Knackered Battery??

Stampy

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Joined
Jan 19, 2018
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Location
Peterborough, UK
Country
United Kingdom
Dash Cam
Vantrue N5
I'm presuming that the battery on my 522GW has finally given up the ghost...

It's about 18 months old, and upon removing the dashcam from the car - you switch the camera on and it instantly flashes the battery symbol and shuts down after about 5 seconds.

I've taken in inside, and left it on charge overnight - but as soon as you unplug it from the mains - you get (if lucky) 15 seconds before it shuts back down again with a flat battery.

Works ok IN the car, as long as it's plugged in - and I get both the BLUE and RED lights on when driving....

Assuming that it IS the battery - how easy are they to replace and is it a DIY job*??


*I did have a 512 with a knackered battery, and tried to replace that - but it broke!!!
 
If the camera are able to be taken apart, changing a battery should not require massive tinkering skills or tools.
You probably need a soldering iron, to put in new battery or "splice" into the wire of old battery if it is plugged into the PCB

BUT ! not familiar with anyone taking one of these suckers apart.

I have changed battery in a few cameras over time, most often needing to reuse the plug on the old battery, so snip that off and solder the new battery to the 2 wires, and then shrink wrap the soldering.

The main thing is to get a new battery with the same size as the old one, if it have a little fewer MAH or more that do not matter, but it must fit in the place of the old one.
And the old one are often swollen so hard to gauge its exact measurements.
 
Assuming that it IS the battery - how easy are they to replace and is it a DIY job*??

Here is a video that should help you replace the battery. The model # is different but the cameras are so similar that it shouldn't matter.

P.S. My preference for securing the new battery is a small piece of 3M VHB tape rather than silicone as used in the video. This will make it easier to remove the battery in the future if you ever have a need to.

 
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Yeah deffo sounds like battery, one of our 312 does the same but turns straight off as soon as power disconnects. Think Nextbase charge around £10-12 for the battery itself or about £30 for them to change it.
 
Hi

I'd recommend performing a battery test:

1) Take your Dash Cam inside and plug it into mains power or a computer using the Nextbase provided USB cable.
2) Remove any rear Cameras or SD cards and press the reset button on the underside of the dash cam. Then turn the Dash Cam on. Please turn Parking Mode off and turn Screen Saver off as these could interfere with the test results.
3) Let it charge for 2-3 hours whilst turned off.
4) Unplug the power cable, turn the Dash Cam on and time how long the Dash Cam stays on for. The time it takes for the battery to drain will help us identify the root cause
5) Please remember that after this test your Dash Cam will once again need charging as the battery will be flat.

If the battery lasts for less than 3 minutes, the battery may have reached the end of it's lifespan.

I have also directly messaged you with the battery replacement options and 522GW battery replacement instructions.

Regards,
Millie- Nextbase Support
 
Hi

I'd recommend performing a battery test:

1) Take your Dash Cam inside and plug it into mains power or a computer using the Nextbase provided USB cable.
2) Remove any rear Cameras or SD cards and press the reset button on the underside of the dash cam. Then turn the Dash Cam on. Please turn Parking Mode off and turn Screen Saver off as these could interfere with the test results.
3) Let it charge for 2-3 hours whilst turned off.
4) Unplug the power cable, turn the Dash Cam on and time how long the Dash Cam stays on for. The time it takes for the battery to drain will help us identify the root cause
5) Please remember that after this test your Dash Cam will once again need charging as the battery will be flat.

If the battery lasts for less than 3 minutes, the battery may have reached the end of it's lifespan.

I have also directly messaged you with the battery replacement options and 522GW battery replacement instructions.

Regards,
Millie- Nextbase Support

Thanks for that, I’ll give it a go over the weekend and report back - been having a few internet problems at home.
 
Right, so I've followed the instructions above and I've got the following results after trying 3 times...

After at least a 4 hour charge (and one OVERNIGHT charge) - the battery lasts:-

15 seconds
10 seconds
4 seconds*

Think I'd better send it back to Nextbase for them to change the battery....

*I made a video of this and have uploaded it to YouTube (as this forum won't accept video's) - linked >>> HERE
 
It's even worse now.... IF my cigarette lighter plug stops feeding supply to the battery (the camera thinks the battery is full, possibly) the camera shuts down..
Have to press the button on the side to boot it up again...

Arrgghhh...
 
Yup- time to replace the battery. You'll probably be doing it again in another 18 months or so (and equally thereafter) so note the process well :(

Phil
 
It's even worse now.... IF my cigarette lighter plug stops feeding supply to the battery (the camera thinks the battery is full, possibly) the camera shuts down..
Have to press the button on the side to boot it up again...

Arrgghhh...
Hi there,

Please check your inbox for a reply from me regarding the battery replacement of your 522GW.

Regards,
Dan - Nextbase Technical Support
 
Thanks for that, I've replied about sending my camera back to you for repair - I'm going to be off-road (due to an injury) for a couple of weeks anyway.... :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for that, I've replied about sending my camera back to you for repair - I'm going to be off-road (due to an injury) for a couple of weeks anyway.... :rolleyes:
Hi there,

Sorry to hear that, we hope you make a speedy recovery, be sure to message us if you need any more help with this.

Regards,
Dan - Nextbase Technical Support.
 
It's no big deal guys, the battery isn't designed to power the device, but only to act as a power source in the event of an accident wiping out the vehicle electrics. NextBase supply a reasonably priced replacement battery along with instructions on how to do it, you may need to use a small soldering iron too. I'm a qualified electronics engineer, so for me I just buy a replacement battery at trade cost, put my blind fold on and 5 minutes later it's all done. If you don't feel confident to do it yourselves, NextBase have a very good battery replacement service at a reasonable price, which includes any software updates.
 
This is the second dead battery in 322GW. The first one lasted almost 2 years. Now this one is shot within 8 months. I have it wired to a fuse that is always on at 12 volts so it can monitor the car when I’m away.

Did I do something wrong? I think not. The batteries can’t handle the vibration from the Honda and end up becoming unstable.
 
Lithium batteries operate at their most efficient between about 35% and 85% AFAIK. If the cam is powered 24/7 then the battery has been at 100% for 8 months and its early demise doesn't surprise me.
 
Good to know! Apparently parking mode is a bad idea, because now the alternator is fried. Of course the wife driving a total of .8 miles everyday doesn’t help i can imagine the alternator isn’t even able to do it’s job properly and is working overtime. Old car battery died many times.
 
To me Parking Mode is a bit of a non starter, a nice selling tool or a bit of a gimmick, I would love to see some footage of useful film following a night time impact. Remembering that even with a rear camera, you will never catch anything from a side impact. Anyone got any footage they are willing to share?
 
Yup- time to replace the battery. You'll probably be doing it again in another 18 months or so (and equally thereafter) so note the process well :(

Phil

Correct, my replacement battery is now no longer holding a charge....

Will struggle along with it for another couple of months - and change brand...

Had a 312 and had to change batteries TWICE on that one in a year!!!
 
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