New A139 hardwire install - erratic behaviour in parking mode

[garyj]

I'm not trolling (for once), why not ask the person who fitted it to fix their mistake?

I lost confidence in the original installer for a number of reasons, not least after seeing a 30amp fuse appear in my fuse board for no good reason.

 

[garyj]

All recent Hondas since at least 2006, have a dedicated accessory power socket in the fusebox. This is known as the 'Option Connector' and is designed to provide smooth uninterrupted power exactly as expected and avoids the often problematic fuse taps.

See my post #12 above for my 2013 Civic Option Connector image.

Thanks for the tip on this, but see my post #15, I checked the Honda Civic forum and the option connector was stated as being not suitable for wiring a dashcam on the 10G Civic

 

[Kremmen]

Ah, I missed that.

If you can't find the connector then you can do as I originally did and use a 2mm shielded crimp connector. All you need to do is find which pin does what and connect to that.

There is a 10G Option Connector socket :https://www.civinfo.com/threads/10g-dashcam-hardwire.391617/#post-5109009 Post #3

 

[garyj]

Thanks everyone for your input. I had some more issues not previously reported above. Just a short summary as to my issues and resolution with my A139 install. Hope my experience can help others.

1) Original dashcam installed with hardwire kit, dashcam failed to go into parking mode.
2) After troubleshooting and with advice here, I raised a support issue with Viofo and got a replacement hardwire kit as that seemed to be the the most likely culprit
3) Replacement hardwire kit installed and everything seemed to be working ok, (for a while!)
4) Dashcam and audio head unit then started randomly rebooting.
5) Took the car to a mobile auto electrician to troubleshoot.
6) He found a faulty fuse tap (supplied by Viofo) connecting the full time battery connection to my car's audio accessory fuse. This was causing the intermittent loss of power to the cam and audio. Also the accessory side of the hardwire kit had been connected to my fuel pump fuse. I was lucky the faulty fuse tap was used on the audio circuit, otherwise I would have randomly broken down with fuel pump failure. Full time battery connection now moved to my car cigarette lighter fuse and the accessory connection moved to a non critical accessory fuse. Unexplained 30amp fuse installed by previous installer removed.
7) All now working ok.

So it turns out I was unlucky in getting both a faulty hardwire kit and a faulty fuse tap from Viofo, but lucky the faulty fuse tap ended up on a non critical fuse.

hey ho!

 

[garyj]

Ah, I missed that.

If you can't find the connector then you can do as I originally did and use a 2mm shielded crimp connector. All you need to do is find which pin does what and connect to that.

There is a 10G Option Connector socket :https://www.civinfo.com/threads/10g-dashcam-hardwire.391617/#post-5109009 Post #3

Thanks for this, but I think I'm all sorted now, as per my last post. I'll keep this in mind though if things go south again!

 

[HonestReview]

Just to update on my issue with my camera not going into parking mode. After extensive troubleshooting and the help from forum members here (which is much appreciated), I came to the conclusion my hardwire kit was faulty. I got the installer back to check the existing installation and after some frenetic fuse pulling , he came to the same conclusion. The replacement hardwire kit (obtained from Viofo tech support) I had already tested with a separate 12v battery and was switching the camera in and out of parking mode no problems. My installer then replaced the hardwire kit, and (touch wood) everything seems to be working ok. I did have a moment of despair when the camera turned off during parking mode after 2 or 3 minutes even though the timer was set to 30 minutes. the camera wouldn't then then power back on. I figured that as my car had been sat on the drive for a long length of time recently, the hardwire kit battery cut off may have kicked in (set to 12.4v). Took the car for a spin, parked up and the camera, much to my relief, did a 30 minute parking recording as programmed in the settings no problem. Seems to be going in and out of parking mode with the ignition switch ok, so I'm hoping my woes are over.

However, I have a couple of residual questions if anyone can help.

1) Firstly I noticed after the hardwire kit was replaced, a 30amp fuse has been placed by the fitter into fuse 32 - front seat heater. Previously this should have been a 20amp fuse as per the Honda manual. Strangely, I took a picture after the first hardware kit install and fuse 32 hadn't been re-fitted, there was an empty slot.

So it should have a 20Amp fuse in that location according to the Honda manual and this accords with other pictures I've seen of the Honda fuse board, but it is now occupied by a 30amp fuse. Can I just confirm that I can leave this 30amp fuse in place as its a circuit for a 'option' front seat heater which I don't have in any case?

2) I'm also curious to know that if my camera for whatever reason failed to go into parking mode, and stayed in normal driving mode with ignition off, would the hardwire kit 12.4 v cut off still kill the power to the camera?

Any help appreciated.

You don't want a higher fuse in the car's fuse box than was originally inteded. This fuse will allow more voltage than the system permits, potentially damaging the vehicle. So if the original slot had a 20, remove the 30 AMP, and replacing it with a 20. The fuse on the fuse tap (Top One furthest from car) should only be a 5 amp or 7.5 AMP. So 20 amp bottom. 5 or 7.5 AMP top.

Set Voltage cutoff on hardwire kit to 12.2. That's 50% battery life and is more than plenty to power the vehicle without risk of not starting. Which 12.0 poses (25% battery) in cold weather. And without the issue of the camera shutting off too quickly (12.4 - 75%). As a battery ages, that 12.4 / 75% cutoff will make parking mode useless as itll shut off very fast.

 

[Mtz]

I don't know what fuses is using Honda but my advice is to use Mini type if Honda have Mini Low Profile type.

 

[HonestReview]

I don't know what fuses is using Honda but my advice is to use Mini type if Honda have Mini Low Profile type.

The 2014 Honda Civic I hardwired used low profile mini fuses. Don't know what a 2020 uses.

 

[garyj]

You don't want a higher fuse in the car's fuse box than was originally inteded. This fuse will allow more voltage than the system permits, potentially damaging the vehicle. So if the original slot had a 20, remove the 30 AMP, and replacing it with a 20. The fuse on the fuse tap (Top One furthest from car) should only be a 5 amp or 7.5 AMP. So 20 amp bottom. 5 or 7.5 AMP top.

Set Voltage cutoff on hardwire kit to 12.2. That's 50% battery life and is more than plenty to power the vehicle without risk of not starting. Which 12.0 poses (25% battery) in cold weather. And without the issue of the camera shutting off too quickly (12.4 - 75%). As a battery ages, that 12.4 / 75% cutoff will make parking mode useless as itll shut off very fast.

Thanks, I've since had the 30 amp fuse removed, it was for a heated seat option that I don't have. Well at least my seat won't catch fire now! Thanks for the tip on the voltage, I might stay on 12.4v for the winter and the drop back o 12.4 in spring.

 

[garyj]

The 2014 Honda Civic I hardwired used low profile mini fuses. Don't know what a 2020 uses.

Low profile mini fuses - ridiculously small!

 

[HonestReview]

Thanks, I've since had the 30 amp fuse removed, it was for a heated seat option that I don't have. Well at least my seat won't catch fire now! Thanks for the tip on the voltage, I might stay on 12.4v for the winter and the drop back o 12.4 in spring.

Keep it at 12.2. You'll be fine in summer and winter. 12.2 = 50% battery life. 12.4 is too high of a threshold. As the battery ages, you'll rarely get enough juice to run parking mode at a 12.4V.

 

[garyj]

Keep it at 12.2. You'll be fine in summer and winter. 12.2 = 50% battery life. 12.4 is too high of a threshold. As the battery ages, you'll rarely get enough juice to run parking mode at a 12.4V.

Okey dokes, cheers!