenway8826]

Hi there where did you get the fuse adapter plug in from please? I keep getting the wrong size

[@carfanfan]

You get three sizes, medium, small and mini. The ones you need are the "small" sized ones. www.aliexpress.com/item/32831711206.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.780648b33mAwo3&algo_pvid=ad95a3bd-0ac6-4f92-b3c3-9ea289279c21&algo_expid=ad95a3bd-0ac6-4f92-b3c3-9ea289279c21-0&btsid=0928b8d5-0283-4b06-abb6-8cb15d7ea19f&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_55

[@adarshhirjee333]

@@carfanfan hi There. Love the videos. Just what I needed. Did you manage to find these in KZN or locally in RSA? $72 for shipping is a bit extreme for me

[@carfanfan]

@@adarshhirjee333 thanks. Shipping is crazy now with Covid-19 due to lack of passenger flights. Best to wait for the madness to end.

[@NM-jo3fi]

What fuse amps did you use for the fuse taps?

[@carfanfan]

If I recall they were 10 Amp.

[@lililove4987]

MY DASH CAM ONLY THE FRONT SO IT JUST THE FRONT PART OF THE VEDIO?

[@carfanfan]

Yes, that will be correct ;)

[@Krocks558]

Is this the same procedure for Mazda cx3?

[@carfanfan]

Pretty much.

[@SamSam-by7il]

Hi JagFan Hilton do u make a video how to install DRL on mazda cx5?

[@carfanfan]

I can't. I don't have the car anymore

[@SamSam-by7il]

@@carfanfan thanks for your reply.

[@RafTube1]

What circuits are in the fuses 18 and 16 that you used? Because all my wires are hot/battery. I cannot find a ACC on my model!

[@carfanfan]

I can't remember anymore Raf. I don't have the CX-5 anymore. But the best way to check what is accessory and what is constant live is to use a test light with the accessory switched off for 5 minutes at least. If the test light lights up on certain fuses, those are constant live (yellow wire for your dashcam) and the one's that don't light it up could be used for accessory (red wire on your dashcam).

[@kenh86]

Same with me. All my fuses turned on even when the vehicle is off. I tap mine on fuse 19 for constant and fuse 9 for ACC.

[@cecilwaldo5774]

you know they do have a kit that comes from the mirror

[@carfanfan]

I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing. Mine didn't have a USB input in the mirror housing. All cars should have that for dashcams.

[@gamerviking1557]

Did you turn off the battery

[@carfanfan]

No that isn't necessary. You need the battery on so that you can test the fuses and the Dashcam during fitment. It won't blow anything. The only time it's really necessary to disconnect battery is when you're working with airbags or ECU

[@gamerviking1557]

@@carfanfan Ah ok! Thank you so much you made this so much easier to install:)

[@worksonweekends]

Google lens can translate the entire thing.

[@ThreePhaseHigh]

I’m just gonna run it down and plug it into the cigarette lighter and there’s also one in the back of this car so plug it in there for the rear one and you’re good to go Cameron cheap buy two cameras for less than 50 bucks

[@carfanfan]

Good easy solution 👌

[@sbeacher]

Downloading a third party apk from a chinese website. Sounds legit.

[@carfanfan]

Most apps on the playstore are from Chinese developers, especially dashcam apps.

[@sbeacher]

@@carfanfan The apps in the play store are screened by google to make sure there isn't malware or that the app can't run code off another server on the fly. Not that trash doesn't slip by google every now and then, but if you download it off some random website you have zero idea what the app is doing in the background.

[@moileung]

Damn this is hardcore hardwiring. Only Chinese lmao.

[@xconankunx4530]

LED INFRARED of the rear camera will reflect on the glass and you won't see anything. Fail. 🤦‍♂️

[@carfanfan]

There was no infrared at night so it wasn't a fail

[@jithinjames6749]

Jh

[@Bandits_68]

Good job👍 Not impressed with the dash cam👎

[@carfanfan]

Thanks. Actually, it turned out to be a very good dashcam. It never skipped a beat and the resolution was beautiful - except for the rear camera which was 720p - I bought a 1080p rear camera for my XF recently learning from my previous lesson.

[@AdY0602]

@@carfanfan hi. I intend to buy this cameras for my cx5. Could you recommend a better camera for the rear? thx

[@carfanfan]

@@AdY0602 when you order, just ask the seller for a quote on a 1080p rear camera to go with the dashcam. They will always oblige. I did it for my new Jaguar and the results are amazing.