Hardwire Fuses

[Moahm]

Hi,
I am trying to hardwire a dash cam after upgrading to a new model.
I was wondering which fuse to use. My previous experience is that my dashcam always drained my battery if plugged in and I didnt use my car for a week or so.
Do I use fuses that have constant power (power mirrors or locks etc) or just acc wire (radio etc)
I dont want to have any battery draining issues if I use a constant power fuse.

Thanks.

 

[Kremmen]

In my experience it's best to try and find a fuse that only becomes active at ignition position 2. They, in my experience, are the ones less likely to lose power when the starter motor is cranked.

Wiring in a dashcam does require a multimeter to find a suitable fuse.

Fortunately for me, all Honda's since about 2006 have incorporated a special multi pin port that accepts an 'option connector' so no fuse piggyback is required.

 

[Moahm]

In my experience it's best to try and find a fuse that only becomes active at ignition position 2. They, in my experience, are the ones less likely to lose power when the starter motor is cranked.

Wiring in a dashcam does require a multimeter to find a suitable fuse.

Fortunately for me, all Honda's since about 2006 have incorporated a special multi pin port that accepts an 'option connector' so no fuse piggyback is required.

Ok. So what do I check with the multimeter? Also if the power is cut when the car turns off..wont the time/date etc on the dashcam get reset too?
It will be my first time hardwiring so appreciate any tips/tricks

Thanks

 

[Kremmen]

AFAIK all dashcams have a built in RTC battery to retain date/time/settings.

By using a multimeter to test which fuses only become live, touch the negative probe to metal and the positive probe to one of the fuse exposed metal dots on the outside of each fuse. No need to remove any fuses. By turning the ignition on and off you will be able to ascertain what fuse does what. IGN1, IGN2 or permanent power.

Again, from my experience, the vast majority of 'ACC' fuses, ignition position 1, lose power when the starter motor is turning and that gives most dashcams a problem as they go into power down and don't recover.

 

[Ralph2]

If you want parking mode you will have to find a fuse that is powered all the time. If you only want the camera to record while driving an ACC only fuse is needed. Some hard wire kits require both. Most (some?) cameras have internal settings to limit minimum voltage and prevent draining your battery.
Your fuses will have names, pick ones that are not essential to tap into. Most radios are ACC only so that is a safe one to pick. I picked brake lights for my always on fuse. Some (mine) fuse boxes come with empty slots, using a multimeter one can determine when they are powered and possibly save using a piggy back. AND.. to complicate things, most new cars have leak detection which may shut off a circuit after some time if it detects an undocumented use.

 

[Moahm]

AFAIK all dashcams have a built in RTC battery to retain date/time/settings.

By using a multimeter to test which fuses only become live, touch the negative probe to metal and the positive probe to one of the fuse exposed metal dots on the outside of each fuse. No need to remove any fuses. By turning the ignition on and off you will be able to ascertain what fuse does what. IGN1, IGN2 or permanent power.

Again, from my experience, the vast majority of 'ACC' fuses, ignition position 1, lose power when the starter motor is turning and that gives most dashcams a problem as they go into power down and don't recover.

Got it. Thanks

 

[Moahm]

If you want parking mode you will have to find a fuse that is powered all the time. If you only want the camera to record while driving an ACC only fuse is needed. Some hard wire kits require both. Most (some?) cameras have internal settings to limit minimum voltage and prevent draining your battery.
Your fuses will have names, pick ones that are not essential to tap into. Most radios are ACC only so that is a safe one to pick. I picked brake lights for my always on fuse. Some (mine) fuse boxes come with empty slots, using a multimeter one can determine when they are powered and possibly save using a piggy back. AND.. to complicate things, most new cars have leak detection which may shut off a circuit after some time if it detects an undocumented use.

Thabks for the info. As for the empty slots what amp fuse should I use for dashcam?
Is there a way to know if a dashcam has the setting to prevent battery draining?
I have a 2nd gen escape..nothing fancy with electronics

 

[AS87]

Ok. So what do I check with the multimeter? Also if the power is cut when the car turns off..wont the time/date etc on the dashcam get reset too?

Search for a 12V tester pen on Amazon, you can use that to test which fuse can be used for the hardwiring step.


It remembers the settings when the power to the dashcam is cut off so no need to worry about the date and time going off track.

Thabks for the info. As for the empty slots what amp fuse should I use for dashcam?
Is there a way to know if a dashcam has the setting to prevent battery draining?
I have a 2nd gen escape..nothing fancy with electronics

As for the empty slots that are available, check if they have a power source in them or not using this 12V tester pen. For the dashcam hardwiring circuit, use a 5A fuse at the max.

Some dashcam manufacturers provide hardwiring with a battery voltage monitoring system that cuts off power to the dashcam the moment the voltage reaches the cut-off point. For example the Viofo HK-4 hardwiring kit. You can look up about it on the website for further details.

 

[Ralph2]

Thabks for the info. As for the empty slots what amp fuse should I use for dashcam?
Is there a way to know if a dashcam has the setting to prevent battery draining?
I have a 2nd gen escape..nothing fancy with electronics

Dash cams use very little power and the leads are thin. Use a low amp fuse ~ 5 is lots. Download the instructions from any brands you are considering, If the camera has that feature it will be listed with the variables that are available to you.