Help with clean Blackvue DR650S-2ch install, please

[TurboBear]

Hi all,

I have a late-April 2017 build Model S with glass roof (not pano sunroof). I'm having some trouble running the rear camera cable cleanly on a Blackvue DR650S-2ch install. Any advice would be appreciated -- I watched DÆrik's YouTube video on this install but am still struggling. He made it look easy (and perhaps it is with the pano sunroof).

Rear hatch: I understand I can run the cable through the higher of the two flexible tubes there, but not sure how to get the cable out once I run it into the door. Is the only solution to remove all of the plastic trim, including the very large bottom piece around the latch, from the hatch door?

I had the most difficult time bridging the gap between the lower piece of trim (which I removed) and the glass roof. I can get a very thin twist-tie through and tie it to the cable, but when I try to pull the cable through it keeps getting caught on something. I had no luck getting a coat hanger through. I can't for the life of me figure out what its getting snagged on, and of course there doesn't seem to be a good way to see anything. After about 1.5 hours I put the trim back.

Windshield: it seems that the plastic housing around the cameras and roof trim along the top of the windshield are very tightly attached. I tried a plastic spudger but started to become afraid I would break something trying to pry it. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

 

[DKPowers]

Check this out also:

I'm also in the process of installing a Blackvue 650 onto my MS. What I've noticed is that the headliner trim is really tightly put together, which is good for quality feel but obviously will make it more difficult to run the cable cleanly.

I decided against running the rear camera cable cleanly. I don't want to loosen the trims by removing or twisting them plus it'd be a PITA to remove the cable if needed at some point (failure, selling the car, what ever). I've just run it at the edge of the rear glass to the corner, from there on it "jumps" into the space between the glass roof and the headliner (which has ample room) and from there I'm going to run it into the main camera. Of course it has quite a bit of slack near the hatch so it won't pull when the hatch is opened but I noticed the slack stays behind the head rest and I can't see it from the drivers view. I too noticed that the headliner up front is really tight against the windshield and I haven't figured out yet how I'm going to run it there.

 

[Muzzman1]

For the conduit on the rear hatch, yes you will have to at least release the plastic from the hatch. The pull handles in the hatch come out (with serious force) then pop it from there.
Use a coat hanger to fish the wire into the conduit. Be careful not to damage any of your Tesla wiring.

The rest of the photos are very difficult to decipher what and where things are, but most interior parts on the car pop off usually with force, so you can fish the wire in the headliner after popping the edges open I would imagine.
I have a pano, so it is actually very easy run the wire along the pano.

 

[ChrgdTeCHick]

Run it down the weather strip. So rear to in pillar to weather strip, pillar, weather strip, pillar, along the headliner/window line, to the cam. The only thing I can't comment on it the jump. The one thing I didn't hide.

Here is a picture of my install. Wires are tucked right at the top of the crease of the pillar, then into the weather seal, to the next pillar etc. I can take more pictures to explain if you want. I have a piano but found this to be better and easier than piano.

 

[Russell]

Everybody having good luck with the DR650S or GW?
I bought the S in December and it's gone bad twice since then.
It would work fine for about a month then the GPS(mph) would stop working. I got a replacement under warranty then about 2 months the GPS and wifi stopped working. I'm waiting to receive the 3rd one.

 

[agloutney]

I have a DR650S that I installed cleanly about a month ago. So far so good. I started at the rubber grommet that connects the hatch to the C pillar area. I chose to work on the left side as I think there's a few less wires going through that side. As others have said it was possible to fish the wire back through to the left hatch handle that I removed then forward through the trim pieces along the glass. Then I worked forward from the C pillar to the mic grille area.