Fitting Dash Cam in a Hire Purchase Car
Discussion
asking for a mate..
Bought a brand new BMW through hire purchase for four years. Want to fit a dash cam with parking mode that can record even when the car is off/ parked. Plan is to get it done professionally via Halfords.
Issue with this type of dash cam has wires that will need to be hard wired to the fuse box and this means removing panels to access the fuse box etc.
My question is can it affect the contract like would it come back to bite him one day for tampering with the car or make any warranty void etc. I am under the impression that with Hire purchase cars, you only get to drive them. any work even the smallest can only be carried out by the dealer or something. I thought I will ask you all first anyway before checking with his dealer.
Cheers
Bought a brand new BMW through hire purchase for four years. Want to fit a dash cam with parking mode that can record even when the car is off/ parked. Plan is to get it done professionally via Halfords.
Issue with this type of dash cam has wires that will need to be hard wired to the fuse box and this means removing panels to access the fuse box etc.
My question is can it affect the contract like would it come back to bite him one day for tampering with the car or make any warranty void etc. I am under the impression that with Hire purchase cars, you only get to drive them. any work even the smallest can only be carried out by the dealer or something. I thought I will ask you all first anyway before checking with his dealer.
Cheers
Hire purchase you will likely become the owner of the car. PCP and leasing is an entirely different matter.
Certainly never heard of HP requiring specific dealer servicing. Double check the credit agreement. If its not in there he can do what he wants.
Oh and unlikely it needs actual hard wiring. You can get fuse "taps" that plug into an existing fused circuit. Should be no need to actually cut any wires. Likewise with earth, normally an earth terminal close to fusebox that you unscrew and stick another ring on. No need to permanently damage anything.
Certainly never heard of HP requiring specific dealer servicing. Double check the credit agreement. If its not in there he can do what he wants.
Oh and unlikely it needs actual hard wiring. You can get fuse "taps" that plug into an existing fused circuit. Should be no need to actually cut any wires. Likewise with earth, normally an earth terminal close to fusebox that you unscrew and stick another ring on. No need to permanently damage anything.
Psycho Warren said:
Hire purchase you will likely become the owner of the car. PCP and leasing is an entirely different matter.
Certainly never heard of HP requiring specific dealer servicing. Double check the credit agreement. If its not in there he can do what he wants.
Oh and unlikely it needs actual hard wiring. You can get fuse "taps" that plug into an existing fused circuit. Should be no need to actually cut any wires. Likewise with earth, normally an earth terminal close to fusebox that you unscrew and stick another ring on. No need to permanently damage anything.
Certainly never heard of HP requiring specific dealer servicing. Double check the credit agreement. If its not in there he can do what he wants.
Oh and unlikely it needs actual hard wiring. You can get fuse "taps" that plug into an existing fused circuit. Should be no need to actually cut any wires. Likewise with earth, normally an earth terminal close to fusebox that you unscrew and stick another ring on. No need to permanently damage anything.
My dashcam is fully wired in, apart from removing a bit of trim and the fuse tap I could remove with no damage.
My car is leased (5th Merc on the run) and I’ve hard wired my dashcam in to every one of them. I use little 12v to twin USB converters, they’re only a few quid. Feed on of the tails into the glove box (handy extra) and plug the camera power cable up the A pillar and to the camera, all nice and hidden.
It’s a ballache to remove it all, so I usually just cut the end off and stuff it back down the A pillar when they go back.
Never had an issue.
It’s a ballache to remove it all, so I usually just cut the end off and stuff it back down the A pillar when they go back.
Never had an issue.
jerrin91 said:
asking for a mate..
Bought a brand new BMW through hire purchase for four years. Want to fit a dash cam with parking mode that can record even when the car is off/ parked. Plan is to get it done professionally via Halfords.
Issue with this type of dash cam has wires that will need to be hard wired to the fuse box and this means removing panels to access the fuse box etc.
My question is can it affect the contract like would it come back to bite him one day for tampering with the car or make any warranty void etc. I am under the impression that with Hire purchase cars, you only get to drive them. any work even the smallest can only be carried out by the dealer or something. I thought I will ask you all first anyway before checking with his dealer.
Cheers
I would be careful reading terms if its BMW Finance have heard horror stories of them coming down hard on any modifications.Bought a brand new BMW through hire purchase for four years. Want to fit a dash cam with parking mode that can record even when the car is off/ parked. Plan is to get it done professionally via Halfords.
Issue with this type of dash cam has wires that will need to be hard wired to the fuse box and this means removing panels to access the fuse box etc.
My question is can it affect the contract like would it come back to bite him one day for tampering with the car or make any warranty void etc. I am under the impression that with Hire purchase cars, you only get to drive them. any work even the smallest can only be carried out by the dealer or something. I thought I will ask you all first anyway before checking with his dealer.
Cheers
Know of a youtuber who did mod the crap out of his M4 and I think he is an idiot certainly compare of Joe A gets a tonne of latitude for speeding videos, but he got given notice to buy out the car or lose as they have a breach clause around mods.
Under the hire purchase agreement, until the car is paid off in full, it remains the property of the finance company (I assume the HP is through BMW Finance), not the buyers, so before doing anything to the car, your friend really needs to check with the finance company.
It's all well and good other people saying: "I just fitted this to my lease car", and: "I just did this to my car on finance, and didn't tell anyone", but they aren't going to sort everything out for your friend, if it turns out the finance company do have a problem with it, are they?
It's all well and good other people saying: "I just fitted this to my lease car", and: "I just did this to my car on finance, and didn't tell anyone", but they aren't going to sort everything out for your friend, if it turns out the finance company do have a problem with it, are they?
surveyor_101 said:
jerrin91 said:
asking for a mate..
Bought a brand new BMW through hire purchase for four years. Want to fit a dash cam with parking mode that can record even when the car is off/ parked. Plan is to get it done professionally via Halfords.
Issue with this type of dash cam has wires that will need to be hard wired to the fuse box and this means removing panels to access the fuse box etc.
My question is can it affect the contract like would it come back to bite him one day for tampering with the car or make any warranty void etc. I am under the impression that with Hire purchase cars, you only get to drive them. any work even the smallest can only be carried out by the dealer or something. I thought I will ask you all first anyway before checking with his dealer.
Cheers
I would be careful reading terms if its BMW Finance have heard horror stories of them coming down hard on any modifications.Bought a brand new BMW through hire purchase for four years. Want to fit a dash cam with parking mode that can record even when the car is off/ parked. Plan is to get it done professionally via Halfords.
Issue with this type of dash cam has wires that will need to be hard wired to the fuse box and this means removing panels to access the fuse box etc.
My question is can it affect the contract like would it come back to bite him one day for tampering with the car or make any warranty void etc. I am under the impression that with Hire purchase cars, you only get to drive them. any work even the smallest can only be carried out by the dealer or something. I thought I will ask you all first anyway before checking with his dealer.
Cheers
Know of a youtuber who did mod the crap out of his M4 and I think he is an idiot certainly compare of Joe A gets a tonne of latitude for speeding videos, but he got given notice to buy out the car or lose as they have a breach clause around mods.
Its a tad different to fitting a £100 dashcam via a piggyback fuse when no wires are cut into, its just a tidier way of plugging the dashcam into a 12v fag lighter socket or USB port.
1. Avoid halfords like the plague. I can assure you they do not approach this sort of request with the same care your mate does.
I've hard wired all dash cams into my cars and as has been pointed out it's just a case of carefully planning the cable route and using the correct tools to remove the panels and trim where needed.
Even although it's termed "hard wired" it's generally a wire into the fusebox with a piggyback type connection that allows for whatever fuse you've chosen to work in tandem with your dashcam.
Just make sure the cables aren't too tight or might rub against anything that will cause wear. For the ultra paranoid you can sheath the cables in a hard wearing sleeve and that's it. Job done.
I've hard wired all dash cams into my cars and as has been pointed out it's just a case of carefully planning the cable route and using the correct tools to remove the panels and trim where needed.
Even although it's termed "hard wired" it's generally a wire into the fusebox with a piggyback type connection that allows for whatever fuse you've chosen to work in tandem with your dashcam.
Just make sure the cables aren't too tight or might rub against anything that will cause wear. For the ultra paranoid you can sheath the cables in a hard wearing sleeve and that's it. Job done.
evoivboy said:
BMW told me if i had it hard wired else where and there was a problem, it will affect the warranty, so i just used the charger point and hid the cables
That will work too and the trade off is perhaps an unsightly charger plug but you can buy slimmer ones that aren't as obvious. So long as you choose the correct fuse and do your homework there will be no issues.
The piggy back fuses are very hard to get wrong.
Arguably they're not even hard wired, as the same way a lead plugged into a wall socket is not "hard wired" into the house electrics. Fuses are by definition replaceable.
For me, the bigger headache was removing the a pillar without either gouging it to bits or snapping every single connector.
The price saved of a "professional" installation would buy some decent trim removal tools...
Ian
Arguably they're not even hard wired, as the same way a lead plugged into a wall socket is not "hard wired" into the house electrics. Fuses are by definition replaceable.
For me, the bigger headache was removing the a pillar without either gouging it to bits or snapping every single connector.
The price saved of a "professional" installation would buy some decent trim removal tools...
Ian
Davie_GLA said:
evoivboy said:
BMW told me if i had it hard wired else where and there was a problem, it will affect the warranty, so i just used the charger point and hid the cables
That will work too and the trade off is perhaps an unsightly charger plug but you can buy slimmer ones that aren't as obvious. So long as you choose the correct fuse and do your homework there will be no issues.
4rephill said:
Except for the fact that, if the dash-cam has been "hard-wired" into the car by a third party (no matter how expertly), the warranty will be voided - As pointed out by BMW.
What they actually say is– Your BMW has been designed and built to extremely high standards to achieve optimum performance economy. Neither the Manufacturer, the selling BMW Centre or any BMW Group company in the UK can be held responsible for modifications to the vehicle which lead to defects, unless those modifications have been approved by the Manufacturer, an Authorised BMW Centre or a BMW Service Authorised Workshop.
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