A118C capacitor failure

[Southerngt]

I have an A118C from 2015 that started to randomly reboot, then constantly reboot, then not turn on. I thought it may be my power supply so I tested on an external power supply and had the same issues. When I took the device apart I noticed some leakage of the super capacitors. I replaced these with 2.7v 3.3f super capacitors rated to 70c and was able to get the device running smoothly again.

I think the manufacturer may be using non automotive temperature rated super capacitors as these are expensive and hard to source. Even the ones I replaced them with are not automotive temperature rated (125c),but were the highest temp rated I could find.

Just wanted to share because I'm sure people will have issues if their car is in the sun or if they live in a hot climate. This fix is $5 and relatively easy.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Is this a Viofo camera or a copy?

 

[Southerngt]

Is this a Viofo camera or a copy?

Bought on Amazon from "spytec" in March 2015. Not sure if it is Viofo or a copy. The capacitors were green and marked "nanoforce d0a." it worked fine for a year and a half. I doubt Viofo or any other manufacturer is using automotive temperature grade supercapacitors. These devices will eventually fail in a couple years, even faster in hotter climates.

 

[Gibson99]

back then there weren't any copies yet. i haven't had the (ironically named) "DOA" caps fail on mine, but then again, mine have not been in use for quite some time, since i got the A119. that said, i'm probably about to retire the old blacksys cf-100 in my wife's car that is occasionally locking up for no reason, and will bring the a118c back into service as a rear cam.

 

[Nigel]

Supercaps are all much the same with the same maximum temperature and a parked car can get very close to that temperature in full summer sunshine.
They do survive a few degrees more than a lithium battery so are good to use but they wont last forever at 90C.

Where do you live?
Do you leave it parked in the sun frequently?
And is the camera left on while parked?

 

[lampsy_8]

I have an A118C from 2015 that started to randomly reboot, then constantly reboot, then not turn on. I thought it may be my power supply so I tested on an external power supply and had the same issues. When I took the device apart I noticed some leakage of the super capacitors. I replaced these with 2.7v 3.3f super capacitors rated to 70c and was able to get the device running smoothly again.

I think the manufacturer may be using non automotive temperature rated super capacitors as these are expensive and hard to source. Even the ones I replaced them with are not automotive temperature rated (125c),but were the highest temp rated I could find.

Just wanted to share because I'm sure people will have issues if their car is in the sun or if they live in a hot climate. This fix is $5 and relatively easy.

I am using b40d version of the a118 cam. And replaced the original car lighter power adapter with a usb cable for a car usb charger. used to work smooth about a year and now it does not records sometimes. It stops recording by itself. The only solution is to stop and restart recording manually. and when i switch off the igniton it does not power of normally. screen goes of blurring and the last video does not recorded. At this point I think it happens because of capacitor. I would like to change the capacitor. At this point does it work with a bigger capacitor for example 2.7 V 10 F ?

 

[SawMaster]

You could probably go with somewhat larger caps safely if you can fit them in the case. There's a chance the cap charging system might not be able to charge them fully, in which case you'd still still have a similar problem.

Before changing caps I'd try another PS and cable- if either of those degraded over time you could get similar symptoms to what you have now. Best to avoid "CCA" cables (copper-clad aluminum) as those degrade rapidly but it's not always stated in the specs for cables. Monoprice does good cables and are cheap for the quality.

Phil

 

[GTA Driver]

I have a similar problem with my a118c2. It will be on for a bit and reboot. Its at the back of my Rav and I assumed it was cord issue as it was happening when I hit a bump. Also, the connection can get bent due to the top of the door. Today, I tried a never before used cable that came with either an old blackberry or digital camera and connected to a battery pack. Doing the same thing only it does not take long for it to reboot. When I plug into a computer

1. it shows a display, an image
2. blue screen with the message "low battery" (huh, I thought it was a capacitor)
3. then mass storage, with no flashing or rebooting.

In the past, it went directly to #3

The same battery pack and cables don't seem to adversely effect my Mobius

Trouble shooting I will try

• Try in the same USB connection for my A119
• another battery pack
• These USB i found when cleaning an office -try on my A119