Dash Cam Fuse Tap: How to Fit One Without Cutting a Wire

Dash Cam Fuse Tap: How to Fit One Without Cutting a Wire

You have just picked up a new dash cam, you want it wired in properly for parking mode, and then someone mentions cutting into your car's wiring. On a car that is still under warranty, that is enough to make anyone pause. This is exactly where a dash cam fuse tap earns its keep, and it is why so many drivers now ask for one by name.

A fuse tap gives you a clean, reversible way to power your dash cam straight from the fuse box, with no cutting and no soldering. Below we cover what it is, the pros and the cons. We also cover how to fit one the right way round, and where it sits with your new car warranty here in Australia.

What is a dash cam fuse tap?

A fuse tap, also called an add-a-fuse or an add-a-circuit, is a small adapter that plugs into a spare or existing slot in your car's fuse box. In plain English, it lets you borrow power from a circuit that is already there, so your dash cam has a tidy, switched power source without touching any factory wiring.

It holds two fuses. One protects the original circuit, and one protects your new dash cam circuit. That is the whole trick. You are adding a connection, not altering the car.

We keep a few blade types on hand because fuse boxes vary. Our 8-piece fuse tap kit covers the ATO, Mini, Micro2 and Low-Profile Mini shapes, which suits the vast majority of cars on Australian roads.

Fuse tap vs cutting and soldering: what is the difference?

The old way to hardwire an accessory was to strip back a wire, join your new wire to it, then solder and tape the join. It works, and a good tech can make it neat, but it is permanent. You have changed the car's wiring.

A fuse tap takes a different approach. Instead of joining wires, you pull a fuse, clip it into the tap, and slot the tap back in. Your dash cam draws power through the tap. Nothing is cut, and if you ever want the car back to standard, you pull the tap out and refit the original fuse. Done.

The pros of a fuse tap

Plenty to like here. A fuse tap is:

  • Reversible. Pull it out and the car is exactly as it left the factory.
  • No cutting or soldering. No stripped wires, no heat, no permanent joins.
  • Properly fused. Your dash cam gets its own fuse, so the circuit is protected the way it should be.
  • DIY friendly. With a circuit tester and a bit of care, this is a job many drivers can do at home.
  • Tidy. Everything lives inside the fuse box, out of sight.

The cons, honestly

We are not going to pretend it suits every single job. A few things to keep in mind:

  • You still need to test the fuse slots to find the right one, so a circuit tester is a must.
  • Get the fuse order wrong and the new circuit will not be protected, so it pays to follow the steps carefully.
  • Some late-model cars use unusual fuse types or tightly packed fuse boxes where a tap is a tricky fit.
  • For a very high-draw setup, like a big battery pack, you need to size the fuse correctly rather than just plugging in.

Which way round does a fuse tap go?

This is the question we get asked most, and it is the one people get wrong.

Automotive fuse slots are directional. One side of the slot is the supply coming from the battery, and the other side feeds whatever that circuit runs. An add-a-circuit tap has to sit so the supply side feeds both fuses, yours and the factory one.

Fit it the wrong way round and your camera's current can end up running through the factory fuse as well as its own. The factory fuse is then carrying load it was never sized for. The small fuse you fitted for the camera is not protecting what you think it is.

There are two ways to get it right, and doing both is better than doing one.

  • Test before you fit. With the slot empty, use a circuit tester to find which side of it is live. That is the side the tap's supply leg needs to meet.
  • Test after you fit. Check that your camera powers up and that the original circuit still works. If the camera stays dead, pull the tap out, rotate it 180 degrees and try again.

Pro Tip: once you know which way is right, mark the top edge of the tap with a paint pen. If you ever pull it out for other work, you will not have to work it out a second time.

Fitting one, step by step

1. Choose the slot

You want a non-critical circuit, never a safety system, and you need to know whether it is constant or switched. That choice deserves its own explanation. We have put it in which fuse to tap for a dash cam, along with the fuse rating question.

2. Crimp the tap to your camera's power lead

Use proper crimping pliers, not pliers you happen to own. Strip back only as much insulation as the barrel needs, seat the wire fully, and crimp once.

Then tug it. Firmly. If the wire slides out in your hand, it would have slid out behind your dashboard in six months. You would have spent an afternoon looking for the fault.

3. Load the two fuses

The factory fuse you pulled from the car goes into one holder on the tap. The fuse for your camera goes into the other. Use the rating your hardwire kit's manual specifies and do not substitute a bigger one because it happens to be in the drawer.

4. Seat the tap the right way round

Push it fully home. A tap that is only half seated makes an intermittent connection, which is a far more annoying fault than one that simply does not work. In a tightly packed fuse box, check the lid still closes properly before you move on.

5. Earth the black wire, if you are fitting a hardwire kit

A three-wire hardwire kit needs a chassis earth as well. Find a bolt that goes into bare, unpainted metal, slide the ring terminal under it and do it up firmly. Paint is an insulator, so a terminal sitting on a painted surface is the most common reason a fresh install does not power up.

6. Test everything before the trim goes back

Camera powers up, original circuit still works, and the camera behaves correctly with the ignition on and off. Finding a problem now costs you five minutes. Finding it after the panels are back costs you the job again.

What are the risks of using a fuse tap?

Worth answering straight, because the honest answer is that the risks are all installation risks rather than anything wrong with the part.

  • Wrong orientation. Covered above, and it is the most common one.
  • An oversized fuse on the accessory side. The fuse protects the thin cable running to your camera. Too large and it is not protecting it.
  • A loose crimp. Intermittent power, and a fault that is genuinely hard to trace later.
  • Tapping a safety circuit. Airbags, ABS, engine management. Do not.
  • A tap that does not fully seat. Common in tightly packed late-model fuse boxes, and it fails weeks later rather than straight away.

Every one of those is avoidable with a tester and ten extra minutes.

Can you use an empty fuse slot?

Sometimes, but an empty slot is not automatically a live slot. Plenty of spare positions exist for options the car was never built with, and they have no supply at all.

So test it like any other slot. If it is live, you still need to know whether it stays live with the key out or only wakes with the ignition. That decides what your camera can do with it. Never assume a spare slot is a safe bet just because nothing is currently in it.

Will a fuse tap void my new car warranty?

This is the big one, and it is a fair question. Here is the reassuring part. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a manufacturer cannot simply void your whole new car warranty because you fitted an accessory like a dash cam. The ACCC has been clear on this. A dealer can only refuse a warranty claim if they can show the accessory, or the way it was fitted, actually caused the specific fault being claimed.

This is where a fuse tap really shines. Because it is reversible and does not cut a single factory wire, there is nothing permanent for anyone to point at. If you are ever unsure, you can pull the tap, refit the original fuse, and the car is standard again. That said, this is general information rather than legal advice, so if you have a specific warranty concern it is worth checking your vehicle's warranty terms or asking your dealer directly.

Can I fit a fuse tap myself?

For a lot of drivers, yes. A basic dash cam fuse tap install is one of the more approachable jobs, especially with a circuit tester to confirm the right fuse. Our Essential Install Kit bundles the fuse taps and the tester, so you are not chasing bits and pieces.

If you want the whole job rather than just the tap, see how to hardwire a dash cam in Australia.

If you would rather not touch the fuse box, no worries. We do not install cameras ourselves, but we can point you to an independent local installer through our installer finder.

New-age pros love them, old-school techs still solder

Ask ten installers and you will get ten opinions. A lot of newer pros love fuse taps because they are fast, clean and reversible, which is a big deal on modern cars people care about. Plenty of old-school techs still prefer a soldered join, because that is how they have always done it and they trust the connection. Both camps can point to good work, so everyone has an opinion here.

At The Dash Cam Guys, we are firmly fans of the fuse tap for most installs. It respects the car, it protects the circuit, and it can be undone in minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Does a fuse tap need both fuses?

Yes. One holder takes the factory fuse for the circuit you tapped, and the other takes the fuse for your accessory. Leave the factory one out and that circuit is either dead or unprotected. Leave your own out and the camera has no power and no protection.

Can I run two accessories from one fuse tap?

Better not to. One accessory per added circuit keeps each one properly fused for its own load, and it makes troubleshooting far simpler if something stops working. If you need two, fit two taps on two different slots.

Do I have to crimp, or can I twist the wires together?

Crimp it. A twisted join in a vehicle works loose with vibration and heat. It is the classic cause of a dash cam that cuts out on rough roads. A crimped terminal in a proper crimp tool takes an extra minute and lasts.

Can I leave the fuse tap in when I sell the car?

You can, but most people pull it. It takes a minute. The original fuse goes back in its slot and the car returns to standard, with no sign anything was ever added. That is easier to explain to a buyer than a wire you have to talk them through.

Not sure which fuse tap suits your car, or whether to fit it yourself? Michael and Harrison are always happy to talk it through. Drop us a line through our contact page and we will get you sorted.

Updated 14 September 2026: we added the orientation section, the step-by-step fitting instructions, the risks section and the FAQ, because the original version explained what a fuse tap is without showing how to fit one.

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026. The warranty position above reflects ACCC guidance at that date and is general information rather than legal advice. We do not install cameras ourselves, so the fitting notes here are guidance for whoever does the work, and fuse box layouts differ between models and model years. If a specification, a feature or a claim on this page is wrong or has gone out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

Commercial disclosure: The Dash Cam Guys sells the fuse taps, circuit testers and install kits linked on this page, so read this as a retailer's guide to its own range rather than an independent survey of the market. No brand paid for, sponsored or supplied anything for this guide. We buy the kits we test out of our own stock, the same stock we sell. Kit contents and blade compatibility are taken from the manufacturers' own published specifications. We do not install cameras ourselves, so the fitting steps here are general guidance rather than a record of work we have done. What this page says about Australian Consumer Law is general information rather than legal advice. If a specification, a feature or a claim on this page is wrong or has gone out of date, tell us and we will correct it.