2012 C220D coupe - hardwiring a dashcam?

[Clockworks]

I've recently bought a 2012 C220D coupe, and would like to fit the Nextbase dashcam that I had in a previous car. I have an unused Nextbase hardwire kit, with piggyback fuse connectors.

Where's the best place to pick up a switched live and a ground?

I gave up on hardwiring my other car (Citroen C3 Picasso) because I couldn't find a suitable grounding point near the fusebox in the glove compartment. Everything is made of plastic. I settled on using the ciggy plug adaptor that came with the device, and plugged it into the rear 12v outlet.
Can't do that in the C220, because there's only one 12v socket in the car. I find it really odd that a relatively premium car like the C220 only has one 12v outlet.

Another observation - why do so many secondhand cars have the ciggy lighter sockets not working? I tried to use a portable tyre compressor yesterday, and the Merc's ashtray 12v socket was dead, and no other 12v sockets in the car. Had to fire up the big compressor in the garage. I checked the rear fusebox this morning, and the fuse had been removed. Fitted a new one, and it's working.
That makes 3 cars that I've bought in 3 years with dead 12v sockets. The other 2 were a Skoda Superb 280 and a VW Touareg, both with blown fuses.

 

[Gazwould]

Switched is a fail as you don't get cover in risky car parks .

 

[Clockworks]

Switched is a fail as you don't get cover in risky car parks .

I live in a really safe area, no problem while the car is parked.
I'm not keen on using a permanent live, as the car may sit unused for a week or two on my driveway, and I don't want to risk running the battery down.

 

[Gazwould]

No G shock camera wake up parking mode ?

 

[Tony Dyson]

I used a permanent live feed from the Engine compartment SAM where you can follow the wiring loom to a bulkhead grommet where you can feed a cable through directly into the dashboard area if you remove the end dash panel drivers side, then feed the camera cable around the windscreen from there leaving the PSU in the dash behind the end panel.
Using a permanent live feed will allow you to utilise the parking function in areas away from home when needed and unplugging the camera removing it from view from the opportunist thief will keep it safe and your battery charged when not needed!

 

[Clockworks]

No G shock camera wake up parking mode ?

It's a Nextbase 212. From what I can figure out, it has a wake-up shock sensor, which uses the camera's internal battery. Doesn't need a permanent live supply.

 

[mioba]

Had the same with my W251 regarding the ciggy lighter sockets, clearly people using them to power something thats needs more juice than the circuit is designed for, the fuse pops and they cant be arsed to change it.

 

[Srdl]

Are you sure there’s no 12v socket in the glove box? C Class based cars (including my E Coupe C207) had one around 2010 but I think that may have been dropped by 2012.

 

[Clockworks]

Are you sure there’s no 12v socket in the glove box? C Class based cars (including my E Coupe C207) had one around 2010 but I think that may have been dropped by 2012.

I've had a good look in the glovebox, and around the panels below and to the side. The only thing I can see is the knob that allows cooled air into the glovebox. I was expecting to see a 12v socket in the rear of the centre console, but there's nothing at all below the rear air vents. Nothing in the boot either.
It does have a USB socket and some kind of media adaptor in the storage box under the centre console armrest. I'm using the USB socket for playing music from a memory stick.

I guess Mercedes do the standard German thing of making pretty much everything an optional extra. I got spoiled having a couple of top-trim Kias that had everything as standard - nothing at all on the options list except metallic paint.

 

[EmilysDad]

Are you sure there’s no 12v socket in the glove box? C Class based cars (including my E Coupe C207) had one around 2010 but I think that may have been dropped by 2012.

I tried to use the USB socket in the glove box of Emily's Yaris as a temporary measure for her dash cam but the camera was trying to pull more current than the socket could supply