A129 Duo No Longer Recording in Parking Mode

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unrecognized88

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Hello all - I haven't been on here in almost 3 years since installing my A129 Duo (hardwired with the kit) in my car and my wife's car. Running into an issue, so here I am.

The unit in my car is still running strong, I believe. I haven't noticed any issues and, to be honest, I don't check the videos often. The only time that I have the camera on is when I am driving to/from work and parked in the building's garage which is approximately 40-45 hours per week. When at home, the cams are disconnected since we both park in our house garage.

Her car is a hybrid - 2014 Lexus ES300h. I made sure that the auxiliary 12V AGM battery in the trunk is fully charged by connecting it to a NOCO battery charger. It's driven to work once a week and we use it as the weekend car to run errands. I recently noticed that this A129 is not recording for more than 2 hours while in parking mode. It used to be able to go about 50 hours (with the rear camera disconnected) when she was working from home and we had the car reverse-parked in our apartment garage.

Both cams are using the Sandisk 256GB High Endurance SD cards and, if I remember correctly, are both on 1.9 firmware. Both cards also gets a memory wipe every 30 days.

Before I start tearing into the car, any ideas what could be the issue?
 
unrecognized88 said:
Hello all - I haven't been on here in almost 3 years since installing my A129 Duo (hardwired with the kit) in my car and my wife's car. Running into an issue, so here I am.

The unit in my car is still running strong, I believe. I haven't noticed any issues and, to be honest, I don't check the videos often. The only time that I have the camera on is when I am driving to/from work and parked in the building's garage which is approximately 40-45 hours per week. When at home, the cams are disconnected since we both park in our house garage.

Her car is a hybrid - 2014 Lexus ES300h. I made sure that the auxiliary 12V AGM battery in the trunk is fully charged by connecting it to a NOCO battery charger. It's driven to work once a week and we use it as the weekend car to run errands. I recently noticed that this A129 is not recording for more than 2 hours while in parking mode. It used to be able to go about 50 hours (with the rear camera disconnected) when she was working from home and we had the car reverse-parked in our apartment garage.

Both cams are using the Sandisk 256GB High Endurance SD cards and, if I remember correctly, are both on 1.9 firmware. Both cards also gets a memory wipe every 30 days.

Before I start tearing into the car, any ideas what could be the issue?
Click to expand...
Did you fixed your problem?
 
quangdaika said:
Did you fixed your problem?
Click to expand...
Lol I have not. I need to reformat the card to see if that works. The camera powers on and works fine when driving, but I've always been worried about it when we park somewhere and leave for a bit. Been almost a year since I posted about the issue, so I need to get off my lazy behind and just do it.

@CaptureYourAction - Is the sdformatter link you provided still the best way to reformat?4

Should I be updating firmware or just keep it on the current 1.9? If I need to update, then what is the difference between these two firmwares on the Viofo site? https://www.viofo.com/pages/firmware
 
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unrecognized88 said:
Lol I have not. I need to reformat the card to see if that works. The camera powers on and works fine when driving, but I've always been worried about it when we park somewhere and leave for a bit. Been almost a year since I posted about the issue, so I need to get off my lazy behind and just do it.

@CaptureYourAction - Is the sdformatter link you provided still the best way to reformat?4

Should I be updating firmware or just keep it on the current 1.9? If I need to update, then what is the difference between these two firmwares on the Viofo site? https://www.viofo.com/pages/firmware
Click to expand...
That's how I would format it.

Place both firmware files on the card and update. The camera will select the correct version for your model.
 
CaptureYourAction said:
That's how I would format it.

Place both firmware files on the card and update. The camera will select the correct version for your model.
Click to expand...
Did the reformat using a quick reformat option. It's reformatted but showing exfat. Was this supposed to be FAT32? I remember something about that... it's a Sandisk 256GB High Endurance SD
 
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unrecognized88 said:
Did the reformat using a quick reformat option. It's reformatted but showing exfat. Was this supposed to be FAT32? I remember something about that... it's a Sandisk 256GB High Endurance SD
Click to expand...

A little known fact about the sdformatter is it will format based on the size of the memory stick. In 'olden days', you could select the format type but no longer. Your card should work regardless, so stick it in the camera and power up the camera, if it prompts for a format then let the camera do the format. You should be good to go.
 
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lufa6977 said:
A little know fact about the sdformatter is it will format based on the size of the memory stick. In 'olden days', you could select the format type but no longer. Your card should work regardless, so stick it in the camera and power up the camera, if it prompts for a format then let the camera do the format. You should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Ok I went ahead and reformatted it while it was in the camera as well. I'm going to keep an eye on it since I'm home today and see if it powers off at any point. Both front and rear are running right now. If not, then I'm going to do the full overwrite like CaptureYourAction initially suggested 2 years ago lol (I just scrolled back and saw that part).

Edit: LOL it did not even last 15 minutes. Going for full overwrite now.
 
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If I get two years out of one of these SDXC cards I consider myself lucky. The cards take a heck of a beating with the constant streaming read and writes. You may end up needing a new card, if so, everyone's mileage seems to vary on cards. Best bet is to go with the VIOFO recommend cards.

VIOFO Card List

I have had good luck with the San Disk Max Endurance cards.
 
lufa6977 said:
If I get two years out of one of these SDXC cards I consider myself lucky. The cards take a heck of a beating with the constant streaming read and writes. You may end up needing a new card, if so, everyone's mileage seems to vary on cards. Best bet is to go with the VIOFO recommend cards.

VIOFO Card List

I have had good luck with the San Disk Max Endurance cards.
Click to expand...
I installed two of these cameras with the same SD card into my car (98 Lexus GS400) and my wife's car (14 Lexus ES300h Hybrid) at the same time and mine currently has no issues (knock on wood). Her car does get more use though since it's our weekend family car, while my car only gets used during the week for a work commute. When we get home though, we always unplug our cameras since we both park in our home garage.

Back then this Sandisk High Endurance was on the recommended list, but I'll look into a new card if everything else fails. I still need to check to see if I should update the firmware, but don't see that being the issue if the one in my car is still working just fine. I'll need to recheck the wiring in case the BATT(?) wire might've come loose or possibly switch the hardwire kit to 12.2v if it's not already there.
 
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unrecognized88 said:
I installed two of these cameras with the same SD card into my car (98 Lexus GS400) and my wife's car (14 Lexus ES300h Hybrid) at the same time and mine currently has no issues (knock on wood). Her car does get more use though since it's our weekend family car, while my car only gets used during the week for a work commute. When we get home though, we always unplug our cameras since we both park in our home garage.

Back then this Sandisk High Endurance was on the recommended list, but I'll look into a new card if everything else fails. I still need to check to see if I should update the firmware, but don't see that being the issue if the one in my car is still working just fine. I'll need to recheck the wiring in case the BATT(?) wire might've come loose or possibly switch the hardwire kit to 12.2v if it's not already there.
Click to expand...

Certainly the cards will last longer if drive and parking usage is moderate. I have maybe 5 hours of drive and parking per day on my cards and they are still going strong, even the VIOFO brands. The San Disk High Endurance became programmatic for some people, so it is not on the preferred list of cards.

As far as firmware, the latest is V2.91_20240913 and fixes unknown bugs and adds in compatibility for the BlueTooth button. I do not use BT so I can't comment on it but I did notice an improvement in video image quality (or my mind thinks so) with the later firmware.

VIOFO Firmware Support Page

I am not big on updating FW unless I have an issue, however, VIOFO does seem to fix unknown bugs, improve image, and add features. I have yet to have an FW of theirs brick any of my dash cams but as the saying goes, 'your mileage may vary'.

edit: incorrect FW version...whoops!
 
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lufa6977 said:
Certainly the cards will last longer if drive and parking usage is moderate. I have maybe 5 hours of drive and parking per day on my cards and they are still going strong, even the VIOFO brands. The San Disk High Endurance became programmatic for some people, so it is not on the preferred list of cards.

As far as firmware, the latest is V2.91_20240913 and fixes unknown bugs and adds in compatibility for the BlueTooth button. I do not use BT so I can't comment on it but I did notice an improvement in video image quality (or my mind thinks so) with the later firmware.

VIOFO Firmware Support Page

I am not big on updating FW unless I have an issue, however, VIOFO does seem to fix unknown bugs, improve image, and add features. I have yet to have an FW of theirs brick any of my dash cams but as the saying goes, 'your mileage may vary'.
Click to expand...
Welp the second reformat didn't work either. I am now trying to charge up the 12V battery that is in the trunk with my Noco battery charger to make sure it's full. I also checked the cutoff and it was set at 12.0V, so I moved it to 12.2V.

Your comment on the firmware version confused me at first because I wasn't seeing the v2.91 on Viofo's page. Then I realized I have the A129 Duo, while you have the A129 Pro Duo. Looks like I have v2.5 available for download, so I'll try that next. Just to confirm the steps:
- Download both files
- Place both files into the SD card (per CaptureYourAction's Post #5)
- Insert card into camera and power on
- Reformat?

How do I know which file to delete after if I place both files on the card?
 
Whoops! You are correct about the FW, I absent mindedly went to the FW for my A129 Pro Duo. šŸ˜±

Yes, those instructions should work. Be certain to put the FW files in the root or home directory, if not the dash cam will not find the files. After the update, you should do a reset with the reset button (use toothpick), FW files will be automatically deleted for you, as for format, that should not be necessary but if it offers to format, then let it format. Once you are into the menu, you can also do a reset there that will take all the options back to the factory default. That is probably not necessary but can't hurt, you will just need to reenter your personalized settings.
 
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lufa6977 said:
Whoops! You are correct about the FW, I absent mindedly went to the FW for my A129 Pro Duo. šŸ˜±

Yes, those instructions should work. Be certain to put the FW files in the root or home directory, if not the dash cam will not find the files. After the update, you should do a reset with the reset button (use toothpick), FW files will be automatically deleted for you, as for format, that should not be necessary but if it offers to format, then let it format. Once you are into the menu, you can also do a reset there that will take all the options back to the factory default. That is probably not necessary but can't hurt, you will just need to reenter your personalized settings.
Click to expand...
How do I put the FW files in the root or home directory and where does that fall in the steps below? It's been so long that I don't remember the steps I took to do these installs lol.

Recopying steps so I have the latest:
- Download both files
- Place both files into the SD card (per CaptureYourAction's Post #5)
- Insert card into camera and power on and it will update automatically
- Reset using toothpick (Unused FW will get deleted)
- Format again if offered.
 
unrecognized88 said:
How do I put the FW files in the root or home directory and where does that fall in the steps below? It's been so long that I don't remember the steps I took to do these installs lol.

Recopying steps so I have the latest:
- Download both files
- Place both files into the SD card (per CaptureYourAction's Post #5)
- Insert card into camera and power on and it will update automatically
- Reset using toothpick (Unused FW will get deleted)
- Format again if offered.
Click to expand...
After the camera reboots from the firmware update, go into the settings and manually default the cameras settings (there is an option for this). After it reboots again, then press and hold the hard reset button on the side of the camera for about 5 seconds.

Root directory just means not to put the files in any folders that may be on the card.
 
unrecognized88 said:
How do I put the FW files in the root or home directory and where does that fall in the steps below? It's been so long that I don't remember the steps I took to do these installs lol.

Recopying steps so I have the latest:
- Download both files
- Place both files into the SD card (per CaptureYourAction's Post #5)
- Insert card into camera and power on and it will update automatically
- Reset using toothpick (Unused FW will get deleted)
- Format again if offered.
Click to expand...

You can do as CYA mentioned above, that provides a good return to zero, so to speak. The reset part is always up for debate, even looking at the A129 Duo help page on VIOFO and they do not mention resetting, nor is it in the manual, that I could find. For other cameras they will mention to do a reset and often VIOFO support will recommend a reset. You can reset after the flash, and after the manual default reset in the menu. I generally only reset after the flash and have not had any issues but for certain, if you are having a software feature issue or imaging issues, doing a manual reset to default values and then the external reset is a very good idea.
 
lufa6977 said:
You can do as CYA mentioned above, that provides a good return to zero, so to speak. The reset part is always up for debate, even looking at the A129 Duo help page on VIOFO and they do not mention resetting, nor is it in the manual, that I could find. For other cameras they will mention to do a reset and often VIOFO support will recommend a reset. You can reset after the flash, and after the manual default reset in the menu. I generally only reset after the flash and have not had any issues but for certain, if you are having a software feature issue or imaging issues, doing a manual reset to default values and then the external reset is a very good idea.
Click to expand...
Ok so I went through all the steps that you and @CaptureYourAction suggested.

- I put the card with the two files on it into the camera and it updated and restarted.
- I went into camera settings and reset everything to default.
- I did the hard reset using a paperclip held to the button on the side.

Then I selected my original settings, turned the car off, and this time I stayed in the car to time it. It lasted a whopping 1 min 30 secs before turning off lol.

I've made sure my 12v AGM battery was fully charged (recharged it earlier with my Noco battery charger). However.... this is the original battery that came with the car in 2014....

Cutoff was moved from 12V to 12.2V.

Wiring seemed fine and shouldn't be the issue since parking mode comes on, but just shuts off after 1 min 30 sec.

Guess it is just time for a new card... Nothing else that it could be right? The camera can't be malfunctioning can it? It works fine when the car is on and while we drive. It's just parking mode that's the issue.
 
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If you start the car, and leave it running, does the memory card work fine? IF it is only failing on the Parking Mode, there may be an issue with the HK3 or a setting in the camera. To prove the camera you could take the card from the other A129 and try it, if camera works fine then the issue is the original card.

What is the option Parking Recording Timer set to?
 
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lufa6977 said:
If you start the car, and leave it running, does the memory card work fine? IF it is only failing on the Parking Mode, there may be an issue with the HK3 or a setting in the camera. To prove the camera you could take the card from the other A129 and try it, if camera works fine then the issue is the original card.

What is the option Parking Recording Timer set to?
Click to expand...
Yep the camera works just fine when the car is on and running.

Just swapped cards and her newly formatted card worked fine on my camera in my car. Started up immediately and stayed on past the 1 min 30 sec mark.

Put my card into her camera and nada.

Then I swapped her entire camera with the newly formatted card into my car and it immediately powered up and stayed on past the 1 min 30 sec mark.

When I plugged my entire camera into her car, it wouldn't power up at all. Had to press the Start Button to turn the car On and have ACC on. So it was doing the same thing her cameras been doing and shutting back off after 1 min 30 sec.

Card must be fine then right?

"Parking Recording Timer" must be new. That wasn't a setting on the previous firmware that I had. It's currently set at 24 hour though.

Attached pics of settings. Frequenzy is set for 60hz
 

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There is a 90 second delay from when the hardwire kit senses voltage below the cutoff and when it actually powers off the camera.
 
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