The dome light up there probably is constant 12v but Im not sure what happens in "sleep mode". Once a bmw goes to sleep you loose a bunch of 12v sources that are normally constant 12v.

On the op's camera I imagine his is just like mine. You want it on a switched when the keys off power source and the homelink is perfect for that.

Yeah, that's why I'll use a constant 12v on my truck for the cam. It will drain the battery down a bit, but nothing extreme. I am also installing a battery cut off switch so if it is going to be parked at home for an extended period of time I'll just turn it off.

Some of the dash cams do have their own internal batteries though. If you drive it enough I could see the homelink ACC +12v being enough to charge the battery so as to not need a constant 12v. Always more than one way to skin a cat right? Maybe I'll do this instead. Our X5 batteries already have enough mA being sucked away during sleep mode... ;)

I'm planning to follow the Crowz method :bow:when I do it. My dashcams have their own batteries, I don't need to run any video, just get the dashcam 0V when the car is off and 5V when the car is on. If I can only find switched 12V up there, I'll just install a 12V to 5V converter (cig. lighter USB adapter) up there. Running out of excuses not to get this done now. Gotta think.

^Agreed, it's the simplest way to do it as far as wiring. I was thinking of an over-complicated setup... which I have a tendency to do when it comes to auto electronics.

Wow there has been quite a few posts out here that I missed. Thanks everyone.

I did tackle this job over the weekend but did not get a chance to update this post. I read about the overhead console and did not like the idea of "splicing" existing wires. Also, was not sure about overloading any existing circuits, etc. So wanted to have a dedicated run from the fuse box which could easily be removed to return the car to stock.

I did end up removing the glovebox and the A-pillar to run the usb cable and here are some notes if anyone wants to go this route:
1. Removing the glovebox and A-pillar is pretty straightforward but putting them back in took some wiggling to get right.
2. Ordered a fuse tap from Amazon but it was slightly wider on the edges and would not fit/slide in to the fuse slot. Quick fix was to use a file and shave off some plastic on the edges. Used the telephone fuse (which I believe if for the factory phone) that is not installed in my car. (Picture of fuse box attached).
3. Used some extra cat5 cable to fish the usb cable from the top (The blue cable in the picture is the cat5 taped to the black usb cable)
4. I think removal of A-pillar is a must to route the usb cable near the windshield along with other wires and keeping it away from the curtain airbags.
5. Tucking the usb under the headliner was not as easy and had to use a pry tool to push the usb cable into the headliner.

Thanks and let me know if you have any questions.

Garfield -

Are you planning to only have this on for only when it's running. I'm very ANTI CCTV camera everything ( I did suck it up and did put 3 cameras on the house on the door entrances in inconspicuous spots. OT, but a home should not look like Fort Knox.

Anyhow, back on dash cams. I've been considering putting the Blackvues in all our rides. Still debating as the only reason I would want to have it installed is constant. Not sure how well that plays out on main battery or a AUX battery. myblackbox seems to sell a small aux power source as well

jsoto,
Yes, currently only for when it's running as we were involved in a minor accident on the road and the other party had a very conflicting story and there were no witnesses. So I wanted to avoid such situations in the future. It is also not that critical that we want to wake up a dead batteries so running it off a switched source made most sense in my case.

Also, the dash cam I got (ROAV S1) has an internal battery and a parking monitor feature that detects shocks and starts recording. But I haven't tested that feature so not sure how well it works.

I hear ya. That's the whole reason why I've been considering adding it as well. Too litigious on everyones' part

I used the wire going to the glove box light as a source.
Tested it, it goes out in 16 minutes when the car goes to sleep.

Initially I wanted to get constant power source for the camera, but it has a mini screen and draws about 600mA which is too much for me to risk.

It was still drawing too much power and I bought those tap fuses and tapped fuse #51.
Now camera is on only when I turn the ignition to ON, so perfect when the car is running. When I turn off the vehicle, camera turns off.