Tested all my fuses for BATT/ACC connection, help me choose the safest slots

Arese

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Hey everyone,

Started working on the installation of my dashcam and I need some help picking the right fuse slots.

Blackboxmycar recommend the below:
- Use fuses between 10 to 30A to provide enough power to the dashcam
- Avoid using fuse slots that pertains to safety features such as airbags etc.

My fuse box is separated unto 2 section.
1st section use mini type fuses and pertains to less important features of the car
2nd section use standard size fuses ranging from 20 to 35A that pertains to important elements of the car. I decided to no tamper with these and only tested the 1st section of my fuse box.

Below are the results of my testing. and further below I listed out potential BATT & ACC slots. I'm leaning towards using the footwell fuse for the BATT because it's an empty slot but it's only 5A. Would that suffice to power the cam?
With regards to the ACC I'm not too sure which one to use. I'm leaning towards the Telephone multi function switch maintenance system and I'm not sure what is the multi function switch maintenance system.

Any help would be greatly apreciated

Ignition on/off
1. AC (10A) on/on
2. Footwell (5A) on/on
3. Heated Washer (5A) on/off
4. Raditator fan (5A) on/on
5. Telephone multi function switch maintenance system (10A) on/off
6. AC pressure sensor (5A) on/off
7. ESP (10A) on/off
8. Telephone (5A) on/on
9. brake servo (15A) off/off
10. automatic headlight range control (5A) on/off
11. airbag (10A) on/off
12. diagnostic connector (10A) on/on
13. steering column unit (10A) on/on
14. brake lights (10A) on/on
15. instrument clusters (10A) on/on
16. Garage door opener (5A) off/off
17. level, tire pressure (10A) on/on
18. autom headlight range control left (5A) off/off
19. front fog light (15A) off/off

Potential BATT slots:
AC (10A)
Footwell (5A)
Raditator fan (5A)
Telephone (5A)
diagnostic connector (10A)
steering column unit (10A)
brake lights (10A)
instrument clusters (10A)
level, tire pressure (10A)

ACC potentials slots:
Heated Washer (5A)
Telephone multi function switch maintenance system (5A)
AC pressure sensor (5A)
ESP (10A)
automatic headlight range control (5A)
airbag (10A)
 
Footwell for BATT red wire and Telephone for ACC yellow wire should be fine, but ultimately, you'll just have to try and see. Do you have a meter to test the fuse slots?
 
Yes I tested each fuse slot with a multimeter.

Next to each line you can see "on" or "off
The first entry is for when ignition is on and the 2nd entry is when the ignition is off
Ignition on/off
Then I follow the same structure against each line.

For example

2. Footwell (5A) on/on

on / on means this fuse has power when the ignition is on or off

You suggested telephone but unfortunetely it's a BATT connection as it got power even when ignition is off
Telephone (5A) on/on

The other fuse that pertains to telephone that could be use for ACC is Telephone multi function switch maintenance system (10A).
But I'm unsure what does multi function switch maintenance system. Does that pertain to a safety feature of the car? Is it safe to use that one for the ACC?
 
Update. Couldn't use the Telephone multi function switch maintenance system nor the Heated Washer fuse slot due to their position. The fuse tap with the 2 fuses in wouldn't fit.
So had to go with the automatic headlight range control fuse slot
 
So I plugged the cam in.
When I turn off the engine the cam shuts down.
But when I press a button it turns back on meaning the BATT wire is powering the dashcam but the ACC wire is not sending the signal to the cam that I turned off the engine.

Unsure what else to do about the ACC. I correctly set it up
 
2009 Audi A4 2.0T S-line convertible



qEpFHrS.jpg


YURRVOB.jpg
 
My installation:
BAT: #2 footwell lamp
ACC: # automatic headlight range control

I58ADO0.jpg


BATT wire seems to be working ok since the dashcam stays on with ignition off.

How can I troubleshoot the ACC wire? Did I correctly crimp the ACC wire with the fuse tap on?
I was wondering, can i disconnect the BATT wire from the fuse box and only use the AC wire to power the cam?
If it works when ignition is on, that would mean the issue doesn't come from my wire/fuses/fuse taps but from the fuse slot eventually.

Also, Blackboxmycar recommend to use fuse slots ranging from 10 to 30 amps. The one I used for the ACC is only 5amp. could that be the issue?

Tomorrow I want to try to piggyback the cigarette lighter at 20amp. I tested it with my multimeter power is only there when ignition is on.
Couldn't test it today because I only had mini format fuses/fuse taps.

Let me know if I should check something else
 
Yes, was referring to the telephone fuse slot from your bottom list, as I thought that’s what you were also thinking of using.
Have you tried lowering the voltage cutoff to 11.8V. Be sure to actually turn car on then off again after adjusting the cutoff value, as the kit need to “reboot”.
Also, I assume you have parking mode turned on?
 
Yes, was referring to the telephone fuse slot from your bottom list, as I thought that’s what you were also thinking of using.
Have you tried lowering the voltage cutoff to 11.8V. Be sure to actually turn car on then off again after adjusting the cutoff value, as the kit need to “reboot”.
Also, I assume you have parking mode turned on?

What do you mean have the parking mode on?
Parking mode should turned on automatically isn't?

Because if I go to the settings and turn parking mode on, well it switches the cam to parking mode as I can see the little P icon on the screen but it was done manually.

Talking about the low-voltage cut-out, I will try to lower it to 11.8. But speaking of this. When I turn off the engine I think the cam is shutdown as the rec button is blinking then goes dark. After that when I click any button the cam turns back on. It sounds like the BATT wire is working because it's still powering the cam after I pressed a button, but maybe the hardwire kit is shutting down my cam as soon as I turn off my car because my battery level is low?
 
What do you mean have the parking mode on?
Parking mode should turned on automatically isn't?

Because if I go to the settings and turn parking mode on, well it switches the cam to parking mode as I can see the little P icon on the screen but it was done manually.

Talking about the low-voltage cut-out, I will try to lower it to 11.8. But speaking of this. When I turn off the engine I think the cam is shutdown as the rec button is blinking then goes dark. After that when I click any button the cam turns back on. It sounds like the BATT wire is working because it's still powering the cam after I pressed a button, but maybe the hardwire kit is shutting down my cam as soon as I turn off my car because my battery level is low?
I guess I’m confused as to what your goal is. Your wiring the 3-wire kit because you want to use parking mode correct? With the kit wired correctly and parking mode turned on in the menu, then the camera will enter parking mode when the car is turned off. If parking mode is off in the menu, then the camera should turn off when the car is off.
 
It worked. The low-voltage cut out was set to 12.2.
I lowered it 11.8 and it's now working correctly.
When I turn off the engine the cam switches to parking mode.

While I was at it I also swapped fuse slots for the batt and acc wires.
I found better slots.

Batt : to a blank spot standard size fuse slot (doesn't say how much amps but given that all the standard size fuses in my car are at least 15amp I can assume this slot has at least 15amp power)

Acc : initially it was tapped to the automatic headlight range which pertains to an important element of the car, so I switched it to the light cigar fuse slot with 15amp.

Check out the neat install :)


IMG_20191027_124440.jpg
 
Yes I think my battery is on the weak side as well.
Never caused me any issue for now but I think I'll have to consider buying a new one now that I have a dashcam

Anyway thanks everyone for the help and big shoutout to OzAdam for all his support and help in private messages (y)
 
Yes I think my battery is on the weak side as well.
Never caused me any issue for now but I think I'll have to consider buying a new one now that I have a dashcam

Anyway thanks everyone for the help and big shoutout to OzAdam for all his support and help in private messages (y)

Yep I need a new battery also. My yellow top Optima is resting at 11.7 volts but the car still starts fine! It’s been like this for a year. Definitely time to replace it!


Glad it all went well :)
 
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