Nextbase 332 parking mode problem when hardwired into Audi

[ojacko11]

Hi,

I've recently purchased a NextBase 322 with rear window camera brand new to upgrade from my 222. My dashcam is hardwired into my Audi A1 2020 using the official 2 wire NextBase hardwire kit with a built in smart voltage limiter and I'm piggybacking of fuse 47 which controls the interior lights.

I have parking mode enabled (high) as I want it to record if I get hit when away from my car and auto power off disabled.

My problem is, the dash cam powers up immediately when I unlock the car with my key fob and works without fault however then powers down immediately when I lock it using the key fob, entering an unwakeable sleep meaning parking mode is not able to be activated (I have tried shaking the car and moving inside to trigger it and nothing works whatsoever).

The 322 internal battery is so weak I'm unable to rely on it to record when in parking mode (I also have the rear window camera add on which further reduces battery life) which is why I have it connected to a live fuse - in an attempt to have 24/7 power which turns off when I'm away from the car but also then turns on when parking mode is triggered.

In attempt to diagnose the problem I have also ordered a 3 wire hardwire kit with a voltage limiter as well that will allow me to connect to a permanent and switched fuse which could possibly help according to numerous other forums online.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions to allow me to permanently power my 322 which enters a standby/sleep when the car is off / not moving for a while and then turns on when parking mode is triggered (even if the car is locked) ??

Many thanks.

 

[arcticfire]

I think interior lights tend to be a constant live fuse, which I'm guessing is causing your issue because the camera will not know when the car is switched off. Ideally, you need a switching fuse which powers off when you turn the car off (or goes off when the systems shut down after 10-20 mins on some cars) because the camera will detect the voltage drop and will know to then switch across to using the internal battery.

The same principle will apply with the 3 wire hardwire kit. You will need to identify both a constant and switching fuse. AUDI's can be a bit of a pain with this, but I've got my VIOFO A119 MINI 2 hardwired with a three wire system and it works flawlessly. I've got an S4 so my fuses are probably different from the A1, but I think it is the centre fuse section in the passenger fuse box that is all constant live fuses in my car and I used one from there.

I'll actually need to check mine as my cruise control has stopped working and I'm not sure if it's related, so I'll take a photo of the fuses I've used so even if they aren't in the same location on your car as perhaps the modules the fuses are for operate in the same manner. I should also point out that I'm starting to get low battery warnings in my car from running the camera for 12+ hours and I only do a lot of local driving. I've adjusted it to 4 hours now, but worth bearing in mind.

 

[ojacko11]

Thanks. I used to be connected to a switch fuse but then when parking mode was triggered and the car was off the dash cam would shut down again because the 322 cant hold its battery well especially with a rear camera add on so it it cant record.

When I've connected to a permanent fuse its on all the time apart from when the car is locked and when it is locked the camera wont turn on at all even whilst connected to what I thought was a permanent fuse.

When I was connected to switched fuse it would only turn on once my engine was running whereas now it turns on whenever the car is unlocked and I have it linked to the overhead head lights (the overhead lights do not work when the car is locked which I think might be the reason why the dash cam doesnt either)

Im thinking I should re connect to the central locking for a permanent fuse and rear window heating for the switched when i get the 3 wired kit.

In terms of low battery, my hardwire kits have a voltage limiter to prevent battery loss but my dash cam itself has no setting in regards to run time so can you explain what you mean by you've adjusted yours to 4hours? 🙂

 

[arcticfire]

Thanks. I used to be connected to a switch fuse but then when parking mode was triggered and the car was off the dash cam would shut down again because the 322 cant hold its battery well especially with a rear camera add on so it it cant record.

When I've connected to a permanent fuse its on all the time apart from when the car is locked and when it is locked the camera wont turn on at all even whilst connected to what I thought was a permanent fuse.

When I was connected to switched fuse it would only turn on once my engine was running whereas now it turns on whenever the car is unlocked and I have it linked to the overhead head lights (the overhead lights do not work when the car is locked which I think might be the reason why the dash cam doesnt either)

Im thinking I should re connect to the central locking for a permanent fuse and rear window heating for the switched when i get the 3 wired kit.

After reading what you've said, perhaps to clarify:

Constant (permanent) live fuse: is always live regardless of anything else other than the battery being disconnected.

Switching fuse: Will at some point no longer remain live. Some cars keep fuses live for 10-20 minutes after locking the car and then they shut down. My previous F30 BMW did this and it threw me for a while.

I'd forget about the state of a fuse when it comes to locking and unlocking the car and those that stay on for a while after locking the car etc, I would focus only on fuses that are live or not with ignition on and ignition off.

Also, it's worth being mindful of the amperage of the fuse you are using and the add-a-circuit (piggy back) being used. Some are only rated for 10A, which means the cable is only rated for that. So I wouldn't use a 15A or 20A fuse with a 10A add-a-circuit even if you are popping a 20A fuse in it, because the cable won't be rated for it. I tend to stick to 10A and lower. I also don't use fuses for critical and safety features, such as airbags, ECU, steering etc. If the add-a-circuit somehow fails on the motorway, you don't want it to be connected to something critical.

I would assume that the central locking fuse will be a constant live. I think it might be Fuse 48 in your car (that might be for USA). They can sometimes be 20A though.

For a switching fuse, I'm guessing the reversing camera will not be live when the ignition is off. I think that's Fuse 23 (that might be for USA). If you don't have a reversing camera, you might still be able to use the fuse location, so long as you can see the metal connector there. I've done this in my car, although I think I used the slot for adaptive cruise control, which I don't have and may explain why my standard cruise control has stopped working! lol

Here's a link to the 2020 A1 fuse boxes. It might be American though: https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://i.redd.it/t0g03sxw3yig1.jpeg

In terms of low battery, my hardwire kits have a voltage limiter to prevent battery loss but my dash cam itself has no setting in regards to run time so can you explain what you mean by you've adjusted yours to 4hours? 🙂

The Viofo HK4 hardwire kit I use has the voltage cut off options and the dashcam itself can specify how long I want parking mode to run for, obviously whilst there is still enough voltage. Presumably the latter is if you want the option to not use up your memory card with parking mode (although motion detect should help reduce this depending on the environment) and potentially lose historical live footage. I think my car's BMS must be more sensitive that I realised, so I'll need to look into this more.