[Help] Dashcam not recording much, if at all (in parking mode)

[ANN]

Hello,

I have an ITB-100HD SP and have it hardwired to a constant power source with a Power Magic Pro. After it was hardwired at a local shop, it was functioning as expected until recently (well, at least that is when I noticed), when the ignition is on, it will record with no problems but once the ignition is off, the dash cam will either record for a few more seconds to capture the last minute or the recording will end altogether.

I am trying to find the root cause of this problem... Could it be a faulty cam? I have the dashcam in a relatively new vehicle (late 2013) and so I do not think a weak battery could possibly be the cause?

That said, I drive about 12KM round trip daily (maybe more, if not at all on the weekends) which could equate to 20-30 minutes on the road, should be enough time to charge the battery to ensure there is something to draw from, right? Could the cold weather have any impact on the charge it holds too (does it hold a better charge in the cold or the heat)?

Anyway, would love some insight! I have asked around to get other opinions but it would seem it makes sense to ask this forum first!

 

[jokiin]

you need to determine if your problem is due to it powering off or motion detect not working, there is also a switch on the power magic pro to have it turn off with the ignition, regardless of which is the case I think it's a matter of double checking all your settings

 

[ANN]

you need to determine if your problem is due to it powering off or motion detect not working, there is also a switch on the power magic pro to have it turn off with the ignition, regardless of which is the case I think it's a matter of double checking all your settings

So unfortunately, because a local shop did the hardwiring, I have to ask them where they hid the PMP, but I do not suspect this could be the culprit as it was working as designed a few weeks back. Either way, how can I confirm it is the PMP cutting the power due to the settings?

As for motion detector, this morning it was working as usual, but only for about an hour after the ignition was off (maybe 4-5 parking mode events, so really, only 4-5 recordings (minutes) after the car was off. I also do not suspect this could be the reason.

I triple checked the setup.bin using the dashcam application on my PC and it is definitely enabled. I just wish I knew a better way to triage the problem with my limited expertise when it comes to vehicles/electrical.

 

[jokiin]

could be just set with the cutoff wrong by the sounds of things, battery won't hold a charge as well in winter

 

[ANN]

The PMP is set to cut power at 12v last I remember, do not think it was 11.8v. Either way, I am surprised if it were true that the PMP is simply cutting off power due to the low voltage, that driving the distance I do does not charge the battery enough to record in parking mode an entire day... Late last year (not as cold, but cool), it could easily capture everything from 9a-5p in parking mode...

Thanks for your responses so far, much appreciated... Albeit still frustrating.

 

[jokiin]

12v may just be too low in the current climate

 

[ANN]

What do you mean by too low? This seems to be the norm on the western side of the world.

 

[jokiin]

Some cars won't even start with 12v, we refer to the electrical systems as 12v but they generally run at closer to 14v in modern vehicles

 

[ANN]

Thank you, again I am unfamiliar with my vehicle (it is a late 2013-model vehicle). Based off the PMP manual, there are only two options that I think are applicable for Western vehicles (11.8 and 12.0):
http://www.blackvue.com/common/imgv...name=manual_powermagicpro_en_v1.02_121008.jpg

Anyway, at 12v I would think it would definitely have the current to drive parking mode, no? I do agree that it is harder to charge in the winter and provided I am using heated seats, rear defrosters at time and other things, it may not be charging as much as it would on a cooler day in the Fall. Also, where is the source of most vehicles having an average of 14v on the battery? From what I have read, it seems the norm is 12.6 or so to be at 100%, am I misunderstanding something?

I hope this issue truly is the PMP working it's magic to make sure my car will start properly (e.g. my battery is hovering around the 11.8v/12v mark in the cold winter). I did have issues starting the car last week and that was mostly due to idling the car with the radio and headlight on for about 15-25 minutes waiting for my sister.

 

[jokiin]

Also, where is the source of most vehicles having an average of 14v on the battery? .

ask any auto electrician, when running will be anything from around 13.8v to 14.5v

 

[ANN]

Hi - yes it seems like you are right (not that I doubted you, just wanted more information). A quick search on Wiki gave me the following below.

I am unsure how this chart is read (the negative coefficient part), but it would seem the colder the weather may affect the overall hold (but then in brackets, it says lower voltage at higher temperature meaning the opposite). All things consider, do you think the PMP could be cutting off power given the circumstances (how much I drive daily and the current Canadian climate)?

(the table is clearer on the link)
12.60 V6.32 V100%1.265 g/cm3
12.35 V6.22 V75%1.225 g/cm3
12.10 V6.12 V50%1.190 g/cm3
11.95 V6.03 V25%1.155 g/cm3
11.70 V6.00 V0%1.120 g/cm3
Open-circuit voltage is also affected by temperature and the specific gravity of the electrolyte at full charge.

The following is common for a six-cell automotive lead-acid battery at room temperature:

• Quiescent (open-circuit) voltage at full charge: 12.6 V
• Fully discharged: 11.8 V
• Charge with 13.2–14.4 V
• Gassing voltage: 14.4 V
• Continuous-preservation charge with max. 13.2 V
• After full charge the terminal voltage will drop quickly to 13.2 V and then slowly to 12.6 V
• Open-circuit voltage is measured 12 hours after charging to allow surface charge to dissipate and enable a more accurate reading.
• All voltages are at 20 °C (68 °F), and must be adjusted −0.022 V/°C (−0.012 V/°F) for temperature changes (negative temperature coefficient – lower voltage at higher temperature).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_battery

 

[ANN]

Also, the fact that it is cutting off as soon as the ignition is off on some days must mean that the battery is hovering around the cut-off point (whether it is 11.8v or 12.0v)? Not necessarily a dash cam question but how long does one need to drive and at what RPM/average speed to get the battery up to normal capacity?

 

[jokiin]

Not necessarily a dash cam question but how long does one need to drive and at what RPM/average speed to get the battery up to normal capacity?

varies by vehicle type

 

[niko]

varies by vehicle type

I agree. Different vehicles - different battery so called "stand-by" voltage. Mine is 11.8-11.9volt stand-by, and for that it is good to set power-cut-off point at 0.1-0.2 volt lower than your car battery "stand-by" voltage. But you, or your mechanic have to test what is your vehicle battery "stand-by" voltage and go from there with setting a PMP voltage cut-off point.

 

[ANN]

I see, so I will suspect it is just the PMP working it's magic right now and there is no problems at all with the ignition on recording, it just seldom records in parking mode during the colder days. Hope things get better as the warmer gets better, will see what my local shop who did the install comes back with as well. Thanks all.

 

[niko]

I see, so I will suspect it is just the PMP working it's magic right now and there is no problems at all with the ignition on recording, it just seldom records in parking mode during the colder days. Hope things get better as the warmer gets better, will see what my local shop who did the install comes back with as well. Thanks all.

Ask your installer to measure battery voltage when car engine is not working and then set PMP voltage cut-off point 0.1-0.2 volt below car battery stand-by voltage.
P.S. your car battery must not be too "tired", if you know what I mean.

 

[ANN]

Ask your installer to measure battery voltage when car engine is not working and then set PMP voltage cut-off point 0.1-0.2 volt below car battery stand-by voltage.
P.S. your car battery must not be too "tired", if you know what I mean.

I do not know what you mean by too tired but if I had to guess, you may be referring to the priority of power distribution when the car is on (e.g. heated seats, heat from vents, rear defroster from time to time) which could probably leave little for charging the capacity of the dashcam especially in the colder climate (still do not know how the cold affects battery, according to the negative thing on Wiki, it actually does better in the cold).

Anyway, day 2 and it started recording for about an hour and a half after parking mode stopped. I do think it is merely the PMP cutting the battery and I am not getting enough of a charge given the climate/electrical use while driving and the relatively short distance/speed I travel.

As I mentioned, hopefully it gets better as it gets warmer (no need for the heated seats/heater) and I will be back in business.

Thanks all for the help, will report back in the future if no further insight can be provided.

 

[Hillbilly]

I know its cold where you are but all the things you have going are high draw items Eg A heated rear window will run a battery flat in about 3 hours Likewise heated seats. Look at it like this

You have a drum with a 3 inch tap outlet (Car battery usage) and a hose with a 1 inch inlet (Alternator) Do you expect it to stay full.

I wouldn't if driving short distances

Cold will kill a battery faster than heat up to a point. Ask a sparky when he sells the most batteries I bet he says after the first heavy frost of winter.

Why, the oil in the engine thickens up and makes it harder to turn over that's why. Heat also kills a battery but not as fast as cold.

Having high drain items on and running it down too far will also kill it eventually.

I ruined several batteries in the winter when I had a taxi as sitting with rear window heater on would do it every time.

Even had a tractor battery in once and killed it in 3 months

 

[ANN]

Thanks, makes sense. I hope I do not 'kill' the battery but given my research and the few tidbits of information that was shared in this thread, I think it is fair to say the PMP is cutting off power to make sure the car actually starts and so it is working as designed (the lack of parking mode working these past few weeks).

Thanks again.

 

[ANN]

Bumping this back up. Wanted to understand if grabbing a battery discharge device set to 12.2v would still be risky to the battery? I am probably going to grab the LK-290 for the 12.4v cut-off option but at this high rate, looks like parking mode won't exist in the winter at all (re: http://dashcamtalk.com/battery-discharge-prevention/) but I wonder how it would perform in the summer..? Anyway, I just want to make sure my car is working fine and dandy, parking mode is nice but not at the sacrifice of my car's well-being (especially when it is brand new).

Thanks for your input.

Edit - it also appears the LK-290 apparently needs to be reset everytime the voltage cuts off? This seems like a huge annoyance, I thought it would automatically allow the dashcam to draw power once it goes above the cut-off. Can anyone confirm this behavior? I suspected the Power Magic Pro that I have does the same thing.