Panel between the Dome Lights

[hrbmd22]

Does anyone know what's the small mesh panel between the dome lights?

I have recently acquired a dual camera dash cam, and I'd like to install it with as light wiring as possible. It fits over the existing rear view mirror. The power cord is shown in the installation manual as being run up along the inside of the windshield, then down along the posts, across the floorboard, and back up to the 12 volt cigarette charger.

I thought of running a wire to one of the dome lights, but after popping off the cosmetic plastic ring on one, it appears to be a much more complex job. Out of curiosity, I popped open the small mesh panel between the dome lights. I had originally thought that it was a small speaker, but after opening it up, it appears to be some sort of sensor (or 2). There's a yellow sticker on the inside with a date and the word "fog" typed on it. There are 2 connectors and each has 3 wires. One of those wires on each connector is a hot 12 volt.

Does anybody know what this panel is? It doesn't make sense that it's for fog lights, being inside the cabin.

 

[mblakele]

I think that mesh panel houses microphones for voice control and phone calls. But whatever else it contains, look for a third, unused connector with always-on 12V power. It should be in the middle, secured with a piece of tape. I used that extra connector for my dash cam, and didn't have to disturb the other two connectors.

Install of Radar Detector, Dashcam, and Laser Jammer (LONG) includes a photo of the extra connector.

 

[hrbmd22]

My Model S does not have a third connector, just the two.

 

[hrbmd22]

I think that mesh panel houses microphones for voice control and phone calls. But whatever else it contains, look for a third, unused connector with always-on 12V power. It should be in the middle, secured with a piece of tape. I used that extra connector for my dash cam, and didn't have to disturb the other two connectors.

Install of Radar Detector, Dashcam, and Laser Jammer (LONG) includes a photo of the extra connector.

The microphones make sense. I'll just have rto splice into one of those hot wires. Thanks for the swift reply!

 

[Dithermaster]

Folks recommend to NOT use the hot wire going to the mics. If you have the third middle extra connector (in early and now later cars, but not in some in the middle like mine) then use it. Your other option (that I used) is switched 12V going to the rear view mirror. On my car it was the adjacent red and black wires but use a meter to verify.

 

[hrbmd22]

I tried the middle extra connector. All voltages were 7.5 volts, not 12. I do not have a set of black/red wires that I can easily locate going to the rear view mirror. I ended up wiring to the 12 volt socket between the seats. More wire to hide, but it also gave me a chance to tear apart my after-market center console to which I added more USB sockets and another 12 volt socket. Now my EV car is much more EV-friendly!

 

[cmorgan]

I tried the middle extra connector. All voltages were 7.5 volts, not 12. I do not have a set of black/red wires that I can easily locate going to the rear view mirror. I ended up wiring to the 12 volt socket between the seats. More wire to hide, but it also gave me a chance to tear apart my after-market center console to which I added more USB sockets and another 12 volt socket. Now my EV car is much more EV-friendly!

I just installed a blackvue a few days ago and used that same connector. From the gray to black it was 14v but from the green-red to the black it was something like 10v. Maybe you are measuring that pair? Grey to green-red was 3.4 for me.

 

[hrbmd22]

I tried all wire combinations. Best I could get was 7.5. Maybe my voltmeter is off and it's 10 volts. But, I never found any combination that was higher than that. No matter, my dash cam is wired now. Thanks!

 

[hrbmd22]

I just installed a blackvue a few days ago and used that same connector. From the gray to black it was 14v but from the green-red to the black it was something like 10v. Maybe you are measuring that pair? Grey to green-red was 3.4 for me.

cmorgan, What make& model year do you have?

 

[cmorgan]

cmorgan, What make& model year do you have?

2016 refreshed model s, p90d. I also checked the voltages with and without dome lights on/off. I had looked through the posts here and didn't see any that had the same wire colors that I had so I made sure to check all of the configurations. That and I didn't want to wire the dash cam backwards and burn something out. Heh

 

[hrbmd22]

Mine's a 2014 Model S 90. May have different wiring harness. No worries. Thanks!

 

[hrbmd22]

2016 refreshed model s, p90d. I also checked the voltages with and without dome lights on/off. I had looked through the posts here and didn't see any that had the same wire colors that I had so I made sure to check all of the configurations. That and I didn't want to wire the dash cam backwards and burn something out. Heh

Sorry. Mine's a Model S 85.

 

[cmorgan]

Sorry. Mine's a Model S 85.

With ap? I thought someone was trying to or had figured out which options caused that connector to be present.

Glad your setup worked out. It wasn't super easy for me to fish the wires around, not sure how I would have gotten down to the center console.