FuseTap - safe to use 30A lighter socket fuse? & how many A to use for the second fuse?

[Pete11]

Hi all,

I see a lot of motivated people and expertise on this forum; I hope to get help and answer these questions specific to my DashCam and car, so I can properly connect it.

1. Is the fuse used for the 12V lighter socket a safe source to tap (it’s a 30A fuse)?
2. How many A (amperes) should I use for the second fuse (the one that will power the DashCam)?

Specifications of the car plug/adapter (see picture): Output: 5V DC 2.4A/1.0A (MAX 3.4A)
Specifications of DashCam device (see picture): Input: 5V DC 2A
Also, please see a picture that I believe is self explanatory for how I intend to connect this.

Additional notes/considerations:
-Car model: Peugeot 308, year of manufacture: 2008.
-I only want the DashCam to work with ACC On (I don’t need parking mode); the 12V lighter socket only activates with ACC On which is great.
-Link to the assignment of the fuses (year 2008):https://fuse-box.info/peugeot/peugeot-308-t7-2007-2013-fuses#2007
-Link to the exact DashCam device:https://cdn-res.70mai.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/70mai-Smart-Dash-Cam-Pro-EN-2019.03.25.pdf

 

[LateralNW]

Hi all,

I see a lot of motivated people and expertise on this forum; I hope to get help and answer these questions specific to my DashCam and car, so I can properly connect it.

1. Is the fuse used for the 12V lighter socket a safe source to tap (it’s a 30A fuse)?
2. How many A (amperes) should I use for the second fuse (the one that will power the DashCam)?

Specifications of the car plug/adapter (see picture): Output: 5V DC 2.4A/1.0A (MAX 3.4A)
Specifications of DashCam device (see picture): Input: 5V DC 2A
Also, please see a picture that I believe is self explanatory for how I intend to connect this.

Additional notes/considerations:
-Car model: Peugeot 308, year of manufacture: 2008.
-I only want the DashCam to work with ACC On (I don’t need parking mode); the 12V lighter socket only activates with ACC On which is great.
-Link to the assignment of the fuses (year 2008):https://fuse-box.info/peugeot/peugeot-308-t7-2007-2013-fuses#2007
-Link to the exact DashCam device:https://cdn-res.70mai.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/70mai-Smart-Dash-Cam-Pro-EN-2019.03.25.pdf

Welcome @Pete11 to the forum.

It looks like you have it under control.
It's fine to connect the fuse leads to the cig lighter.
You will need to connect both battery and Aux wires so the camera can work.

3-5 amp fuses are fine.

You will read often on other threads that the fuses are to protect the wiring not the device which I also agree with.

Having a small size fuse eg 3amp may also save your camera but it will come down to a little luck too.

Lets us know how you go.
Cheers

 

[Pete11]

Welcome @Pete11 to the forum.

It looks like you have it under control.
It's fine to connect the fuse leads to the cig lighter.
You will need to connect both battery and Aux wires so the camera can work.

3-5 amp fuses are fine.

You will read often on other threads that the fuses are to protect the wiring not the device which I also agree with.

Having a small size fuse eg 3amp may also save your camera but it will come down to a little luck too.

Lets us know how you go.
Cheers

Thanks for the reply LateralNW,

That is promising to hear.

My main priority and concern is not to damage the circuit board/fuse box in the car or melt any cables. My logic is that it's better to draw power from a fuse that can support higher A instead of a lower A fuse to avoid overloading.
If anything goes wrong, I'd rather replace the burnt camera than take any damage to the car electronics.

So I'll go with tapping into the 30A fuse, and use a 3A fuse for the DashCam.


Cheers.

 

[Mtrev]

As lateralNW said, just use a 3 or 5A fuse, because you’re still using the supplied 12V adaptor, that will have a fuse in to protect the camera.
You’re just adding a concealed 12V socket parallel to the cars original one so it will operate the same.
I used this method to fit my wife’s garmin dash cam because she didn’t want to use parking mode but wanted a tidier fitment than just plugged in the cars socket with wires everywhere. I didn’t use a fuse tap though, I just soldered the wires in to the lighter socket wires.

 

[Nigel]

Is the fuse used for the 12V lighter socket a safe source to tap (it’s a 30A fuse)?

Lighter sockets can't normally handle 30A, so either you have that wrong, or maybe there are multiple lighter sockets that have lesser fuses somewhere.
Probably not an issue, but sometimes it is good to understand what is actually going on!

How many A (amperes) should I use for the second fuse (the one that will power the DashCam)?

Your dashcam is rated at 2 amps at 5 volts, so about 1 amps at 12 volts, so minimum fuse size is 1 amp.
The fuse is really to protect the cable from fire in the case of a short circuit, so the maximum fuse rating is whatever the 12 volt cable is rated at. If you don't know the cable rating then it is best to keep the fuse small, somewhere between 1 amp and 5 amps.

 

[Pete11]

Lighter sockets can't normally handle 30A, so either you have that wrong, or maybe there are multiple lighter sockets that have lesser fuses somewhere.
Probably not an issue, but sometimes it is good to understand what is actually going on!

It’s correct according to the user manual, it’s a 30A fuse. There are 2 sockets (1 in the front & 1 in the trunk). There isn’t anything in the manual/fuse box assignment about another fuse for either of them. Also, all Peugeot models of around that year have the same 30A fuse, and that is higher than other car manufacturers from what I found when searching for recommendations.

Your dashcam is rated at 2 amps at 5 volts, so about 1 amps at 12 volts, so minimum fuse size is 1 amp.
The fuse is really to protect the cable from fire in the case of a short circuit, so the maximum fuse rating is whatever the 12 volt cable is rated at. If you don't know the cable rating then it is best to keep the fuse small, somewhere between 1 amp and 5 amps.

The cable rating is unknown, so I’ll use a 2A fuse for the DashCam.

===
Another thing I’m not sure I understand correctly is if drawing power from a higher 30A rated fuse, poses a lower risk to damage the car fusebox compared to drawing power from a lower, let’s say 5A rated fuse? (I’m more concerned not to damage the car fuse box, I can always replace a damaged DashCam).

I’ll always provide 12V to the adapter for the DashCam that will transform it into 5V regardless of which fuse I tap into, or even if I connect the adapter directly to the car battery.
Then, was the A (amperage) or current, the load that the car cable thickness, dashboard circuit and fuse were designed to support? Meaning that if I draw power from the 30A fuse, there should never be an overload issue as the DashCam won’t draw more than 2A, making it practically impossible to draw 32A; however, if I tap into a 5A fuse, and the current used for the original purpose is already reaching 5A, and my DashCam is there on top requiring additional 2A of current, will it damage/melt the wires in the car and fusebox that were designed to support max. 5A?

Thanks

 

[Nigel]

Another thing I’m not sure I understand correctly is if drawing power from a higher 30A rated fuse, poses a lower risk to damage the car fusebox compared to drawing power from a lower, let’s say 5A rated fuse?

Normally, things are rated with a x% safety margin. At 30A, the x% is a lot more than at 5A, so yes, using a 30A fuse to drive a dashcam is less likely to overload the car fuse box, cables, relays etc. than using a 5A fuse. Also, the 30A accessory sockets are intended to general use so are likely to be well over rated while a 5A fuse is quite likely to be for something specific that was never going to draw the full 5A anyway, so they may well have switched it using a 5A relay where the 5A is an absolute maximum for reliable operation.

 

[Pete11]

Thanks Nigel!

That explains it well, and gives me enough confidence to connect it.

Cheers