525D M Sport touring dashcam rear camera installation issues

[ren]

I'm looking for advice please, on how to access the wiring to the tailgate on a 2009 525D M Sport. This model has its wires going through the tailgate hinges, rather than a bendy tube between the roof and the tailgate. We bought a front and rear dashcam and have paid for a voucher for Halfords fitting. The Halfords fitter says he can't install it as it would require drilling into the roof lining to put the dash cam's wiring through to the tailgate, which they are not allowed to do.

It seems hard to believe that you can't access the wiring loom running to the tailgate without structural intervention! I'm hoping someone here can tell me how to get to it. I have all the wiring diagrams for my car, another model of BMW, but I see the TIS is no longer available with a subscription, so I'm at a loss. I rang the technicians at the local main dealer but they could only say that when they install an aftermarket dashcam, its wires are routed using sticky pads...

Very grateful thanks in advance to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

Ren

[Greydog]

Morning Sue 

Welcome to the Forum

Sadly Halfords staff are not the best trained or knowledgeable lucky he didn't drill holes

What you need is a set of trim removal tools and some patience, on the tail gate the upper trim panel I would remove then there are trim panels on the hinges (you only need one side I would say passenger side) The roof liner will need freeing up at the rear, now you should be able to feed the camera lead through from the tailgate to the headlining. Replace the tailgate trims and start working along the side of the car above the doors take off the grab handles and pull down the rubber door seals you should find enough room to feed the cable along the edge inside the Headliner to the front. Nice and neat out of site and no holes, time wise I would allow 2 or 3hrs with tea and biscuit breaks. A decent Auto electrician would I guess take about the same maybe quicker as they do it more often.

If you can't DIY then look for a good local garage or auto electrician (their rates will be way less the BMW)

Google fitting the camera see what comes up you never know someone may have posted a video

Good Luck

Dave

[ren]

Hello Dave, thanks very much for your reply. I posted again late last night - must have forgotten to hit send! - that I'd found some videos on youtube on tailgate wiring faults so now I understand how to get into the loom and get off those loom covers from the tailgate end (whoever made the decision to do this was obviously only concerned about the design side!) but they all went in through a speaker in the roof which I don't think I have. So your explanation is really helpful, thank you.

The dash cam is a road angel vision; I did talk to road angel but the agent just kept telling me that they definitely could do it and to take it to a different Halfords. And that I didn't need an appointment, which is patently not the case as Halfords only has one installer per store - or even less and sharing. The wait for an appointment is long...

I still find Halfords' explanation a bit strange as they told me it was because the roof was double lined - is it? - but when we picked the car up he showed me the hinges and said there was no way of removing those covers and accessing the loom. Those tailgate fault videos showed people taking out the speaker and mount and then they could just get straight through to the back of the car, so I still don't get the double lining thing. I think we probably have a wiring fault too, actually, as the button to open the tailgate from inside doesn't work!

I have made an appointment with an audio/entertainment company but their quote for it is £180, considerably more than Halfords £49 - although that's presumably subsidised by Road Angel. 

Once I've got this sorted out I'll be trying to work out how I can fit one to my car  without having the rear camera ouside (z3)...

Sue

 

[Greydog]

Oh my Lordy Lordy

Take a look at www.realoem.com either search by model or put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it should bring up your model. Then look at the trim section there are small exploded drawings that should help even if it is an earlier model fixing will be very similar

As far as I am aware the roof liner is a preformed section that is held in place by trim clips and screws at the grab handles, it is on my X5 anyway (I assume you have the Panoramic Roof not that it makes any difference) 

The Auto electrician quote is probably for 1 or 2 hrs work and seems reasonable. My experience of Halfords is "Good for Parts" but that's it. BMW like most Manufacturers have things designed for Production line assembly not necessarily for being worked on often on modern cars whole sub assemblies have to come off to gain access ???

I have a friend who has a Mercedes SL he settled for a combined Front/rear camera that sits by the mirror and seems to work well.

Dave

 

[Greydog]

Just spoke with my Brother-inlaw he has a 540 Touring apparently his is stuck to the Headlining using a double sided sticky pad saves touching the tailgate trim and works really well.

Dave

[ren]

Hello Dave. I called the local dealers to find out what their mechanics knew. They said their aftermarket dash cams are fixed with sticky pads so maybe your b-i-l's is an aftermarket one. I didn't have the vin to hand when I checked realoem yesterday morning so I wasn't sure I was looking at the right model, but I've found the vin now though so I can be sure of looking at the right model. Perhaps I can fathom out this double lining, if it really is a thing. Also there are speakers in the roof, as per my previous post. Theoretically - and as already paid for - Halfords should be able to do this; and they do factor in 2 1/2 hours for doing it which I would have thought was enough time even when taking the extra tailgate work into consideration. Halfords is Road Angel's preferred installer (!). We don't have the panoramic roof, although the previous one did - and a not very good sunroof! 

I think first I'll call the other two local Halfords and see what they have to say, as between the tailgate videos and your information I think I understand it all and there's clearly not much to do, barring accessing the loom at the hinge, that they wouldn't be doing on any car. My husband's not very technical and work takes up a lot of our time otherwise I think we could do it ourselves. 

Thanks so much Dave for being so helpful - you'll be please to know that I'll keep you posted!!

Sue