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Wifi front camera - tapping power under the hood or grommet to the passenger side
I got a cheap wifi front camera to see if it will even be worth it, longer-term I'll get a permanent solution that's a bit higher quality, but this was cheap and I can try it out. The big benefit of this cheap solution is very little wiring, it just needs power, which I can do via a switched source or constant power with a relay tapped to a switched source. I've already tested it outside of the car and it connects to wifi easy and the picture quality is decent.
I'm wanting to tap somewhere under the hood to get power when the car is running, that's the easiest option and wondered if anyone knew of a good spot, I may just have it turn on a relay that powers the camera. The other thing I was thinking is a manual way to switch it on without running a switch all the way back into the cabin, maybe it comes on when the heated seats are engaged or something, the reason this would be nice is the camera has a couple of lights on it and I'm not sure I want them on all the time if the ignition is on, maybe just when I really need it.
If anyone has a suggestion for a simple tap under the hood(the location to tap), or something else has it come on when that something else is "switched on" I'd love some ideas.
The old school me would say to tap into an ignition on power source. Like daytime running lights, parking sensors, etc.
cannot provide an exact answer.
yeah, I've done that before on MB and one car complained about the voltage change. I used a relay the signal from the lights was just a really switch source. I may try it on the full-beam signal since I only use that occasionally and see if it complains
HAven't found any obvious switched power under the hood and tapping of the headlamps looks like I'd need to pull the bumper to get to the harness which I don't want to do.
Anyone know if there is an easy to access grommet on the passenger side into the footwell, maybe I can then tap off the fuse box. I haven't taken the passenger side footwell apart to see if I see one yet.
I also posted in the electronics forum just in case someone else knew over there...
One of the "go to" Switched accessories I have used on other cars is windshield wipers. I use a Tap A Fuse. This allows a fuse protected line that might be a different amp value than the wipers.
I'm assuming you're looking for a switched +12v and not some other voltage such as +5v.
In my GT, the wiper fuse(s) are 10, 13 in the front passenger footwell. 10 is a 30 amp to run the motor, 13 runs the pump and is 7 amp. You shouldn't need the high amperage side for a camera, just tap off the pump side (fuse 13). A 7 amp feed is going to easily handle 10a, but guessing your camera is going to be more around 7a or 5a, If you do this just remove the fuse in the #13 slot, replace with the tap a fuse, put the 7a fuse back in the first slot of the tap, and the recommended fuse amp of the camera in the second slot. Run the camera +v to the red wire coming out of the tap a fuse and a ground to ground.
Last edited by Acta_Non_Verba; Mar 9, 2021 at 08:52 AM.
One of the "go to" Switched accessories I have used on other cars is windshield wipers. I use a Tap A Fuse. This allows a fuse protected line that might be a different amp value than the wipers.
I'm assuming you're looking for a switched +12v and not some other voltage such as +5v.
In my GT, the wiper fuse(s) are 10, 13 in the front passenger footwell. 10 is a 30 amp to run the motor, 13 runs the pump and is 7 amp. You shouldn't need the high amperage side for a camera, just tap off the pump side (fuse 13). A 7 amp feed is going to easily handle 10a, but guessing your camera is going to be more around 7a or 5a, If you do this just remove the fuse in the #13 slot, replace with the tap a fuse, put the 7a fuse back in the first slot of the tap, and the recommended fuse amp of the camera in the second slot. Run the camera +v to the red wire coming out of the tap a fuse and a ground to ground.
Thanks mate, I've used the tap or add a fuse before and they work great. The camera is 5v and 2 amps so I've installed a small water proof USB connector near the battery in a vented case so the camera is working and I can touch the relay engerizing wire to the battery and the camera only powers up when the relay is energized, so basically whatever I tap off will just be to turn the relay on, the camera is getting power directly from the battery instead via the relay. What I'm wondering is how do you run a wire inside the cabin on the passenger side, is there a gromeet that easy to push a fish tape through or fish pole, or do you need to make a new hole and grommet into the passenger side ?
I'm very comfortable with the wiring, what always annoys me is trying to fish a wire from the engine bay intp the cabin , if I don't know of an existing grommet/access hole
I've tried crossing the firewall at different places on different cars. Haven't had need to cross the AMG yet. One common good place I've found on other cars is the hood release cable.
I've tried crossing the firewall at different places on different cars. Haven't had need to cross the AMG yet. One common good place I've found on other cars is the hood release cable.
ok,my current wiring is all near the battery and since the fuse box is in the passenger footwell I'll hopefully find a way in there... guess I'll be getting upside down in the passenger footwell this weekend
I’m very very interested in a front camera as well. My new front end sits very low and it’s hard to park sometimes.
I may eventually do a integrated one with the headunit, but its a good $1K for an after market setup, or with an Apple car play/new head unit it could be $700. I've had mixed results hijacking headunits or changing them out, so I'm going this "cheap" route right now to see if it will work ok. I'll report back once its done, initial testing looks great. and it cost me about $50 and a couple of hours so far
ok,my current wiring is all near the battery and since the fuse box is in the passenger footwell I'll hopefully find a way in there... guess I'll be getting upside down in the passenger footwell this weekend
I removed the inner panel under the carpet on the passenger side, I couldn't see any way into the engine bay
I removed the battery and the battery mounting bracket and couldn't see any way in there either
The is a huge grommet under there that I tried to pry off with a pry bar, screwdrivers, grenades and a Sherman tank and it wouldn't move. I assume Mercedes has a $4B tool to take it off with one finger.
I didn't have time to get out the plasma cutter and start slicing the car apart so I put it back together for now. Hoping to do more research as some point or ask someone who has done this.
passenger side fuse box cover Passenger side fuse box cover Battery removed grommet from hell
Here are a couple of shots of the camera and image, the "view" starts about 18" from the front bumper so I'm considering moving the camera below the MB logo into the lower bumper opening so I can see the edge of the bumper, but it will be a pain to mount under there... we'll see
wedge the mount the camera inside the logo at an angle wifi camera holding with double sided heavy duty mounting tape camera installed picture. I'd need to move the camera close to the edge to see lower but I don't want the camera to be very visible from the front.
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