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Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install

Chewza

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Matt
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'21 AMB Plat PB
So a while ago I said I was going to do an in depth write up on transferring my Blackvue DR900s-2CH from my Grand Cherokee into my new truck.
Little did I know it was going to take nearly 6 months to get my truck, but alas the day has finally arrived!

For those of you who don't know what a Power Magic Pro (from here on referred to as PMP) from Blackvue is...
It allows you to select when and how long your dash camera runs off the battery.
It has dip switches that allow you to select the duration of recording, as well as a battery voltage monitor so that the dashcam doesn't inadvertently drain your battery below a set voltage. Because god knows the F150 has enough battery related issues amirite?

Luckally the BCM (Body Control Module) located in the passenger footwell has two fuses that will allow us to tap in to for both constant hot and ACC voltage.
Additionally, conveniently enough there's also a grounded screw where we can secure our ground wire to.
This means unlike my previous Jeep install, there's no reason to pierce the firewall thank god!

What's used in this install...

Our story begins on a beautiful 80 degree day in Virginia...
Your first step is to remove the two center console trim pieces that lead to the center stack of the truck.
These trim pieces look like aluminum on my Platinum trim. I'm unsure about other trim levels.

This will allow you to gently lift the center console trim where the cup holders are located so that we can access the back side of the center console storage area and run our PMP cable.

After you've completed that, you should be looking at the following...

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_171232630_iOS


We're going to be mounting the PMP right above the USB-A & USB-C outlet inside the center console.
But first we need to figure out how we're going to get a hole there so we can run our PMP supplied cable...

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_171243718_iOS


Luckally there's nothing behind where we want to mount our PMP, so drilling a hole shouldn't be too much of an issue.
(Below photo : Shot from cup holder area pointing towards the USB outlet in the center console storage area.)

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_171406091_iOS


Now that we've determined where we want to mount the PMP, let's start drilling holes!!!
(It's a scary thing drilling a hole into your brand new $75k truck, I can assure you! But it'll be OK in the end I promise!)
Up first is a hole from behind the center console trim piece. Unfortunately without drilling this hole there's no way to get the cable through. Not too big of a deal.

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_172741412_iOS


After verifying that the hole will allow the 5 pin connector to pass through it, let's drill one from inside of the center console storage area.
If you shine a light inside the storage area, you can pretty easily see the mold marks of the standoffs on the back side.
I drilled right below the circular mold mark that I could see. (Can't see it in this picture but I promise with proper lighting it's there!)

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_172745878_iOS-rotated


The next step is a little more difficult for those of you with large hands.
Due to the fact that the trim piece that holds the cup holder's can't be fully removed without removing the infotainment trim, I had to squeeze my hand down and feed the connector through both holes without putting too much tension on the top trim piece.
If you're not able to fit your huge mitts down between the backside of the center console storage area and the cup holders, a simple fish wire should work just fine.

Once we've got the PMP connector inside of the center console storage area, it's time to secure the cable to the existing wiring harness that's hidden behind the passenger trim.
Take it from an IT guy... ALWAYS VELCRO... NEVER ZIP TIES... Seriously... if you don't have a big spool of this stuff, go get some now. You'll thank me in the end... https://amzn.to/3qDE5Rn

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_173732383_iOS


You may have also noticed that there's some added cable to the PMP harness. This is because I want the PMP in an easy to reach area, and the harness has a short 2 ft of cable. I used the following cable to extend the power runs and it's fantastic. https://amzn.to/3vRoiPK

I solder all of my connections and then heat shrink them. If you don't have a soldering iron currently I can highly recommend any TS100 based soldering iron which has open source upgradable firmware (GitHub - Ralim/IronOS: Open Source Soldering Iron firmware for Miniware and Pinecil)...
https://amzn.to/3xSM5A1

Before we get too far, let's mount our front camera and our rear camera. You'll want to do this first because it's easier to hide the additional bulk cable behind trim pieces as opposed to near the cameras or in the headliner.

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_175933902_iOS


Run your cables along the normal places, behind the rear view mirror, the headliner, and the weather stripping on the doors. In order to make it easier for you to get down the passenger door, remove the panel that's hidden behind the passenger door when it's closed.

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_175937204_iOS


Plug the dashcam power adapter in to the PMP's receptacle on the harness and bunch it up and secure it to the existing wiring harness, being mindful to make sure it's tight and that it's not going to contact anything and make a noise when you're driving.

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_180326326_iOS


At this point I connected the rear dashcam and ran it's cable along the passenger side of the cab. Because I have a sliding rear window, I opted to place the camera as close as I could to the center of the vehicle, while still being able to remove the cable, and the camera from it's mount in the event I needed to replace it for any reason.
I then ran the rear camera's cable to the main unit, then ran the excess down the passenger side A-pillar, and bunched the excess behind the panel we removed originally.
After all this cable running, there should be 3 cables running down the passenger A-pillar, if you take your time, everything will be flat and you won't have any buldges in the door weatherstripping.

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_182458424_iOS


We're done working inside of this panel. Go ahead and close her up!

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_182522607_iOS


As you can see from the photo above, I've gone ahead and removed the shroud above the passenger footwell so that I can more easily hide the cables behind the retention clips. These are simple push clips, but note that in order to remove them, ensure you get between the shroud and the mounting bracket, and do not attempt to pull the clip out by it's head. It's thin plastic and will bend. I have this set of tools to help me with projects like this. https://amzn.to/3deq9HZ

Now it's time to solder the add-a-fuse (micro2) adapters to the extension cable we soldered to the PMP wiring harness.
There are cheap Chinese fuse taps, but for anything electrical like this I much prefer to pay for a brand I know... https://amzn.to/3dk5ySr
I used the following color coding to wire everything up...

Blackvue PMP Harness ColorLED 3 wire cable colorFunction
BlackBlackGround
RedRedAccessory Power
YellowGreenConstant Battery

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_184418373_iOS


NOTE: I had to cut my original setup out of my jeep, the above is just an example of how you should be soldering, and heat shrinking your connections.
Now it's time to find our fuses... As mentioned before, we need 1 that's powered even when the truck is off, and another that's powered ONLY when the truck is on.

Fuse NumberBCM Fuse FunctionFuse AmperagePMP SupplyPMP Harness Wire Color
Fuse #2Delayed Accessory10AAccessoryRed
Fuse #4Not Used20AConstant 12vYellow

The below pictures show my testing on the two fuses I've selected for this install.

FUSE 4 (VEHICLE OFF)
Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_192254796_iOS
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE OFF)
Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_192307445_iOS
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE ON)
Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_192235930_iOS

Remove the target fuses, and ensure they are inserted on the BOTTOM (closest to the leads) of your add-a-fuse. The fuse for your camera should be at the TOP of the add-a-fuse (closest to you when inserted).

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_192836845_iOS


Still with me? We're almost done!!!
Look to the left of the BCM fusebox, and you should see a bolt & nut that holds a module in place. This bolt is grounded to the frame, and of course is of the 10mm variety... Unscrew this and connect your ground wire to this, then re-tighten the nut. (Note I may end up getting a ring terminal so that I can solder the wire to it, and get a better connection, but that's my personal preference. I don't see an issue with wrapping the ground around the bolt and leaving it that way.)

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_193240674_iOS


Now... finish tying up all of your loose wires and reattach the various different trim pieces.

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_193752824_iOS


Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_193844542_iOS


Slap some velcro on the back of your PMP and stick it where you want!

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_195310051_iOS


Vacuum up your shavings, and test that shit out!
This photo you'll probably need to zoom in on to see, but you can see with the PMP in the on position the camera is on while the vehicle is off...

Ford F-150 Blackvue DR900s-2CH Dashcam + Power Magic Pro Hardwire Install 20210625_195331037_iOS


If you've made it this far, if we ever meet up I owe you a beer.
But hopefully this helps out anyone who's looking for a super stealth and functional dashcam install.
If this has helped you out, please feel free to like and share this post.
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Last edited:

F-150 Prius

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So a while ago I said I was going to do an in depth write up on transferring my Blackvue DR900s

Luckily the BCM (Body Control Module) located in the passenger footwell has two fuses that will allow us to tap in to for both constant hot and ACC voltage.
Additionally, conveniently enough there's also a grounded screw where we can secure our ground wire.


Now it's time to solder the add-a-fuse (micro2) adapters to the extension cable we soldered to the PMP wiring harness.
There are cheap Chinese fuse taps, but for anything electrical like this I much prefer to pay for a brand I know... https://amzn.to/3dk5ySr
I used the following color coding to wire everything up...

Blackvue PMP Harness ColorLED 3 wire cable colorFunction
BlackBlackGround
RedRedAccessory Power
YellowGreenConstant Battery

20210625_184418373_iOS.jpg


NOTE: I had to cut my original setup out of my jeep, the above is just an example of how you should be soldering, and heat shrinking your connections.
Now it's time to find our fuses... As mentioned before, we need 1 that's powered even when the truck is off, and another that's powered ONLY when the truck is on.

Fuse NumberBCM Fuse FunctionFuse AmperagePMP SupplyPMP Harness Wire Color
Fuse #2Delayed Accessory10AAccessoryRed
Fuse #4Not Used20AConstant 12vYellow

The below pictures show my testing on the two fuses I've selected for this install.

FUSE 4 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192254796_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192307445_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE ON)
20210625_192235930_iOS.jpg

Remove the target fuses, and ensure they are inserted on the BOTTOM (closest to the leads) of your add-a-fuse. The fuse for your camera should be at the TOP of the add-a-fuse (closest to you when inserted).

20210625_192836845_iOS.jpg


Still with me? We're almost done!!!
Look to the left of the BCM fusebox, and you should see a bolt & nut that holds a module in place. This bolt is grounded to the frame, and of course is of the 10mm variety... Unscrew this and connect your ground wire to this, then re-tighten the nut. (Note I may end up getting a ring terminal so that I can solder the wire to it, and get a better connection, but that's my personal preference. I don't see an issue with wrapping the ground around the bolt and leaving it that way.)

20210625_193240674_iOS.jpg


Now... finish tying up all of your loose wires and reattach the various different trim pieces.

20210625_193752824_iOS.jpg





If you've made it this far, if we ever meet up I owe you a beer.
But hopefully this helps out anyone who's looking for a super stealth and functional dashcam install.
If this has helped you out, please feel free to like and share this post.
I owe you a beer!
Thanks for finding those fuses.
Thanks for taking the time to document the job – this must have doubled the time you put into this install.
I have a dashcam with sentry and I've been procrastinating on finishing its install with hardwiring the switched and unswitched power to get the sentry mode working.
I agree with your advice on tools and things like using quality parts not cheapest price when it comes to something that can melt in the fuse panel! : )
I also like the velcro idea. I have to admit, I use small zip-ties, but I'm always thinking ahead to how "the next guy" will be able to work on a car I've worked on

I would add that a crimp-solder-seal butt splice connector is better; quicker, simpler, stronger, safer than stripping and winding wires together.
 

longmountain

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I owe you a beer!
Thanks for finding those fuses.
Thanks for taking the time to document the job – this must have doubled the time you put into this install.
I have a dashcam with sentry and I've been procrastinating on finishing its install with hardwiring the switched and unswitched power to get the sentry mode working.
I agree with your advice on tools and things like using quality parts not cheapest price when it comes to something that can melt in the fuse panel! : )
I also like the velcro idea. I have to admit, I use small zip-ties, but I'm always thinking ahead to how "the next guy" will be able to work on a car I've worked on

I would add that a crimp-solder-seal butt splice connector is better; quicker, simpler, stronger, safer than stripping and winding wires together.
+1 thanks for the detailed instructions will be tapping into those two fuses to install a rexing two camera system with parking monitor this week hopefully.
 

bkm

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2021 F150 Lariat, 2004 H-D, 1949 Ford 8N
So a while ago I said I was going to do an in depth write up on transferring my Blackvue DR900s-2CH from my Grand Cherokee into my new truck.
Little did I know it was going to take nearly 6 months to get my truck, but alas the day has finally arrived!

For those of you who don't know what a Power Magic Pro (from here on referred to as PMP) from Blackvue is...
It allows you to select when and how long your dash camera runs off the battery.
It has dip switches that allow you to select the duration of recording, as well as a battery voltage monitor so that the dashcam doesn't inadvertently drain your battery below a set voltage. Because god knows the F150 has enough battery related issues amirite?

Luckally the BCM (Body Control Module) located in the passenger footwell has two fuses that will allow us to tap in to for both constant hot and ACC voltage.
Additionally, conveniently enough there's also a grounded screw where we can secure our ground wire to.
This means unlike my previous Jeep install, there's no reason to pierce the firewall thank god!

What's used in this install...

Our story begins on a beautiful 80 degree day in Virginia...
Your first step is to remove the two center console trim pieces that lead to the center stack of the truck.
These trim pieces look like aluminum on my Platinum trim. I'm unsure about other trim levels.

This will allow you to gently lift the center console trim where the cup holders are located so that we can access the back side of the center console storage area and run our PMP cable.

After you've completed that, you should be looking at the following...

20210625_171232630_iOS.jpg


We're going to be mounting the PMP right above the USB-A & USB-C outlet inside the center console.
But first we need to figure out how we're going to get a hole there so we can run our PMP supplied cable...

20210625_171243718_iOS.jpg


Luckally there's nothing behind where we want to mount our PMP, so drilling a hole shouldn't be too much of an issue.
(Below photo : Shot from cup holder area pointing towards the USB outlet in the center console storage area.)

20210625_171406091_iOS.jpg


Now that we've determined where we want to mount the PMP, let's start drilling holes!!!
(It's a scary thing drilling a hole into your brand new $75k truck, I can assure you! But it'll be OK in the end I promise!)
Up first is a hole from behind the center console trim piece. Unfortunately without drilling this hole there's no way to get the cable through. Not too big of a deal.

20210625_172741412_iOS.jpg


After verifying that the hole will allow the 5 pin connector to pass through it, let's drill one from inside of the center console storage area.
If you shine a light inside the storage area, you can pretty easily see the mold marks of the standoffs on the back side.
I drilled right below the circular mold mark that I could see. (Can't see it in this picture but I promise with proper lighting it's there!)

20210625_172745878_iOS-rotated.jpg


The next step is a little more difficult for those of you with large hands.
Due to the fact that the trim piece that holds the cup holder's can't be fully removed without removing the infotainment trim, I had to squeeze my hand down and feed the connector through both holes without putting too much tension on the top trim piece.
If you're not able to fit your huge mitts down between the backside of the center console storage area and the cup holders, a simple fish wire should work just fine.

Once we've got the PMP connector inside of the center console storage area, it's time to secure the cable to the existing wiring harness that's hidden behind the passenger trim.
Take it from an IT guy... ALWAYS VELCRO... NEVER ZIP TIES... Seriously... if you don't have a big spool of this stuff, go get some now. You'll thank me in the end... https://amzn.to/3qDE5Rn

20210625_173732383_iOS.jpg


You may have also noticed that there's some added cable to the PMP harness. This is because I want the PMP in an easy to reach area, and the harness has a short 2 ft of cable. I used the following cable to extend the power runs and it's fantastic. https://amzn.to/3vRoiPK

I solder all of my connections and then heat shrink them. If you don't have a soldering iron currently I can highly recommend any TS100 based soldering iron which has open source upgradable firmware (GitHub - Ralim/IronOS: Open Source Soldering Iron firmware for Miniware and Pinecil)...
https://amzn.to/3xSM5A1

Before we get too far, let's mount our front camera and our rear camera. You'll want to do this first because it's easier to hide the additional bulk cable behind trim pieces as opposed to near the cameras or in the headliner.

20210625_175933902_iOS.jpg


Run your cables along the normal places, behind the rear view mirror, the headliner, and the weather stripping on the doors. In order to make it easier for you to get down the passenger door, remove the panel that's hidden behind the passenger door when it's closed.

20210625_175937204_iOS.jpg


Plug the dashcam power adapter in to the PMP's receptacle on the harness and bunch it up and secure it to the existing wiring harness, being mindful to make sure it's tight and that it's not going to contact anything and make a noise when you're driving.

20210625_180326326_iOS.jpg


At this point I connected the rear dashcam and ran it's cable along the passenger side of the cab. Because I have a sliding rear window, I opted to place the camera as close as I could to the center of the vehicle, while still being able to remove the cable, and the camera from it's mount in the event I needed to replace it for any reason.
I then ran the rear camera's cable to the main unit, then ran the excess down the passenger side A-pillar, and bunched the excess behind the panel we removed originally.
After all this cable running, there should be 3 cables running down the passenger A-pillar, if you take your time, everything will be flat and you won't have any buldges in the door weatherstripping.

20210625_182458424_iOS.jpg


We're done working inside of this panel. Go ahead and close her up!

20210625_182522607_iOS.jpg


As you can see from the photo above, I've gone ahead and removed the shroud above the passenger footwell so that I can more easily hide the cables behind the retention clips. These are simple push clips, but note that in order to remove them, ensure you get between the shroud and the mounting bracket, and do not attempt to pull the clip out by it's head. It's thin plastic and will bend. I have this set of tools to help me with projects like this. https://amzn.to/3deq9HZ

Now it's time to solder the add-a-fuse (micro2) adapters to the extension cable we soldered to the PMP wiring harness.
There are cheap Chinese fuse taps, but for anything electrical like this I much prefer to pay for a brand I know... https://amzn.to/3dk5ySr
I used the following color coding to wire everything up...

Blackvue PMP Harness ColorLED 3 wire cable colorFunction
BlackBlackGround
RedRedAccessory Power
YellowGreenConstant Battery

20210625_184418373_iOS.jpg


NOTE: I had to cut my original setup out of my jeep, the above is just an example of how you should be soldering, and heat shrinking your connections.
Now it's time to find our fuses... As mentioned before, we need 1 that's powered even when the truck is off, and another that's powered ONLY when the truck is on.

Fuse NumberBCM Fuse FunctionFuse AmperagePMP SupplyPMP Harness Wire Color
Fuse #2Delayed Accessory10AAccessoryRed
Fuse #4Not Used20AConstant 12vYellow

The below pictures show my testing on the two fuses I've selected for this install.

FUSE 4 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192254796_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192307445_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE ON)
20210625_192235930_iOS.jpg

Remove the target fuses, and ensure they are inserted on the BOTTOM (closest to the leads) of your add-a-fuse. The fuse for your camera should be at the TOP of the add-a-fuse (closest to you when inserted).

20210625_192836845_iOS.jpg


Still with me? We're almost done!!!
Look to the left of the BCM fusebox, and you should see a bolt & nut that holds a module in place. This bolt is grounded to the frame, and of course is of the 10mm variety... Unscrew this and connect your ground wire to this, then re-tighten the nut. (Note I may end up getting a ring terminal so that I can solder the wire to it, and get a better connection, but that's my personal preference. I don't see an issue with wrapping the ground around the bolt and leaving it that way.)

20210625_193240674_iOS.jpg


Now... finish tying up all of your loose wires and reattach the various different trim pieces.

20210625_193752824_iOS.jpg


20210625_193844542_iOS.jpg


Slap some velcro on the back of your PMP and stick it where you want!

20210625_195310051_iOS.jpg


Vacuum up your shavings, and test that shit out!
This photo you'll probably need to zoom in on to see, but you can see with the PMP in the on position the camera is on while the vehicle is off...

20210625_195331037_iOS.jpg


If you've made it this far, if we ever meet up I owe you a beer.
But hopefully this helps out anyone who's looking for a super stealth and functional dashcam install.
If this has helped you out, please feel free to like and share this post.
So a while ago I said I was going to do an in depth write up on transferring my Blackvue DR900s-2CH from my Grand Cherokee into my new truck.
Little did I know it was going to take nearly 6 months to get my truck, but alas the day has finally arrived!

For those of you who don't know what a Power Magic Pro (from here on referred to as PMP) from Blackvue is...
It allows you to select when and how long your dash camera runs off the battery.
It has dip switches that allow you to select the duration of recording, as well as a battery voltage monitor so that the dashcam doesn't inadvertently drain your battery below a set voltage. Because god knows the F150 has enough battery related issues amirite?

Luckally the BCM (Body Control Module) located in the passenger footwell has two fuses that will allow us to tap in to for both constant hot and ACC voltage.
Additionally, conveniently enough there's also a grounded screw where we can secure our ground wire to.
This means unlike my previous Jeep install, there's no reason to pierce the firewall thank god!

What's used in this install...

Our story begins on a beautiful 80 degree day in Virginia...
Your first step is to remove the two center console trim pieces that lead to the center stack of the truck.
These trim pieces look like aluminum on my Platinum trim. I'm unsure about other trim levels.

This will allow you to gently lift the center console trim where the cup holders are located so that we can access the back side of the center console storage area and run our PMP cable.

After you've completed that, you should be looking at the following...

20210625_171232630_iOS.jpg


We're going to be mounting the PMP right above the USB-A & USB-C outlet inside the center console.
But first we need to figure out how we're going to get a hole there so we can run our PMP supplied cable...

20210625_171243718_iOS.jpg


Luckally there's nothing behind where we want to mount our PMP, so drilling a hole shouldn't be too much of an issue.
(Below photo : Shot from cup holder area pointing towards the USB outlet in the center console storage area.)

20210625_171406091_iOS.jpg


Now that we've determined where we want to mount the PMP, let's start drilling holes!!!
(It's a scary thing drilling a hole into your brand new $75k truck, I can assure you! But it'll be OK in the end I promise!)
Up first is a hole from behind the center console trim piece. Unfortunately without drilling this hole there's no way to get the cable through. Not too big of a deal.

20210625_172741412_iOS.jpg


After verifying that the hole will allow the 5 pin connector to pass through it, let's drill one from inside of the center console storage area.
If you shine a light inside the storage area, you can pretty easily see the mold marks of the standoffs on the back side.
I drilled right below the circular mold mark that I could see. (Can't see it in this picture but I promise with proper lighting it's there!)

20210625_172745878_iOS-rotated.jpg


The next step is a little more difficult for those of you with large hands.
Due to the fact that the trim piece that holds the cup holder's can't be fully removed without removing the infotainment trim, I had to squeeze my hand down and feed the connector through both holes without putting too much tension on the top trim piece.
If you're not able to fit your huge mitts down between the backside of the center console storage area and the cup holders, a simple fish wire should work just fine.

Once we've got the PMP connector inside of the center console storage area, it's time to secure the cable to the existing wiring harness that's hidden behind the passenger trim.
Take it from an IT guy... ALWAYS VELCRO... NEVER ZIP TIES... Seriously... if you don't have a big spool of this stuff, go get some now. You'll thank me in the end... https://amzn.to/3qDE5Rn

20210625_173732383_iOS.jpg


You may have also noticed that there's some added cable to the PMP harness. This is because I want the PMP in an easy to reach area, and the harness has a short 2 ft of cable. I used the following cable to extend the power runs and it's fantastic. https://amzn.to/3vRoiPK

I solder all of my connections and then heat shrink them. If you don't have a soldering iron currently I can highly recommend any TS100 based soldering iron which has open source upgradable firmware (GitHub - Ralim/IronOS: Open Source Soldering Iron firmware for Miniware and Pinecil)...
https://amzn.to/3xSM5A1

Before we get too far, let's mount our front camera and our rear camera. You'll want to do this first because it's easier to hide the additional bulk cable behind trim pieces as opposed to near the cameras or in the headliner.

20210625_175933902_iOS.jpg


Run your cables along the normal places, behind the rear view mirror, the headliner, and the weather stripping on the doors. In order to make it easier for you to get down the passenger door, remove the panel that's hidden behind the passenger door when it's closed.

20210625_175937204_iOS.jpg


Plug the dashcam power adapter in to the PMP's receptacle on the harness and bunch it up and secure it to the existing wiring harness, being mindful to make sure it's tight and that it's not going to contact anything and make a noise when you're driving.

20210625_180326326_iOS.jpg


At this point I connected the rear dashcam and ran it's cable along the passenger side of the cab. Because I have a sliding rear window, I opted to place the camera as close as I could to the center of the vehicle, while still being able to remove the cable, and the camera from it's mount in the event I needed to replace it for any reason.
I then ran the rear camera's cable to the main unit, then ran the excess down the passenger side A-pillar, and bunched the excess behind the panel we removed originally.
After all this cable running, there should be 3 cables running down the passenger A-pillar, if you take your time, everything will be flat and you won't have any buldges in the door weatherstripping.

20210625_182458424_iOS.jpg


We're done working inside of this panel. Go ahead and close her up!

20210625_182522607_iOS.jpg


As you can see from the photo above, I've gone ahead and removed the shroud above the passenger footwell so that I can more easily hide the cables behind the retention clips. These are simple push clips, but note that in order to remove them, ensure you get between the shroud and the mounting bracket, and do not attempt to pull the clip out by it's head. It's thin plastic and will bend. I have this set of tools to help me with projects like this. https://amzn.to/3deq9HZ

Now it's time to solder the add-a-fuse (micro2) adapters to the extension cable we soldered to the PMP wiring harness.
There are cheap Chinese fuse taps, but for anything electrical like this I much prefer to pay for a brand I know... https://amzn.to/3dk5ySr
I used the following color coding to wire everything up...

Blackvue PMP Harness ColorLED 3 wire cable colorFunction
BlackBlackGround
RedRedAccessory Power
YellowGreenConstant Battery

20210625_184418373_iOS.jpg


NOTE: I had to cut my original setup out of my jeep, the above is just an example of how you should be soldering, and heat shrinking your connections.
Now it's time to find our fuses... As mentioned before, we need 1 that's powered even when the truck is off, and another that's powered ONLY when the truck is on.

Fuse NumberBCM Fuse FunctionFuse AmperagePMP SupplyPMP Harness Wire Color
Fuse #2Delayed Accessory10AAccessoryRed
Fuse #4Not Used20AConstant 12vYellow

The below pictures show my testing on the two fuses I've selected for this install.

FUSE 4 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192254796_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192307445_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE ON)
20210625_192235930_iOS.jpg

Remove the target fuses, and ensure they are inserted on the BOTTOM (closest to the leads) of your add-a-fuse. The fuse for your camera should be at the TOP of the add-a-fuse (closest to you when inserted).

20210625_192836845_iOS.jpg


Still with me? We're almost done!!!
Look to the left of the BCM fusebox, and you should see a bolt & nut that holds a module in place. This bolt is grounded to the frame, and of course is of the 10mm variety... Unscrew this and connect your ground wire to this, then re-tighten the nut. (Note I may end up getting a ring terminal so that I can solder the wire to it, and get a better connection, but that's my personal preference. I don't see an issue with wrapping the ground around the bolt and leaving it that way.)

20210625_193240674_iOS.jpg


Now... finish tying up all of your loose wires and reattach the various different trim pieces.

20210625_193752824_iOS.jpg


20210625_193844542_iOS.jpg


Slap some velcro on the back of your PMP and stick it where you want!

20210625_195310051_iOS.jpg


Vacuum up your shavings, and test that shit out!
This photo you'll probably need to zoom in on to see, but you can see with the PMP in the on position the camera is on while the vehicle is off...

20210625_195331037_iOS.jpg


If you've made it this far, if we ever meet up I owe you a beer.
But hopefully this helps out anyone who's looking for a super stealth and functional dashcam install.
If this has helped you out, please feel free to like and share this post.
Wow... awesome tutorial! Can you offer a few tips on removing the two side panels? Once they come off, it seems that other mounting points become visible. I'm nervous about damaging them since a newb mistake would be very visible. Thanks.
 
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Chewza

Chewza

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Wow... awesome tutorial! Can you offer a few tips on removing the two side panels? Once they come off, it seems that other mounting points become visible. I'm nervous about damaging them since a newb mistake would be very visible. Thanks.
Are you referring to the side panels of the center console?
You simply pull them away from the center stack and remove them, once you're complete, you just press them back into place after setting the center console back down.

if you're not using a power magic pro, and are just hard wiring a camera, you don't need to worry about the center stack at all. All of your cables will run down the passenger side of the cabin into the footwell fuse box.
 

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Orlando150

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So a while ago I said I was going to do an in depth write up on transferring my Blackvue DR900s-2CH from my Grand Cherokee into my new truck.
Little did I know it was going to take nearly 6 months to get my truck, but alas the day has finally arrived!

For those of you who don't know what a Power Magic Pro (from here on referred to as PMP) from Blackvue is...
It allows you to select when and how long your dash camera runs off the battery.
It has dip switches that allow you to select the duration of recording, as well as a battery voltage monitor so that the dashcam doesn't inadvertently drain your battery below a set voltage. Because god knows the F150 has enough battery related issues amirite?

Luckally the BCM (Body Control Module) located in the passenger footwell has two fuses that will allow us to tap in to for both constant hot and ACC voltage.
Additionally, conveniently enough there's also a grounded screw where we can secure our ground wire to.
This means unlike my previous Jeep install, there's no reason to pierce the firewall thank god!

What's used in this install...

Our story begins on a beautiful 80 degree day in Virginia...
Your first step is to remove the two center console trim pieces that lead to the center stack of the truck.
These trim pieces look like aluminum on my Platinum trim. I'm unsure about other trim levels.

This will allow you to gently lift the center console trim where the cup holders are located so that we can access the back side of the center console storage area and run our PMP cable.

After you've completed that, you should be looking at the following...

20210625_171232630_iOS.jpg


We're going to be mounting the PMP right above the USB-A & USB-C outlet inside the center console.
But first we need to figure out how we're going to get a hole there so we can run our PMP supplied cable...

20210625_171243718_iOS.jpg


Luckally there's nothing behind where we want to mount our PMP, so drilling a hole shouldn't be too much of an issue.
(Below photo : Shot from cup holder area pointing towards the USB outlet in the center console storage area.)

20210625_171406091_iOS.jpg


Now that we've determined where we want to mount the PMP, let's start drilling holes!!!
(It's a scary thing drilling a hole into your brand new $75k truck, I can assure you! But it'll be OK in the end I promise!)
Up first is a hole from behind the center console trim piece. Unfortunately without drilling this hole there's no way to get the cable through. Not too big of a deal.

20210625_172741412_iOS.jpg


After verifying that the hole will allow the 5 pin connector to pass through it, let's drill one from inside of the center console storage area.
If you shine a light inside the storage area, you can pretty easily see the mold marks of the standoffs on the back side.
I drilled right below the circular mold mark that I could see. (Can't see it in this picture but I promise with proper lighting it's there!)

20210625_172745878_iOS-rotated.jpg


The next step is a little more difficult for those of you with large hands.
Due to the fact that the trim piece that holds the cup holder's can't be fully removed without removing the infotainment trim, I had to squeeze my hand down and feed the connector through both holes without putting too much tension on the top trim piece.
If you're not able to fit your huge mitts down between the backside of the center console storage area and the cup holders, a simple fish wire should work just fine.

Once we've got the PMP connector inside of the center console storage area, it's time to secure the cable to the existing wiring harness that's hidden behind the passenger trim.
Take it from an IT guy... ALWAYS VELCRO... NEVER ZIP TIES... Seriously... if you don't have a big spool of this stuff, go get some now. You'll thank me in the end... https://amzn.to/3qDE5Rn

20210625_173732383_iOS.jpg


You may have also noticed that there's some added cable to the PMP harness. This is because I want the PMP in an easy to reach area, and the harness has a short 2 ft of cable. I used the following cable to extend the power runs and it's fantastic. https://amzn.to/3vRoiPK

I solder all of my connections and then heat shrink them. If you don't have a soldering iron currently I can highly recommend any TS100 based soldering iron which has open source upgradable firmware (GitHub - Ralim/IronOS: Open Source Soldering Iron firmware for Miniware and Pinecil)...
https://amzn.to/3xSM5A1

Before we get too far, let's mount our front camera and our rear camera. You'll want to do this first because it's easier to hide the additional bulk cable behind trim pieces as opposed to near the cameras or in the headliner.

20210625_175933902_iOS.jpg


Run your cables along the normal places, behind the rear view mirror, the headliner, and the weather stripping on the doors. In order to make it easier for you to get down the passenger door, remove the panel that's hidden behind the passenger door when it's closed.

20210625_175937204_iOS.jpg


Plug the dashcam power adapter in to the PMP's receptacle on the harness and bunch it up and secure it to the existing wiring harness, being mindful to make sure it's tight and that it's not going to contact anything and make a noise when you're driving.

20210625_180326326_iOS.jpg


At this point I connected the rear dashcam and ran it's cable along the passenger side of the cab. Because I have a sliding rear window, I opted to place the camera as close as I could to the center of the vehicle, while still being able to remove the cable, and the camera from it's mount in the event I needed to replace it for any reason.
I then ran the rear camera's cable to the main unit, then ran the excess down the passenger side A-pillar, and bunched the excess behind the panel we removed originally.
After all this cable running, there should be 3 cables running down the passenger A-pillar, if you take your time, everything will be flat and you won't have any buldges in the door weatherstripping.

20210625_182458424_iOS.jpg


We're done working inside of this panel. Go ahead and close her up!

20210625_182522607_iOS.jpg


As you can see from the photo above, I've gone ahead and removed the shroud above the passenger footwell so that I can more easily hide the cables behind the retention clips. These are simple push clips, but note that in order to remove them, ensure you get between the shroud and the mounting bracket, and do not attempt to pull the clip out by it's head. It's thin plastic and will bend. I have this set of tools to help me with projects like this. https://amzn.to/3deq9HZ

Now it's time to solder the add-a-fuse (micro2) adapters to the extension cable we soldered to the PMP wiring harness.
There are cheap Chinese fuse taps, but for anything electrical like this I much prefer to pay for a brand I know... https://amzn.to/3dk5ySr
I used the following color coding to wire everything up...

Blackvue PMP Harness ColorLED 3 wire cable colorFunction
BlackBlackGround
RedRedAccessory Power
YellowGreenConstant Battery

20210625_184418373_iOS.jpg


NOTE: I had to cut my original setup out of my jeep, the above is just an example of how you should be soldering, and heat shrinking your connections.
Now it's time to find our fuses... As mentioned before, we need 1 that's powered even when the truck is off, and another that's powered ONLY when the truck is on.

Fuse NumberBCM Fuse FunctionFuse AmperagePMP SupplyPMP Harness Wire Color
Fuse #2Delayed Accessory10AAccessoryRed
Fuse #4Not Used20AConstant 12vYellow

The below pictures show my testing on the two fuses I've selected for this install.

FUSE 4 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192254796_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE OFF)
20210625_192307445_iOS.jpg
FUSE 2 (VEHICLE ON)
20210625_192235930_iOS.jpg

Remove the target fuses, and ensure they are inserted on the BOTTOM (closest to the leads) of your add-a-fuse. The fuse for your camera should be at the TOP of the add-a-fuse (closest to you when inserted).

20210625_192836845_iOS.jpg


Still with me? We're almost done!!!
Look to the left of the BCM fusebox, and you should see a bolt & nut that holds a module in place. This bolt is grounded to the frame, and of course is of the 10mm variety... Unscrew this and connect your ground wire to this, then re-tighten the nut. (Note I may end up getting a ring terminal so that I can solder the wire to it, and get a better connection, but that's my personal preference. I don't see an issue with wrapping the ground around the bolt and leaving it that way.)

20210625_193240674_iOS.jpg


Now... finish tying up all of your loose wires and reattach the various different trim pieces.

20210625_193752824_iOS.jpg


20210625_193844542_iOS.jpg


Slap some velcro on the back of your PMP and stick it where you want!

20210625_195310051_iOS.jpg


Vacuum up your shavings, and test that shit out!
This photo you'll probably need to zoom in on to see, but you can see with the PMP in the on position the camera is on while the vehicle is off...

20210625_195331037_iOS.jpg


If you've made it this far, if we ever meet up I owe you a beer.
But hopefully this helps out anyone who's looking for a super stealth and functional dashcam install.
If this has helped you out, please feel free to like and share this post.
Thanks for this it was very helpful.

FYI for those interested in Blackvue: The X series no longer needs the Power Magic Pro that the OP installed. That hardware is built into the X series cameras now.

Question: You used the Fuse #4 which is 20A. The Add-a-fuse you linked is listed as only 10A. Any concerns about using it that way?
 

Snippy

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Nice write up! Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you didn’t mount the box near the fuse box itself?

I run a hardwired Viofo a119 v3 and I simply ran the cable through the headliner, down the pillar (behind the airbags) and down to the fuse box. Everything seems to fit nicely down there.
 

ZWARRIOR

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Yo, amazing write up! However do you *need* the Power Magic Pro ? I saw on the website that you can set up the camera to be auto shut down after certain time of being parked/ voltage detected on the actual App.

I am ready to purchase this bad boy just making sure I have everything I need.

Camera,
Fuse Caps
the cable tabs to better route them.
 
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Chewza

Chewza

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Yo, amazing write up! However do you *need* the Power Magic Pro ? I saw on the website that you can set up the camera to be auto shut down after certain time of being parked/ voltage detected on the actual App.

I am ready to purchase this bad boy just making sure I have everything I need.

Camera,
Fuse Caps
the cable tabs to better route them.
The new X series devices no longer need a power magic pro.
I have an older camera that doesn't have the built in functionality.
 
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Chewza

Chewza

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Nice write up! Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you didn’t mount the box near the fuse box itself?

I run a hardwired Viofo a119 v3 and I simply ran the cable through the headliner, down the pillar (behind the airbags) and down to the fuse box. Everything seems to fit nicely down there.
The PMP allows you to selectively turn on or off the parking mode, and I wanted it in an easy to reach place.
Coming home, I'll turn the PMP off so it's not sitting there recording my backyard.
 

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wsp1811

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Perfect timing and thank you!
I have the Viofo Plus Duo with hardwire kit arriving tomorrow. You just saved me from conducting an exploration!!!!!
 

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flynavy

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Nice write up! I ordered the blackvue 750X and panicked when I realized I didn’t order a PMP. Turns out the X variety now includes voltage cutoff so no need, which should make install even easier!
 

nearly

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Wrestling with this myself... It seems like delayed accessory feed is the only fuse that switches off when the vehicles off? I'm running a Cell Link Neo battery pack and it only has the ground and ACC. Unsure if I should add-a-fuse to the delayed accessory feed or what.
 

flynavy

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Wrestling with this myself... It seems like delayed accessory feed is the only fuse that switches off when the vehicles off? I'm running a Cell Link Neo battery pack and it only has the ground and ACC. Unsure if I should add-a-fuse to the delayed accessory feed or what.
Just finished my install, used same fuses OP did and everything is working great. Really appreciate the write up OP, saved me a good chunk of time not having to hunt down what fuses to use!
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