DIY Dashcam (Front/Rear) Install, '20 CTR w/ Honda Sensing and Hardwiring

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So I ordered a Blackvue DR900x 2 channel plus and ruined my rear camera coax cable trying to force it through the grommet in the hatch.

I dont know how people are getting these through but I tried taping mine to a ziptie and pulling it through but that only got it a tiny bit inside the grommet. I ended up taping it to a T-handle allen key and that got it most of the way through but it was damaged from being pushed into the grommet.

I'm not really sure how else to wire the rear camera unless you just leave the wire hanging down and dont use the grommet...
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So I ordered a Blackvue DR900x 2 channel plus and ruined my rear camera coax cable trying to force it through the grommet in the hatch.

I dont know how people are getting these through but I tried taping mine to a ziptie and pulling it through but that only got it a tiny bit inside the grommet. I ended up taping it to a T-handle allen key and that got it most of the way through but it was damaged from being pushed into the grommet.

I'm not really sure how else to wire the rear camera unless you just leave the wire hanging down and dont use the grommet...
Sorry to hear that.
Yea, it's tough. What I did was to run a string through first, and then use that to pull through the cable. But you have to go really slow and be careful. So I was then able to pull from one end and push from the other. With lots of wiggling and finesse, and my fingers did get pretty beat up in the process. Whatever you do you can't force it.
 

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Nice write up
I just plugged mine into my rearview
Mirror with this

SimpleUSB Mirror to Dashcam Power Adapter (7-pin Type for Honda/Acura) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08167R5M3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vgIgFbBQ7ZW8G
Stupid question, but how would you connect a USB cable (the adapter seems to have a USB port) to power the dashcam?

And would this setup work if you wanted to use parking mode (since the autodim mirror isn't powered when the car is off)? Would be awesome if you didn't have to wire up anything and didn't have to remove the A pillar.
 
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A lot of dash cams just take a mini USB port. So you'd use a small USB type A - >mini USB cable
Some dash cam's power supply is just a usb 12v adapter too
 

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A lot of dash cams just take a mini USB port. So you'd use a small USB type A - >mini USB cable
Some dash cam's power supply is just a usb 12v adapter too
Gotcha. So it looks like that adapter wouldn't work for me since the dashcam I would use has a circular DC-IN plug with a cig lighter plug on the other end. Plus, it looks like this solution wouldn't work for parking mode usage anyway.
 


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Does it take 5V in ? You could probably splice it to the power pins on a Type A cable.
 

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Does it take 5V in ? You could probably splice it to the power pins on a Type A cable.
I just decided to go with the traditional method. I need to route the power, rear dashcam cable, and the LTE module cables through the A-pillar anyway.
 

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First I want to thank @Zer0 for his excellent write-up Front/Rear Dashcam & Hardwire Install on '17 Hatchback. And though very similar to what I did, there were a few notable exceptions/changes so I felt there would be enough value to add by documenting what I did.

The big differences for my install was that the 2020 Civic Type R has Honda Sensing, I installed a Blackvue (DR590W-2CH) system with the Power Magic Pro kit for hard-wiring and voltage sensing, and I mounted the rear camera low so it would be out of sight.

Overview
I mounted the front camera behind the rear view mirror and just below Honda Sensing. The Power Magic Pro I wanted out of sight, but easily accessible so I put it in the glove box (because I normally don't want parking mode on at home, but the ability to turn it on when parked in public or at the airport etc). And I mounted the rear camera on the low trim just to the side of the rear wiper (I did not want to stick it to the window tint, and I wanted it so it would not be seen in the rear view mirror). I wanted the install to be as professional as impossible so all the wires were hidden, spliced, and fuse taps were used.

(Note, if you have an auto-dimming mirror, see Post #8.)

All that resulted in running both the power and rear cam wire to the passenger-side A-pillar (Note, it would have been easier to run the rear camera wire along the driver side.) From there the power went down to the glove box and then along the firewall to the fuse panel. And the rear cam wire ran along the passenger side until crossing over the back, through the hatch wire conduit and down to the camera (with about an inch to spare!)
FrontCam_installed.jpg
RearCam_installed.jpg
MagicPro_installed.jpg


Parts & Tools
Dashcam (Blackvue DR590W-2CH) (Amazon)
Parking Mode Kit (Power Magic Pro Kit)
18 awg Solid Wire, Colored (6 color, 20ft each Wire Hookup Kit)
Wire Terminal & Crimping Tool (Amazon)
Low Profile Mini Fuse Taps (Amazon)
Trim Tool Set (Amazon)
8mm socket driver
Fishing tool / fishing wire
Multimeter (optional, unless you are not using fuse taps)

Note, you can get away with less wire, different connectors, no fuse taps, and no trim tool set; but if you are like me and are going to be doing other things, you might as well do them 'right'.

Details
You can do this in various order(s), and maybe running the rear cam wire from the back first might be the smartest, because of near perfect length, but I'll detail this in the order I did it.

Remove & Alter the Honda Sensing Cover
In order to minimize the exposed wires, I removed the Honda Sensing cover from the rear view mirror and using a Dremel ground out a small recess for the wires to pass through. Use a trim tool to pop off the cover, which has two parts. The smaller part pops off first, then the larger main cover comes off. Once off, use a Dremel (rotary tool) and a sanding drum to grind out a small recess for the two wires to pass through (note the location is going to depend on where the wires for your cam should be routed, this is where made sense for mine).
HSCover-inside.jpg
HSCover-outside.jpg


Mount the Front Camera, Start Routing the Wires
I temporarily replaced the Honda Sensing Cover and then placed the front camera. I wanted the lens to be on the vehicle center-line, so with help I put some painter's tape down the center-line of my windshield, and then placed the camera so the lens was centered. Then began routing the wires through the HS cavity and into the headliner and to the passenger-side A-pillar. There's lots of room in the Honda Sensing cavity, so I even did a small little 'service loop' so the wires would not pull. Also note that I routed the wires into the headliner through an already available wire access. (Only one of two wires shown in this photo.)
HSBare.jpg


Routing through the A-Pillar
Removing the A-pillar cover is simple, pop the 'SRS' label cover and use a 8mm socket to remove the screw, then just pop off the cover starting at the top (and then sliding out from behind the dash panel at the bottom). When you route in this area, DO NOT run any wire over the airbag or you will hinder it's deployment. Here you can see I ran the rear wire around the bottom of the airbag. You could probably go over the top, but at this point I thought I would have more than an extra inch of rear camera wire! Also, make sure you keep the wires out of the way of the pop rivets and bolt.
APillar_wires.jpg


Routing to the Glove Box and Fuse Panel (and disabling Active Sound Control)
Remove the glove box. This is simple, once it's open you just pop/pull it out of it's snap-in hinges. Remove the knee panel and the side panel that goes with it (there are a handful of Phillips head screws you need to remove). I didn't get good pictures of this, but this video shows it well enough; How to Disable FAKE SOUND...

While I was there, I disabled Active Sound Control, which is this box right here;
ActiveSoundModule.jpg


At this point I cut off the cigarette lighter end of the power cord, so I could route it down the rest of the A-pillar and towards the glove box. I don't remember where or when I got this flexible grabber tool, but it's great for fishing wires through, you see it in several pictures. By running it down the A-Pillar gap you are able to get the power down and into the recess behind the glove box. At this point I could splice the power wire from the camera into the Magic Pro. It's a little annoying since the camera power cord only has one of the internal wires with an insulator, the other is just insulated by the wrapper. So I didn't feel comfortable doing a butt splice and instead used a butt splice connector (as I was not comfortable with using wire nuts) but with both wires coming out the same side as shown below.
Power-Cam_splice.jpg
Power-Cam_splice.jpg


The power side leads from the Magic Pro are not long enough to reach the fuse panel, so this is where I used my fisher/grabber tool and found a spot behind the console along the firewall, st arting from the driver side and then having it come through on the passenger side. I then taped the extra wire to it and pulled it through behind the console and to the fuse panel. (Images: Fishing From Driver Side, Fish coming through on the Passenger Side, taping wire to fish to pull through, Splicing into Magic Pro)
FirewallFishing-Driverside.jpg
FirewallFishing-passenger.jpg

FirewallFishing-passengerWires.jpg
Power-Voltage_splice.jpg


Routing it over the pedals and behind as much stuff as I could until I got to the fuse panel. At that point I used to two fuse taps for the battery and accessory wires and a ring connector for the ground wire. The Battery (yellow) wire I connected plugged into fuse #16 and the Accessory (red) tap into fuse #1. The ground I connected to the lower fuse panel mounting bolt (which I tested as a ground).

Note; if you do not use fuse taps (instead just use jumpers or simple wire wrap your existing fuses) then you need to know which side of the fuse socket is hot and which is not. Fuse taps you don't.

Then all I did was tie-wrap access wire, tuck it behind the glove box and put this part of the car back together. I mounted the Magic Pro with the provided double-sided tape and used one of the provided wire ties to straighten up the wires at the back of the glove box.

Mounting the Rear Camera and Routing the Wire
Because you won't have a lot of slack, you will need to run the wire through the weather rubber tube. (You could start here if you prefer). Zer0 has a great series of photos of this (see the link at the top of this post). Most of mine turned out poor. I used a trim tool to push the connector the first inch or two into the tube, and then was able to work it through in probably only 20 minutes. Do be aware, when you route the wire from the headliner side and into the area the tube connects to on the vehicle side, be careful as their is a bare metal edge the wire will run across, be gentle and feed it, don't pull it or you may scrape off the protection on the wire. I used some small gauge support wire (flower wire maybe?) that I had to fish through this part. It made it much easier than trying to get my fingers in there.
RearWireRoute1.jpg


Once you get it through the tube, pop off the window trim pieces starting at the top center. You don't have to remove them all (and you will need to get to some screws if you chose to remove the bottom one). But you want to remove the driver side one enough you can get to the hole where you can run the wire out of.
RearWireRoute2.jpg


Finished up by mounting the rear camera, tucking the wire behind the trim pieces and then putting all the window trim back together. Then all you have to do is finish routing between the rear window and the A-pillar, mostly this just uses a trim tool to push the wire behind the headliner gasket and you are good to go! The last step it to replace the A-pillar cover and make sure you wires are all taken care of.
@MadMage - thanks for all of the details. I've been wanting to do this and have been slowly reading threads and gathering information. Just a few questions...

1. Is there a reason you routed the rear dashcam cable via the passenger side? From what I understand regarding your setup, this cable starts off right under the Honda Sensing module (where the front dashcam sits), then is routed toward the passenger side A-pillar, then guided all the way back along the top of the passenger side of the car, then makes a 90-degree turn across the width of the car to the driver side to arrive at the rubber tubing, gets routed through there, then down the driver side trim of the hatch to where the rear dashcam is located (the small part of the window under the lower wing, to the driver's side of the third brake light). With all this routing, you said you had about an inch of cable to spare, right? So if I were to route this cable all along the driver side from the start, there would be plenty of slack in the wire, correct (since I would not have to cross the width of the car in the rear to reach the rubber tubing)?

2. I think you chose the only location on the rear window that works. The traditional location on the top of the hatch wouldn't work since it looks like the high wing would block the view out the back. Though this may be the ideal spot on a non-CTR Civic hatch. Right above the lower wing wouldn't work either as the lower wing would obstruct views on the lower half of the video. So it looks like that narrow strip of glass under the lower wing is the only real option. I assume this is the reason you chose this spot?

3. Is there a reason you stuck the rear dashcam adhesive on the plastic trim instead of a little higher on the rear glass? It's tough to tell from your pic, but does the plastic trim obstruct the lower part of the video?

4. I have the facelifted CTR with Honda Sensing as well. Do you think the wires can fit through that small space/hole right under where the rear view mirror joins the Honda Sensing trim? Trying to get away with not drilling holes into the trim lol.
Honda Civic 10th gen DIY Dashcam (Front/Rear) Install, '20 CTR w/ Honda Sensing and Hardwiring 20220528_193819


5. Do you have plans to add the BlackVue LTE module in the future? I'm trying to decide where to mount it, it's pretty thin and it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. I'm thinking of mounting it either directly to the left of the Honda Sensing trim on the hashed area, or, in the driver footwell area right on the side of the center console trim. Haven't decided. Obviously, the higher up the better, but honestly, it barely makes any difference reception-wise, so I'm leaning towards the driver footwell to avoid clutter and I'm thinking the sun constantly baking the unit during the summer can't be that great. Plus, given how fragile our windshield is, don't want to re-mount it every year when the glass is replaced lol.
Honda Civic 10th gen DIY Dashcam (Front/Rear) Install, '20 CTR w/ Honda Sensing and Hardwiring 20220528_193843

Honda Civic 10th gen DIY Dashcam (Front/Rear) Install, '20 CTR w/ Honda Sensing and Hardwiring 20220528_193906




Thanks!
 
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Lot's of detailed questions, glad to help :)

1. Is there a reason you routed the rear dashcam cable via the passenger side? ... With all this routing, you said you had about an inch of cable to spare, right? So if I were to route this cable all along the driver side from the start, there would be plenty of slack in the wire, correct (since I would not have to cross the width of the car in the rear to reach the rubber tubing)?
Yeah, it was a mistake to run it down the passenger side. I only did that because initially I was running the power to the glove box so I could put the parking mode power switch in there. I don't think the Parking Magic box is required with the newer versions so you wouldn't need to do that (and could run both power and rear camera line over the driver side.

2. I think you chose the only location on the rear window that works. ... I assume this is the reason you chose this spot?
That's what I thought when I picked those spots. But... Actually the spot I picked originally didn't work out so well because of the black window blackout paint. Top center actually works pretty well. I can barely see it in the rear view and I'm much happier with the video it gives (and it is centered).

Take a look at the top portion of one of these videos, It's cropped down, but imo you get a pretty good rear view.

3. Is there a reason you stuck the rear dashcam adhesive on the plastic trim instead of a little higher on the rear glass? It's tough to tell from your pic, but does the plastic trim obstruct the lower part of the video?
You're pointing out all the weaknesses in my original choices :) Top center glass is where I have it now. Uses much less cable, and imo gives a better picture.

4. I have the facelifted CTR with Honda Sensing as well. Do you think the wires can fit through that small space/hole right under where the rear view mirror joins the Honda Sensing trim? Trying to get away with not drilling holes into the trim lol.
I'm having trouble picturing where that is, but it looks like it would fit. I certainly did not have to drill or cut anything. Just using a trim tool I was able to route the cable where desired no problem (except through the cable tube/gasket to the back window!)

5. Do you have plans to add the BlackVue LTE module in the future? I'm trying to decide where to mount it, it's pretty thin and it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. .... Plus, given how fragile our windshield is, don't want to re-mount it every year when the glass is replaced lol.
Maybe. I might move this one to my son's car and get a new one for me. If it doesn't impact reception, I would not mount it on the glass. I've had my glass replaced twice, and having to re-attach is annoying. I think your non-glass option seems like a good place to me. The sun is brutal in AZ so I would try to keep everything you can out of it.
 

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Lot's of detailed questions, glad to help :)

Thanks for the helpful replies!

Yeah, it was a mistake to run it down the passenger side. I only did that because initially I was running the power to the glove box so I could put the parking mode power switch in there. I don't think the Parking Magic box is required with the newer versions so you wouldn't need to do that (and could run both power and rear camera line over the driver side.

Gotcha! You're right. I picked up the DR900X Plus 2CH model and it does have built-in voltage controls. But I still thought hard about installing the PMP you have anyway, since that on/off toggle just seems very convenient when I park in my garage at home, instead of having to unplug the front dashcam every time. But you know what, I decided on not installing the PMP. Hey, if my car battery wears down faster because of the constant charge/discharge at home (not gonna unplug it every day lol), I'll just buy a new car battery, as they aren't terribly expensive.


That's what I thought when I picked those spots. But... Actually the spot I picked originally didn't work out so well because of the black window blackout paint. Top center actually works pretty well. I can barely see it in the rear view and I'm much happier with the video it gives (and it is centered).

Ah ok, understood, didn't realize that pic in the OP was the original attempt. And from that video you just posted, I think it's clear that the important parts of the video (where cars would normally be) isn't obstructed, so I think you've convinced me on the top center location lol. Besides, placing the rear dashcam closest to the hatch hinge (highest point) would probably be least jarring for the camera over hundreds of trunk closings (low velocity), compared with placing it farthest away from the hinge (your original spot) as it probably isn't the best thing for the optics especially if you shut the hatch with a lot of force (greatest velocity). Btw, did you mean that this area has a natural tint to it?
Honda Civic 10th gen DIY Dashcam (Front/Rear) Install, '20 CTR w/ Honda Sensing and Hardwiring 20220527_174609


Take a look at the top portion of one of these videos, It's cropped down, but imo you get a pretty good rear view.

Yes, it looks better than I imagined!


You're pointing out all the weaknesses in my original choices :) Top center glass is where I have it now. Uses much less cable, and imo gives a better picture.

Yes!


I'm having trouble picturing where that is, but it looks like it would fit. I certainly did not have to drill or cut anything. Just using a trim tool I was able to route the cable where desired no problem (except through the cable tube/gasket to the back window!)

Yea, right under where the rear view mirror meets up with the Honda Sensing cavity trim, there is what seems to be like a little notch. Thing is, I would have to somehow fit 3 wires (hardwire power, lte module, rear dashcam) through there, so we'll have to see lol. I thought you said you had to dremel a hole in the Honda Sensing unit so the wires can feed through.


Maybe. I might move this one to my son's car and get a new one for me. If it doesn't impact reception, I would not mount it on the glass. I've had my glass replaced twice, and having to re-attach is annoying. I think your non-glass option seems like a good place to me. The sun is brutal in AZ so I would try to keep everything you can out of it.

Yea, the LTE module is pretty slim. It's like a size of a credit card, but thicker. And you can't see that footwell area anyway unless you bend down, so it's not an eyesore. If you pick up another one, I recommend the DR900X Plus 2CH. I was considering the DR750X LTE Plus (all in one), but couldn't get past the 1080p. Even 4k videos struggle to read plates if it isn't that close, so for me, it has to be 4k minimum hehe. The night videos on these updated 4k models are pretty good too.
 


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@s2kdriver80
Btw, did you mean that this area has a natural tint to it?
Yes, exactly. The tint blocked a lot of the viewable area I wanted to see. I though about making an offset/stand to get it away from that. But still didn't like that it was off center so much.

Yea, right under where the rear view mirror meets up with the Honda Sensing cavity trim, there is what seems to be like a little notch. Thing is, I would have to somehow fit 3 wires (hardwire power, lte module, rear dashcam) through there, so we'll have to see lol. I thought you said you had to dremel a hole in the Honda Sensing unit so the wires can feed through.
Yes, so their little gap there worked for 2 wires. Probably will fr 3, but you will have to see.

It's actually on the cover that I had to remove and dremel out a arc for the cables to pass through. Maybe there is another way to get it out of there, but I couldn't figure one out.
 

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@s2kdriver80

Yes, exactly. The tint blocked a lot of the viewable area I wanted to see. I though about making an offset/stand to get it away from that. But still didn't like that it was off center so much.


Yes, so their little gap there worked for 2 wires. Probably will fr 3, but you will have to see.

It's actually on the cover that I had to remove and dremel out a arc for the cables to pass through. Maybe there is another way to get it out of there, but I couldn't figure one out.
@MadMage

Gotcha. I guess I would have to look closer in that area. From glancing at that thin strip of glass, it didn't seem any darker than the rest of the rear hatch window. I was willing to live with the lower off-center location, but your new video of the high-mounted centered location convinced me heh.

Yea, hoping 3 wires can fit through that hole. If not, I probably have 2 choices - have to either drill like you did, OR, I would need to route the wires along the outside edge of the lane-keeping camera trim until it hits the headliner (if i wanted to avoid drillling and passing wires through that cavity) but this may look cluttered since I have to route 3 wires.

Btw, just realized another way to mount the front dashcam. Looking at dozens of vortexradar youtube videos lately, just remembered he mentioned the blendmount. Might go this route to avoid having to stick the dashcam with adhesive. This way, no worries about the dashcam falling in extreme temps or if/when you need to replace the windshield. In my case, it's a bit tricky since I have the facelifted CTR with Sensing, but put in the optional accessory autodim mirror, so the stem thickness may be different.


 
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Looking at dozens of vortexradar youtube videos lately, just remembered he mentioned the blendmount.
The blendmount was out of stock with no ETA when I did mine. Glad it is available again and is an option for you. I will say that last summer I left my car outside for a couple of days in significant Phoenix sun, 110F type days with full sun and the the small little panel on the mount underside buckled and popped the whole mount off the glass. The Dashcam store sent me a new mount with no problem. But if you park outside in a sunny place, the mount might just be preferred.
 

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I used the Blendmount and had the cables routed through the little space around the rearview mirror stem. Did a 12-hour parking mode test and there was enough charge in the stock battery to last. Might upgrade to the Odyssey AGM battery in the future. The tips in the OP were helpful - thanks @MadMage

Honda Civic 10th gen DIY Dashcam (Front/Rear) Install, '20 CTR w/ Honda Sensing and Hardwiring 20220604_195203
 


 


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