How to install a small camera in your car

Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. This article has been viewed , times. Learn more To learn how to mount the rear-view camera and backup monitor, scroll down!

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Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Buy a mountable backup camera for your specific vehicle. For safety, make sure you purchase a device specifically designed to be a rear-view camera. Purchasing one made for your specific vehicle will make it easier to install than a standard aftermarket camera. So you can install it easily, look for a camera that mounts onto or directly behind your license plate.

Get an external monitor if you want to keep your existing rear-view mirror. An external backup monitor is a small video screen that mounts onto your windshield similarly to a GPS. Though they take up more space than internal monitors, external monitors are far easier to see and can be easily replaced if necessary.

However, keep in mind that it may not have all the same features as devices designed for use with backup cameras. Purchase an internal monitor for a less obtrusive device.

An internal backup monitor is a fully functioning rear-view mirror that houses a small screen inside the glass. Some internal monitors clip on top of your current rear-view mirror, but others replace your original mirror entirely.

Some camera models use wireless transmitters instead of standard video cables. Part 2. Take off your rear license plate. Using a Phillips head screwdriver, remove each of the screws holding your rear license plate in place.

Then, pull the plate off and set it aside. Pop open your trunk and look for a solid interior panel covering the opposite side of your license plate mounting area.

Then, insert a trim removal tool or other thin device behind the panel and pry it off. Drill a small hole in the license plate mounting area. Make sure there are no obstructions between the license plate mount and the rear wiring chamber.

XFor safety, make sure you do this while the car is turned off. Then, poke your bare wires through the center of the exposed reverse light wires and twist them together. For safety, make sure you wrap the combined wires in electrical tape. XMake sure you poke your positive usually red bare wire through the positive reverse light wire and the negative usually black bare wire through the negative reverse light wire. Then, run it through your vehicle to the area by the fuse box.

Then, hook your monitor onto the mount. Most external monitors use a suction mount, though others may come with a more complex mounting system. Then, route the cable from the monitor to the area next to the fuse box. Then, run your cable through the exposed chamber. Then, wrap the connected cords with electrical tape to hold them together.

You can find these at most electronic stores. Then, push the positive usually red end of the bare wire cable into the open end of a fuse tap. Finally, crimp the 2 cables together with a pair of pliers. XA fuse tap is a small cable that converts a bare wire into a fuse signal. You can find them at most auto part stores.

Locate your fuse box and open it up. Then, plug your fuse tap into an open fuse cell. XAfter attaching your fuse, consider taping all your wires together using electrical tape to get them out of the way. Part 4Part 4 of 4:Mounting the Camera 1Connect your backup camera to its power and video cable.

Close the trunk if necessary, then connect the backup camera to its power and video cable. The camera lens is too small that even hawk-eyed people might not even notice it.

This network camera has no limitations of distance as to when you can access the recording being taken in your car. This security hidden spy camera from Pelda has a lot of features that make it very ideal to be used as a hidden camera for the car interior. Presenting to your crystal clear images and videos, you will never miss any details as all details are captured as they are both day and night. With a full HD degrees wide-angle lens, you can expect to have a better view of the interior of your car, capturing every moment as it unfolds.

This camera offers unmatched technological advances that make it more efficient. Reholas upgraded everything about their hidden spy cameras with better and more advanced features. With a wider lens angle, better battery capacity, upgraded night vision, and motion detection notifications, this product has rightfully earned its place on this list.

Picking the right hidden spy camera for cars just became easier for you. Table Of Contents. Check Price. Pros Cons Motion detection. Night vision. Very affordable. Loop recording which makes new footage to written over old footage. Low storage capacity. It does not have crash sensors as it is not ideally meant for cars. Pros Cons Motion activated. Night vision capabilities. Very tiny, not easy to spot.

Records high-quality videos. Easy to use. The battery life is quite short. Storage is quite minimal. Pros Cons Night vision present. Motion detection. Magnetic back. Has degrees wide angle lens. Live streaming can be an issue when the car is somewhere with a low internet connection. The battery is reported not to store power for long. Pros Cons Night vision. Motion detection to help record instantly after movement is detected.

Free 16GB storage device SD card and card reader for efficient storage. Can be used while charging. Records both p and p formats. Lens are buried deep inside so the field it can cover is limited. Some reviewers have found it hard to activate the motion sensor as the manual does not mention how. The instructions manual is not easy to understand and follow. Inserting and removing the card into and from the card is challenging to some users.

Pros Cons 6-month worry-free warranty. Night vision enabled. Records in high definition. Does not support Wi-Fi and live streaming.