I asked a few guys how much they would charge and how long the installation (2ch camera and battery pack hardwired) might take. Both in Sydney and Brisbane, the prices are around $250-300 but some guys said the job would take 4 hours while one guy told me approx. 1.5 hour. Now that's a huge difference.
One audio shop in Brisbane even quoted $660 and 5 hours (including setting up the system). I wouldn't mind paying $660 if their installation method is that special and really takes 5 hours, but get the feeling that they saw me as a cash cow… I can probably find out how many hours they actually worked on my vehicle because I get notifications when the ignition is on/off or doors are locked/unlocked, but I can't really say "hey, you only worked on my vehicle for 2.5 hours, can I get a partial refund?" since it's not an hourly charge.
Fair Price for Dashcam Installation
Comments
So whats the point of this post?
The point s that every car is different!You take your car to the installer and ask for a firm quote
Obviously you go for the cheapest instead of complaining here
Most installers prefer to instal the product they sell because they have the suppliers support and also make the margin on the product sale as well.Or you can always buy the dashcam of choice (I prefer Navman) and do it yourself. Its really straight foreward.
Most are a 5 min - 10min install job if you know what you are doing and dont mind a loose wire somewhere
Just plug it into the cigarette lighter and run the wire up to the dashcam
You have the option of going around the windscreen if you dont want the wire dangling down from the dashcam.
Yeah 100% on most installers prefer to install products they sell.. when i was looking at a car alarm a few years back i found one on ebay much cheaper than in store, so asked around for installation, one of the first stores asked me why i wouldn't buy the alarm through them, then offered to do a great deal if i did (obviously went through them )
Tl:dr boring life story, can't believe you got this far
Because you placed the tl:dr in the wrong place. Damn you, damn you to hell
Installed front and rear myself and it took about an hour, it wasn't hard wired though. I have been thinking of hardwiring it and according to the videos it takes about 10 mins.
Why don't you do with Airtasker?
Might be worth having a look on Airtasker
Airtasker is hit and miss for quality work. Even more so than regular auto sparkies.
Agreed but dashcam installation shouldn't need high level skills. It's literally just earthing the power source
I think what differentiates the good from the average is how tidy they can do it. Given Op has a German car (I assume it means premium or expensive) then it’s worth spending the extra $50-100 over an Airtasker job to make it look tidy and factory like. Given the wiring is just a cigarette lighter and some long cables being hidden behind the trim, I don’t think it’s technically challenging to get it to work… but comes down to fit and finish IMO.
It’s not just about connecting a couple of wires. It might involve removing and replacing trim panels to conceal the wires. This is probably the most likely part of the process to end up with issues. Unless you’ve installed in the particular car, removing trim might not be an easy job.
There was a post on here a couple of months ago where someone went through Airtasker to have the dash cam fitted to a Mercedes. Apparently the job done was messy and tore the vehicle up. You get what you pay for.
….earthing the power source!!!!!…. Wait for the guaranteed FIRE!
curious, what does hard wiring mean?
Connecting it to the car battery either directly or by tapping fuses instead of just plugging into the cigarette lighter/accessory/USB port. This allows parking mode.
Cheers
Also it’s usually done with module in line for low voltage cut off and leave enough charge to crank the motor.
As with any labour service, get a quote, shop around, decide which quote to accept.
The cheapest won't always be the best service. They may take shortcuts.
The fastest service won't always be the best quality service. They may be efficient experts with plenty of experience. Or they might be cowboys who will do a quick botch job.
The longest service won't always be the best quality service either. They may do a quality job. Or they may have absolutely NFI what they're doing.
I agree, which is why I didn't go ahead with the guy who told me 1.5 hour…..
The 1.5 hour guy was probably the only one who was honest though.
Why would it take 5 hours to install a dashcam?
Why would it take 5 hours to install a dashcam?
My most recent install was 4.5 hours. I'm not a pro doing them everyday but I've done several as well as a lot of other work on cars over the years. Reason it took so long was lack of space, very small car, very small tolerances and spaces, especially trying to work past the curtain air bags in the roof. While it's not typical, it certainly could take that long in some instances.
A couple of questions, how much driving do you do and do you need it hardwired?
I installed my own 2 channel camera setup my self (or rather, two 4k 1 channel 70mai A800S cameras) and i have a semi parking mode setup. These cameras came with a little prying tool, and all these professional installers really do is fit the camera, start the cable from the camera and then trace it back and push it into your trim along the edges along the way with the plastic prying tool. I've had people ask me where I had my install done and then when I explained it to them how easy it is to do yourself they all have a crack at it and save money.
But anyway, if you want a semi-always on setup and dont want to pay someone, the setup i have for mine is a baseus blade 20000mah battery and a baseus 65w usb c fast charger dongle along with the cameras. the baseus blade supports two way fast charging (also known as passthrough charging), so I have my car fast charge it by sending in 65w from the car, and then the baseus blade powers my two cameras. The advantage of this is that if I change cameras down the track and they use different usb ports or require different amp rating cables I can change it easily, and I can change the battery back easily down the track. The baseus blade battery has a large surface area for cooling so as long as you're not suffocating it in a glove box (i have mine velcro'd in the passenger side footwell) and it passes through power from your charging port to the cameras so the battery isn't charging and powering your devices at the same time so you wont have to worry about overheating issues (but for obvious reasons, don't stick the battery in a position where it could be exposed to direct sunlight).
Depending on your cameras and their power draw, you'll get up to 12 hours of run time. If your camera lets you turn on motion detection modes instead, you'll get more run time.
If you have a nice car, they may not want to work on it because many people with nice cars are fussy about the detail. So they are quoting high.
One guy I asked how long installation would take told me that they haven't worked on german cars and turned me down haha It's hard to believe but this is what it is
Pulling apart dashboards can be really tricky and it's easy to break the locking pins. I wouldn't want to work on anyone's but my own
German cars are notorious for stupid bolts/screws. Like security torx for example
paid 120$ for 1 hour job + battery pack for my SUV at my place. Search that dashcam guy at fb if you are around Sydney area.
He really did well and wiring is very clean.
Edit: Check his fb page for feedback. Even lambo cars owners were smiling with his work.
Oh actually I got in touch with them and they quoted $250 for my job. Unfortunately, I had to leave Sydney before they could come to me.
It does depend on the car. I've installed around a dozen dual channel cameras and they've taken anywhere from an hour to 4.5 hours probably averaging around 2 hours. It's not difficult in most cases and does depend on how clean you want the install.
$200 sounds about right (can't remember exact price) for installation alone (BYO Blackvue in my case). I went with Bendas for my last car after researching various forums and reaching out to mates who I had seen liked them on Facebook. When I changed cars, I went back to Bendas as I found their service, installation quality, etc to be impeccable and whilst not the absolute cheapest, I was very happy with it. In my younger days I would've gone cheap and nasty, or DIY, or asked a mate to have a crack, but I was also willing to put up with a lot more back then than I am now in terms of installation quality and experience.
EDIT: I'm in Sydney. First time I went to his place as I lived in city without a place for them to do the install. Second time he came to me.
Yep, Michael Bendas is the guy if you live in/near Sydney. He's done 2 cars for me, both installations are high quality.
He is also excellent on after market sales - I had a problem (turns out I'm a dumbass at setting up the menu), but nothing seems to be too much trouble.I reached out to him actually. Was quoted $250 if I purchased the camera, battery pack from them. I got mine from Autobarn during Easter sale and asked if he would install cameras purchased elsewhere but didn't hear back.
He’s a pretty popular guy so may have just missed it. Maybe try giving him a call or messaging again on FB. He definitely will install cameras bought elsewhere (he did for me on my first car) but he can also supply any parts etc too especially if BlackVue.
He also knew good places to hide the power magic pro (I think that is the name of the device which helps protect your battery) and made everything well concealed and factory looking on my C class (w204) and GLE (v167).
Another +1 here for Bendas. On time, fair and neat work. Even showed me how to use the Viofo and app I bought off Amazon. Around $200 for hardwired 2ch iirc.
Dashcam connect to power bank and with on and off switch diy?
Took my local Autolec just over 1 hour to install Dual Viofo dashcams while I waited.
Cost me $100 cash.
$150-$200 at the most. I used Bendas but in future I think I will install them myself. Not that difficult.
You make it sound like they will actually take that full time to do and not just a we will do it within that time frame , could take them 30m and they still say 5h to give them some buffer to finish other work as well.
I'd rather pay more to ensure the guys are taking their time than smashing their way through.
One pretty famous shop in Sydney (search for dashcam installer Sydney on Whirlpool, they will definitely come up as one of the recommendations…someone also mentioned them few posts above) did charge me $200 per car, and they've managed to mangle it in 1.5 hours. Going to cost me a bit more than the initial $200 per car to unfk what they've fked.
If they mangled your car, why hide the name? It's not defamation if it actually happened
If you have a euro car, don't just go to a random cheap place. If they take a short cut and just tap the power from another circuit (instead of wiring a new one), the dash might start coming up with random errors.
That's what I'm thinking actually. I once went to a cheap mechanic (ultra tune) for some cosmetic service and while their labour was cheap, they damaged my vehicle's part which cost me more to fix later on.
Also the shop that quoted 660 told me that my vehicle's electronic system is known to cause errors down the road unless hardwired properly.
Also the shop that quoted 660
In other places, that price could get you a camera AND installation! lol
…my vehicle's electronic system is known to cause errors down the road unless hardwired properly.
What car is it?
Edit: Oh, it's a german car - Get it done properly. I paid $300 to get mine installed front and back at a euro specialist (in Melbourne though). It's a relatively simple job for someone who knows what they're doing.
Bought a Blackvue 2CH at the Autobarn Easter sale. Installed last week in Melbourne for $250 at home, took around 1.5hrs & provided lifetime install warranty.
Autobarn quotes were between $200-$350 but had to leave the car there for half the day.Hi - can you share the details of the Melb installer?
oh they used to install that for free if you bought dashcam from them!
Not anymore :(. I think it was around 950 for camera and install. It was cheaper to buy off Autobarn and install separately.
I've used GetInstalled as well and can vouch for them. Will be using them again soon.
I had my dual camera system and hard wire kit completed by Airtasker… $160 from memory, and id happily recommend. Hard wiring to the fuse box was acceptable to me. Although if you have a fancy car - some the the pulled off panel may not go back on smooth (which could be an issue for some).
Exactly the same for me - 2 CH Blackvue installed into a 2019 Touareg, hardwired into the fusebox in the front passenger footwell. Took the guy 75 mins. He had really good reviews on AirTasker, he was punctual, polite and did a really good job, you'd never know any of the panels had been off. Cost was $160.
Used bendas here in Sydney.
They were professional. Only 200ish and showed me that they ran the wires behind airbag harnesses and not just anywhere in the a pillar.
Would use them again. Cost was worth it
Anyone who's reading this and is game, you should be able to find the right circuit on here
And it's likely you'll need the 'micro' ones
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/194340555363
Even for non hardwired (i.e. using a cigarette lighter), be careful when running the cables for power (and rear cameras). You don't want to be interfering with the airbags
DIY, it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it and there are plenty of youtube instructional videos.
I got mine done through airtasker and from the people I'd found, that's pretty much all they did. Neat job, no massive complaints, took a couple of hours (2 cams plus hard wire) and wasn't that expensive. Maybe $180 from memory?
I had mine installed when the car was in for a service, extra $80.
I paid about $300 to get my front and rear camera hardwired… seemed very steep to me at the time… but was a great job and worth it in the end.
In Devonport, Tasmania…Give I FIT4U a try, good work good prices
Notifications that your car is ignition is on or off or locked or unlocked is totally inaccurate. They may have if parked unlocked in the garage for 5 hours but only worked on it for for 1. They may disconnect the battery to work on it.
Time to get the job done can depend on several things the quality of the installation, if they have installed in that model of car, their experience and also if they think they can charge you extra. Can be hard to find the right installer but a installer with an actual shop that's been there for years would be my first choice.
I wired up a reversing camera, then got the roof lining reupholstered…….camera no longer worked. granted the splicing of the power source was a little dodgy at the time (my brake light ended up intermittent! which is weird given I didnt actually touch that wire). so 6 months later I did properly and took out the whole rear light assembly out of the car and took my time. Still no dice. Traced it all back, ended up removing a section of roof lining and it was disconnected! Its all in detail :)
installed my own radios in 2 cars. one car took me an hour, the other literally 2 days, as I was super super paranoid trying to unclip panels without breaking plastic clips. Those screwless panels which fit flush in the dash? Have a guess how they're held.
Plastic is brittle over time too, so its inevitable some clips are going to break, and we end up just blaming the installer :( Sure, he could cover his arse by charging up front, or charge you after it, but really its going to end up being a blame game
Took me about two hours to install two channel BlackVue, with PMP install.
And I'm quite particular. And rather fussy. And even though something might be hidden behind a panel, it's all cable tied neatly and properly and I'm not a shop in the money business, so could definitely have been quicker install.
The satisfaction of doing it myself. And saving paying someone else.
Even it took you 4 hrs, it's still cheaper.You may want to check with your manufacturer as it can void your car warranty
I can probably find out how many hours they actually worked on my vehicle because I get notifications when the ignition is on/off or doors are locked/unlocked
How paranoid are we here 🤨.
Get few quotes and go with what you are comfortable. I got 3-4 from Autobarn and went with the cheapest. There is nothing so special treatment about a Dash-cam installation.
Cheers,
1-2 hours @ $100 ph would be reasonable imho.
Very easy if you do it yourself and have decent fusebox access. Else super easy without hard wiring…
I tried once to hardwire my car camera and fried it. Luckily, i got a replacement and decided not to hardware it anymore.
I recommend Peter on Airtasker for the job, I paid about $200 for dual camera install with power supply from battery etc couple of years ago, he still maintains a 5 star rating.
Do you happen to have his non-Airtasker contact details?
same question, by any chance you have his direct contact details?
I would have the same question. Would love to get his details.
I had a shop charge $450 to hardwire the Xiaomi 4K dashcam but the parking feature didn’t work and they charged a further $250 to have another look to fix it but never got it to work. They blamed it on the fussy internals of the car and I never got my money back.
Unfortunately this particular shop was one of only a few options for me in Cairns, but I’d advise to make sure they know both the car and the dashcam before selecting a shop to avoid such problems…That's why decided to do a DIY after getting a quote from autobarn, in case the reverse camera I bought from ebay for less than $20 doesn't work. Don't know why the reverse camera on supercheap and auto stores cost 3 times as much.
I paid autobarn $200 to install a 2ch blackvue in my Subaru xv. And that included installing the pro magic
Lots of video on YouTube, I installed a dash unit in my car with minimal mechanical knowledge. Supercheap used to do it, I would have asked them to do it, Autobarn gave me some quote, so decided to do a DIY. You do spend more hours, but you ended up learning more about cars.
I've installed about 4 - 5 dash cameras on different, with no visible wires.
It can vary a lot depending on the car, but if you know what you are doing, it shouldn't take you more than 1 hour.
Do it yourself !
Depends on the car. And quality of the install. Ask them to show you where they intend to run the cable from front to back.
Count how many trims - panels that path has. Each panel shouldn't take more than 10 mins.
Also note where your SRS Air bag locations are. If they just run the path that over the airbags, when they deploy is when the cable essentially becomes a whip.
- They are not your installer, as professional installers know to run a path away from the airbags.
Move on to next.
$100 for Blackvue 2 ch install on a Toyota. $120 on a BMW.
About 30-45 mins.
If installing yourself, just remember not to put any wires "over" the airbags.
Other than that, I found Bendas installation reasonable and good workmanship.
Do dealerships offer install if you’re buying a new car ???
Most offer it via their after sales pitch along with paint and interior protection, dent programs, window tint etc.
They do but at a significant premium. For example, Mercedes Sydney (also, Brisbane and Melbourne because they are the same company) only offers this blackvue 2k front and rear for $1695 incl installation (battery pack optional). https://autoxtreme.com.au/products/safety/blackvue-gold-pro/ They do supply AND install only.
You can buy the top of the range 4k blackvue 2ch cameras for $800 from authorised retailers.
Unless it's a factory installed (ie not by the dealer itself) or genuine accessory dashcam (some brands are onto this) then I see no reason or incentive to go with the dealership over a reputable/well known installer especially if they're just installing the same models you could find listed here on OzBargain!
It depends how they fishing you cable, quickest is go through the roof, but might block the airbag curtain and you don't know until have a side impact. They can also go through the floor and the best is follow the main wire of your car, but the supplied cable may not have enough length and you need to purchase extension cable. Also if there's tailgate it takes more times because needs fishing the wire through the tube and might need to remove lining from the tailgate.
$0. Do it yourself.
It's easy.
$150-250 depending on difficulty if its a normal sedan
A few years ago, I hard wired my 2ch to the battery, took me roughly 2-2.5 hours to almost finish it, then realised I did the front and back in reverse so had to undo and do it again. Took me overall almost 5 hours.
The process was easy, the hard part for me was that my car is so low and there was so little room around the inside fuse box, so working with the wires was such a pain in the butt, and of course there was the redoing part, and also I was unfamiliar with the process.
I can't imagine anyone who does this regularly or does this professionally would need 4 hours to do it. 1-1.5 hours sounds about right.
It really depends on a number of factors, 1) the type of car as some are easier to route the wires to the rear than others; and 2) how thorough and clean the wiring will be (ie., avoiding airbags and routed correctly).
I did the install myself because I had a certain preference in wiring etc and was a pain on a 3rd gen mini cooper so ended up being about 5 hours as a first go. So I'd say someone with experience as a pro with same make and model should probably take about 2-4 hours if they don't take shortcuts.
I've hardwired my own Subaru liberty, only one channel, and hardwired my parents campervan, dual channel. Subaru 1 hour, campervan about 2 hours.
People need to make a living too though, they can quote whatever they feel like and you can decide to accept or not.
If you were to do it yourself, how long will it take you. That's the viewpoint you should be taking.
I had a 2 channel hard wired installed in about 1 1/2 hours