mr. mister

I've recently installed OEM MB dashcam, front+rear, they work fine, no issues with dashcam app. Settings are easy to set, sensitivity, parking mode, etc. Of course no infrared, so when there's no light then nothing they can see. I cared to have a parking mode, and some quality stuff, searching the web I found this. Rear cam view is a bit disturbed if you have a bright upholstery, light reflects from rear shelf on rear glass and so it is visible on recordings. When I covered shelf with dark blanket i was perfect, so I'm going to change rear shelf to black. A very tricky part was to disconnect one connector from fuse box. I had to order a special tool, a bit expensive, because a set of similar tools from popular Chinese marketplace didn't work.

sidsidhu

which one did you install?
ive just started looking into a dash cam for my s205

mr. mister

I've installed original Mercedes dashcams, thoese from the beginning ot the topic.

sidsidhu

oh ok, how's it look installed? I don't really want to add extra items to windscreen and make it look cluttered. im thinking of using the one that's integrated into sensors cover just to keep it clean and neat.

mr. mister

Somehow it looks fine. I also wanted a cam that looks smooth and clean. I was thinking about the one integrated into sensors cover, they look best, but when I found MB ones, I just pick them, as I'm very into genuine stuff. Anyway, MB cam is almost invisible from drivers seat, mirror covers it just fine, doesn't bother me at all. For now I can attach manual pic, tomorow I can put live view.

mr. mister

Rainy day but camera is visible

znobben

Hello, Im new in this forum and searching same info as @jioann with Mercedes orginal front/real dash cam.


I order the camera in Germany, I got the parts for about 400 euro exl VAT.

In Sweden they wanted 1400 euro for the cameras and installation, and I thought also that is to much and Im sure it is a simple installation and it take a little time to install the cables.

Does anyone have done the installation, or any who knows if there is any installation guid from MB availible? I have a GLE from 2019 W167

SweDlux

Hi,
I had these cameras installed in my C43(S205) by an authorized MB workshop almost three years ago.
The total cost for hardware and labor cost was approx. €1000 (SEK11800) in today's exchange rate.

I am attaching the invoice so you can see the separate amounts.
(I notice that you are also Swedish, so I apologize to everyone else who may have difficulty reading the document :-).


Dash Cam Installation Invoice


The estimated working time for front and rear dashcam installation is according to Mercedes ASRA 3.1 hours.
(An MB workshop should therefore not charge labor costs for more than 3.1 hours for this job).

If you can get all the necessary hardware for €400, (sounds cheap to me), you can check what an MB workshop charges per hour and then judge if it's worth trying yourself.

I wouldn't say that the installation is that simple, (of course it depends on what skills you have).

I spoke to the mechanic who is very experienced but had not done this particular installation before. He had needed more time than was allotted for the job.

Attached below is the main document from MB WIS (for a W167) which lists the steps involved in the installation.
Detailed instructions for each step can be found in around 25 sub-documents.

Good Luck!

znobben

Thank you so much.

Yea, I guess the cost is roughly the same with inflation etc. I got the same cost in Estonia about 1400-1500 euro where I also am a lot.

I don't see a problem with pulling the cables and perfect, with the steps for the installation, it helps a lot. Could be that I will just take help from MB to connect it into the fuse box.

The parts should come at the end of the week, but I dont have the car yet, so a project at the end of the month. I will take some pictures and upload them during the installation.

After reading the thread again I see there might be some confusion about the options of dashcam.

If you have an inbuilt cam (used for Sat Nav) then you have or can purchase dashcam to your MBUX system, and you get the software in your car, and the car is using the front camera as a dashcam. As I understand you then need to enter the menu every time you start the car to activate the dashcam and it only works while you are driving. I would say it's a big chance you will forget to activate the camera function just the day you would need it.

You also need a storage device, a memory stick to record the video where I can see some people have problems with the loop recording function.

To install the aftermarket OEM MB Dashcam you will have both front and back camera, it will start recording directly you start driving, it have motion sensor and g load sensor to start recording, if the car got hit on a parking spot for example, so in my opinion a much better option than the inbuilt camera.

Many of you are right that there are other cameras on the market for less money that are the same or better, but for my taste, I wanted an OEM to look more integrated into the car.

mr. mister

I've bought MB dashcam set for less than 400 Euros in Poland, as they had a special offer. Installed all by myself, and it is not possible to make it in 3 hours, even now if I know everything, and the fact I put rear cam cable on the floor ducts which I assumed would be easier than loose a roof upholstery. A real pain in the *** was to unplug one connector pin, which took me a lot of time and special tool purchase. Here are some pdfs how to manage this cameras.

znobben

A little update.

Yesterday I was partly installing the cameras. I was pulling all the cables to front/ aft camera and towards the fuse box where it will be connected.

For me it took about 90-100 minutes and was not that tricky as I thought, and thanx to @SweDlux that I got WIS.

I started to remove A pillar cover, and cover for the camera.




I removed both foward and aft left handles in the ceiling.

The tool you need is a flat screw driver and plastic tools for bending up lists etc., a cable puller and some silicone spray and plastic stripes.

I started to pull the cable to the front camera, using the cable puller inside the ceiling next to the mirror and went down via the A pillar. I used plastic stripes to tie the cables on to excising cables. I left all cables for the installation of power inside the fuse box cover on the left side steering wheel.
The aft cable I gently opened the roof lining used the cable puller all the way to backseat, make sure you pull the cable behind the both handles attachment to not interfered with the airbag curtains.

When the cable was in the back I was open the trunk, removed the plastic cover on the upper side of the car where the cables goes to the trunk, use again the plastic bending tool to remove since its holding by plastic clips. I was removing the rubber sealing where the cables are going towards the hatch and used the cable puller from the trunk side towards the backseat. If you see from the backseat and have panorama roof you can easy see the puller, and if not I think you with a flashlight and gently bending up the ceiling you should be able to reach the puller cable.

Make sure that when you been pulling the cable thru that the cable don’t interfere with the panorama curtain. I could see some cables running inside the ceiling so I pulled the video cable under those cables to not let it be loose.

When you have the cable out via the hole aft of the car it comes the more tricky part to pull the cable via the rubber sealing. You need to be very gently and have patience since a lot of cables goes inside the sealing and you don’t want to harm those.

Spray inside from both sides of the rubber sealing silicone spray, that also keep moist away but in this case make it slippery, and gently pull thru the cable puller and then pull thru the video cable.

When that is done I left about 0,5m cable that I just gently bended up the plastic cover on the hatch. Since it is so small part of the cable I did not want to open and remove all covers on the hatch since no cable will be lose since its so short length.

When that is done I installed all covers back again, no cover needed any torx or screwdriver, just clips.

Next week I will try to see if I will install the power but as information above you need a special tool witch I don’t have so I consider to go to a mechanic shop to let them install instead of me breaking something, that will be cheaper than repairing my mistakes.

In the end I paid 400 euro for both cameras and cables, 8 euro for memory card, a few euros for a cable puller and silicone spray.

MB wanted to have about 1700 euro so even if I pay a bit for the electric installation that shouldn’t take more than 30min to 1h it's still a bargain to do it myself.

Last edit: since I was a bit unsure how to connect 1 cable, so I went to a MB repair shop (Not authorised dealer), it took them about 40 minutes and charged 56 euro.

In the end the cost became under 500 euro for hardware and installation, a cost MB wanted to have 1700 euro for.

This is for the GLE w167 model.

mr. mister

So you went up the roof, good job. The wires are very simple to connect, it takes a few minutes step by step, except that one ******* connector you need to unplug. I made it with KS Tools 154.0121. Nothing similar "from cheap China stuff" works. The key is to push the tool a little far, just when you thought it is enough, it is not. The tool must be so deep in the plug terminal, that connector pin will be so loose it almost pop up by itself. Just for the record; on the pillar A you used plastic ties, but MB has a factory clips that hold cables, I used 2 of them I found on scrapyard in w203 shell. If on metal structure of pillar A you have metal bolts, you can use dedicated clips.

odyseus10

Has anyine worked what the blue wire is supposed to be connect to ?
- maybe its ignition 12V (ie 12V on only when ignition switch is selected)
I assume the red cable (with two fuses) connects to pernanent 12V