How To Hardwire A Dash Cam In A BMW Or Audi

Start with your exact BMW or Audi

At BlackboxMyCar, we help you choose a dash cam setup for safety and peace of mind on and off the road. For a BMW or Audi, we start with the power source, a safe cable route and what happens after the vehicle is parked. Plan those together before selecting a fuse or tucking a cable into the trim.

Our installation videos below show specific vehicles and camera setups. Use them to see the work involved, then follow the instructions for your own vehicle and equipment. A fuse number, wire route or sleep delay from one car may not apply to another.

For BMW, start with the BMW vehicle-specific owner’s manual and BMW VIN-based fuse assignment. For Audi, use Audi owner information and manuals. Keep your model year and powertrain in the notes you give your installer.

Choose how you want to power the camera

On a small screen, swipe the table sideways to compare the options

We suggest choosing the recording goal first because a hardwire kit and a battery pack do different jobs. The kit connects the camera to the required vehicle power signals. A separate battery stores energy for parked recording, while its charging connection still needs to suit the vehicle.

Our hardwiring guide explains the general camera connections. Confirm the actual lead labels and instructions for your kit; do not transfer wire colours or settings from a different brand.

Find the fuse panel and plan the cable route

Use the vehicle’s own fuse assignment to locate the relevant panel. BMW provides a VIN-based lookup for supported vehicles; contact a BMW service partner if the tool cannot supply your diagram. The panel’s location alone does not tell you which circuit is suitable.

Before fitting the camera, measure the route from its approved position to the proposed power connection. Allow for the connector, trim clips, moving parts and required service access. We suggest checking the supplied cable length at this stage. If it will not reach, compare hardwire cable extensions and confirm the connector and length for your exact kit.

Cable suitability depends on the exact connector, length and route. Browse BlackVue and Thinkware camera options when comparing kits, then confirm the selected model’s connector and cable length. VIOFO kits have their own requirements too; a brand name alone does not establish cable fit. Avoid pinching wiring behind trim, routing across an airbag deployment path or improvising an extension without the equipment maker’s guidance.

Check switched power after the vehicle sleeps

We recommend checking power after the vehicle’s specified shutdown sequence, rather than just after turning it off. A circuit may stay powered temporarily, which differs from staying powered throughout the intended parking period. Opening a door, unlocking the car or using another function can change the state being tested.

There is no universal 15-minute test for every BMW. BMW’s December 2018 service bulletin lists different sleep-test times for different generations and equipment. It is a technician reference, not a current wiring prescription for every model. BMW closed-circuit current bulletin, December 2018.

Ask your installer to identify the required switched and constant signals from the exact vehicle information, then test the circuit under its specified shutdown conditions. Leaving a door open and waiting a fixed number of minutes does not prove the car is asleep.

Before choosing an adapter, confirm the fuse shape, circuit suitability and available clearance. Our add-a-fuse guide covers the adapter basics. Do not use airbag, braking, steering, engine-control or high-voltage-system circuits as convenient accessory power sources.

Take battery-discharge warnings seriously

If a battery warning appears, record the exact message and when it occurs, along with your camera, hardwire kit, parking mode, cutoff settings and any separate battery. We can help you review the accessory setup using those details; they also help distinguish an installation issue from a vehicle fault.

BMW’s service bulletin identifies both faulty control units and added accessories as possible causes of excessive parked current. It calls for energy-management diagnosis. A warning should not be dismissed as an overly sensitive battery system, and a dash cam is not automatically the only cause. BMW closed-circuit current bulletin, December 2018.

For parking coverage, have your installer match the approved protective settings to the setup. A higher voltage cutoff may shorten recording, and available duration depends on battery condition and charge, temperature, camera consumption and other vehicle loads. We would not plan around a universal voltage or promised number of hours.

Do not bypass battery monitoring or disable a warning to keep the camera running. If warnings persist, arrange vehicle diagnosis and have the accessory installation checked. A battery pack cannot repair an existing vehicle electrical fault.

BlackboxMyCar BMW installation examples

Watch our earlier demonstrations to understand the physical installation work, then match the exact vehicle and equipment before following a procedure. A fuse, cable or trim route shown in one BMW is not established as suitable for another BMW or an Audi.

Using a separate dash cam battery pack

Consider a separate battery for parking recording: with correct installation, the camera uses stored energy while parked. Our PowerCell 8 is the battery pack we created for dash cam power. Its current manual specifies an ACC-switched charging input for hardwiring. Check that charging stops in the intended parked state, including any delayed shutdown, so the pack is not continuing to draw from the vehicle.

We can help you match the appropriate supplied input cable and the output cable for your camera. Set the pack to OFF before installation and follow its charging-mode instructions. Socket and hardwired connections have different current limits; do not treat them as interchangeable.

Our PowerCell 8 stores 96Wh using LiFePO4 chemistry. Plan parking duration around its charge, your camera and recording mode. It does not guarantee 25 hours of recording or prevent every BMW battery warning. Current PowerCell 8 manual download.

Its Cellink NEO Plus app provides nearby Bluetooth status and settings. You need to be within range of the pack, usually a few metres. PowerCell 8 app and connection range.

For help choosing separate parking power, browse our dash cam battery packs. Check each pack’s charging input, camera output cable and compatibility against your exact vehicle and camera.

View PowerCell 8 options

Watch our battery-pack comparison

Check the finished installation

We recommend checking the complete driving-to-parking cycle before calling the installation finished. Confirm the camera starts in the intended driving mode, enters the selected parking mode after shutdown and returns to normal recording when you drive again. With a separate pack, check its charging state as well as the camera’s recording state.

Play a saved clip from every fitted camera. Check the view, timestamps and cable security, then check for vehicle messages after a normal parking period. Save the installation details so a later recording or battery problem can be investigated.

Tell us your vehicle model, year and powertrain, camera model, usual parking duration and any existing battery warnings. We’ll help you compare camera accessories and power options for that routine. Have the appropriate installer or vehicle service specialist handle circuit selection and persistent electrical faults.