Routing cables along headlining

[Mag_Pie]

I'm looking to route 2 cables along the headlining where it meets the windscreen but don't know how much room there is along there or what lives behind there. I don't want to go poking around whilly nilly so wondered if anyone had already delved around that area. Also, is it possible get behind the part where the light sensor housing meets the roof lining? My plan B if I can't run 2 cables could be to run one along each side and down each A pillar.

Cheers

[monkeyhanger]

Dual channel dashcam?

There is lots of room for cabling around the headlining, the pillar trims, the internals of the light/rain sensor/rear view mirror housing.

If you are going for a dashcam, just be aware that even the "best" are flaky when used in a continuous parking monitor mode. They have a tendency to overheat, especially as the main doings are usually encased in the front (primary) camera housing which is right on the windscreen getting warmed up from the sun.

I had a Blackvue 650 set-up and it was well on it's way to being fully buggered in 10 days due to running hot, and looking around it seems to be a common problem. I don't know why these dashcam makers don't have a box with the main electronics that can be tucked away somewhere cool, and 2 satellite cameras cabled into it that on their own would not generate much heat at all.

[Mag_Pie]

That's exactly what I'm after! I've got the exact same unit and planned to install it yesterday but had to come back to the drawing board. I know what you mean about using parking mode and potential heat issues, I'm not really planning on using it that way and simply powering it from the switched live cigar socket. I don't use the socket in the boot so intended to use that for power but the cable isn't long enough so I'm hoping to buy an extension cable to run down the car, I don't feel confident poking around the fuse box to pick up power really.

I was doing fine until I looked at trying to get the two cables from the front unit along the headlining and down the a pillar especially where the a pillar cover meets the headlining. I get all ocd about things being bent out of place so didn't go poking around too much. This then got me thinking about running the power cable down one a pillar and the link cable to the rear camera down the other but I didn't know how to pass it behind the section where the light sensor housing meets the roof lining. I found something on good old Google where a guy has removed the interior light housing to place his cables which makes me think I could get around it that way.

How did you go about doing your setup monkeyhanger, where did you mount the front unit and how did you go about installing the rear camera as I don't want to start breaking off trim? Any tips, tricks, or pics would really help at this stage as I might have to send it back which is a shame as I really liked the small rear camera!

[phope]

This is what I did for my front facing Blackvue (don't have a rear camera, and I don't use the parking feature)

Even for an electrical novice like me, really straightforward to connect to the fusebox. Result = hidden cabling and switched fusebox connection, and all easily removable within 10 minutes.

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showpost.php?p=98332&postcount=10

[monkeyhanger]

That's exactly what I'm after! I've got the exact same unit and planned to install it yesterday but had to come back to the drawing board. I know what you mean about using parking mode and potential heat issues, I'm not really planning on using it that way and simply powering it from the switched live cigar socket. I don't use the socket in the boot so intended to use that for power but the cable isn't long enough so I'm hoping to buy an extension cable to run down the car, I don't feel confident poking around the fuse box to pick up power really.

I was doing fine until I looked at trying to get the two cables from the front unit along the headlining and down the a pillar especially where the a pillar cover meets the headlining. I get all ocd about things being bent out of place so didn't go poking around too much. This then got me thinking about running the power cable down one a pillar and the link cable to the rear camera down the other but I didn't know how to pass it behind the section where the light sensor housing meets the roof lining. I found something on good old Google where a guy has removed the interior light housing to place his cables which makes me think I could get around it that way.

How did you go about doing your setup monkeyhanger, where did you mount the front unit and how did you go about installing the rear camera as I don't want to start breaking off trim? Any tips, tricks, or pics would really help at this stage as I might have to send it back which is a shame as I really liked the small rear camera!

Magpie take a look at this link, about halfway down the page you'll see my cabling solution and a link to the "how to" that I used. Be very careful undoing the rubber trunking from the main car body into the boot electrics - those clips are flimsy on the bootlid end.

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=259354.2610

[monkeyhanger]

This is what I did for my front facing Blackvue (don't have a rear camera, and I don't use the parking feature)

Even for an electrical novice like me, really straightforward to connect to the fusebox. Result = hidden cabling and switched fusebox connection, and all easily removable within 10 minutes.

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showpost.php?p=98332&postcount=10

I went one better than your top pic phope. I ran the cable down to the bottom of the trim and went in from underneath into that open panel, not a bit of cabling to be seen.

[Mag_Pie]

Magpie take a look at this link, about halfway down the page you'll see my cabling solution and a link to the "how to" that I used. Be very careful undoing the rubber trunking from the main car body into the boot electrics - those clips are flimsy on the bootlid end.

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=259354.2610

Thanks for that monkeyhanger, much appreciated. I like the cable routing up the sensor housing, how easy is it to route the cable along the headlining out towards the a pillar? I take it that you ran the rear camera link cable down the a pillar and along the car as well?

[Mag_Pie]

This is what I did for my front facing Blackvue (don't have a rear camera, and I don't use the parking feature)

Even for an electrical novice like me, really straightforward to connect to the fusebox. Result = hidden cabling and switched fusebox connection, and all easily removable within 10 minutes.

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showpost.php?p=98332&postcount=10

That looks pretty neat, does the camera position cause any problems with the light sensor behind the rear view mirror at all?

[phope]

None for me - made sure it wasn't blocking line of sight for the sensor

[monkeyhanger]

Magpie take a look at this link, about halfway down the page you'll see my cabling solution and a link to the "how to" that I used. Be very careful undoing the rubber trunking from the main car body into the boot electrics - those clips are flimsy on the bootlid end.

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=259354.2610

Thanks for that monkeyhanger, much appreciated. I like the cable routing up the sensor housing, how easy is it to route the cable along the headlining out towards the a pillar? I take it that you ran the rear camera link cable down the a pillar and along the car as well?

Very easy - poke the cable beyond the lip of the headlining with either a proper trim tool or the blunt end of the handle on a piece of cutlery, you can also poke the cable into the joins of the A-pillar trim where it meets the headlining, then use the rubber lip along the tops of the doors to hide the front/rear cable link.

The rear plastic trims of the back of the main car body to headlining and the plastic trim at the top of the bootlid is also easily pried off. If you leave one of the metal springclips from the plastic trims, you can use a set of needle-nose pliers to prise them out.