Dashcam Routing Cables

Faults and Technical chat for the Volvo XC40
eugen61
Posts: 1211
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 7:33 am

Post by eugen61 »

See the top of the A pillar trim after curtain airbag opening and imagine what will happen to a cable routed through there...

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agilefrog
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:13 am

Post by agilefrog »

ak888 wrote: Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:59 pm @agilefrog - you made it sound easy! Any tips for removing the trim? I undid the 8mm bolt and tried to pull off. No luck - stuck tight and not sure if further strength will break any catches or trim. Are the catches simple resistance based plugs or is there a slide and pull? Start at the top and pull?

Any help or tips appreciated.
Hi AK888,

Yeah the catches are just metal clips, they are fairly tight. Just give it a tug near the top aiming directly across to the drivers side and it should come free. The bottom then just needs wiggling (Oh Matron!) to free it from the top of the dash.

Hope that helps?
XC40 T3 Momentum Auto + Winterpack
Mpainesyd
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:27 am

Post by Mpainesyd »

Wish I'd found this thread yesterday! I just have a front dashcam, mounted next to the safety unit at the top of the windscreen. Power is from the 12v outlet at thebase of the centre console. I found that the mat for wireless charging lifts up and so I was able to feed the cable through to under the driver dashboard. I popped off the cover at the end of the dash and fed the cable acros, being careful not to interfere with the knee airbag.
As indicated above, I did not want to affect the curtain airbag deployment so I decided to stick the cable along the inside edge of the windscreen next to the a-pillar. I had some black tacky strip to hold it in place so, with a black cable and black edge on the glass it doesn't look too bad. Then the cable is tucked inside the headlining along the top of the windscreen to the dashcam.
As it happens I have assessed hundreds of curtain airbag deployments for the Australasian New Car Assessment Program. It is very important to not hinder the designed deployment. Also be careful not to accidentally break the wiring/connectors.
eugen61
Posts: 1211
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 7:33 am

Post by eugen61 »

agilefrog wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:55 pm Yeah the catches are just metal clips, they are fairly tight. Just give it a tug near the top aiming directly across to the drivers side and it should come free. The bottom then just needs wiggling (Oh Matron!) to free it from the top of the dash.

Hope that helps?
Thanks Agilefrog, your detailed description was very helpful. For my dashcam setup it was enough to remove only the A pillar screw found under the IC Airbag plastic cap and free the top of the trim. Then I routed the cable behind the curtain airbag and continued downwards tucking it under the rubber cover (the one in contact with the closed door).
SteveW
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:13 am

Post by SteveW »

I've had front and back dashcams for quite a while have always routed it through the headliner, but ensuring it is towards the bottom of the airbags and not going right across.
When we last changed cars, it was so cold I didn't install it. 1 week later someone rear ended us. That was on a Range Rover Sport P400e. a costly repair and naturally no details left as to who did it.
the trim always seems to be stuck fast and there is that worry of breaking it. but it's sturdy.
Buzz6
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:18 pm

Post by Buzz6 »

Hi,

Just about to fit a dashcam so was very interested in this thread.

Which fuse did you piggyback the power for your dashcam onto in the fuse box under the seat?
K9plus1
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2023 9:37 am

Post by K9plus1 »

ak888 wrote: Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:59 pm @agilefrog - you made it sound easy! Any tips for removing the trim? I undid the 8mm bolt and tried to pull off. No luck - stuck tight and not sure if further strength will break any catches or trim. Are the catches simple resistance based plugs or is there a slide and pull? Start at the top and pull?

Any help or tips appreciated.
I finished fitted my 70Mai M500 dashcam today (2020 XC40 B4 ) . In the end i used:

VCC+ - Fuse 12 - Suspension module (this was a free slot for me) - Permanent Voltage
ACC - Fuse 83 - Interior lights etc. - Switched Voltage
GND - Fuse box fixing bolt (see below)

For some reason I couldn't use Fuse 86 for ACC, this was reading 11.8V on my voltmeter and was not registering on the dash cam. So swapped over to 83 which did the trick (12.2V). Had to move the existing fuse onto the piggy back.

The trickiest part was actually finding a suitable GROUND point as ALL the fixings around the fuse box are insulated (for good reason). On the left and right side of the fuse box, there is an insulated nut holding the fuse box to the chassis. If you undo this nut, it reveals a metal bolt underneath. It was a right pain to get a good connection here as wrapping the wire around this bolt was hit and miss (mostly miss) . Without a good Ground connection, the dash cam will not turn on! In the end, i had to put a metal washer over metal bolt to create a metal surface, wrap the exposed ground around the bolt and then re-apply the plastic nut over it to hold everything in place.

Also had to purchase 2 x piggy back fuse taps from amazon. You will need a crimp tool to connect the cables to the fuse taps. This little extra effort made trying different fuse positions 10x easier than trying to wrap around the leg of the fuse in a confined space!

Cables routed down the A pillar and behind the air bag curtain. Power cables tucked away and fuse box cover closes without issue. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHMjs0TDidg on how to remove the A-pillar cover. Once the bolt is removed, some force is required to pull it off. The other panels come off with relative ease. You will need to take off:

- A-pillar panel
- 10x45cm section just below it
- Side panel with the airbag switch (depress latch to disconnect the green connector)
- Side floor panel (you will need to remove the bonnet handle with a 6 point star screwdriver bit)

You will then have a free run to the fuse box.

Lesson learnt when putting the panels back together. DO NOT reinstate the A-pillar cover last. The panel about 10cm x 45cm long that runs vertically down alongside the door goes in last as it will need to overlap the A-pillar piece. Don't make the same mistake i did trying to shoehorn the A-pillar panel into the space and ended up scratching the dash surface.

Hope this helps.

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volvo xc40 B4 mild hybrid
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