cigarette socket permanent live

[davie.g]

Hi. My socket is live all the time. Do I have to have parking sensor activated so the camera will turn off. Thanks

 

[Ralph2]

Your camera will never turn off so long as it has power supplied. Parking mode will only trigger when it saves the recording. This.. is a common misconception oh how dash cams work. Consider your smart phone.. with the video app running. You see the movement on the screen.. BUT only when you push the record button will it actually save the image you are seeing. Same with your dash cam.. it is displaying constantly.. and only saves depending on settings

 

[SawMaster]

@davie.g Welcome to DCT

Some cams and hardwire kits can be configured to switch in and out of parking modes automatically. Those powered with a ciggie socket adapter cannot do this- the change must be made by button press on the cam. Also when using these adapters the cam will mimic the power at the ciggie socket; if it is always on the cam will remain on. If it switches off with the car key, the cam will stop. If you want to turn the cam off you either unplug the adapter or use a button press on the cam.

Phil

 

[davie.g]

Thanks Ralf2 and SawMaster. Finding an ignition live on modern cars is not so easy these days but that’s what I’ll do. Probably go back to the fuse box and hard wire.

 

[SawMaster]

@davie.g
You might find a circuit which has a time-delayed "off" which would also work nearly as you wish. These can be chimeral to find because they sometimes re-activate when you open a door and the interior light comes on, and some may stay hot as long as a car door is open, waiting for it to close before beginning the time delay (a door will be open while you're checking the fusebox configuration). And then there's some with fully computer-controlled power schemes like BMW's where anything you do will be wrong.

Welcome to modern automotives where pulling your hair out in frustration can be a daily thing. Good luck with this and if all else fails just plug and unplug the ciggie adapter as needed. I'm still doing that with one of my 4 cams in the workvan as I'm not yet ready to tackle my wiring upgrade project which will be some what extensive- I just don't have the hair to spare

Phil

 

[Michael_K]

Way back, when I messed with car stereos, there was a wire that was used to power the stock radio (it was hot only when the ignition was on).
Do cars still have that? Maybe not -- so many electronic gizmos that it's probably buried.

 

[kamkar]

Maybe one of these, that will also give you more options t o plug stuff in.

https://www.hiniko.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=166_169&product_id=405

As i recall it have build in timer to combat always on cigarette plugs, and also manual power on / off

@niko can advise before shopping

 

[country_hick]

Way back, when I messed with car stereos, there was a wire that was used to power the stock radio (it was hot only when the ignition was on).
Do cars still have that? Maybe not -- so many electronic gizmos that it's probably buried.

My 2005 does. I tapped the switched radio wire to get a switched cigarette lighter socket. If the circuit gets overloaded the radio will stop working immediately when that fuse blows. A non-working radio is a great way to be informed that your dash cams are not working.

 

[Triggerfish]

I wish manufacturers would make Cigarette Sockets a selectable option to whether they are "live all the time" or "off with ignition". Or at the very least, have one that's on all the time and one that's not so you can pick the one that fits you best. I currently have 3 cars in my garage, one has the sockets on at all times, one is sockets off with ignition, and the 3rd is impossible to figure out (It's a late model BMW).

So with the first two in my case, I just have to wire something in the fuse box if I want the opposite of what's available in that vehicle. the BMW I just manipulate the plug as needed and chalk it up to "gotta do what ya gotta do".

 

[franka]

The general concensus is that they are not recognised now as cig. lighter sockets but are power outlets, and on most new car a cigarette lighter is an optional extra. Usually they are wired to the auxilliary circuit and power down when you remove the key. This primarily is to prevent equipment being left powered on and draining the battery. Some cars will have a permantly on power outlet, most usually in the boot.
These outlets have a fairly large fuse backing them up[10A or greater] thus leaving a high current drain device on in an unoccupied car will soon run down the battery.

 

[SawMaster]

@Michael_K I understand the usual for car audio is yellow=always hot and red=switched. Of course there are exceptions. With the decline in smoking I think the carmakers would do well to adopt to a better standard for power sockets, as the ciggie-plug types aren't really as trouble-free as they should be, and it doesn't take such a large footprint to transfer the amperage being drawn from them. Adapters could be made to allow the devices currently being made to continue in use. But I don't see this happening as there would initially be too many complaints, especially if the new standard was not adopted by all car manufacturers at the same time.

Phil

 

[mollydog]

have you thought of getting power for the DVR with a piggyback fuse holder connected to afuse powering the electric windows or the internal heater fan or the heated rear window heater element? all these power down with ignition OFF with 99% of cars

 

[USDashCamera]

Maybe one of these, that will also give you more options t o plug stuff in.

https://www.hiniko.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=166_169&product_id=405

As i recall it have build in timer to combat always on cigarette plugs, and also manual power on / off

@niko can advise before shopping

i have one of these, OCDTronic sent me one for review. I tested it in my work truck which has always on ports. it works great.

One thing to note tho is a lot of cars alternator turns off while you are driving to prevent over charging the battery. It mentions this in the instructions but I either skimmed it or just assumed it wouldn't apply to me. I was having my dash cam shut off while driving because the alternator would shut off and the device would detect low voltage. I thought something was wrong with the truck. The work around to this is use the timer function, i set mine to 20 min. If the alternator shuts off while driving, its usually only for 5 minutes or so before it kicks back on. So with a 10 - 20 min timer, it should stay on long enough by the time the alternator kicks back on.