M135i (F40) Dash Cam fitting
Discussion
Hi all,
I picked up my first BMW last month, I’m very happy with it so far.
My last car suffered 2 scrapes while parked which cost me several hundred quid to get fixed and just recently I’ve had 2 people I know have insurance decisions go 50/50 where they were (allegedly of course!) 100% the other person’s fault. And a very small part of me is worried about chavved up Golf Rs or similar seeing the badge and causing agro
All of these can be put to rest with a dashcam so I have 2 questions: firstly, as far as I can see the fuses are all behind a panel in the glove box in the F40, is it going to be possible to utilise one of those so I can use the parking feature many cameras have without cutting very small holes in trim or damaging cabling by closing the glove box on it?
Secondly, and maybe one for the wider forum, has anyone had one fitted by Halfords recently? Reviews from years gone by vary from “my car needed a new loom after they butchered a fuse and it melted” to “I’ve used them several times and never had a problem”. Anyone used them recently? I also see it depends on location. I’m in Oakham and would be prepared to travel to a good store. I’ve been quoted £130 plus VAT from a local fitter, my gut tells me you get what you pay for but I’m also well aware that using an indie isn’t a guarantee of quality and if they were to break something they’re much less likely to be able to afford costly repairs
Third option is fit myself which seems straightforward enough if I can find the correct fuse and tuck the wire away enough to be out of sight. I’m not too handy at that sort of thing, am I massively underestimating the job?
This is my first brand new car so I want to keep it protected but I also don’t want it butchered in trying to achieve that!
I picked up my first BMW last month, I’m very happy with it so far.
My last car suffered 2 scrapes while parked which cost me several hundred quid to get fixed and just recently I’ve had 2 people I know have insurance decisions go 50/50 where they were (allegedly of course!) 100% the other person’s fault. And a very small part of me is worried about chavved up Golf Rs or similar seeing the badge and causing agro
All of these can be put to rest with a dashcam so I have 2 questions: firstly, as far as I can see the fuses are all behind a panel in the glove box in the F40, is it going to be possible to utilise one of those so I can use the parking feature many cameras have without cutting very small holes in trim or damaging cabling by closing the glove box on it?
Secondly, and maybe one for the wider forum, has anyone had one fitted by Halfords recently? Reviews from years gone by vary from “my car needed a new loom after they butchered a fuse and it melted” to “I’ve used them several times and never had a problem”. Anyone used them recently? I also see it depends on location. I’m in Oakham and would be prepared to travel to a good store. I’ve been quoted £130 plus VAT from a local fitter, my gut tells me you get what you pay for but I’m also well aware that using an indie isn’t a guarantee of quality and if they were to break something they’re much less likely to be able to afford costly repairs
Third option is fit myself which seems straightforward enough if I can find the correct fuse and tuck the wire away enough to be out of sight. I’m not too handy at that sort of thing, am I massively underestimating the job?
This is my first brand new car so I want to keep it protected but I also don’t want it butchered in trying to achieve that!
Fit it yourself or get a professional in.
You can hard wire it or run it off the 12v.
Be sure to avoid airbags when installing wires.
Get yourself some plastic trim removal tools.
Consider adding a dedicated parking battery if you plan to run parking mode for double digit hours.
On mine with a parking battery it’s two wires.
Ground and a switched live. That’s it.
For switched live I piggy backed off the boot 12v. It’s never used.
No experience with Halfords. The work is only as good as the installer. Some stores have pretty knowledgeable guys there and some obviously don’t. Might be worth seeking out someone who specialises in this. A mobile fitting should not cost more than £90 excluding parts for a two channel set-up.
Fuse 42 in your glovebox. Use a piggy back fuse connector.
You can hard wire it or run it off the 12v.
Be sure to avoid airbags when installing wires.
Get yourself some plastic trim removal tools.
Consider adding a dedicated parking battery if you plan to run parking mode for double digit hours.
On mine with a parking battery it’s two wires.
Ground and a switched live. That’s it.
For switched live I piggy backed off the boot 12v. It’s never used.
No experience with Halfords. The work is only as good as the installer. Some stores have pretty knowledgeable guys there and some obviously don’t. Might be worth seeking out someone who specialises in this. A mobile fitting should not cost more than £90 excluding parts for a two channel set-up.
Fuse 42 in your glovebox. Use a piggy back fuse connector.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 7th June 19:49
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