Dash Cameras

[Silverbullet767]

Calling all hardwiring experts.

I have a Garmin dash cam mini, and I purchased the hard wire kit with parking mode to go along with it.

This requires a constant live (yellow) switched live (red) and -ve connections.

The car in question is a W205 C class C43.

I am using the fuse box located at the drivers door.

Diagram as follows.



Fuses as follows...

200 50 Front SAM control unit
201 40 Front SAM control unit
202 5 Alarm siren / ATA [EDW] tow-away protection/interior protection control unit (A205)
203 20 Valid with transmission 716: Electric steering lock control unit
204 5 Diagnostic connector
205 7,5 Electronic ignition lock control unit
206 5 Analog clock
207 15 Climate control unit
208 7,5 Instrument cluster
209 5 Climate control operating unit, Upper control panel control unit
210 5 Steering column tube module control unit
211 25 AMG: Electronic Stability Program control unit
212 5 as of 01.06.2016: Antenna changeover switch for telephone and stationary heated
213 5 Electronic Stability Program control unit
214 30 AMG: Electric parking brake control unit
215 — Spare
216 7,5 Glove compartment lamp
217 5 Japan version: Dedicated Short-Range Communications control unit
218 7,5 Supplemental Restraint System control unit
219 5 Weight sensing system (WSS) control unit
220 — Spare

I do not want to touch the SRS (airbag) 218 fuse even though I know that will be constant live, but what others are?

My thoughts for constant live

202 Alarm siren?
204 Diagnostic connector?
207 Climate Control Unit?
219 Weight sensing system?

All others (except 218) switched?

Any thoughts?

[liner33]

For the perm live I go straight from battery. The ign feed I usually take from the cig lighter/12v

[ferrisbueller]

Central locking for perm. live was also suggested to me.

[Silverbullet767]

Good suggestions, but not one of the fuses available in that fusebox, I think they both live in the boot.

[ferrisbueller]

Guessing the analog clock is always running?

[Silverbullet767]

ferrisbueller said:

Guessing the analog clock is always running?

I don't think it does, the car can switch it off to save power, there are 3 cables going to the clock, 1 of them is connected to the cars ECU in some way to automatically update the time.

[h0b0]

The analog clock in my Porsche resets itself every time I get in. It seems unnecessarily complicated and I wonder if it contributes to the hands falling off which is a common compliant. My last replacement clock was $700 under warranty.

[ferrisbueller]

Silverbullet767 said:

ferrisbueller said:

Guessing the analog clock is always running?

I don't think it does, the car can switch it off to save power, there are 3 cables going to the clock, 1 of them is connected to the cars ECU in some way to automatically update the time.

I think that leaves you with alarm or possibly OBD then. Or running a cable to the other fusebox. No owner forum threads where others have done this already?

[Silverbullet767]

ferrisbueller said:

Silverbullet767 said:

ferrisbueller said:

Guessing the analog clock is always running?

I don't think it does, the car can switch it off to save power, there are 3 cables going to the clock, 1 of them is connected to the cars ECU in some way to automatically update the time.

I think that leaves you with alarm or possibly OBD then. Or running a cable to the other fusebox. No owner forum threads where others have done this already?

I did find this

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w205/719471-fus...

Looks as if they used 204 for perm live and 219 for switched which would make sense with 204 being the diagnostic connector & 219 being the weight control unit but the question was asked if this was correct with no answer. I'll give it a go.

I would hazard a guess that the diagnostic connector would be live all the time. Weather permitting I'll know by this evening, it's been gales on and off all day!

[liner33]

Be very wary of going into the OBD as lots of cars don't like that supply messed about with.

[Silverbullet767]

Didn't get the chance last night as it was raining sideways. I'm using an add-a-fuse reusing the original fuse, as far as the OBD is concerned, nothing has changed. There will be a slight current draw on the supply rail, but nothing extra on the OBD circuit. I'm not tapping into OBD wiring.

Unplugging the fuse for 10 seconds wont matter much either, if it did then why supply a fuse in the first place?

Well, that's my excuse, look for a thread tomorrow entitled... Help I've DOA'd my OBD!

[liner33]

Silverbullet767 said:

Didn't get the chance last night as it was raining sideways. I'm using an add-a-fuse reusing the original fuse, as far as the OBD is concerned, nothing has changed. There will be a slight current draw on the supply rail, but nothing extra on the OBD circuit. I'm not tapping into OBD wiring.

Unplugging the fuse for 10 seconds wont matter much either, if it did then why supply a fuse in the first place?

Well, that's my excuse, look for a thread tomorrow entitled... Help I've DOA'd my OBD!

I was advised by an auto electrician recently because I pulled the obd fuse on my Fiesta to frustrate attempts to clone a key and steal the car , apparently this was a no-no but I can't recall why , using a fuse take off should be fine though

[Silverbullet767]

It was indeed those fuses for anyone in the future looking at this.

204 - diagnostic connector - permanent live
219 - weight sense control unit - switched live

Camera seems to be working fine.

This was for a 2017 W205 C43.

[Alextodrive]

I remember reading that regardless of fault, insurance companies can put up your insurance premium. This was challenged in court and the insurance companies won on the basis that they were able to show, having had one accident, you are likelier to have more. The logic being the routes and journeys you are making are statistically more dangerous than the average with which your insurance will have calculated your original premiums.

I'm still paying extra for a crash two years ago when a woman wearing a lovely large winter coat in very high stilletos, lost control of her nissan micra at the top of a hill and smashed into me while I was parked at the bottom.

Dashcams are a great idea to prove you werent at fault, and they reduce premium a bit, but in my experience the key is to never come across anyone that cant control their car / never leave the house.

[gmaz]

Alextodrive said:

I remember reading that regardless of fault, insurance companies can put up your insurance premium. This was challenged in court and the insurance companies won on the basis that they were able to show, having had one accident, you are likelier to have more. The logic being the routes and journeys you are making are statistically more dangerous than the average with which your insurance will have calculated your original premiums.

I'm still paying extra for a crash two years ago when a woman wearing a lovely large winter coat in very high stilletos, lost control of her nissan micra at the top of a hill and smashed into me while I was parked at the bottom.

Dashcams are a great idea to prove you werent at fault, and they reduce premium a bit, but in my experience the key is to never come across anyone that cant control their car / never leave the house.

This it true, someone hit my wife's car, pulled out of a side road without looking. My wife is a named driver on my car and I got a letter from Admiral at my renewal saying that because she was involved in a non-fault accident, *my* renewal was going up by £50.

Her dashcam was an old Mini-0801 that had stopped functioning unknown to us, so have replaced it with a 70mai 1S which is cheap but good quality.

Edited by gmaz on Friday 7th February 08:22

[jakesmith]

Silverbullet767 said:

Calling all hardwiring experts.

I have a Garmin dash cam mini, and I purchased the hard wire kit with parking mode to go along with it.

This requires a constant live (yellow) switched live (red) and -ve connections.

The car in question is a W205 C class C43.

I am using the fuse box located at the drivers door.

Diagram as follows.



Fuses as follows...

200 50 Front SAM control unit
201 40 Front SAM control unit
202 5 Alarm siren / ATA [EDW] tow-away protection/interior protection control unit (A205)
203 20 Valid with transmission 716: Electric steering lock control unit
204 5 Diagnostic connector
205 7,5 Electronic ignition lock control unit
206 5 Analog clock
207 15 Climate control unit
208 7,5 Instrument cluster
209 5 Climate control operating unit, Upper control panel control unit
210 5 Steering column tube module control unit
211 25 AMG: Electronic Stability Program control unit
212 5 as of 01.06.2016: Antenna changeover switch for telephone and stationary heated
213 5 Electronic Stability Program control unit
214 30 AMG: Electric parking brake control unit
215 — Spare
216 7,5 Glove compartment lamp
217 5 Japan version: Dedicated Short-Range Communications control unit
218 7,5 Supplemental Restraint System control unit
219 5 Weight sensing system (WSS) control unit
220 — Spare

I do not want to touch the SRS (airbag) 218 fuse even though I know that will be constant live, but what others are?

My thoughts for constant live

202 Alarm siren?
204 Diagnostic connector?
207 Climate Control Unit?
219 Weight sensing system?

All others (except 218) switched?

Any thoughts?

I’ve just installed my front and rear in my new a5. It’s the 6th one I’ve done and they get harder for the reason you’re finding. I suggest you get a £10 multimeter and simply touch the small exposed contact bit on the end of each blade fuse as they are in their holders, with ignition off, too see which circuits are off with ignition. I didn’t know the blade fuses had this till I saw and RAC bloke doing it. They all do though every size. Just look carefully. Saves a hell of a lot of time pulling fuses and testing circuits individually.

[M4cruiser]

I installed my Aukey DR02 a week or so ago (to replace my Mini 0801) and have just downloaded one file to see how good it is.

It's working; I just feel the pictures are a bit "washed out" and over exposed. Number plates are hard to read but just possible if you pause the film at the correct point (quite difficult to do). It's also a bit stuttery when playing on the pc.

Does anyone else have experience of it? Maybe I shouldn't moan too much for £70. It's not too bad, maybe I was just expecting a little better.

[Pesty]

Glove compartment light?

[thetapeworm]

M4cruiser said:

I installed my Aukey DR02 a week or so ago (to replace my Mini 0801) and have just downloaded one file to see how good it is.

It's working; I just feel the pictures are a bit "washed out" and over exposed. Number plates are hard to read but just possible if you pause the film at the correct point (quite difficult to do). It's also a bit stuttery when playing on the pc.

Does anyone else have experience of it? Maybe I shouldn't moan too much for £70. It's not too bad, maybe I was just expecting a little better.

I have a couple of DR02Ds and haven't really experienced major issues with it being washed out, it's a bit overexposed in bright sun but on the whole I'm really happy with the quality. No playback issues either.

I'll try to grab a few frames and upload screen shots of different conditions.

One thing I am disappointed with is the boot time of them, I installed the motion sensor modules recently and came back to the car to find someone had lifted the wipers, presumably because I'd parked on "their street" (on the road, legally). I was hoping id have footage of them doing it but no, the video starts with the wipers up and there's no sign of the culprit on the front or rear camera views

[M4cruiser]

thetapeworm said:

M4cruiser said:

I installed my Aukey DR02 a week or so ago (to replace my Mini 0801) and have just downloaded one file to see how good it is.

It's working; I just feel the pictures are a bit "washed out" and over exposed. Number plates are hard to read but just possible if you pause the film at the correct point (quite difficult to do). It's also a bit stuttery when playing on the pc.

Does anyone else have experience of it? Maybe I shouldn't moan too much for £70. It's not too bad, maybe I was just expecting a little better.

I have a couple of DR02Ds and haven't really experienced major issues with it being washed out, it's a bit overexposed in bright sun but on the whole I'm really happy with the quality. No playback issues either.

I'll try to grab a few frames and upload screen shots of different conditions.

One thing I am disappointed with is the boot time of them, I installed the motion sensor modules recently and came back to the car to find someone had lifted the wipers, presumably because I'd parked on "their street" (on the road, legally). I was hoping id have footage of them doing it but no, the video starts with the wipers up and there's no sign of the culprit on the front or rear camera views

Yes, maybe "overexposed in bright sun" is what I'm trying to say, here are a couple of frames, both the VW van and the BMW are too bright, and the road in the "foreground" is "blocky":-