[mike_MAN]

Yeah, i didnt have enough space to put the add-a-fuse in there. I ended up wrapping the wire around one of the fuse terminal... if i were to do this all over again, I would try to use a smaller size add-a-fuse to see if that would work. Its just a really tight area.

As a word of caution:
When I routed a secondary rear camera from my front camera as the power source, I routed the wire along the passenger side headliner. For some reason it really messed up my comfort access and remote. I unplugged it from the front camera and all is well.

[Natkhat]

This is great. How were you guys able to pass the cable from A-Piller into the area where fusebox is behind glovebox?

I plan to add dashcam within few weeks.

[Natkhat]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

Hi,

1 - You need to add a fuse.

So a socket like this is needed. Theres 2 slots, one for the original fuse and the other to the red cable for the cam 12V+.



https://www.amazon.com/Support-Stand...Fuse+Tap+Piggy


On the red wire I tap a female 12V soket for the camera power. The ground is tapped on a bolt I found next to the passenger door :



2- From the little door in the glovebox, you can reach the fuse #??? (cant remember see pics for position)





3 - all wires hidden (only about 1.5'' is visible, fine for me). wires get out from the passenger side and running in the A-pillar. I did not remove the pillar, its very easy to squeeze the wire in the windshield/pillar gap

How do you remove the A-piller trim piece? I saw few threads where it shows there is a screw and trim piece should slide up and out.

I am attaching picture of the A-piller of my X3.

[Natkhat]

Any suggestions on how to remove A Piller?

[littleob]

you dont have to remove the trim. Just use a plastic trim tool, I got a set @ Harbor Freight short money and use it to push your wires under the edg of the trim piece and down to the door jam. Remove part of the rubber gasket around door frame. You can then tuck it by the dash and into the area by the fuse box. kies motorsports on you tube has some great videos on doing what you are trying

[mike_MAN]

Removing the pillar is not necessary. You'd run the risk of breaking the clips that hold it there. You just need to pry it back enough to tuck the dash cam wire in there to hide it. Keep it along the edge of the pillar so it isn't going to be in the way of the airbag. Same method goes for running the rest of the wire. Just tuck it in and underneath everything to hide it. Little to no tools required.

[Natkhat]

Originally Posted by mike_MAN

Removing the pillar is not necessary. You'd run the risk of breaking the clips that hold it there. You just need to pry it back enough to tuck the dash cam wire in there to hide it. Keep it along the edge of the pillar so it isn't going to be in the way of the airbag. Same method goes for running the rest of the wire. Just tuck it in and underneath everything to hide it. Little to no tools required.

Originally Posted by littleob

you dont have to remove the trim. Just use a plastic trim tool, I got a set @ Harbor Freight short money and use it to push your wires under the edg of the trim piece and down to the door jam. Remove part of the rubber gasket around door frame. You can then tuck it by the dash and into the area by the fuse box. kies motorsports on you tube has some great videos on doing what you are trying

I understood both of your comments however, if I flush the dashcam power cable which goes from dashcam -> inside headliner -> over the trim of A-pillar.

Would I be installing the wire over the airbag when I flush the wire over the trim of A pillar?

I just want to install safely and not sure if there is an airbag under A pillar.

[pungo]

Wouldn't tapping into power in the overhead console be 10 times easier than running wires all the way down to the fuse panel?

[6MT_Addict]

Originally Posted by Natkhat

I understood both of your comments however, if I flush the dashcam power cable which goes from dashcam -> inside headliner -> over the trim of A-pillar.

Would I be installing the wire over the airbag when I flush the wire over the trim of A pillar?

I just want to install safely and not sure if there is an airbag under A pillar.

Not if done properly. The wire should sit above the rubber seal & out of the way of the airbag.

AFAIK if the A pillar airbag does go off and the cable is in the way... the explosive force of the airbag inflating will either rip the cable & break it or pull pull it with the airbag, ripping it out of other areas it's tucked. That said, if the cable were to tear, I wouldn't want to get slapped in the face by a 3mm diameter wire going 150km/h or whatever speed an airbag would send it flying at.

I used to work installing aftermarket electronics in cars; it's best to wire it out of the way of the airbag. This usually means feeding the end through as you go so it's beside or behind where the airbag rests, not over or around it.

Rule of thumb; if it's tucked in at the edge of the headliner and held back by the rubber seal it won't be in the way of the airbag. Just tug down on the rubber door seal, feed the wire, and reinstall the rubber seal as you go so the wire doesn't drop out. Zip tie it periodically as needed, usually you don't need to zip tie it though at headliners/pillar, but each vehicle is unique.

If you're concerned about the top of windshield transition at the A pillar, route the dashcam cables behind (ie between the roof/airbag or A pillar steel frame/airbag) the airbag so that when it goes off the wire just gets pushed into the vehicle roof/frame.

[pokerface]

I removed the A pillar cover as I went under the airbag. Trim tool to create some space up top, then pull up vertically. And yes I did deform one of the clips and it was annoying to put the cover back, however it's mostly in place and not noticeable. Maybe the cover is slightly less flush vs the dashboard and the flappy piece where the roofliner meets the cover is a bit bent but only if you're OCD about it. My wife certainly doesn't care and is happy with the install.

If you don't want to remove the A Pillar cover I'm thinking you could run the wire along the base of the cover in between the seam to the dashboard, then up between the cover and windshield, then tuck into the headliner. Going this way even if you don’t care to hide the wires is preferential as you’re avoiding the airbag completely (you’ll be below it).

Just found one of my pics of the A pillar - hope it helps those that want to plan how to route it.

[pokerface]

I will also add that from what I saw, the A pillar airbag is the curtain bag. So it runs along the roof as well.

That was my motivation in having the wires avoid crossing the path of the airbag.

Please look up the part 72129182226 for the airbag so you can visualize it.

[joshaguirre]

pokerface When I hardwired my V1 back in September, I also chose the a-pillar route as well(driver side). It was definitely not fun to work with and was by far the most frustrating part of the install for me.

[joshaguirre]

If anyone would like more info and pics on what the a-pillar looks like removed for the f25, I attached some pics and documentation over on the f30/32 forum. I posted over there back in October 2019 to add the original thread's question.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1391393

[Natkhat]

Originally Posted by joshaguirre

If anyone would like more info and pics on what the a-pillar looks like removed for the f25, I attached some pics and documentation over on the f30/32 forum. I posted over there back in October 2019 to add the original thread's question.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1391393

Originally Posted by pokerface

I removed the A pillar cover as I went under the airbag. Trim tool to create some space up top, then pull up vertically. And yes I did deform one of the clips and it was annoying to put the cover back, however it's mostly in place and not noticeable. Maybe the cover is slightly less flush vs the dashboard and the flappy piece where the roofliner meets the cover is a bit bent but only if you're OCD about it. My wife certainly doesn't care and is happy with the install.

If you don't want to remove the A Pillar cover I'm thinking you could run the wire along the base of the cover in between the seam to the dashboard, then up between the cover and windshield, then tuck into the headliner. Going this way even if you don’t care to hide the wires is preferential as you’re avoiding the airbag completely (you’ll be below it).

Just found one of my pics of the A pillar - hope it helps those that want to plan how to route it.

Thanks pokerface and joshaguirre.

Based on what I can see from your feedback, there is an airbag in A-pillar in F25 and In order for me to have clean install, I need to flush the cable under the airbag from headliner, the way cable is shown in the picture pokerface shared.

So just by tucking the cable under the A-pillar without removing would not be safe because cable with sit over the airbag and would interfere in case of an accident on front passenger side of the vehicle.

I will need to come up with another option because it looks from both of your's experience, removing A-pillar is not fun.

I will reply back once I install the camera.

Thank you all.