Q5 Installing a dashcam, how did you do the rear?

[Geoffads]

I made the mistake of telling my neighbour about my dashcam and how I had fitted it in this car and previous ones. Unfortunately this led to him asking me to install one in his daughter‘s Q5. We got the front camera in ok, but the rear seems to be a bit of a ballache. if it was my own car I’d be happy pulling the panels apart but as it’s not, I’m reluctant to risk breaking anything.
Anyone here have experience of this, my plan had been to just feed the cable down the centre of the roof and fix the camera to the plastic bit at the back and not the actual boot lid.

 

[NHN]

Has to go through the rubber grommet with other wires.

 

[DJAlix]

two options:

1) mount the camera to the rear of the car, on the headliner next to the tail gate. not the tidiest of solutions but gives visibility out of the rear window with no issues and will not record the sky if the tailgate is open.

2) mount the camera on the tailgate and feed there connecting camera through the rubber grommet / tubing. Should be one each side of the tailgate. If you give them both a squeeze you can feel which one has less wiring running through it and use that for less resistance. This is how I complete my installations unless the vehicle is a ranger rover. Hides all the cables and looks tidy but will only record sky if the tailgate is open.

 

[Geoffads]

Yeah it’s option 1 I’m looking at, just not sure at the moment how much of the roof liner I need to remove to feed the cable down.

 

[NHN]

Yeah it’s option 1 I’m looking at, just not sure at the moment how much of the roof liner I need to remove to feed the cable down.

Generally none, just use a thin wire feed as used in conduit or old school coat hanger wire, down 1 side, just be aware if it's a sunroof car it may take longer to feed down.

 

[Geoffads]

I’ve got a ‘tongue’ cable puller from doing my A5, but it looks like the shape of the roof isn’t going to make it as easy to just run it from one end to the other. The plastic panel I’m planning to fix the camera to is stopping me from getting into the roof liner, as it’s not my car I’m hesitant about removing it without being sure what I’m doing. If it was mine, I’d just yank it off and see what happens.

 

[DJAlix]

What year is the car?

 

[Geoffads]

What year is the car?

2011

 

[DJAlix]

not done a b8/8.5 in a while. If you can post some photos of the rear trims I can guide you.

 

[Geoffads]

It’s this panel at the back I’m nervous about removing, but I’ve found it on eBay with photos of the other side and I think it should come off quite easily. then just gotta hope we can force the cable puller through without it snagging on anything. If we can get it to the rear interior light I think we’ll be fin getting it to the front one, and then to the windscreen.

 

[DJAlix]

Green = metal clips that hold the trim in place. There are also plastic guides that help locate the trim on the outer edges.

To remove wedge a trim tool at the blue arrows so that you can get your fingers in and pull back towards you, it should release and slide back.

there is no rubber grommet on these, just the plastic cover as you can see. It has locating pins on the outside edges. The yellow arrow shows that you need to pivot the cover from inside to outside… if that makes sense.

As for running the cable, nothing to really snag it on. Run towards the doors and run along the edge of the headliner or towards the door and down the pillar to floor level and then run to the front.