Focus ST3 and dashcam battery pack

Rattlehead.ie

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Hi all

Wondering if anyone has come across an issue with a dashcam and hardwired batterypack, this is in a Ford Focus ST.
I'm having major issues and 2 x Blackvue B124 batterypacks swapped out (although no fault found with them)

I have a case open with the vendor, but what I'm experiencing is the dashcam doesn't get power. and the batterypack stops showing up on bluetooth for me to connect to it. (verified with Android and Apple phone)
I have checked the car battery and alternator and everything looks ok (battery does drop to 9.6v on crank) but other than that all values are perfectly normal. Voltage going to the batterypack from the fuse board (hardwired) is as expected as well.

I have a suspicion that the cabling between the batterypack and dashcam is fault and therefore the batterypack turns itself off when there is no draw from the camera and Ive asked this of the vendor. However, just wondering if anyone else has come across this.

/Rattlhe
 
How is the battery connected to the dashcam? The female cigarette lighter or a special hardwire cable?
 
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the reply. Its using the female cig lighter.
When the B-124 was replaced the fuse and cables between fuseboard and batterypack were swapped out, (as well as the battery) I dont believe anything from the battery to the dashcam was swapped out.
 
That sounds weird. I assume the battery seems to charge when the engine is running?
Also I assume the dashcam works ok just plugged into the cigarette lighter in the car?
 
When at times the battery does show up and I connect to it via bluetooth, it just has a 0% beside the battery but with the warning "Not in Use"
WhatsApp Image 2020-01-21 at 13.42.57.jpeg
 
In this case I would be connecting the battery input using the cigarette lighter lead instead of hardwiring to the fusebox as it looks like the battery is not charging for some reason. There should be some lights on the battery which indicate what it is doing.

Also interesting is the temperature is 2c. A review mentioned the B-112 refuses to charge when the temperature is to low, maybe blackvue have a low temperature cutoff in the firmware?
 
Its really bugging me as it should work. The b124 stops charging at 0 degrees. Screenshot was a cold moring, always the same even middle of the day.
Might do the cig lighter as a test5 for a while.
 
Interestingly I just had a look. The battery is connected to fuse port F87 in my focus which is remarked as 15amp rating. However some of the videos I've watched all mention 20amp. Fuse ports 88 is 25amp and free and 89 has nothing remarked against it......should I try these instead?
20200121_203937.jpg

20200121_203032.jpg
 
I think Fuse 88 might be constant live, Fuse 89 might or might not have power behind it.
You need a switched live really though. I don't know if anyone else on dashcamtalk has any ideas?

I have several fuses in my fiesta marked as Not Used which are actually constant live.

My cellink is hardwired to the fuse for Active City Stop as I don't have that in my car.

Also probably stating the obvious, but make sure the fuse isn't blown!
 
it would seem we have gotten to the bottom of the trail of issue(s)
When the unit was first installed after 4 days I needed to connect the fuse - battery connector back in as it was loose.
Issues started again a few days later; battery and fuse tap cable swapped out. Worked for a short period.
Issue started again.

On inspecting yesterday of the cable connector that goes into the B124, we noted that of the 2 copper inner of the connector. One was not only black in most parts but also ionised.
Swapped that out yesterday and so far so good and all values look within range. I might need a new car battery soon but that was kinda expected.

Hopefully thats the last of the issues. Thanks @joe384 for your advice and input.

/Rattle
 
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