MG ZS EV Dashcam Hardwire.

I've just had another think about this and I reckon the power to the camera will be going through both fuses overloading the original fuse if it's the wrong way round.
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The double piggy-back connectors have two slots and if you’re using two different size fuses it’s important to get the right fuse in the right slot of the piggy. The fuse at the end of the piggy is the fuse that was taken out to fit the holder. So if using a 15a slot the removed 15a fuse goes there. If you’re adding say a 7a fuse for the accessory it sits next to it in the adjacent slot on the piggy. If you have any doubts just quickly check it with a gauge.
 
I used this connector - Nextbase.
 

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Cocijo said:
The double piggy-back connectors have two slots and if you’re using two different size fuses it’s important to get the right fuse in the right slot of the piggy. The fuse at the end of the piggy is the fuse that was taken out to fit the holder. So if using a 15a slot the removed 15a fuse goes there. If you’re adding say a 7a fuse for the accessory it sits next to it in the adjacent slot on the piggy. If you have any doubts just quickly check it with a gauge.
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Both fuses are at the end ?
The one on the top, when the piggy is plugged in, is for the cam, the one underneath is for the original fuse.
 
chromeskull said:
That diagram is spot on. One way to tell is remove the fuse for the car and if the dash cam doesn't turn on, you have it the wrong way round.
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The positive connection on the piggy is the one at the very end of the plug, so I will remove the original fuse and check which side is live, with a test lamp or meter and plug the piggy in so that the end connector is in the live side of the fuse. (y)
 
Kithmo said:
Both fuses are at the end ?
The one on the top, when the piggy is plugged in, is for the cam, the one underneath is for the original fuse.
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There’s two slots at the top for original and new fuses. The adaptor pushes in where the original fuse was removed. 👍 12v cars use an earth return where the body is earthed - the fuses just bridge the positive side 👍
 
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www.nextbase.com

How To Fit a Dash Cam

There are two options to installing a dash cam, the easiest is the 12v cigarette lighter dash cam installation, but the neatest is using a hardwire kit.
www.nextbase.com www.nextbase.com
 
I've hardwired my dashcam into the wife's ZS EV (this is the 4th car I've hardwired a dashcam to and they're all pretty similar - just a different fuse board layout).

My dashcam requires a 'switched' live and a permanent live (it monitors for 'collisions' and if something were to strike my car - say another car hits mines whilst they are trying to park - my dashcam switches on and records, if it's not already on).

So I've used the fuses for the cigarette lighter socket and one of the rear windows. Just below the fuse board, is a bolt which already has a cable connected to it - this can be used for the negative cable of your dashcam and the positive cable goes into your piggyback fuse holder, as discussed in the earlier posts above.

Looking at the piggyback fuse holder, there are 2 slots. The slot closest to the metal pins of the piggyback fuse holder is for the fuse you remove from the fuse board of your car - in my case, if you hold the piggyback fuse holder horizontally and has its cable going to the right, it's the bottom slot.

The other slot is the fuse which will power your dashcam (or whatever device you're hardwiring).

Hope this helps! ;)

Cheers

Bloggsy
 
bloggsy said:
I've hardwired my dashcam into the wife's ZS EV (this is the 4th car I've hardwired a dashcam to and they're all pretty similar - just a different fuse board layout).

My dashcam requires a 'switched' live and a permanent live (it monitors for 'collisions' and if something were to strike my car - say another car hits mines whilst they are trying to park - my dashcam switches on and records, if it's not already on).

So I've used the fuses for the cigarette lighter socket and one of the rear windows. Just below the fuse board, is a bolt which already has a cable connected to it - this can be used for the negative cable of your dashcam and the positive cable goes into your piggyback fuse holder, as discussed in the earlier posts above.

Looking at the piggyback fuse holder, there are 2 slots. The slot closest to the metal pins of the piggyback fuse holder is for the fuse you remove from the fuse board of your car - in my case, if you hold the piggyback fuse holder horizontally and has its cable going to the right, it's the bottom slot.

The other slot is the fuse which will power your dashcam (or whatever device you're hardwiring).

Hope this helps! ;)

Cheers

Bloggsy
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I asked Nextbase for advice on having a permanent live to the dasncam for monitoring while parked. They said it can drain the battery. I said that it seems silly to sell a dashcam with one of the selling points being parked monitoring and then not recommending an always-live feed!
 
Cocijo said:
I asked Nextbase for advice on having a permanent live to the dasncam for monitoring while parked. They said it can drain the battery. I said that it seems silly to sell a dashcam with one of the selling points being parked monitoring and then not recommending an always-live feed!
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I thought the newer Nextbase cameras had a harness that limits draw from the 12V.

I had one of the older versions. Quick trip to eBay, and I got a compatible harness with limited draw. Wired into a permanent live, and it's been working fine.
 
I wanted to use the Nextbase 422W - that’s the one that i contacted Nextbase about. I have read somewhere about carcams that monitor the cars 12v battery voltage and shut down the camera if it gets below a certain voltage. I used another camera in the end and have a switched feed to it.
 
I have the Nextbase 522GW which is (to be) wired to a switched fuse (12v power socket fuse), it has an internal battery, that lasts for a week, to feed the monitoring function, so no need for a permanent live and no running the 12v down.
 
I’ve just installed the Thinkware X700 that can do that as well as reduce further by adding.2 volts during the winter months that you select in the options. I added for November to March. Easy to install and hardwire.
 
Right. I wonder if anyone can help with my dashcam install on my van, so not a MG! My dashcam has been plugged into a 12v USB/cigarette charger and works fine when the ignition is on, but with trailing cables. I have a kit to install the dashcam with in order to tidy up the cabling and also so that it comes on with the ignition, as before. Once I've found a fuse that comes on with the ignition, does the amps matter? E.g. the piggyback fuse thingy comes with a 3A fuse for the camera, so far I've tried only 7.5A fuses but they're not suitable, so does it matter if I use a fuse rated at higher amps (e.g. 10A or 20A in this case)? The van was in for service recently and I asked the mechanic to mark a suitable fuse, he picked the headlight fuses which means they cam will only work when I turn the lights on! Does it also matter what equipment the fuse feeds? I'm trying to stay away from critical stuff so am left with a choice of windscreen wipers or electric windows from this particular fuse box, both at 20A.

Thanks for any advice - appreciate this is the wrong forum so if any one's offended I'm happy to remove this post.
 
ARealHuman said:
Right. I wonder if anyone can help with my dashcam install on my van, so not a MG! My dashcam has been plugged into a 12v USB/cigarette charger and works fine when the ignition is on, but with trailing cables. I have a kit to install the dashcam with in order to tidy up the cabling and also so that it comes on with the ignition, as before. Once I've found a fuse that comes on with the ignition, does the amps matter? E.g. the piggyback fuse thingy comes with a 3A fuse for the camera, so far I've tried only 7.5A fuses but they're not suitable, so does it matter if I use a fuse rated at higher amps (e.g. 10A or 20A in this case)? The van was in for service recently and I asked the mechanic to mark a suitable fuse, he picked the headlight fuses which means they cam will only work when I turn the lights on! Does it also matter what equipment the fuse feeds? I'm trying to stay away from critical stuff so am left with a choice of windscreen wipers or electric windows from this particular fuse box, both at 20A.

Thanks for any advice - appreciate this is the wrong forum so if any one's offended I'm happy to remove this post.
Click to expand...

For me, I'd use a fuse which, if blows, still allows me to use the car so I stayed away from lights, ignition, etc and, in your case, I'd suggest maybe using the cigarette lighter socket fuse (unless that is permanently on, of course!) ;) However, if you have electric seating adjustment that may be an option but if push comes to shove then electric windows would be okay.

The piggyback fuse has 2 fuse sockets so, if I recall correctly, you can have 2 differently rated fuses - the original fuse for whatever the fuse is for and a lower rated fuse for the dashcam in the other fuse socket. just make sure you know which is which! 😂

Cheers

Bloggsy
 
ARealHuman said:
Right. I wonder if anyone can help with my dashcam install on my van, so not a MG! My dashcam has been plugged into a 12v USB/cigarette charger and works fine when the ignition is on, but with trailing cables. I have a kit to install the dashcam with in order to tidy up the cabling and also so that it comes on with the ignition, as before. Once I've found a fuse that comes on with the ignition, does the amps matter? E.g. the piggyback fuse thingy comes with a 3A fuse for the camera, so far I've tried only 7.5A fuses but they're not suitable, so does it matter if I use a fuse rated at higher amps (e.g. 10A or 20A in this case)? The van was in for service recently and I asked the mechanic to mark a suitable fuse, he picked the headlight fuses which means they cam will only work when I turn the lights on! Does it also matter what equipment the fuse feeds? I'm trying to stay away from critical stuff so am left with a choice of windscreen wipers or electric windows from this particular fuse box, both at 20A.

Thanks for any advice - appreciate this is the wrong forum so if any one's offended I'm happy to remove this post.
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Are you asking does it matter which circuit you tap into regarding the original fuse size?

Some of the taps come with fuses supplied, some without. You're bunging the fuse you take out of the box into one of the terminals in the piggyback (usually the bottom), and the other terminals (usually in line with the cable coming out of the top on the piggyback) get the fuse for the camera. I can't remember what I fitted to mine, but it was only an amp or two. That was tapped off a 30 amp window circuit, but that gives me a permanent live.
 
Thanks both. This is the kit I bought.

Just tried the window fuse, but for whatever reason that seemed to show power with my simple light tester with the ignition off (I did have the driver's door open though so wonder if that has an effect). What I've been supplied with comes with a 3A fuse for the camera, but it isn't clear from the instructions which slot it goes in on the adapter as the image in the instructions is the opposite to the actual cable (almost like it's been mirrored). I've given up now as I'm getting an airbag warning so god only knows what I've done 😫
 
That's similar to the kit I bought. Whichever terminals line up with the wire is usually the spur you put the low value fuse into. You may need to have a look in the owners manual of your van to see which fuses are switched lives.

Have you left a fuse out somewhere? Maybe causing a fault light to show.
 
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