Poor DAB reception after dashcam hardwire - antenna location?
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Newbie
Joined: Jul 2019
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2016 C Class (W205)
Poor DAB reception after dashcam hardwire - antenna location?
Hi all
This morning I hardwired a dashcam (front and rear) into my wife's 2016 C Class (W205). Just went to give it a test drive to see what the footage is like and noticed that the radio reception seems to have degraded (seems to be if I accelerate / brake hard, or take a hard corner, the radio shows "No Reception", then recovers after a few seconds)
It's a right hand drive vehicle, and I've run the wires from the camera to the left of the interior mirror, inside the plastic shroud behind the interior mirror, under the headliner, down the A Pillar on the driver's side and into the driver's side fuse box (piggy backed onto the glove box light 5A fuse). The wiring for the rear camera is the same, but runs across to the back of the car from the top of the A Pillar, then across the headliner at the back of the car (above the back windshield).
I'm wondering if I've knocked something (antenna / amplifier) whilst running the wires? Does anyone know the location of the antenna/amplifier so I can check it hasn't become disconnected? I've temporarily removed the wiring for the rear camera and it hasn't made a difference to the radio reception (I thought perhaps the looped wiring at the back of the car might be causing some interference)
Many thanks in advance
Jim
This morning I hardwired a dashcam (front and rear) into my wife's 2016 C Class (W205). Just went to give it a test drive to see what the footage is like and noticed that the radio reception seems to have degraded (seems to be if I accelerate / brake hard, or take a hard corner, the radio shows "No Reception", then recovers after a few seconds)
It's a right hand drive vehicle, and I've run the wires from the camera to the left of the interior mirror, inside the plastic shroud behind the interior mirror, under the headliner, down the A Pillar on the driver's side and into the driver's side fuse box (piggy backed onto the glove box light 5A fuse). The wiring for the rear camera is the same, but runs across to the back of the car from the top of the A Pillar, then across the headliner at the back of the car (above the back windshield).
I'm wondering if I've knocked something (antenna / amplifier) whilst running the wires? Does anyone know the location of the antenna/amplifier so I can check it hasn't become disconnected? I've temporarily removed the wiring for the rear camera and it hasn't made a difference to the radio reception (I thought perhaps the looped wiring at the back of the car might be causing some interference)
Many thanks in advance
Jim
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 3
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2016 C Class (W205)
I unplugged the rear dashcam and the radio reception went back to perfect, so I think it's interference rather than me having broken anything. I'll try and stick some ferrite cores on the rear cable and see if that fixes it
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Joined: Jan 2020
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Mercedes C Class C220D (W205)
Same problem
Hi Jim, I have the exact same issue, after the installation of a dashcam with additional rear camera, hard wired with same cable routing.
Did you manage to resolve the rear camera interference problem?
Steve
Did you manage to resolve the rear camera interference problem?
Steve
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
2016 C Class (W205)
We've actually sold the car now, but I tried putting ferrite cores on both sides of the cable and it made a slight difference. The signal was still degraded however, it just didn't drop out quite so often.
In the end I just unplugged the rear dashcam and lived without it (it was only 720p through a dirty back windscreen so the footage was pretty useless anyway)
Good luck!
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