Blackvue DR650GW-2CH Install

[wilheldp]

I tried installing my Blackvue today. It was my second attempt as the first one ended with me sweaty and angry. Today was no exception, but I got the camera at least partially installed.

First of all, the Autopilot equipment installed behind the rearview mirror really makes feeding the power wire from the microphone compartment to the camera a real chore. It's a really tight fit, and the wire won't get any closer than about 1/2" to the Autopilot enclosure. It's not a big deal, but certainly not as clean as the Teslarati installation with the wires running down the rearview mirror shroud.

Second, running the wire from the rear cable gland to the center of the rear window might be the most frustrating thing I have ever tried to do in my life. I got the wire through the rubber tube no problem, but fishing it through the metal channel under the upper brake light proved to be my breaking point. I ended up severing the end off the cable by pulling too hard on the fish tape I had it connected to. Now the camera connector is permanently wedged somewhere in the hatchback sheet metal. I think at this point, I am going to resort to drilling a hole and covering it with silicone. I really don't think I am capable of fishing that wire through the tiny gap between panels unless somebody has a really easy trick to do it.

I now have the front camera only running with power from the extra connector in the microphone enclosure. I'm dead in the water until I can get a replacement rear camera cable.

 

[Sandman1962]

I too had frustrations! My advice is.... get a partner/friend/buddy to help you. Preferably with small hands.
I recommend trying to thread the rear camera cable around the hatch (no drill method). I tried the direct method and just could not find a seam in the welds that would work. Take some breaks, have good lighting, and good luck!

 

[wilheldp]

I recommend trying to thread the rear camera cable around the hatch (no drill method). I tried the direct method and just could not find a seam in the welds that would work. Take some breaks, have good lighting, and good luck!

Did you run the cable to the end of the hatch and back up? I looked in to that because that is how all of the wiring to the hatch seems to be run. But it looked pretty difficult to run the wire all the way down the hatch, and that is a helluva large trim panel you have to remove to access the area.

Is there any real danger to drilling a hole? There are already several holes in the sheet metal for trim clips, and the area is protected by trim and rubber gaskets on the hatch. Other than the standard fear of putting holes in an expensive car, it seems like a relatively harmless hole to drill.

 

[Sandman1962]

i just followed the advice in the forum for the no-drill method. many have tried the drill method and the make the jump method. personal preference plays here. good luck!

 

[STbreaker]

I tried installing my Blackvue today. It was my second attempt as the first one ended with me sweaty and angry. Today was no exception, but I got the camera at least partially installed.

First of all, the Autopilot equipment installed behind the rearview mirror really makes feeding the power wire from the microphone compartment to the camera a real chore. It's a really tight fit, and the wire won't get any closer than about 1/2" to the Autopilot enclosure. It's not a big deal, but certainly not as clean as the Teslarati installation with the wires running down the rearview mirror shroud.

Second, running the wire from the rear cable gland to the center of the rear window might be the most frustrating thing I have ever tried to do in my life. I got the wire through the rubber tube no problem, but fishing it through the metal channel under the upper brake light proved to be my breaking point. I ended up severing the end off the cable by pulling too hard on the fish tape I had it connected to. Now the camera connector is permanently wedged somewhere in the hatchback sheet metal. I think at this point, I am going to resort to drilling a hole and covering it with silicone. I really don't think I am capable of fishing that wire through the tiny gap between panels unless somebody has a really easy trick to do it.

I now have the front camera only running with power from the extra connector in the microphone enclosure. I'm dead in the water until I can get a replacement rear camera cable.

An alternative method I used since I was too frustrated to even attempt going around the taillight:
After I got to the end of the rubber grommet, I took a pair of scissors and made a slit under the part you secure in the body. Then I pushed the connector through the slit. Since its rubber, the material settled around the wire and you can barely see the hole. You can also now easily reseat the grommet in its home.

Then I looped and zip tied the extra cable underneath the side panel. The only place you can see the wire is the short stretch from the rubber tube to get behind the panels. It's not a completely hidden install, but it's hardly noticeable. It's certainly less difficult/terrifying than the "fish around the taillight" or "drilling+silicone" methods and a bit more elegant than jumping the gap from the back seat.

 

[wilheldp]

An alternative method I used since I was too frustrated to even attempt going around the taillight:
After I got to the end of the rubber grommet, I took a pair of scissors and made a slit under the part you secure in the body. Then I pushed the connector through the slit. Since its rubber, the material settled around the wire and you can barely see the hole. You can also now easily reseat the grommet in its home.

The only part I don't like about that is the fact that the rubber boot is clearly there for a reason. It is exposed when the hatch is open, and I did notice rainwater getting on that boot when the hatch was opened yesterday after a storm. I'm not so concerned about the wiring, since it has thermoplastic insulation on it. But that boot is directed directly inside the car to an alcantara-covered trim panel. It is conceivable that water could enter the boot and stain/warp the trim.

 

[MMinehan]

The only part I don't like about that is the fact that the rubber boot is clearly there for a reason

I agree. I'm half way through my install. Up to the lift gate part. Got through the rubber boot ok. Now have to decide on 1 of 4 options:

1) Pull may hair out trying to feed it directly to the center of the window. Some say impossible or too hard.
2) Go down to the tail light and up again. Requires removing a very big piece of trim.
3) Drill a hole in my new car. Sacrilegious.
4) Breach the rubber boot and risk water entry.

It's almost worth poll.

Marty

 

[Ivo-G]

1) Pull may hair out trying to feed it directly to the center of the window. Some say impossible or too hard.

Marty

I don't quite see why you'd want to pull your hair out and feed it to the center of the window? The window eats hair??

 

[wilheldp]

1) Pull may hair out trying to feed it directly to the center of the window. Some say impossible or too hard.
2) Go down to the tail light and up again. Requires removing a very big piece of trim.
3) Drill a hole in my new car. Sacrilegious.
4) Breach the rubber boot and risk water entry.

After trying #1 and failing miserably, I think I have decided to go with #3 when my new cable arrives. I'll seal the hole with silicone sealant, and it will be hidden under a trim piece...but it still gives me the willies.

 

[Fusion]

You guys just cut the power wire and connect it to the extra wire in the mic area? Picture would be helpful. I'm ready to clip my cable but wanna double check. The replacement cable is 40 bucks so I don't wanna spend extra money if I don't have to.

 

[4SUPER9]

Buy a cable from Amazon. I have the link earlier in this thread. Cheap and you keep the original as is. Just add a fuse (also in that link)

 

[wilheldp]

You guys just cut the power wire and connect it to the extra wire in the mic area? Picture would be helpful. I'm ready to clip my cable but wanna double check. The replacement cable is 40 bucks so I don't wanna spend extra money if I don't have to.

There is a link early on in this thread for a power connector compatible with the input port on the Blackvue, but with no 12V auto socket on the other end. I ended up making my own power cable from that aftermarket cable and a 4-pin computer fan extension cable. The power cord only needs to be about 18" long if you are using the spare power cable in the microphone grille.

 

[Yodeller]

I'm interested in buying and installing a Blackvue DR650S-2CH. I know myself and I doubt I have the patience to go through the steps described here. Is there any installation service in the SF Bay Area that forum members would recommend?

2015 Model S90D with AP.

 

[Skione65]

the spec in the back of the 650-2CH owner's manual says max 4.8W depending on WiFi usage, so that sounds about right compared on your actual measurements. Mine is powered continuously and I'd estimate it consumes 2-3km rated range worth of additional loss per 24hrs when the car is just sitting there in the garage, no big deal. The dashcam wifi is normally off but sometimes I turn it on in the garage to connect to my home wifi when I get home - I do that so that I can browse the files from anywhere inside the house using cloud mode (detached garage is slightly too far to reliably connect via direct wifi to smartphone)

So how about leaving the car parked for 4 days in an airport parking lot with the "parked mode" to monitor continuously? What type of battery drain are we looking at and would it be significant enough to be an issue (I'm also talking NOT plugged in). Cold soaked 4 days.

Ski

 

[Barry]

So how about leaving the car parked for 4 days in an airport parking lot with the "parked mode" to monitor continuously? What type of battery drain are we looking at and would it be significant enough to be an issue (I'm also talking NOT plugged in). Cold soaked 4 days.

An extra 1-2 miles of vampire drain per day. Not a problem.

 

[bmah]

I'm interested in buying and installing a Blackvue DR650S-2CH. I know myself and I doubt I have the patience to go through the steps described here. Is there any installation service in the SF Bay Area that forum members would recommend?

2015 Model S90D with AP.

Walnut Creek Customs has done many Blackvue / Tesla installs, including mine. (In fact I learned about them from other people here on TMC posting their positive experiences.) I definitely recommend giving them a call.

No connection with WCC except as a very satisfied customer.

Good luck!

Bruce.

PS. Hrm, your profile says that you're in Cupertino. I'm sure there are good installers closer to where you are...WCC made a lot of sense for me because I live only about 15 minutes away from them.

 

[SwisSojourners]

An extra 1-2 miles of vampire drain per day. Not a problem.

I experienced a net 5-6 mile loss / day leaving car unplugged and Blackvue on parking mode.

 

[Yodeller]

Walnut Creek Customs has done many Blackvue / Tesla installs, including mine. (In fact I learned about them from other people here on TMC posting their positive experiences.) I definitely recommend giving them a call.

No connection with WCC except as a very satisfied customer.

Good luck!

Bruce.

PS. Hrm, your profile says that you're in Cupertino. I'm sure there are good installers closer to where you are...WCC made a lot of sense for me because I live only about 15 minutes away from them.

Thanks, I'll check with the Tesla showroom in Santana Row if there's something closer, if not, I'll schedule an appointment and do the drive to WC.

 

[hacer]

I just installed my blackvue 2 channel system with the help of the information here. I could not bring myself to drill a hole in the body, so instead I removed one of the plastic clips from the side trim piece on the hatch and used that hole to fish the cable through. The square end of the cable doesn't quite fit through the round hole so used a pair of diagonal cutters to snip off the corners of the plastic square to make it more round so it fits through the original hole. I did this with the straight connector end which I attached to the rear camera. I actually wanted the right-angle connector up at the front where it is less intrusive but of course you can fish the cable through in either direction so you can choose to put the right-angle end at the rear with this method if you want to. It's definitely easier to fish the straight end through the rubber boot and the holes so if you want the right-angle end in the rear I recommend that you start the installation in the hatch. With one less clip holding the trim it might be more prone to rattle so I put a small piece of double-stick foam tape on the far less-supported end to stick it to the hatch metal and it feels pretty secure.

The clip I removed is the one that you see remaining on the hatch (it's the blue thing next to where wk057 drilled his hole in his second photo). I got lucky and didn't break any clips so now I have a spare for when I do.

 

[wilheldp]

I just installed my blackvue 2 channel system with the help of the information here. I could bring myself to drill a hole in the body, so instead I removed one of the plastic clips from the side trim piece on the hatch and used that hole to fish the cable through. The square end of the cable doesn't quite fit through the round hole so used a pair of diagonal cutters to snip off the corners of the plastic square to make it more round so it fits through the original hole. I did this with the straight connector end which I attached to the rear camera. I actually wanted the right-angle connector up at the front where it is less intrusive but of course you can fish the cable through in either direction so you can choose to put the right-angle end at the rear with this method if you want to. It's definitely easier to fish the straight end through the rubber boot and the holes so if you want the right-angle end in the rear I recommend that you start the installation in the hatch. With one less clip holding the trim it might be more prone to rattle so I put a small piece of double-stick foam tape on the far less-supported end to stick it to the hatch metal and it feels pretty secure.

The clip I removed is the one that you see remaining on the hatch (it's the blue thing next to where wk057 drilled his hole in his second photo). I got lucky and didn't break any clips so now I have a spare for when I do.

I thought about doing that, but I was concerned that the trim piece would be too "floppy" if I didn't put that clip back in. Is your trim pretty secure without the clip? I think leaving the middle clip out might be better since the trim would be supported at the front and back, just not in the middle...but it would be harder to fish the cable to the middle hole.