Unsure how to use this hardwire kit's fuse

[Mtrev]

One thing I'm still not sure about is can I install my fuses on empty slots?

Most of the fuses on this row have 30amp fuses, does this mean if I install a 5amp fuse next to it, it'll blow immediately? Is this why we should generally install ontop of an existing, known-rated fuse?
View attachment 59353

You can install your fuses in any of the slots, more important is what is supplying the slot. It doesn’t matter if it’s a micro fuse or normal size as long as you get the correct size fuse tap for that slot.
You need to decide what circuit you are using to power the camera and then use the fuse slot for that circuit if that makes sense.

 

[peterhr]

Can you wire into empty slots - that's a maybe - often the fusebox is a standard part, but the wiring loom is tailored to particular car style basic/std/delux - so there might be a fuse location for heated seats which are not an option for a cars sold in - say - mexico, and the manufacturer has save copper by not putting in any wiring for the option and no connectors in the fuse box for it.

I've always used these (of the right size for the fuse box)




Put one in the connector for the cigarette lighter (VW based car = always on), re-inserting the original fuse into the holder near the pins on the piggy-back unit
Then a second onto the rear wiper (ignition controlled)

Take both to a change over switch
- so most of the time I run the camera under ignition control, but in supermarket carparks (where people tend to reverse like idiots, hit things and drive off) I can leave the dash cam running with the car parked.
... Leaving it always on would kill the battery and though my cam has a parking mode (Nextbase 422), the cam locks up and kills the car battery.

A word of caution - stay clear of the airbag system fuses - if you pull one and put it back, it might trigger an airbag fault light on the dash which needs resetting by use of a diagnostic computer.

I don't splice into the wiring, it's harder to do and if you sell the car leaves tell-tale marks when you remove it.

 

[akaBruce]

You can install your fuses in any of the slots, more important is what is supplying the slot. It doesn’t matter if it’s a micro fuse or normal size as long as you get the correct size fuse tap for that slot.
You need to decide what circuit you are using to power the camera and then use the fuse slot for that circuit if that makes sense.

I guess my question is for installing without a fuse tap and using the built-in connector as shown in the original picture. Are some fuse slots given more current/power than others? I just want to plug in the built in connector to an empty fuse slot (next to the 30A fuse) just to test it out but worried that slot might have a high current output and it'll blow up my hardwire kit immediately.

 

[LateralNW]

I guess my question is for installing without a fuse tap and using the built-in connector as shown in the original picture. Are some fuse slots given more current/power than others? I just want to plug in the built in connector to an empty fuse slot (next to the 30A fuse) just to test it out but worried that slot might have a high current output and it'll blow up my hardwire kit immediately.

Short answer:
You can test it, nothing will blow up. All fuse slots will be 12 Volts which is what you want. Current only supplies what the dashcam wants.

Electricity will only give the amount of current required for the device. If the device is faulty and attempts to draw excess current(Amperage) the fuse will blow.
If you have a normal car then you will have 12 Volts. Very old Volkswagon had 6 Volt systems and trucks use 24 Volts.
Cars are 12 volts.

You can use any fuse to tap the 12 volts. You may not have noticed but many of your empty fuse slots don't have both sides of the connectors. The fuse box may be used in many cars so not all fuse slots are required.

The other thing you need to keep in mind is that the Red wire has to go to a fuse that always has power. With everything off in the car, the ignition key removed then you poke around for a fuse that always has power.
With the yellow wire, you need to find a fuse that only has power when the car is on or in accessories. This is how the dashcam knows when to go into park mode.

The last wire - Black wire, make sure it is connected to a metal part of the car. It is really important that it is connected firmly.

The interior cabin light might have constant power. Easy to check - close all the doors, lock the car with you in it and the ignition key removed then switch on the cabin light. Find that fuse and pull it out. If the light goes out then it might be constant power which you would put the red wire fuse kit onto. I say might be because some cars might disable the cabin lights once the car is locked or a timer enables.

The accessories fuse should be easier. The cigarette lighter may only have power when the car has the ignition on. Of course, if the cigarette lighter works when the car is off then you will need to find another fuse.

Another way to work out what fuse is on or off is using a probe. Here is an example of one. Car probe You could also use a Multi Meter set on DC voltage. Low Price Multi Meter.

 

[akaBruce]

Electricity will only give the amount of current required for the device. If the device is faulty and attempts to draw excess current(Amperage) the fuse will blow.
If you have a normal car then you will have 12 Volts. Very old Volkswagon had 6 Volt systems and trucks use 24 Volts.
Cars are 12 volts.

Ah that's right. I forgot this fundamental principle of electronics.

Yeah, I've been testing a lot of the fuse slots with my multimeter. I'll need to take a closer look at the connections; I assumed that for most of the empty slots, there are contacts for both sides just for simplicity for mass production. If there are not, then I guess I might get a reading on my multimeter but no actual connection once the fuse is plugged in.

Thanks for your constant help with this, Lateral

 

[Mtrev]

Ah that's right. I forgot this fundamental principle of electronics.

Yeah, I've been testing a lot of the fuse slots with my multimeter. I'll need to take a closer look at the connections; I assumed that for most of the empty slots, there are contacts for both sides just for simplicity for mass production. If there are not, then I guess I might get a reading on my multimeter but no actual connection once the fuse is plugged in.

Thanks for your constant help with this, Lateral

On your fuse slots, the ones with only one terminal is because they haven’t got the wiring for the consumer that would otherwise use that fuse but if it has voltage then your fuse will get the voltage just have the wire side of the fuse at the empty side of the slot so that the current is passing through the fuse.
The red fuse carriers are most likely fed by one big power rail behind it that has a terminal for each fuse then the consumer has a wire with a crimped terminal that locks into the other side usually fed by a relay.
The black ones are more likely to be independently fed from different circuits or ecu’s.

 

[akaBruce]

Unfortunately I could not proceed with the hardwire option because I couldn't get the wires into the fuse box cleanly. The angle was awkward, it was a humid 30C day and my back was killing me.

Ended up with using the 12V socket which was much quicker. I hope I won't miss the parking mode.



Had to try to feed the kit through the side panel down into the fuse box which is located in the passenger footwell. There's a lot of sound insulation in here and had to hold a flashlight with my left hand and try to grab the wires with a crappy tweezer underneath the dash...

Thanks for the help everyone. Maybe I'll get another opportunity to do a hardwire in another car.

 

[LateralNW]

Unfortunately I could not proceed with the hardwire option because I couldn't get the wires into the fuse box cleanly. The angle was awkward, it was a humid 30C day and my back was killing me.

Ended up with using the 12V socket which was much quicker. I hope I won't miss the parking mode.

View attachment 59440

Had to try to feed the kit through the side panel down into the fuse box which is located in the passenger footwell. There's a lot of sound insulation in here and had to hold a flashlight with my left hand and try to grab the wires with a crappy tweezer underneath the dash...

Thanks for the help everyone. Maybe I'll get another opportunity to do a hardwire in another car.

That image looks like a bolt to me perhaps on the side of the glove box?

@Nigel - an inline fuse might have helped akabruce in this one!

Hot days and being under a dash is not a fun place to be.

So they also supplied a Cigarette lighter power supply?

One tip, make sure the cigarette power supply is firmly in place. If it moves around you find you have missing video footage of the drive. This can happen to any brand.

Cheers.

 

[akaBruce]

That image looks like a bolt to me perhaps on the side of the glove box?

@Nigel - an inline fuse might have helped akabruce in this one!

Hot days and being under a dash is not a fun place to be.

So they also supplied a Cigarette lighter power supply?

One tip, make sure the cigarette power supply is firmly in place. If it moves around you find you have missing video footage of the drive. This can happen to any brand.

Cheers.

Hey, yes that bolt is the bolt for the ground so I had to put the ground wire here. However, the fuses are in a different location under the passenger footwell so I had to wiggle the rest of the wires through some very tight and dark spaces within the trim. This is was too hard and I had to give up with the hardwire approach.

Yes, they also supplied the normal 12V cigarette lighter cable for power.

Thanks for the trip, it was pretty solid iirc.