Hard wired dash cam power.

[DaveInSA]

Just some pictures for reference for people in the future.

I used one of the hardwire adapters off amazon. Goes from 12v bare wires to USB Mini B 5v. Used an add-a-fuse kit on fuse #3 in the passenger footwell area. It comes on with ignition and does not go off with auto-start-stop, on mine at least.
Ground is connected to the bolt holding the white panel on on lower right. Then ran up the right side of the vehicle via the A pillar and along the headliner.

Before securing the voltage converter box portion. I just zipped tied it to keep it from rattling after this picture.

Zip-tied the cable to existing wiring in the a pillar:

Make sure to not go in front of the air bag:

Then just tucked the wire in to the headliner and around the big plastic surround over the mirror, and out to the camera

I trial fit the camera in the center of the windshield just below the mirror, but from the outside that made the camera pretty near smack in the middle of the windshield which I didn't like the look of. So it's as high on the left side of the plastic surround as it can go. Maybe if I switch to one of those horizontal round cameras in the future I can put it behind the mirror.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

Dave, Thanks for posting.

 

[HUSBANDOFBS]

Good infos!

 

[PonyDriver43]

Great explanation & photos. How hard to get a-pillar cover off?

 

[WildFord]

great stuff...same question..how hard to take the cover off...any special tool?

not sure why more car would offer this as an option.

 

[DaveInSA]

Great explanation & photos. How hard to get a-pillar cover off?

Not hard at all. I used a body panel tool at the top to get enough room to get my fingers in, then you pull back towards you at a slight angle. There are two body clips, one at the top and one near the middle, and it lines up with an air vent tube at the bottom along with some tabs on the bottom towards the windshield. Be careful pulling because there is a bungee cord holding the panel to the pillar. You can pull it out just a couple of inches before the bungee stops it. It's held on with a 10mm bolt, remove that and you can remove the entire trim piece. Putting it back on is a little more fun. Re-attach the bungee and bolt and then you have to insert the bottom first and line it up with the air duct plus the tabs on the bottom, then push in the two body clips. I'll get pics of that tomorrow. I left the pillars and center dash trim off as I'm trying to track down my rattle I think it may be either the dash panel or one of the clips on it.

 

[DaveInSA]

Here's a pic showing the bungee I'm talking about.

You can also see the two body panel clips.

 

[DaveInSA]

And some more photos from re-installing them. You have to make sure the tabs on the bottom line up with the slots on the dash and the vent mates up.

Slots and vent:

There's also a little tab on the lowest most portion of the pillar trim that has to slot behind the side dash trim:

Bungee bracket back on the stud. Held on with a 10mm nut/washer combo not seen here:

Also, one of the final steps before pushing in the body clips, make sure to align the plastic stud coming out of the top of the trim piece with the hole on the pillar. I had to reach a finger in and push it down a little to get it aligned. You can see the hole I'm talking about in the lower left of the previous photo. The hole is where the stud goes and the slot below it is for the body clip. The stud is the blury thing in the lower right. They're only so far apart in that photo so I could get a picture of the bungee retainer.