Hardwiring a SG9665GC Help!

[jokiin]

a multi-meter is the better option, if that's not available get an LED test light, the old school test lights as pictured were great in their day but can lead to problems with the electronics in more modern cars, need to be careful

 

[CCClarke]

Warning: That appears to be for some other brand, and also appears to be passing along the full 12 volts, instead of having a transformer to bring it down to 5v. If you put 12v into it, it will likely burn out instantly.

Correction: It sounds like you're referring to a step-down transformer, which is not applicable to this situation. Transformers work with AC; an automobile's electrical system runs @ 12v DC. (The exception being the generator which creates AC and is subsequently rectified before being placed in parallel with the battery bus.)

What is needed (to reduce the 12v system bus to the 5v levels required by the dashcam ) is a DC regulator or a DC-DC converter, which can perform the same function. The CellPower unit from Pier 28 (subsequently mentioned) is a simple, compact solution.

CC

 

[Rhody401]

Correction: It sounds like you're referring to a step-down transformer, which is not applicable to this situation. Transformers work with AC; an automobile's electrical system runs @ 12v DC. (The exception being the generator which creates AC and is subsequently rectified before being placed in parallel with the battery bus.)

What is needed (to reduce the 12v system bus to the 5v levels required by the dashcam ) is a DC regulator or a DC-DC converter, which can perform the same function. The CellPower unit from Pier 28 (subsequently mentioned) is an simple solution.

CC

Yes but my advice was still correct putting 12 volts into something that requires 5 volt will most likely cook it

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone using the Tapatalk app.

 

[Rhody401]

Yes but my advice was still correct putting 12 volts into something that requires 5 volt will most likely cook it

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone using the Tapatalk app.

Ps: thank you for correcting the terminology

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone using the Tapatalk app.

 

[CCClarke]

No problem. This seems to be a pretty popular thread, which implies there are a lot of owners who are having questions about connecting their dashcams to ignition-switched power. Like the previous poster who demonstrated how to perform the wiring for this job in about the most unreliable method imaginable, accuracy is important when anyone tries to explain to someone with little or no experience how to perform a task they find to be easy.

A prime example is last week's YouTube video that demonstrated how to "uncover" the hidden headphone jack by drilling into the top of the iPhone 7, --with predictable results. Honestly, I thought it was hilarious, but for someone who actually drilled into the edge of their phone, it was anything but.

The quality of any Q&A forum is only as good as the accuracy of the information members provide to one another in order to help them with their questions. What may seem easy for you or I might be considered black magic to someone else. (And vice-versa!)

Cheers!

 

[Gibson99]

if you can't find anything on the Pontiac Vibe, try looking up its sister car, the Toyota Matrix. they share almost everything except exterior trim and lights.

The lighter socket should NOT be live when the key is off, so it's a good circuit to tap into. same for power windows. i don't recommend hooking up anything to a constant-on circuit like power locks because if you ever park your car for more than a day or two, you'll wind up with a dead battery and wont' be able to start the car. that is, unless you add a battery-drain-prevention device in between the car and your dashcam or other new device. but with this cam, there's no point in running it 24/7 since it doesn't have a real parking mode. it will just wear out your SD card faster, recording a bunch of nothing.

 

[T. B-W]

Hello again!

Thank you all for your help. In fact, it was so nice that I'm going to ask for some more of it!! Here's my next 3 questions that have come up:

1- I was under the impression that the always-on wiring harness also had a cut-off point so that it would not drain your battery. Is that untrue?

2- does it REALLY matter which wiring harness I use? I've been looking on Amazon.ca, and finding multiple units that all appear to be the same thing. I'm talking about absolutely identical units... except for the prices. Those vary from $9.99 to $84.99, and price is definitely a big factor for me. I know that "you get what you pay for", but these things are IDENTICAL!

3- Installing a fuse holder of the type suggested makes a lot of sense, but what does that wire coming off of it get attached to? (So far I've been working while hanging upside down with my head in the driver's footwell in order to get to the fuse box, but there's no easily identifiable loose wiring down there. I'm not going to have to start dismantling the dash, am I?

Thank you all again; I really appreciate this!

 

[Street Guardian USA]

3) fuse tap makes it so you don't tap into the wire harness. Fuse tap shares an existing fuse slot. The wire coming out of the fuse tap then goes to the hard wire kit's (red) hot wire. All you have to do is connect (black) ground to bare metal frame/bolt area then.

 

[Blackdog]

Dont know if my picture will show, but if it does, is it helpful? Perhaps someone could draw a better one, but hope this will help.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Also be careful using the cheapest hard wire kits. I've had several customers buy the absolute lowest cost one only to have it end up frying the camera after a month.

 

[Gibson99]

Hello again!

Thank you all for your help. In fact, it was so nice that I'm going to ask for some more of it!! Here's my next 3 questions that have come up:

1- I was under the impression that the always-on wiring harness also had a cut-off point so that it would not drain your battery. Is that untrue?

2- does it REALLY matter which wiring harness I use? I've been looking on Amazon.ca, and finding multiple units that all appear to be the same thing. I'm talking about absolutely identical units... except for the prices. Those vary from $9.99 to $84.99, and price is definitely a big factor for me. I know that "you get what you pay for", but these things are IDENTICAL!

3- Installing a fuse holder of the type suggested makes a lot of sense, but what does that wire coming off of it get attached to? (So far I've been working while hanging upside down with my head in the driver's footwell in order to get to the fuse box, but there's no easily identifiable loose wiring down there. I'm not going to have to start dismantling the dash, am I?

Thank you all again; I really appreciate this!

1 - depends on the vehicle, as well as which circuit is in question - ie: even if a vehicle has a cutoff timer for the dome light, the power locks will ALWAYS be live, as will the keyless entry system. but I don't think the vibe/matrix has any sort of cutoff device like that since it's made as an economy car. So your devices (whether that's your headlights, dome light or dashcam) will turn off when the battery runs out.

 

[wozzzzza]

2- does it REALLY matter which wiring harness I use? I've been looking on Amazon.ca, and finding multiple units that all appear to be the same thing. I'm talking about absolutely identical units... except for the prices. Those vary from $9.99 to $84.99, and price is definitely a big factor for me. I know that "you get what you pay for", but these things are IDENTICAL!

they *might* look identical as the manufacturer uses the same housings etc.. but the inside can be totally different. take for instance the SG9665GC dash cam, looks identical to the A118 at a third of the price but insides are totally different.

 

[Gibson99]

One other useful tidbit: in Toyotas (the vibe is just a rebadged matrix) almost all ground wires are white with black stripe. So if you see a group of white-black wires going to a screw on the body of the car, that's a ground point.

 

[T. B-W]

3) fuse tap makes it so you don't tap into the wire harness. Fuse tap shares an existing fuse slot. The wire coming out of the fuse tap then goes to the hard wire kit. All you have to do is connect ground to bare metal frame/bolt area then.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!! I'm such a dork. Now that you've said that the pigtail attaches to the hot wire from the voltage regulator, it seems so obvious!! I was trying to figure out what part of the CAR to attach it to; I completely forgot about the box!

OH: And yes, the drawing helps a lot.