Dash cam install

[Martin o]

I want to install dash cam permanent live fitting, anyone know where nearest fuse box is please

[Herbie]

As a rule of thumb, on most cars fuse boxes are in the engine bay, driver's footwell and passenger's footwell, but your owner's manual will tell you where they are.

Are you sure you want a permanent feed to the camera and risk it draining the Battery? Normal practice is that the dashcam comes on/off with the ignition unless the camera specifically has a parking mode and not all of them do.

[LenT]

I had my BlackVue dashcam installed by a guy who does it for a living and I know he took a live feed off somewhere around the passenger footwell.  Unfortunately he made such a good job of it that I can't trace the wiring!

But he also fitted what BlackVue call the Power Magic Pro on the driver's side.  This is a switchable hardwiring kit that BlackVue claims is compatible with all dashcams that have a Parking Mode.  It powers the dashcam when the ignition is off but will turn the camera off if the Battery level drops to a preconfigured voltage.  So the camera will never flatten the Battery.

I hope this helps.

 

[SH20]

Martin, the fuse box on your ES is in the left front passenger footwell. Look up inside the left side of the footwell and you will see the fuse box.  A photo of the fuse box lid  is attached.

You will need to pick up the fuse for the headlamp wash which is live when you are driving and when you switch off your car the dash cam will shut down too.  It has the correct amp rating for operating the camera. 

You won't be able to refit the fuse box lid if you piggy back off the fuse board so stick in in your centre console so you know where it will be if you ever remove the dash cam into another vehicle.    Nextbase do a great range of dash cams and I fitted a separate rear view camera too which mounts to the inside of the rear screen.  When the Nextbase dash cam is on you not only see what the front camera is recording but also in a small window on the main screen you can see what the rear view camera is recording.

The software that comes with their kit is excellent and you can view every file or selected files on your computer.  Their top models allow for wifi connections too so you can download a file to your phone if you are really techy  or is it upload a file?  The ES uses micro fuses the smallest fuses there are so you may need to request from Nextbase their smallest piggy back connection cable but they will supply it free as they did for me.  

Nextbase do their own sim cards and hard wire fitting kits, all great quality and their tech support for telephone queries is very good too.  Go for a 64GB sim card rather than an 8GB or 16GB. I like having duel cameras for the off chance someone will rear end me.    Nextbase do a duel front and rear camera in one unit but the rear view lens has to look through to the back of the car and out the back screen whereas I have their rear screen  mounted camera on the rear screen.  Separate camera lead of course which has to be fed down the inside of the car's trim but worth the effort.   RE: the inner screen trim left or right whichever you pull down to feed the cable has a unique special clip at the top of the trim which will remain in the metal frame of the screen pillar when you pull the fabric covered screen inner trim down.   You must twist and turn this white plastic clip and remove it from the screen frame and then re connect it to the actual fabric covered trim piece otherwise the trim will not snap back into the hole.   The other photos are of the camera front and rear and fuse board etc when I fitted them to my GS450h   and then removed it all when I refitted the cameras in to my ES.    Same fuse board in the GS and the ES. 

[Martin o]

Thanks for info, I can’t actually see fusebox, I assume there is a cover hiding it. Any tips how to remove any covers as I don’t want to damage anything 

[SH20]

Martin, the first photo is the fuse box cover lid, about 4.5 inches long and about 1.25 inches wide.    It is definitely in the passenger left front foot well.   You will see it but you have to strain your neck a little and look upwards on the very left of where a passenger's left foot would rest.   You can use a very small ordinary  screwdriver to press back the plastic clip that will release the cover, the end with a small see through cut out shape, see the photo.    

[OldTrout]

On 7/18/2020 at 7:53 PM, SH20 said:

....... I fitted them to my GS450h   and then removed it all when I refitted the cameras in to my ES.    Same fuse board in the GS and the ES. 

Steve,

Perhaps this should be a separate thread but how do you find the ES after your GS450h?

John

[SH20]

John, I loved the GS450h with the V6 giving more instant acceleration and although it was the luxury model and not the Premier model which I just couldn't find in budget  the GS450h was superb.  It was this hybrid car that got me seriously thinking about an upgrade to the larger size  ES300h despite only  having the 2.5 litre petrol engine.   But what  a car and because I was determined not to give the Government the satisfaction of charging me £550 a year road tax for 5 years I made sure my ES purchase stayed under the £40,000 threshold but I wanted a little bit more in terms of spec so ordered it with the Premium pack and the extra £3,500 over the entry model was well worth it,  leather being the main extra amongst other nice features. The dealer gave me a Protection pack in the deal so all in all it was perfect.  Never drops below 50 mpg with the combined electric and petrol power train.  The Takumi model has more spec but the significant price hike and extra road tax make it more suitable for the business user I would say.    

[OldTrout]

Steve,

Interesting. Thank you. How about comfort, silence and space inside and in boot? There is an ES 100m from my house but I don't know which variant and it also has tinted windows. I rarely see the owner and when I do he is not communicative. 50mpg would be welcome even with my low mileage.

John

[Martin o]

I’ve had my new es300 takumi for roughly a month, very quiet plenty of boot space and roughly 50 to the gallon . 

[SH20]

The ES300h is 50mm short of 5 metres long so room in the back is generous and much more than the GS model range.  I think it is as quiet as the GS, no difference to me and very comfortable, my car has extra seat adjustment because of the Premium pack and Lexus have always been legendary in seat design.  Mine has tan interior and solid black paint.  Tinted windows are fitted to all 3 variants and with the rear  window side blinds raised it's positively a black out in the rear.  Boot space is larger in the ES because of how they mounted the hybrid Battery which is now under the floor whereas I believe the GS has the battery fitted upright behind the rear seat  so impacting the boot floor space.

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

About to move from my GS450h after 5 years to a new ES300h Premium so looking forward to it 👍

[SH20]

You won't be disappointed Brian.   Maybe the V6 of the GS450h  will be something you might miss for the rate of acceleration which I noticed when I had my GS450h but the 2.5  4 cylinder still has plenty of power for most.  The front wheel drive of the ES gives no real concern .    You will enjoy apple Car Play/Android Auto as standard unlike us poor 2019 new car buyers which were left out back then.     I did ask my dealer about the retro fit upgrade Lexus said was to be made available for the earlier ES  cars that came to the UK in 2019.   Covid of course screwed all that up and I haven't given it much thought since.   The premium pack option is worth every penny and keeps the below that £40K unless Lexus have raised their prices recently.   

 

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

Yeah - should be good. 
 

The ES drives well, is modern and quiet, looks and feels great and should be bomb proof reliable, economical (cheap tax) and a good buy. My dealer is also one of the main reasons I am moving onto another Lexus (and why I bought my GS450h too, although I did not buy it from them) - their after sales is excellent, although it’s been 15 years since I bought a car from them. 
 

I am sure at points I’ll miss the GS450h performance as it’s simply superb but the ES does not feel like a poor relation. 
 

The MY21 updates for Premium are great - big screen, apple car play, heated steering wheel, wireless charger, rear tints, rain sensing wipers etc plus the other standard spec so, although I’ll miss the Mark Levinson, cooling seats, rear blind, fully retracting steering wheel, dipping rear mirrors on reverse, memory seats etc - that was NOT worth £10k and £2500 extra road tax to me as a private buyer. 

[SH20]

Without doubt the £3500 extra for the Premium pack  over the base price of £35,000 back in 2019 was a no brainer. So many extra options over the base model. The Takumi was just not worth the extra money and the higher road tax for 5 years.