[Cymro]

Hi All,

Has anyone found a solution to powering a dash cam or other items without the ignition on?

Or does the power plug stay on for a while after ignition off

Thanks

 

[BristolRich]

The plug goes on and off with the ignition.

The biggest problem you'll have is even if you do find a permanent live, it will also shut down as part of the Economy Mode built into the BSI unit (unless its on the list of excluded items - Horn, hazards, interior light and headlamp flash. Also you need to be aware of breaking into circuits as the CANBUS system used on Citroen is very susceptible to Voltage/Amperage drops and WILL invalidate your warranty. There are specific details in the manual about this.

There is no way to over ride this unless you create a circuit direct from the battery as your supply feed.

 

[Cactus4us]

There is no way to over ride this unless you create a circuit direct from the battery as your supply feed.

Done that a few times last century

 

[JohnYoung]

There is no way to over ride this unless you create a circuit direct from the battery as your supply feed.

Done that a few times last century

Yep me to, I remember wiring stereo, amp etc into car at night in winter in the snow :shock:

Must have been mad - but it sounded good :lol:

 

[BristolRich]

Yeap...I've spent many a time re-routing the + lead from the battery to the engine bay in my old Minis amongst all the other electrical foibles that they used to throw up . Back then there were plenty of holes to poke wires from "outside" into the car. These days thanks to crash, fire and noise protection/prevention, access to the "inside" the car through bulkheads is some what more of a challenge...

 

[JohnYoung]

Yeah I can remember the challenge of finding a little hole to lead your cables through.... Good fun

 

[Cymro]

Thanks all, thought that might be the case.

Canbus has a fit with any sort of wiring tampering, I've seen the damage done by people fitting there own tow bars and thinking they cam wire up the old way. Lol.

I was wondering about the viability of running direct from the battery.

Glove box is big enough so may come up with a cunning plan, some sort of battery pack, only needs to run LED lit unit for an hour max.

 

[JohnC]

Came across this,

http://www.connects2downloads.co.uk/c2/files/InstallationGuides/Igni-Gen12V.pdf

No experience with it but maybe of use.

They do other canbus connectivity items as well

http://www.connects2downloads.co.uk/c2/files/downloads/catalogues/can-bus.pdf

 

[Cymro]

Those items are quite interesting and might actually be the eventual answer, via a relay possibly.

RPM genrator may have its uses for someone

 

[Tikii]

Not sure if this will work, but Nextbase do a Car Camera Hardwire kit for their Incar Cam range.

Basically, you remove a 'switched' fuse (rear screen heater, power socket etc) and plug their lead into the fuse socket, then put the fuse you removed from the circuit into the top of the fuse in the lead 'piggy back' fashion. The negative is connected to any suitable earth point. The lead then connects to the camera via usb.

I have not tried this but have been told by a fitter at Halfords that it does not affect the Canbus system! (Hmm?).

Has anybody tried this way of connecting a (Nextbase) dash cam, as I have a cactus on order and would like to put a dash cam in it without having wires dangling down to the power socket.

It seems like a simple solution to a common problem, as the current drawn is negligible and I wouldn't have thought a lot different from just plugging an item into the power socket!

 

[Blactus]

Hi guys, my dash cam only faces forward any way and bumps/attempted break ins I might expect to get would be on the doors/mirrors mostly.

 

[Cymro]

Not sure if this will work, but Nextbase do a Car Camera Hardwire kit for their Incar Cam range.

Basically, you remove a 'switched' fuse (rear screen heater, power socket etc) and plug their lead into the fuse socket, then put the fuse you removed from the circuit into the top of the fuse in the lead 'piggy back' fashion. The negative is connected to any suitable earth point. The lead then connects to the camera via usb.

I have not tried this but have been told by a fitter at Halfords that it does not affect the Canbus system! (Hmm?).

Has anybody tried this way of connecting a (Nextbase) dash cam, as I have a cactus on order and would like to put a dash cam in it without having wires dangling down to the power socket.

It seems like a simple solution to a common problem, as the current drawn is negligible and I wouldn't have thought a lot different from just plugging an item into the power socket!

Ive had a good look at these too. But until i can have a good look at the Cactus wiring/fuse board not too sure what to make of it.

as a temp car (while my cactus is on order) i got an old 99 plate Honda HR-V and need to wire in the camera so might need to buy one of the Nextbase items today. Even though the car is entirely electrically analogue it should be a damn sight easier than finding correct wires.

 

[Tikii]

Even though the car is entirely electrically analogue it should be a damn sight easier than finding correct wires

My thought too! Seems a simple solution for a dash cam and probably any other low powered usb connectable device.

Would be interested to hear from anybody who has fitted one. Will report back when I've tried it, but it will have to wait till January when I'm expecting delivery!

 

[Tikii]

A quick update on fitting a Nextbase 402G with the Nextbase Hardwire kit.

I've just fitted the above dash cam and it's not too difficult but you need eight inch fingers that are double jointed at all the knuckles! I used the power socket fuse as the heated rear window fuse (as recommended) only comes live when you turn on the rear screen heater whereas the power socket turns on and off with the ignition.

On my cactus the fuses are behind a panel just below the glove box. Remove this panel starting at the top left hand corner and work your way round carefully, you'll need a screwdriver to help to lever it off initially.

Once it's off, locate the left hand fuse board and find (obstructed by two wiring loom cables and an airbag connection which can be unclipped from its holder without disconnecting it) the 'power socket fuse' (small blue 15A on mine, check with the manual) and remove it.

Place the fuse you just removed in to the empty 'piggy back' socket and then plug the 'piggy back' plug back into the socket on the fuse board that you just removed the fuse from. As a double check to make sure you've got the correct fuse after removing It, turn on the ignition (with something plugged into the power socket) to make sure the power socket is off.

Route the usb connecting cable from the camera (I positioned mine slightly to the left of the rear view mirror) under the roof panel, behind the A pillar trim and then behind the door seal feeding the excess in to the space below the fuse box area.

Connect the red wire you connected to the fuse box as above to the red wire on the usb cable and then connect the black wire with the spade connector on the usb cable , behind one of the torx screws near the front area of the fuses. There is space below the fuses to put any spare usb cable you have.

Plug in the usb cable to the camera and turn on the ignition and camera and bingo!

Replace the cover starting at the bottom and gently push the locating clips back in.

It's a fiddly job due to the location of the fuse box and wires in front of it, but not that difficult if you take your time.

Hope you find this helpful.

 

[Dadioglasgow]

A quick update on fitting a Nextbase 402G with the Nextbase Hardwire kit.

I've just fitted the above dash cam and it's not too difficult but you need eight inch fingers that are double jointed at all the knuckles! I used the power socket fuse as the heated rear window fuse (as recommended) only comes live when you turn on the rear screen heater whereas the power socket turns on and off with the ignition.

On my cactus the fuses are behind a panel just below the glove box. Remove this panel starting at the top left hand corner and work your way round carefully, you'll need a screwdriver to help to lever it off initially.

Once it's off, locate the left hand fuse board and find (obstructed by two wiring loom cables and an airbag connection which can be unclipped from its holder without disconnecting it) the 'power socket fuse' (small blue 15A on mine, check with the manual) and remove it.

Place the fuse you just removed in to the empty 'piggy back' socket and then plug the 'piggy back' plug back into the socket on the fuse board that you just removed the fuse from. As a double check to make sure you've got the correct fuse after removing It, turn on the ignition (with something plugged into the power socket) to make sure the power socket is off.

Route the usb connecting cable from the camera (I positioned mine slightly to the left of the rear view mirror) under the roof panel, behind the A pillar trim and then behind the door seal feeding the excess in to the space below the fuse box area.

Connect the red wire you connected to the fuse box as above to the red wire on the usb cable and then connect the black wire with the spade connector on the usb cable , behind one of the torx screws near the front area of the fuses. There is space below the fuses to put any spare usb cable you have.

Plug in the usb cable to the camera and turn on the ignition and camera and bingo!

Replace the cover starting at the bottom and gently push the locating clips back in.

It's a fiddly job due to the location of the fuse box and wires in front of it, but not that difficult if you take your time.

Hope you find this helpful.

How do you remove the airbag connector? Mine seems to be stuck fast and I don't want to force anything in case I break it...

 

[Scrumdown45]

I have just fitted a nextbase car hardwire kit - the whole process was 15 mins and 7mins of that was find the right torx driver! Cable now hidden completely - I bought mine of eBay for £11:95

 

[Scrumdown45]

Image View attachment 286

 

[MaroonBells]

Scrumdown45

Your cam looks like its positioned fairly low, would you say it is correct having used it?

 

[Blactus]

Scrumdown45

Your cam looks like its positioned fairly low, would you say it is correct having used it?

That's how I have mine. I'm reading the installation ideas with interest, I just plug mine in to the cigarette lighter but the wires in the passenger foot well drive me crazy (I prefer my TomTom satnav over the built in, so I have an Energiser adapter so I can power both items.)

 

[Dadioglasgow]

I put mine slightly higher up and hard wired it with the Nextbase kit from Amazon. Now much neater and the 12v socket is now free. Installation is easier if you remove the covers below the fuse box and use a long thin pair of pliers to remove the fuse...