New to dashcams just got A129 Plus Duo w/ WHK need a little help please?

[tronk]

Hi, I just got my first dash cam with some cash gifts I got for Christmas last month. I've been watching videos and reading posts online while waiting for the dashcam and hardwiring kit to show up. Now that they're all here, there are a couple things I'm unsure about/need help with....

First, I have a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix without any modifications. I installed the front and rear cameras and have everything running with no problems using the cigarette lighter for power. I say no problems, but I did leave the camera plugged into the cigarette lighter last night and it ran down my battery by this morning so I needed a jump. Hardwiring should fix that problem, right? That was my play anyway. So I checked the fuse box by the dash on the passenger's side, and everything seems fine, except that when I test them with my circuit tester, I can't find an ACC fuse to use. The fuses are mostly 10 or 20 Amps with one 15A and two 2As. The 2As are both ACC, but I've read on a couple different threads that 5A or higher is what I should be using. All of the 10, 15, and 20Amp fuses are constant. I've attached a wiring diagram for my car, if that's any help

I read another thread talking about using an empty fuse slot but I'm not great with wiring--I'm competent to replace power outlets and light switches in my walls and stuff like that, and I usually only get shocked once per room or so, but I'm not sure how to go about choosing an empty slot that will work without electrocuting myself or causing my car to catch on fire. So, any thoughts on what I can do? Hopefully this is enough information to go on. If not, let me know and I'll tell you what I know.

My other question involves the wireless app. I'm better at dealing with apps and computer stuff than I am with electrical wiring, so I'll probably be able to figure this out on my own with a little digging, but you're reading this, so I might as well ask, right? I have the app downloaded and I've connected wirelessly to the camera while in the car, but I didn't see any menu or features--just a screen showing that I was connected and that I'd put in the right password. No menu with options for "live view" or to access video or pictures already saved to the car. I'm sure I just need to mash some buttons to find that menu. But when I take the camera into the house and plug it into the computer or the wall so I can try to use the wireless app from inside my house, the camera always switches immediately to "SD Card Reader Mode" and stays there. Even when I push the buttons, all it does is beep but stays on the black screen with "microSD Card Reader Mode" written across it. My phone (sitting next to the camera with the VIOFO App open and running) says that the camera is "Not in range". So that's my second problem--how to use the VIOFO App.

Any help with either of these issues would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

[DToX9]

Yes, hard wiring is the way to go for multiple reasons....
When you buy the hardwire kit, it should have an option to come with a "fuse tap",
which will plug into any of your fuse slots as long as you get the right size.
The 'fuse tap' has two slots in the top of it - one for the existing fuse whose slot
you just took... and one that will go to your dashcam.

It's OK to tap a fuse with a 10, 15, 20, 30 amp existing fuse... just reuse the factory
fuse again in the tap and you'll keep the same protection... for your fuse going to
your camera... you can make it whatever you need it to be... in that second fuse slot,
and use it to protect only your camera power cable.

I used my 20A heated seat fuse in my car..... it stays powered on for about 5 mins
after I shut the car down, then it powers down... not sure why?
But your heated seat fuse or your radio fuse should both perform this way most
likely.

As for using your phone with your camera in your living room.... don't connect the
camera to your computer... connect it to your external backup phone battery if you
have one.... it will function just like it's in the car with that connection.
Only connect it to the computer when you want to download files.

 

[Sailing.Engineer]

Hey tronk,

Welcome! I too just installed my dash cam. To answer some of your questions.

It seems like your cigarette lighter is an always on port. Hardwiring should fix that problem as long as you plug the acc wire into an acc fuse slot and the battery wire into the battery fuse slot.

In my car I was lucky, I had two empty fuse slots. One for acc and one for bat. I used a multimeter and checked each empty slot to find which one was acc and battery, when my car was on and off, respectively. You should have some acc fuse slots that aren't 2A but you should be able to use that acc 2A slot since the add-a-fuse adds another fuse in-line with your dashcam while the 2A is in-line with the other acc line.

For the Viofo App. You should be able to turn the wiFi on while the camera is on in the car. Once WiFi is on in the car, connect to the Viofo WiFi, then in the app click "connect to camera" at the bottom. Once in the app you should be able to have a live view of what the camera sees.

Sorry for typos and no links, as I'm on my phone. I hope this helps.

 

[kamkar]

I think some times you can get your dealer to reprogram your lighter socket so it is not on all the time.
To do hard wire cheap ( no option for parking guard ) you can just get the correct piggy back adapter you need.

There are a few different types of these ATO fuses, so you need to figure what type your car use.

You can then go from there with something like this.

Into which you can plug your PSU that come with the viofo camera.
It will however be a good idea to tape or maybe hot glue the 2 together once inserted so the plug can not wiggle apart.

I use 5A fuses for the dashcams i have wired in this way.

You can find many videos on how to hard wire dashcams on youtube, the electric part are much the same, only routing and how to do that can be a little different from car to car.

PS: You of course dont want to play with "mission critical" fuses like airbags and so on, but there should be plenty other switched circuits to try.

Alternative if you want to tap into a wire instead there are in line fuses for both old school glass fuses or the ATO style of fuses.
But this are a bit disruptive, the piggy back on a existing fuse are trace less once you remove the piggy back adapter and put the original fuse back in its place.

 

[SawMaster]

Just to be clear, the HWK wire which goes to an ACC fuse is just a 'sense' circuit- it draws almost zero current so even a 2A fuse is good for that. It's the BAT wire which runs the cam and needs more current.

Phil