Hard wiring dash cam on an SLK

[liamt]

Hello,

So my Uncle is up north for Christmas with his 2014 SLK 250 CDI and has brought with him a new dash cam and hard wire kit. We've routed the cable to the rear fuse box rather than the front as running the cable across the top of the windscreen was interfering with the radio signal. We've got the fuse layout for the rear fuse box but the trouble we're having is finding a fuse on the switch side that isn't constantly live. We've not touched the critical fuses (airbags, ecu etc) for obvious reasons but all other fuses in the rear fuse box appear to be a constant live? I was wondering if someone has done this on an SLK and could advise on what fuse to use in the rear if it is possible? If not we'll have to rethink and wire it to the front.

Cheers

Liam

 

[Wheelnut58]

Hi there I’ve had a dash cam hard wired in my slk, don’t know which fuse box they used as I paid somebody to do it, it does run around the front screen, but what I have found out is that if you use a phone charger that plugs into the power socket and has a usb connection dab radio signal is useless. It’s a BlackVue 900S

 

[liamt]

Hi there I’ve had a dash cam hard wired in my slk, don’t know which fuse box they used as I paid somebody to do it, it does run around the front screen, but what I have found out is that if you use a phone charger that plugs into the power socket and has a usb connection dab radio signal is useless. It’s a BlackVue 900S

Thanks for the response, I suspect it is the front. He did have the standard charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter running around the window and like you found it interfered with the signal. That was the main reason we've routed it to the rear fuse box. Good to know it can be routed around the windscreen to the front without interference if we need to.

 

[Wheelnut58]

It’s only what I’ve found but if the male plug is complete it works ok, if the male plug has a usb slot in the end reception is rubbish.

 

[richard]

Cheap USB power-supplies destroy DAB signal. So do some cheap dashcams.

Fuse 44 and 45 are spare circuit 15R fuses in the rear fusebox. 54, 55, 56 are circuit 15 - use any of those !

Richard

 

[mercmancdi]

I wired a next base front and rear camera via piggy back into my dab radio fuse on vw Tiguan and it screwed up my reception on most frequencies on and off , I then switched to cigarette fuse and radio back to normal.

 

[moodi]

+1 for piggy back fuses

 

[DrerTriffib]

I am having issues finding the dash wiring diagrams for both trucks. I have searched and found a couple but it seems the links are not working on any I find.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Kenneth.

 

[liamt]

Cheap USB power-supplies destroy DAB signal. So do some cheap dashcams.

Fuse 44 and 45 are spare circuit 15R fuses in the rear fusebox. 54, 55, 56 are circuit 15 - use any of those !

Richard

Thanks Richard, I'm assuming those fuses are not constantly live? We trying to find one on the ignition switch side so as to not drain the battery. We do have a current tester kicking around in a toolbox somewhere which would have made this easier but can't seem to find it, typical!

 

[AltonAnt]

This is where I wired my dash to in a 203 which should be similar to yours.

 

[OM651]

Here it’s another way to hardwire if you only need it to record when your driving. Don’t even need hardwire kit!

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[fabes]

Thread resurrection !

So I have sat in and tried to plan out how to hardwire in a dash cam to my SLK (R172)

It would be mounted on the windscreen, just to the left of the rear view mirror housing.
The USB power lead is then tucked up behind head lining, going left to the top of the inside edge of the A pillar.
It is then down the inside edge of the A pillar to the dashboard.

Problem, unlike non convertible cars (I have wired in 6 cars now) you cannot put the wire to the outside of the A pillar trim at top, nor bottom.
It has to run, for 4 or 5 inches across the dashboard to the door. Any ideas as I hate that look?

It then runs down under the door frame trim to behind the passenger seat.
Problem, it has control settings and switch box that will protrude (an inch and a half by half an inch)

I am then not sure to to get it into the boot to then connect up with the rear fuse box. Up and under and through the seat belt cavity (not near the belt itself)?

This is now beyond me, frustratingly.

Has anyone done this on an R172 and can help out on cable routing without disturbing airbags, cutting anything or disassembling chunks of the car?

I have accessed the rear fuse box though, that was the easy bit!

 

[SpikyMikey]

Thread resurrection !

So I have sat in and tried to plan out how to hardwire in a dash cam to my SLK (R172)

It would be mounted on the windscreen, just to the left of the rear view mirror housing.
The USB power lead is then tucked up behind head lining, going left to the top of the inside edge of the A pillar.
It is then down the inside edge of the A pillar to the dashboard.

Problem, unlike non convertible cars (I have wired in 6 cars now) you cannot put the wire to the outside of the A pillar trim at top, nor bottom.
It has to run, for 4 or 5 inches across the dashboard to the door. Any ideas as I hate that look?

It then runs down under the door frame trim to behind the passenger seat.
Problem, it has control settings and switch box that will protrude (an inch and a half by half an inch)

I am then not sure to to get it into the boot to then connect up with the rear fuse box. Up and under and through the seat belt cavity (not near the belt itself)?

This is now beyond me, frustratingly.

Has anyone done this on an R172 and can help out on cable routing without disturbing airbags, cutting anything or disassembling chunks of the car?

I have accessed the rear fuse box though, that was the easy bit!

Not being familiar with the R172, what's the issue with the A pillar trim?

 

[fabes]

Top of it appears sealed

I may have solutions from the SLK world forum coming in.
Will share if I do

 

[Wheelnut58]

Thread resurrection !

So I have sat in and tried to plan out how to hardwire in a dash cam to my SLK (R172)

It would be mounted on the windscreen, just to the left of the rear view mirror housing.
The USB power lead is then tucked up behind head lining, going left to the top of the inside edge of the A pillar.
It is then down the inside edge of the A pillar to the dashboard.

Problem, unlike non convertible cars (I have wired in 6 cars now) you cannot put the wire to the outside of the A pillar trim at top, nor bottom.
It has to run, for 4 or 5 inches across the dashboard to the door. Any ideas as I hate that look?

It then runs down under the door frame trim to behind the passenger seat.
Problem, it has control settings and switch box that will protrude (an inch and a half by half an inch)

I am then not sure to to get it into the boot to then connect up with the rear fuse box. Up and under and through the seat belt cavity (not near the belt itself)?

This is now beyond me, frustratingly.

Has anyone done this on an R172 and can help out on cable routing without disturbing airbags, cutting anything or disassembling chunks of the car?

I have accessed the rear fuse box though, that was the easy

TBH I paid local electrician to do mine, but I did add rear camera myself and can’t remember problems with A pillar