SG9663DCPRO rear camera stopped working

[fronk]

I have a SG9663DCPRO front and rear camera with a hardware kit and parking mode on.

The rear camera had stopped recording for several months, and I didn't know.

I troubleshooted by removing the front unit and the rear unit from my car. I checked both of them by plugging it into my computer, formatting the card, resetting the device, and upgrading the firmware to 1.17 (latest). When the front and rear are plugged into USB or a normal 12V outlet, both the front and the rear cameras work. They record just fine.

However, when taking it back to my car and plugging it back into my hardware kit, the rear camera doesn't turn on - only the front one records. I've ensured the setting is 3-WIRE, and that the display setting is "picture-in-picture". I do have the GPS connected.

I took the backup USB cord that connects the front and rear cameras (the one I used when plugging into the computer) and replaced the one in the car, but the rear picture still doesn't show, so it's not a problem with the connecting cable.

The hardware kit was wired correctly when I first installed it and I haven't touched it. The constant power lead is plugged into the door lock fuse (15A) and the accessory power lead is plugged into the mirror/cigarette lighter fuse (20A). The voltage protector is still set to 12V, the red light is still there too. What could be the problem? Possible blown fuse? Something else?

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Hi, pretty unusual that's for sure.

What did you mean when you said: "I checked both of them by plugging it into my computer"
Are you plugging a generic mini USB cable into the computer USB port for power? You should avoid computer/data enabled USB ports for power and only use wall adapter USB power sources to avoid issues.It sounds like yours worked though.

You're saying the front and rear camera will operate with the unused secondary rear camera cable inside using generic 2-wire mini USB power, but the same secondary cable doesn't work in the car using 3-wire SGDCHW power? Can you try using the rear camera cable that's in the car and test with 2-wire power to see what happens? (maybe you have an extension cord or USB power bank etc)

I don't see how the power supply could affect the rear camera working 2-wire vs 3-wire, no experience with anything like that. If you exhaust troubleshooting, open a support ticket so we can check your warranty status and or offer replacement parts. If it ends up being some random one-off problem with the SGDCHW affecting rear camera operation would be a first.

 

[fronk]

Appreciate the response! Some responses to your statements below:

re: "I checked both of them by plugging it into my computer."

Yes, exactly - I tried a connection from my computer to the front camera which is connected to the rear camera. Didn't know I shouldn't do that. But yes, it did work.

re: "You're saying the front and rear camera..."

Yes that statement is correct. Using 3-wire power in the car, only the front camera works and not the rear, but when I had it plugged into my computer (which is basically 2-wire), both front and rear worked.

I will test 2-wire power in the car tomorrow and report back to see what I find.

 

[fronk]

Update:

I tried the cigarette lighter adapter to the front camera with 2-WIRE power and the rear camera still did not work. So, while the car was still running, I disconnected it and reconnected the hardwire, and changed the setting to 3-WIRE. The rear camera turned on, picture in picture, for the duration of one ride.

After turning off the car and turning it back on, the rear camera again was not working with the hardwire / 3-WIRE setting.

No idea at this point, sounds more like the connection in the rear camera is inconsistent.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

find your spare unused rear camera cable and run it loosely to the rear camera as a test. (there are 2 rear camera cables in every box)

 

[kamkar]

The cable to rear cameras have caused problems for "a lot" of people since the 2 channel systems became the norm.
I am rather freaked out i have not experienced this myself as i have been running 2 channel systems for a while, some times 3 in the car at the same time.

For sure i would also try the rear camera on the spare wire, just loosely draped on the dash or thru the car.

 

[fronk]

Ok update. I found the issue I think, which is very weird to me.

I tried the rear camera again with both cables, one that was looped under the upholstery and one that was just draped through the car (both the cables provided). No dice. I tried with both 2-WIRE from the cigarette port directly, and then 3-WIRE through the hardware connection with both wires. No dice.

I'm actually going on a trip soon, so I got an oil change, and switched out my car battery with a new AGM one. With the new car battery, the rear camera now works consistently. I've driven my car 5-6 times, and both the front and rear are on, connected to 3-WIRE hardwiring when the ignition goes on and when in parking mode / ignition off.

So it seemed it was a car battery issue? Not enough power to draw to get to the rear camera? Do electronics work like that? My electricity and magnetism physics education is super rusty.

Solution: New battery solved all rear camera not turning on issues.

 

[kamkar]

hehe welcome to the club.

Me and another guy had some problems testing another SG camera, and in my case if i parked over 18 hours ( only using parking guard for 1 hour on the timer ) well the time /date would reset.
tried a lot of things to try and solve that cuz really though my car is a 2012 one the factory battery was not sending any " im too old for this shi,,,,stuff" signals.
So i figured why the hell not try a new battery, and that fixed my problem.

Resistance do go up in any wire the longer it are, so it could be it, then again as soon as the car are started it should charge with 13-14 volts, and that should then be plenty.
But ! it is a strange world some times with dashcams.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Interesting, glad that worked! (haven't seen that before though)

 

[fronk]

Hm, reporting back again. Unfortunately, the rear camera again has stopped working. This time, I really don't have a reason why.

Nothing changed in the past couple of days, I checked the picture in picture when starting the ignition today and also stopping the car, no dice.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

I think it's more of a coincidence maybe when the rear camera works or doesn't work as far as 3-wire vs 2-wire. If there is a power problem it's all or nothing working from what I've experienced over the years. So for the rear is disappearing it could be the port on the rear or front camera is intermittently losing connection somehow. Please open a support ticket. we'll check warranty status and or offer replacement part options. https://support.streetguardian.info/create-a-ticket

 

[kamkar]

I would try for a few days to just run with the front camera alone and the rear stuff unplugged, if the system continuously do that just fine, it is the rear camera or its wire for sure.

I have a dashcam with a quirk to it, i am seemingly the only one in the world that have manged to get the system to develop that quirk.
And it is a OMG quirk cuz the best minds have been on it, and we just can not make it go away. Fortunately all the prime features of the system work 100% just that one little thing no longer work for unknown reasons.

 

[fronk]

Haha no worries, taking it all in stride and troubleshootin' problems.

I'm going on a trip soon, so I might have to figure it out after I come back. For the time being I'll open a ticket. The front camera operating at the very least should be fine. Better than nothing!