[Boozeralex]

I use the 12V power outlet for a 4 plug USB adapter, I dislike the location on the insight as it leaves all the wires draped across the console. My last car had a plug in the back of the console and I really liked that location. A little checking and I found there is enough room to fit one in that spot and best of all, the rear of the center console comes off really easy.

I also decided this would be the best time to wire in a dash cam as I could just share the same fuse tap and only have to tear the car apart once.

I started by removing the lower section of the dash, it just unsnaps, I started at the bottom and just pulled straight toward me and it popped right off, the top came off easy from there. There will be wires connecting the fuel door release and the safety/traction switches, make sure to unplug these before going any further. Then you could just leave it hanging like that but I went ahead and unsnapped the right side as well, this side also has a wire and a rubber hose. I left these on and let it hang by the hose, it didn’t really get in the way but you could remove them if you want.

Routing the wires was easier than I could have hoped for, I was able to get them along the top of the dash subframe and then was able to loosen the driver’s side panel of the center console by pulling out on the front, it will already be pretty loose. Then I pulled the wire through and was able to easily hide it behind that panel, the only tough spot was toward the back, I just had to push it a bit but it went right under the center console. I took off the back panel and drilled it out for the Rear outlet, mounted and attached the wires, snapped it right back on and it was done. (I found it easiest to remove the back panel by using a pry tool on the top of either side, once it starts to budge the whole thing comes off easily.)

For the Dash cam I spliced into the wires (Before I ran them to the back) and installed another 12V outlet under the dash. There I use a USB adapter to power the camera. With the camera mounted where I wanted it I was able to hide the wire by pushing it above the headliner and running it down the A Pillar. To take this off just use a small pry tool to pull off the Air bag label, under that is a screw and after that’s out there is just a clip about halfway down, very easy. Then I just fished the wire down the side of the dash and plug it in, Honda leaves a generous amount of room here, Just be careful not to put anything around the Airbag, you do not want to cross your wires over it, I’ve seen other people do it in videos and it freaks me out. (In the A Pillar picture you can see a red square, this is the GPS module for this camera I lucked out in that the wire reaches perfect for it to sit right there and it stays completely hidden and still gets good enough signal.)

I installed the fuse tap into slot 2 of the fuse box, this was a blank spot that is only active when the ignition is on, slot 18 and several others provide power all the time if you need/want that. For ground I used an existing hole in the dashboard subframe and added a bolt there. In the picture with the fuse box you can see the added Bolt toward the top right.

Now for my next project I need to find a way to mount a rear dashcam. I have the windows tinted so I can’t just use the suction cup.

 

[hasarad]

Nice work!

I have a fuse-tap running to a 2-port USB outlet mounted behind the battery in the console. I had toyed with putting an additional USB at the rear of the console like you did, but then realized I rarely have anyone in the back seat.

I have a rear dashcam. For mounting, I simply cut a piece of wood, 1/4" thick and a few inches long, and slipped it between the headliner and the roof. Friction is enough to keep it in place. It's painted black with a bolt through it into the camera mount.

 

[Boozeralex]

I have a rear dashcam. For mounting, I simply cut a piece of wood, 1/4" thick and a few inches long, and slipped it between the headliner and the roof. Friction is enough to keep it in place. It's painted black with a bolt through it into the camera mount.

Thanks. that sounds like it would work really well, would you mind posting a picture of that? I would love to see it.

 

[Boozeralex]

I settled on a solution for the rear dash cam, there is a hole in the upper part of the rear deck, just under the child seat anchor cover. This is just big enough to fit 3/4" square tube steel. Using some scrap metal we have around I came up with a mount and had it welded together. The camera is mounted using 3 screws drilled into its mount from the bottom. I also bought an extra child seat anchor cover on eBay and cut out a square for the mount to fit through, this gives it a nice seamless look.

This does leave the camera and image upside down but that's not a problem for me.

 

[insightfully]

I settled on a solution for the rear dash cam, there is a hole in the upper part of the rear deck, just under the child seat anchor cover. This is just big enough to fit 3/4" square tube steel. Using some scrap metal we have around I came up with a mount and had it welded together. The camera is mounted using 3 screws drilled into its mount from the bottom. I also bought an extra child seat anchor cover on eBay and cut out a square for the mount to fit through, this gives it a nice seamless look.

This does leave the camera and image upside down but that's not a problem for me.

Looks pretty slick. Is your power source and/or recording device for the rear dash cam in the trunk, or is wiring run to the front?

 

[Boozeralex]

I settled on a solution for the rear dash cam, there is a hole in the upper part of the rear deck, just under the child seat anchor cover. This is just big enough to fit 3/4" square tube steel. Using some scrap metal we have around I came up with a mount and had it welded together. The camera is mounted using 3 screws drilled into its mount from the bottom. I also bought an extra child seat anchor cover on eBay and cut out a square for the mount to fit through, this gives it a nice seamless look.

This does leave the camera and image upside down but that's not a problem for me.

Looks pretty slick. Is your power source and/or recording device for the rear dash cam in the trunk, or is wiring run to the front?

Thanks! The camera is self contained so no recording device, for power I ran a long USB cable up front along the drivers side floorboard, tucked under the trim. I then ran it behind the dash and plugged it into the same hidden USB adapter I used for the front camera.

 

[Boozeralex]

For anyone interested in this project there is also a video walk through of the rear outlet install, Verdier was kind enough to host it on his channel.

Also the outlet I used can be found on Amazon, there are lots of choices that will work out great but here is the one I used.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074YVQPKH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[insightfully]

For anyone interested in this project there is also a video walk through of the rear outlet install, Verdier was kind enough to host it on his channel.

Also the outlet I used can be found on Amazon, there are lots of choices that will work out great but here is the one I used.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074YVQPKH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the follow-up @Boozeralex!
@jhusn001 hopefully this helps answer the 'visitor message' questions you had on part number, wiring, and how to secure... but if you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask here!

 

[spiderpig]

Looking at the video when he takes off the back cover...there is a electric connector there. Any ideas what that is for? Would it be easier to tap into that power perhaps?

For anyone interested in this project there is also a video walk through of the rear outlet install, Verdier was kind enough to host it on his channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgakcUZLJwA&t=4s

Also the outlet I used can be found on Amazon, there are lots of choices that will work out great but here is the one I used.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074YVQPKH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Boozeralex]

I did notice that power connector but did not give it much attention at the time, even if it does have power I wouldn't feel safe using it without knowing for sure where it comes from and what kind of load it can support.

I need to take another look at it sometime but if I recall correctly it is not connected to anything, it's just clipped in there. As for what it does I have two thoughts on that.

The Civic has rear USB ports from the factory, they are mounted in this location so it would make sense that this may be power for those ports. Maybe this is just part of a shared wiring harness or maybe they originally planned to include rear USB ports but changed their mind at a later date.

The Canadian model has rear heated seats, this could be for the heated seat controls and is just left there in the US model.

 

[Boozeralex]

Looking at the video when he takes off the back cover...there is a electric connector there. Any ideas what that is for? Would it be easier to tap into that power perhaps?

I did some more digging on this, I believe this is the part that the electrical connector goes to. They refer to it as an antenna.

https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genuine/honda~antenna~assy~lf~38387-tz5-a01.html

Maybe this is the antenna used to determine if the key fob is in the car? Or could it be the Bluetooth antenna?

 

[spiderpig]

I would get a voltmeter on it and see what kind of power its getting. If it is over 5v then it could be for USB ports...which would be great since I could hook up some USB ports in the back (my original idea anyway).

Also, did you run into any issues with he side airbag when installing the dash camera?

I did some more digging on this, I believe this is the part that the electrical connector goes to. They refer to it as an antenna.

https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genuine/honda~antenna~assy~lf~38387-tz5-a01.html

Maybe this is the antenna used to determine if the key fob is in the car? Or could it be the Bluetooth antenna?

 

[Boozeralex]

I would get a voltmeter on it and see what kind of power its getting. If it is over 5v then it could be for USB ports...which would be great since I could hook up some USB ports in the back (my original idea anyway).

Also, did you run into any issues with he side airbag when installing the dash camera?

It's definitely an antenna for the keyless entry system. Knowing this I would advise not messing with it at all.

If all you want are USB ports then they do make direct fit USB ports as well, such as this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-Charg...words=12v+usb&qid=1567529834&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I just went with the Socket for the extra versatility even though 99.9% of the time I will have a USB charger installed.

Using the existing wiring is a nice thought but running new wires to the fuse box is really a very easy process so I wouldn't let that hold you up.

The side airbag did not pose any trouble during the install, I did make sure to run the cord in a manner that it will not cross the airbag. In the included photo that white bundle is the airbag and the green line shows the approximate path I used for the dashcam wire, the red square is a GPS receiver that is part of the dashcam's power wire. I ran the wire from top to bottom and was able to drop it through and grab it under the dash, I was ready to use a coat hanger to push through and pull if necessary but it actually went through without a fuss. It helps that my cord just had a USB connector on it though, I don't know if a 12V accessory plug would fit or not, those type may need to be ran up instead of down, if that were the case I would opt for dropping a wire and taping it to the dashcam connector and then pulling back up.

 

[spiderpig]

Great info. Will look to install some USB ports sometime. Will need to do some exploring since I would like to add the USB ports, possibly a dash cam, and my HAM radio with power.

It's definitely an antenna for the keyless entry system. Knowing this I would advise not messing with it at all.

If all you want are USB ports then they do make direct fit USB ports as well, such as this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-Charg...words=12v+usb&qid=1567529834&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I just went with the Socket for the extra versatility even though 99.9% of the time I will have a USB charger installed.

Using the existing wiring is a nice thought but running new wires to the fuse box is really a very easy process so I wouldn't let that hold you up.

The side airbag did not pose any trouble during the install, I did make sure to run the cord in a manner that it will not cross the airbag. In the included photo that white bundle is the airbag and the green line shows the approximate path I used for the dashcam wire, the red square is a GPS receiver that is part of the dashcam's power wire. I ran the wire from top to bottom and was able to drop it through and grab it under the dash, I was ready to use a coat hanger to push through and pull if necessary but it actually went through without a fuss. It helps that my cord just had a USB connector on it though, I don't know if a 12V accessory plug would fit or not, those type may need to be ran up instead of down, if that were the case I would opt for dropping a wire and taping it to the dashcam connector and then pulling back up.

 

[spiderpig]

So got around to adding the 12volt power for the back based on this thread. Seems to have gone well! I gave myself some extra wire back there so I can splice into it later if I want to add more devices. Thanks for the great video and the help!

 

[Boozeralex]

So got around to adding the 12volt power for the back based on this thread. Seems to have gone well! I gave myself some extra wire back there so I can splice into it later if I want to add more devices. Thanks for the great video and the help!

That's awesome! I am so glad to have been able to help, thanks for sharing.

 

[spiderpig]

The one thing I would warn people is that the work area is really tight and small. The pictures make it look a lot bigger.

That's awesome! I am so glad to have been able to help, thanks for sharing.

 

[Mobilcams]

My 2008 Civic had 2 cigarrette lighters as well, but honestly - with the 2.5 amp outputs and 2 usb ports, I am fine with just one. And for those of you that have phones that overheat with that amount of current recharging your batteries - right above the screen is a nice little groove that fits a phone sideways just fine and allows the air vents to blow cold air across the phone.. I have used the car several times for DoorDash and Lyft and found that this is the place where the phone is the happiest..

 

[andrew28]

My 2008 Civic had 2 cigarrette lighters as well.

The 8th gen Civic comes with 2 power outlets? I had a 2009 Civic and never knew there was a 2nd one. Where was it located? :surprise:

 

[insightfully]

The 8th gen Civic comes with 2 power outlets? I had a 2009 Civic and never knew there was a 2nd one. Where was it located? :surprise:

Second power outlet was in center console for EX and higher trims. (DX and LX only list front power outlet.) 2008 Civic Sedan diagram attached from owners manual...