Does Installing a Dash Cam Affect the Car's Wiring?
3 Answers
Installing a dash cam does not affect the car's wiring. The common method is to connect the dash cam's wiring to the car after properly organizing the connection wires. Below is a detailed introduction to the precautions for installing a dash cam: Memory card: Purchasing a memory card is very important. You should buy a suitable memory card after fully understanding the type of memory card your car requires. Consider the connection position of the power cord: The position will affect the required length of the power cord. When connecting to the front row, the power cord needs to be more than 3 meters. When connecting to the back row, the power cord needs to be more than 4 meters. Pay attention to the installation position: Generally, the dash cam should be installed on the right side of the car's rearview mirror. This will not obstruct the view and can maximize the recording of the driving process, achieving better results.
To be honest, I had doubts when I first installed it too. After all, it involves messing with the wiring, right? The key actually lies in the power source method. Plugging directly into the cigarette lighter is the easiest, but having a dangling wire looks terrible. If you tap power from the fuse box, a clumsy technician can easily cause issues—my colleague had his reading light short-circuited due to hardwiring, costing 800 to replace the module. There are even bolder ones who directly tap the battery, and after not driving for half a month in winter, the car wouldn’t start. Now I’ve learned my lesson and go to a professional modification shop for wiring. They use dedicated step-down cables with fuses, and it’s been three years without any issues. Remember, don’t trust those 20-yuan cheap cables from auto parts markets—those things can overheat and melt the wire insulation.
As a car mechanic with ten years of experience, I’ll give you an honest piece of advice: pay attention to the workmanship. Last month, I almost messed up installing a dashcam in a Tesla—plugging it directly into the factory-reserved port without a voltage reducer burned out the car’s internal network system. Truth is, most cars have a power source in the fuse box, but you need to know how to use a multimeter to test ACC/constant power. Those who tuck wires into airbag seams are even scarier—when the airbag deploys, those wires turn into bullets. I always have clients sign a liability waiver for any wiring work, since modified circuits can lead to insurance claims being denied in case of a fire. The safest bet is to use a voltage reducer with low-voltage cutoff, set between 10.8V and 12V. Here’s a number for you to chew on: 37% of car fires are caused by modified wiring at dealerships.
