Hi All,

I'm trying to install a new dash cam I got to replace an old and rather limited one but it's a lot more complicated to install (on my 2015 Mazda 6). The new one has a rear facing camera in addition to the front facing one which attaches to the mirror. It also intends to have a connection to the backup light so that it can indicate when the car is in reverse, which I managed to figure out. I think I can attach the rear facing camera to what I found is called "trunk lid garnish", the thing that covers the area and framework that includes the license plate light and lid release. However, there's one part of the service manual I can't quite interpret, or maybe believe. I would ask assistance from anyone who can just interpret or maybe reassure me in what I present in this post and who might have some familiarity.

After removing the 3 bolts that hold the garnish in (and which I did and took a look), it gives the following instruction: "Insert a tape-wrapped flathead screwdriver into clips D and guides E shown in the figure and remove clips D and guides E in the direction of the arrows in the order of (3), (4)." along with the below picture. The thing is, it doesn't make much sense. From inside the trunk lid, you have no access to the garnish because there's an inner framework that obscures all the stuff (connectors, wiring, clips, etc.) that supports the workings underneath the garnish. From the outside of the trunk, there's no strip spans the trunk lid like that (the garnish itself does not) but it kinda has to be from outside the trunk lid. But if you just pry outward like the diagram show, it would seem like you'll break any clips holding the garnish in if not the garnish itself. Also, it's pretty hard to see where the clips are but even if you could, it seems like if you pry at the clips, you'd break them right there.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Should I buy replacement clips, or even a replacement garnish when I break the one(s) there when I take the existing one(s) off? Thanks in advance for any advise offered.

-mraki

 

Well, I figured it out. Despite the apparent seams in the garnish making it look like it's composed of multiple pieces, it is, in fact one piece that extends across the entire width of the trunk lid from side to side. There's no good way to pry it off other than trying to wedge it off little by little around the perimeter much like getting the lid off of a paint can. As a little more comes up, you can fit your tool a little further around the edge. It is important to not lose the clips on the garnish that bind to the fixed posts on the trunk lid (as I lost a couple). Once I got the garnish off, I found that there's nowhere through the trunk lid that I could route the wire for the rear facing camera of the dash cam (without drilling another hole through the trunk lid, which I didn't want to do). All existing portals were occupied by the existing rear camera, license plate light or bolt holes. If I had known that, I never would have removed the garnish. I would have just drilled the holes I needed in the garnish and mounted the camera directly to it. I then routed the wire along the garnish, between it and left light fixture toward the left trunk lid mount and pivot. Routing the wire toward the front of the passenger cabin is left for another day.

I write this for the benefit of anyone who is trying to do something similar or needs to work in the area of the trunk lid or trunk lid garnish. I hope this helps someone someday.

-mraki