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Thread: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

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    Default 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    2012 Mazda 3 GX (4 door)

    I'm about to hardwire in a dash cam (Black Hawk - http://www.canadadashcam.com/product...wk-dash-camera) with the hard wire kit (http://www.canadadashcam.com/collect...-kit-mini-fuse) that has the desciption "Adapts 12V or 24V vehicle electrical system to 5V for your Dash Camera"

    I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can help me on.

    I think I know how to take off the front driver pillar and seeing previous postings around the web sort of know how to run the wiring from the roof. I haven't taken the roof or side pillar off yet - still searching for a 2012 Mazda 3 manual/screenshot on how to do it before giving it a shot - but onto my questions

    A) Could I safely hardwire this into the lighter fuse that only comes on when the car comes on?
    If not what other fuse would be best to plug into? I only want the dah cam to come on when the car is turned on.

    My greatest fears are breaking a clip or something pulling off the panel, putting it into some other fuse and frying something, and locating the ground wire.

    If you haven't guessed I'm a total newb at this but if I never try I'll never learn.

    Thanks to all views, answers, and suggestions.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    first, you don't have to pull any panels off to install a dashcam. just push the wire in behind the panels at the edge. same with the roof liner, use a popsicle stick, or something else dull that won't damage anything.
    and yes you can use the lighters electrical connection with no problems.
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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    The above mentioned says it all.

    I pulled the glove box out when I installed mine (a couple screws) because I was running additional wires and it was just so much easier at the time. Everything is neatly taped to an existing wire group traveling above the glove box.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Thanks for the assistance.

    I got it wired up okay with only a slight. albeit worrisome problem. When I pulled out the fuse I saw most of it (the metal prongs) were broken off. I've ulled fuses before and did it correctly but it worried me.

    I had a spare 15 fuse so I used that to plug into the hardwire kit, plugged into the lighter fuse and grounded it and it works.

    I was concerned about the grounding because most sites I saw showed another place but I found this site (http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/2...ound-wire.html) that showed something very similar to my set up.

    Do you think that bolt discussed in that post is acceptable for grounding?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dubwize View Post
    first, you don't have to pull any panels off to install a dashcam. just push the wire in behind the panels at the edge. same with the roof liner, use a popsicle stick, or something else dull that won't damage anything.
    and yes you can use the lighters electrical connection with no problems.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Quote Originally Posted by SmilingBoy View Post
    Thanks for the assistance.

    I got it wired up okay with only a slight. albeit worrisome problem. When I pulled out the fuse I saw most of it (the metal prongs) were broken off. I've ulled fuses before and did it correctly but it worried me.

    I had a spare 15 fuse so I used that to plug into the hardwire kit, plugged into the lighter fuse and grounded it and it works.

    I was concerned about the grounding because most sites I saw showed another place but I found this site (http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/2...ound-wire.html) that showed something very similar to my set up.

    Do you think that bolt discussed in that post is acceptable for grounding?
    I too am a noob at this. I grounded it by fishing the fire down to the kick panel where I found a bolt where two wires were already factory grounded. I grounded it to that bolt to be safe.

    See picture: http://imgur.com/yxgZG0B
    You see the two wires that come down that's already put into it.

    To get the kick panel off. Take off the kick plate (the plastic piece right on the door edge that's on the ground right next to the trunk release) just firmly tug at it at both ends, it'll pop out. Then tug a little harder in the middle (it also pops out)

    The kick panel that's right beside your dead pedal or clutch. If you look there is a little plastic screw looking thing in the middle. Just gently pry out the very middle circular part of it, then it'll start coming out. To get it out more easily, take off the weather stripping of the door. You just tug on it firmly outwards/downwards and it'll come out. It's easy to take out and put back in.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    An easier way to go about this, if your dashcam has a cigarette lighter plug, I just added an extra cigarette lighter to the wiring in the centre console, and I have my GPS and my dashcam both running off of that. Just soldered an extra plug up, plugged a splitter into it, and ran both wires up my panels, everything is hidden, and it still turns off with the key.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    any bare metal chassie screw will ground you. if it's a painted area then grind off the paint to get a good solid ground. of course if you can find a place Mazda has already grounded something, then use that. like @Pocky did in his image.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Thanks. It's a bare metal on like in the picture I linked ot.

    I would have ground it by the kickplate but the wire(s) wouldn't reach from the fuse panel.

    So far it seems to be working dine

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Do you mean they don't reach because the wires are not long enough or you can't get it to go down there? You can definitely wire it down there, you just have to look very carefully and patiently fish it down.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Sorry. I meant the wire wasn't long enough to reach.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Hi Everyone, I am planing to do the same thing, however I have a quesiton: which fuse should I plug? Can I use fuse Moonroof 10A, I do not have moonroof on my car. Thanks

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    I bought this http://www.princessauto.com/en/detai...ap/A-p8553414e
    and this http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ty...-0374475p.html (cut off the clamps)

    Then I used the 15A cigarette adapter fuse (only turns on when car comes on).

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Oh and you'll also need a low profile mini fuse. I bought a pack of 5a ones from canadian tire. Would have gone for 2a but I couldn't find any.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Quote Originally Posted by Pocky View Post
    I bought this http://www.princessauto.com/en/detai...ap/A-p8553414e
    and this http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ty...-0374475p.html (cut off the clamps)

    Then I used the 15A cigarette adapter fuse (only turns on when car comes on).
    Yep, I bought simular things from amazon, but I'm not sure which is one is 15A cigarette adapter, there are 3 on my manual (2015 mazda3): F.Outlet, R.Outlet1 and R.Outlet3. I am gonna try one by one, see hows it going

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Just plug something into the cig adapter. Pull once fuse. Turn on car, see if it lights up. If it doesn't light up, that's the fuse.

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Quote Originally Posted by SmilingBoy View Post
    Thanks for the assistance.

    I got it wired up okay with only a slight. albeit worrisome problem. When I pulled out the fuse I saw most of it (the metal prongs) were broken off. I've ulled fuses before and did it correctly but it worried me.

    I had a spare 15 fuse so I used that to plug into the hardwire kit, plugged into the lighter fuse and grounded it and it works.

    I was concerned about the grounding because most sites I saw showed another place but I found this site (http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/2...ound-wire.html) that showed something very similar to my set up.

    Do you think that bolt discussed in that post is acceptable for grounding?


    I'm trying to hard wire in two USB ports so I'm not stuck with one 12V adapter... what I'm really stuck on after extensive research is that no one mention HOW exactly I connect the wires from the converter to the fuse tap!

    Do I literally stick the red wire from the converter (whether it's for 12V or for the USB ports), into the blue tube (red circled) from the fuse tap, clamp it, then connect the black grounding wire from the converter to any bolt?

    Appreciate any help so I can understand how wires magically connect together and look clean.

    SW

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Quote Originally Posted by star_wishes View Post


    I'm trying to hard wire in two USB ports so I'm not stuck with one 12V adapter... what I'm really stuck on after extensive research is that no one mention HOW exactly I connect the wires from the converter to the fuse tap!

    Do I literally stick the red wire from the converter (whether it's for 12V or for the USB ports), into the blue tube (red circled) from the fuse tap, clamp it, then connect the black grounding wire from the converter to any bolt?

    Appreciate any help so I can understand how wires magically connect together and look clean.

    SW
    What you said is basically how you would do it. Put the red side of the adaptor into the blue crimp and give it a good squeeze. You will want to put that tap on a fuse in your driver side fuse box where power is only running when your car is on... Unless of course you want to have power on all the time. Then just find a fuse that has power on it all the time.

    You can check where is a good spot to ground the black wire by using a multi meter if you can get you hands on one. Put one end of it connected to the black wire coming out of the adaptor and start looking for a bolt that will connect the circuit and give you a 12v reading on the multi meter.

    When I hardwired my dash cam in, I ended up using the steel tube that's right on top of the foot pedals. By where the clutch pedal area, there was a bolt there that I used to ground my adaptor.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

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    Default Re: 2012 Mazda 3 Dash Cam installation (hardwire)

    Hardwire install of Viofo A119 Dash Cam on mazda3

    https://youtu.be/ASKX49BbV8w

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