Wake from Parking Mode

[Billaboard]

My M6+ has worked well for ages now, but a few weeks ago the ddPai cigar lighter plug started to go very intermittent, so recording was also very iffy. The socket in my car is permanently powered, so the M6+ used to switch automatically between parking and normal.

I also suspect that the battery in the M6+ no longer holds any charge.

I replaced the cigar plug with a dual usb one with voltage and current readout on the top face. The M6+ now records and drops into parking mode, but then appears to switch off completely. When running, the meter shows it taking 0.5 amps, which then switches to 0.0 amps when off. From this state, it doesn't wake when I drive off, and it's hard to see how it can when not apparently being powered up.

I can wake it by unplugging and replugging it in, so this is my current workaround.

Have I missed something in the settings, or is it broken?

 

[jokiin]

If the battery is starting to fail you'll find the camera will get flakey

 

[Billaboard]

If the battery is starting to fail you'll find the camera will get flakey

Well, the camera seems to remember its date and time in spite of sitting with no power for many days because of the failing usb charger.

Can the correct battery, with the same connector, be bought somewhere? I see it's a 502030 battery, but ebay shows them with several different connectors. I'm also nervous about the fire risk with cheap batteries.

 

[jokiin]

You could replace the battery, you will likely have to cut and join the wires, don't think you will find one with the same connector

 

[Billaboard]

Well, having left the M6+ plugged in for a few days, the way it responds seems to be changing for the better. It now sometimes awakes from parking mode as it should, sometimes after a random time after the car hits the road. I'm now changing some of the timing parameters to see if that helps.

It would be good to know how the M6 knows the car has started and it's time to change to non time lapse mode

I am reluctant to delve inside and try to change the battery for one sourced from some unknown person across the globe, bearing in mind the fire risk with these things. Looking at the readings on the usb plug, it seems the 5volts and 0.5 amps to the M6 is fairly constant even when the starter motor is drawing heavy current. If there is a power glitch there, I wonder whether building a small interface with a small capacitor sitting across the usb supply would even things out?

In an ideal world, ddPai ought to supply a genuine replacement battery with diagrams showing how to do the job.

 

[Billaboard]

Hello friend, 1, the problem is not related to its built-in battery; 2, the built-in battery can't be replaced by DIY; 3, The purpose of built-in battery is: 1), take off the camera from the bracket for recording freely; 2), save the last video clip when external power cuts off; 4, As you set "parking monitor", it means the camera wakes up from parking mode by activating G-sensor; 5, You could check M4 plus Amazon listing page picture No.5 to see how its parking monitor works; 6, However, we DO NOT recommend to use parking monitor for M4 Plus(M6 plus) because of with built-in battery especially in hot summer day; 7, We recommend to use parking monitor for mini or mini2 because both are using built-in supercapacitor, it means mini and mini2 has higher working temperature limit, thanks.

Thanks for the reply, Fabio and good to see more posting here.

My M6+ is now powered from a USB car plug, after the original one failed, which measures the current it takes. As I said before it measured at 0.5 amps fairly consistently, and was working well again with the failed battery inside.
Yesterday, I noticed that the current had increased to 0.8 amps and the cam was getting hot in the cool evening, so today I have cracked open the M6+. The battery, which was covered in a very sticky wrap, looks to me as if it has expanded, so I have removed it.
I've lightly clipped the camera back together and checked it in the car. It seems to work without the battery and is now back down to 0.5 amps. I appreciate that it won't save the last video if power is lost, but feel much safer now.

I used the pictures on this page as a guide
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/ddpai-m6-plus-battery-replacement.21018/page-2
but had to use a very sharp small screwdriver for the initial break-in. The clips all seem to have survived.

The only embarrassment is that a small piece of black plastic approx 1.8 x 2.2 cm is left over. Anyone know where it goes?

PS Parking mode seems back to normal now. I believe the failing original car adapter had completely confused it.