Random 'Card Error' on A118C

Edward M. Grant

Edward M. Grant

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Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Messages
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Location
Saskatchewan
Country
Canada
Dash Cam
A118C, SG9665GC
On the wishlist thread, we had a brief discussion about my problem with random 'card error' messages when the camera starts up. If I turn the car off and on again, the error goes away, so it doesn't seem like a real problem with the card, though I have once seen a corrupt recording.

I thought I'd split that to a separate thread, to update as I investigate it, and not clog up that thread with off-topic posts.

Two theories were proposed:

1. It's a bad card.
2. The camera doesn't like Sandisk cards.

I've got a second camera in the back now, so I swapped the cards over. Both are 64GB Sandisk Ultra class 10, formatted in the camera. That card was fine for a few days, but yesterday I had a 'card error' again. So that seems to eliminate #1.

One thing I did notice is that, when I started the engine that time, the power light on the camera went out for a second or two and came back. I also noticed that the front camera did its bootup tones a few seconds after the rear camera, so it clearly took longer to boot up. It's possible this may be caused by a brief power glitch, but I'll need more occurrences before I can prove that.

I have a nondescript 8GB card here that came with the camera, so I'll try installing that at some point soon and see if it has any card errors. I'll probably also swap over the front and rear cameras to see if it's the camera, not the card.
 
Did you test the cards in your computer using h2testw yet? One thing I've learned about USB drives and SD cards is to never assume. It might work OK briefly in one device but misbehave in another, so the only way to be sure it's good is to do a thorough test. Even a 64 GB card only takes an hour or so for the full test.
 
Unfortunately, it appears to be Windows-only, so I can't run it. We're a Linux/Android/iOS home, and only have an ancient XP box for iTunes, with no SD card slot.

I haven't seen a Linux equivalent, and the Android tablets don't have SD card slots either.

Also, the fact that the error goes away when I restart the car leans me toward believing it's not the card per se; it will presumably try to write to the same spot on the card the next time I start it, though the controller might then write to a different block of flash.
 
Edward M. Grant said:
Unfortunately, it appears to be Windows-only, so I can't run it. We're a Linux/Android/iOS home, and only have an ancient XP box for iTunes, with no SD card slot.

I haven't seen a Linux equivalent, and the Android tablets don't have SD card slots either.

Also, the fact that the error goes away when I restart the car leans me toward believing it's not the card per se; it will presumably try to write to the same spot on the card the next time I start it, though the controller might then write to a different block of flash.
Click to expand...

a quick google search found this, which claims to be a cross-platform (nix/win/mac!) equivalent: http://oss.digirati.com.br/f3/

i haven't tried it personally but i have a linux mint box with an external card reader that i can try it on.
 
@Edward M. Grant the dd console command is possibly the solution. Fill the card with random data using this command and try reading back. Misc card tests are in essence the same command wrapped in a GUI.
 
Thanks. I'll try that F3 program tonight if I have time.

Last night I noticed the front camera beeped a few seconds after the rear, and I thought 'bet that's not going to record'. And, lo, it didn't. I restarted the car, and it worked.

So it seems to be related to a slow bootup somehow, either caused by the slow boot, or causing the slow boot. That time, I didn't notice whether the power light went out during the boot process.
 
Haven't had a chance to check the card, but it gave a 'Card Error' again today, and, again, the front camera booted up a few seconds slower than the rear. So that's either a cause or an effect, but I don't know which.

I need to remember to watch every time, and see if this always follows the power light going off when I start the engine.
 
Same thing happens with my new A118C.

I've changed 2 cards (although all are Sandisk) and it doesnt seem to be related to (corrupted) card.

It definitelly has something to do with a boot sequence.

My camera reports 'card error' only on FIRST boot (car start) on some day in most cases. Although sometime first boot goes OK.
I can notice 2 things...
1 - 1st boot of the day lasts longer than subsequent ones...I dont know whay and for how long camera has to be off to boot longer
2 - maybe short interruption of power between giving a contact with a car key and turning a key (starting an engine) somehow disrupts that longer boot...this is definitely A118C issue and not with battery one (...later on the same day when I turn on my car again boot is shorter and interruption of power when turning car key to start the engine doesnt affect cam).

I hope it can be fixed by some future firmware update as camera is beside that great.
 
So, another month of study shows:

1. The camera doesn't always say 'Card Error' when it's slow to boot up.
2. The camera is always slow to boot up when it says 'Card Error'.

So cause and effect isn't clear.
 
Definitely not the Sandisk card. The rear camera did this today, with the new Kingston 64GB card I installed earlier in the week.

I'm pretty sure it's caused by power fluctuations at startup.
 
maybe try a different circuit to power them? i run mine from the power windows circuit, which in a toyota, does NOT get cut while the engine is cranking.

also, i've used a sandisk card in both my a118 and a118c and it works fine.
 
I haven't yet seen this on the SG9665GC, so I'm even more convinced it's a startup power transient causing the problem. That camera has a five second (default, but configurable) delay before booting up, so I've already started the engine by the time it starts booting.
 
Edward M. Grant said:
I haven't yet seen this on the SG9665GC, so I'm even more convinced it's a startup power transient causing the problem. That camera has a five second (default, but configurable) delay before booting up, so I've already started the engine by the time it starts booting.
Click to expand...

the startup process can be a cause of this
 
Hi. I am Rafi from Israel.
please forgive me for my English.
I am apologize!

I also got my a118c camera last week and sometimes, it says 'card error ' and sometimes not. I noticed that it's happened when I started the engine .
When I turn the key on, the camera begins to turn on for a second and then turn off and finally turn again on.
What I can say is when we started the engine there is momentary interruption in power supply that causes this issue.

For now, my solution is to connect the camera after the engine is started, in this way I have never seen the error msg '.

One idea is to connect a capacitor (that matching to work with 12-14v) between the camera and circuit of my car, which prevent from camera to turn off while the engine is start.

sorry again for my English.
Rafi
 
Last edited:
I'd actually thought about putting an extra capacitor in there somewhere, myself :).
 
It's absolutely should solve the problem.
You may need connect it between camera and its transformer.
I didn't do it yet but when I do, I'll report.
Rafi
 
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