How to prevent dashcam being manually turned off by repair shop/valet/dealer/etc.?

flank said:
Better yet, just stand over their shoulder to watch and film.
Click to expand...

their policy will not allow to enter work shop.
 
niko said:
their policy will not allow to enter work shop.
Click to expand...

Some do.

EMBOSSED-METAL-HOURLY-RATES-SIGN-LABOR-MECHANIC-GARAGE-SHOP-FUNNY-11-034-x-17-034--p868503.jpg
 
Auld Reekie said:
Simple answer for garage could be to disconnect the battery as is recommended for safety when carrying out some auto repairs
Click to expand...
Doesn't that wreak havoc with modern cars? Audio system disabled for example?
 
Rajagra said:
Doesn't that wreak havoc with modern cars? Audio system disabled for example?
Click to expand...
Sure does. Dealer had to disconnect battery in my car and the tech told me it actually took him as long to reinitialize everything as it did to do the repair.
 
niko said:
Best solution is to install truly discrete dashcam and for the period of service connect it to hidden powerbank in case they disconnect car battery.
Click to expand...
If I really needed to film them this is what I would do.
Like they say, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
 
Nigel said:
When you book the car in for service, make a signed agreement that they will not turn the cameras off otherwise they will pay a large cash penalty. A decent garage will not mind signing it, a bad one will refuse and then you go somewhere else.
Click to expand...

I can't imagine asking my garage to sign something like that...of course, I socialize occasionally with the owner, and have trusted him with the care of my cars for the past 25 years. I literally put my life in his hands when I drive my car hard on the track.

How about upgrading your mechanics rather than worrying about recording what they are doing? :)
 
Well you can try asking them to sign.
But if they fail to comply with that 'contract', what will the penalty be?
If you don't specify a penalty, there won't be one.
If you do specify a penalty, they will probably say no right away, or refer it to their legal department (who will say no.)
 
Mobius with extension lens (or similar (eg innovv C3)) hidden away somewhere else in the car with its own standalone power supply.
 
This common problem is a clue for firmware developers to add a log file that records every time the camera is turned off, unplugged, or the card is inserted/recognized. Or the option to use a "password" of a control key sequence. A few months ago, I left my car (Cayenne Turbo) at a hotel valet parking near the airport for five days, and when I returned it had about 20 miles more miles on the odometer but I couldn't prove it.
 
This may have been mentioned, but why not use smoke and mirrors?

For instance the Mobius can run off a battery and you can turn off the LED lights. Charge the Mobius, unplug the USB from the back yourself and let it dangle down, or unplug from the cigarette lighter so it is seemingly off. Set it to record at a lower crappy rate (bad video is better than no video) and it should last...an hour? (I've never used it off battery so I don't know.) With smaller recording clip sizes more will be saved to the SD card.
 
MiiHere said:
This may have been mentioned, but why not use smoke and mirrors?

For instance the Mobius can run off a battery and you can turn off the LED lights. Charge the Mobius, unplug the USB from the back yourself and let it dangle down, or unplug from the cigarette lighter so it is seemingly off. Set it to record at a lower crappy rate (bad video is better than no video) and it should last...an hour? (I've never used it off battery so I don't know.) With smaller recording clip sizes more will be saved to the SD card.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea! The Mobius can run as much as 130 minutes shooting 1920x1080 video on a healthy 820mAh internal battery!
 
It's not long enough to have the tranny rebuilt, but that's long enough for a basic oil change; assuming the car goes back right away and doesn't sit on the lot for an hour first.
 
Dashmellow said:
Not a bad idea! The Mobius can run as much as 130 minutes shooting 1920x1080 video on a healthy 820mAh internal battery!
Click to expand...

I guess you could run it off a power bank tucked away somewhere and leave a cig lead unplugged to give the appearance of not being used
 
Then when you get your car back. You have to prove: you put the mobius right here. How could you ? :D
 
Unplugging the Mobius to make it appear turned off is different than hiding an extension of the camera somewhere else in the car or adding another camera on battery expansion power.
 
http://www.carscoops.com/2016/04/man-accuses-audi-service-technician-of.html

Recently around here, a guy took his Audi to the stealership in Palo Alto, California. The mechanic did a joyride and snorted crack or some other substance all caught on dashcam.

They probably paid a good amount to quiet down the car owner. This dealership is in one of the richest towns in N. California. Its were Steve Jobs lived.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
C Any Dashcams have external memory buried in car to prevent vandal from stealing Dashcam? Dash Cam Discussion 1
W Preventing ice/snow accumulation Dash Cam Discussion 5
A Solar panels to help prevent 12v car battery drain in parking mode Dash Cam Discussion 3
N Prevent windshield from fogging Dash Cam Discussion 4
spaceballsrules Looking for a 12V battery discharge prevention device Dash Cam Discussion 7
Similar threads
Any Dashcams have external memory buried in car to prevent vandal from stealing Dashcam?
Preventing ice/snow accumulation
Solar panels to help prevent 12v car battery drain in parking mode
Prevent windshield from fogging
Looking for a 12V battery discharge prevention device
Back
Top