Hardwire question

Captain

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I just received my new Street Guardian. Exciting! I ordered a hardwire kit and it comes with a fuse holder(the piggy back type). It will arrive tomorrow and I want to be ready to install. Any tips appreciated, especially which fuse to tap into and what amp fuse to use.
 
Help! Nobody is answering!
 
Ford Explorer. It looks like mini fuses.
 
Such a simple question. And nobody in the whole world has an answer.:(
 
If you'd take the time to post specifics it would sure as heck help.

Vehicle make / model / year

Maybe be extra kind and post a link to a user manual

Instead you expect the community to be a blooming mind reader

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
 
I usually look at the manual to decide on a fuse to use, then i test it with a multi tester to see if that fuse actually work like i want ( that be come live with the turn of the key )

In my little cheap Suzuki car there was a lot of always live fuses, but in the end i finally found one to use for my 12 V expansion in the rear of my car.
For a dashcam or two i would probably have a go on any of the 10 A fuses, a camera only use about 0.3 A MAX so you can easy use a 3 - 5 A fuse for the dashcam side of the addon fuse.

I think the rule of thumb are to lay off the "smart" fuses, like the ones for airbags and other high tec stuff in your car, but there are a lot of other ones to try out, seat heaters and cabin light ( some actually tab into the overhead light )
Entertainment system circuit - rear heated window and what not.

If your item have a pilot light in form of a little LED that come on with the thing you can use that as a visual guide to see if its a always on fuse or one that come to life with the turn of the key. but otherwise you should be able to pick up a cheap multi tester for a few bucks.
If you have a soldering iron and a little wire you can also whip up your own test tool by using a 12 V light bulp as a indicator of when the fuse are live.

The most common error people make in hardwire are often that they dont use a proper place for the GND wire.

On youtube you can fine a whole host of videos on how to install a dashcam and hardwire kits for them, might be different brand cameras but really its all the same in that regard.
 
If you'd take the time to post specifics it would sure as heck help.

Vehicle make / model / year

Maybe be extra kind and post a link to a user manual

Instead you expect the community to be a blooming mind reader

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Come on peterjt, I am just seeking answers. No need to be rude. The user manual doesn't help. It's a 99 Ford Explorer.
 
I think he meant look at the car user manual to figure out what fuses are what.

It will be hard to get model specific advise unless you are running a really popular on a global level car.

Maybe rephrase question, we are a lot in here that really do wish to help in any way we can.

If you lived down the road from me i would have that camera in your car in no time, and all it would cost you was a cold soft drink at the most.
But its a damn long swim over there and that and walking are the only long distance form of travel i can afford as a early retired Dane.
 
Such a simple question. And nobody in the whole world has an answer.:(

If every single member of THIS forum drove a ford explorer then maybe they'd be able to answer before you even ask the questions, but it's a dashcam forum, not a car forum.

I could tell you exactly how to hardwire a dashcam into an Audi A3, permanent or switched, but would ya believe not a ford explorer, because I've never owned a ford in my life!
 
Most of us find the fuses we want to tap by testing with a DMM or LED test-light. Don't use an old-fashioned incandescant test light, and don't ever tap fuses critical to safe car function like exterior lighting, engine controls, and airbags. Otherwise most fuses will do if they give the function you want ;)

Car wiring has gotten complex with the advent of computers so it's hard to generalize anymore and I'm unfamiliar with yours. If nobody here can sort this out, look for a car-specific internet forum as that's where expertise like this is often easiest to find.

Phil
 
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As the instructions that come with the kit will say.. pick a source that is always on... and one that is on only when the ACC is active. So.. your brake circuit is on all the time and is what I used (on a non Ford but suspect that Ford uses the same logic).And the ACC depends.. but the radio circuit is a common one that is active / on while the key is on or in the ACC position.
 
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