Viofo A129 Duo Firmware 1.5 Works but Firmware 2.1 Has a Parking Mode Bug

[HonestReview]

So I decided after my performing testing on the A129 Duo's station mode, I would now flash back to the tried and true Version 1.5. I was running Firmware Version 2.1 for my tests. While using Firmware Version 2.1, I noticed odd behavior, and went ahead today to check my connections today. Making sure there wasn't some sort of loose wire on ACC. All A-OK on my camera.

Version 1.5: Turn off Car - Camera Immediately Enters low Bitrate Parking Mode. No Delay.

Version 2.1 - Turn Off Car - Camera records at normal recording, before entering parking mode several minutes later (Approximately 3 Minutes). Presumably by the GPS idle Feature??? And not through the ACC wire triggering parking mode.

This issue was replicated every time I turned off the car. Identical each time.

Flashing back to Version 1.5 just now, I verified the camera properly enters parking mode immediately after the car is turned off. Not true on Version 2.1.

I went through settings, timer was set to "On" (only other choices were minutes), Motion Detection was Off, and Parking was set to Low Bitrate on 2.1. So at a loss other than this being a bug.

 

[gmm6797]

Thank you for the reporting and testing.

 

[HonestReview]

Thank you for the reporting and testing.

Thanks. Must be a bug. Can't figure out any setting I may have missed in Version 2.1's Menu. Car has to idle in 2.1 for parking to enable. On 1.5 it auto enables promptly (15-20 seconds ) after car battery disaengages.

 

[Nigel]

As long as it exits parking mode immediately on turning the key (enabling ACC), then it is working.

I think the timeout on entry to parking mode was extended to ensure that you have actually parked and not just stalled or restarted the engine after a stop-start event at traffic lights.

 

[gmm6797]

My issue was it never shut off and drained my battery 3x in 2 weeks, so I had to take out the accessory cable and just have it run when the car is on

 

[HonestReview]

As long as it exits parking mode immediately on turning the key (enabling ACC), then it is working.

I think the timeout on entry to parking mode was extended to ensure that you have actually parked and not just stalled or restarted the engine after a stop-start event at traffic lights.

Your statement is partially inaccurate. I have Auto Start / Stop on my car, and it has never caused the car to enter Park Mode. Since the ACC still detects the vehicle as running. Remember, the ACC is a fuse that is only active while the car is started.

On Version 2.1, the car takes about 3 minutes after engine shutoff (records at regular bitrate) before entering low bitrate parking mode. Upon starting the car, the camera exits park mode and records normally.

On 1.5, the camera immediately enters park mode upon shutting off the engine.

Maybe Viofo increased the time before entering park mode? It's really hard to say, but I would think with the length of time that passes (~ 3 minutes or so), it would be more the GPS idling than the car actually being triggered by the ACC cutoff.

Nothing is mentioned in Version 2.1's Change Log about it:

Change log:​

1. Added the WiFi station mode(Press the MIC button to enable, and WiFi button to disable.)
2. Live video source display will keep after the restart
3. Optimize looping recording in parking mode for slow card
4. Menu language translation update

 

[HonestReview]

My issue was it never shut off and drained my battery 3x in 2 weeks, so I had to take out the accessory cable and just have it run when the car is on

This would be due to improper installation versus firmware. Either you selected an improper fuse for Accessory or a Fuse that had other systems running tied in and caused conflicts.

 

[Nigel]

Your statement is partially inaccurate. I have Auto Start / Stop on my car, and it has never caused the car to enter Park Mode. Since the ACC still detects the vehicle as running. Remember, the ACC is a fuse that is only active while the car is started.

On some cars, including mine which has manual stop-start, ACC turns off while the starter motor is engaged, which can put the camera into parking mode on the older firmwares.

 

[HonestReview]

On some cars, including mine which has manual stop-start, ACC turns off while the starter motor is engaged, which can put the camera into parking mode on the older firmwares.

what do you mean manual auto start / stop??? My car goes into auto start / stop when at a light and sitting. Engine re-engages after I take foot off brake. Either way, maybe the delay is by design??? Still weird it has to idle for X minutes before parking mode engages. I went back to 1.5 since it works just fine and I really don't need station mode for anything on version 2.1

 

[Nigel]

what do you mean manual auto start / stop/start???

It has a feature where if I turn the key momentarily to position I then the engine stops and if I turn it momentarily to position III then the engine restarts, but unlike yours, I am always in control of when it stop-starts

Engine re-engages after I take foot off brake.

Your system wouldn't work correctly in UK, illegal to sit at the lights with our foot on the brake!

 

[HonestReview]

It has a feature where if I turn the key momentarily to position I then the engine stops and if I turn it momentarily to position III then the engine restarts, but unlike yours, I am always in control of when it stop-starts


Your system wouldn't work correctly in UK, illegal to sit at the lights with our foot on the brake!

Volvos have auto Start / Stop Technology. It determines whether the conditions are right to engage when the vehicle is idle and not moving. The engine going into start / stop mode does not affect the camera at all. On firmware version 1.5, I've never had the camera enter park mode while engine is off and sitting at a light or in traffic.

You must be driving an older car. Never heard of having to manually put your car into position III to get start / stop going.

Be it as it may, I guess increasing the time to enter park mode in Firmware 2.1 addresses your concerns. I found it a bit annoying (although not really a major issue) that it wouldn't enter park mode for like 3 or so minutes after car was shut off.

 

[jokiin]

You must be driving an older car. Never heard of having to manually put your car into position III to get start / stop going.

he doesn't have stop start, he was just referring to turning the car off and starting it again, maybe it's the Nigel version of stop start

 

[HonestReview]

he doesn't have stop start, he was just referring to turning the car off and starting it again, maybe it's the Nigel version of stop start

That's what I thought....But I wasn't sure if he was pulling my leg (joking) or if he was serious about his car having some system I'd never heard of before.

Doesn't explain why the Version 2.1 camera takes ~ 3 minutes of idle to enter park mode. Generally, that's something you see on a 2 wire kit where the GPS doesn't move and forces camera to enter park mode. My wiring is correct and I verified all connections. Flashing back to version 1.5 just to confirm what I already knew. My setup hadn't shorted. Once on version 1.5, camera enters park mode immediately as Engine is Cut and ACC circuit is triggered.

There's little reason I need version 2.1 but figured I'd share my findings here.

 

[gmm6797]

This would be due to improper installation versus firmware. Either you selected an improper fuse for Accessory or a Fuse that had other systems running tied in and caused conflicts.

Fwiw. I never said firmware, I just mentioned my issue.
Has anyone here had everything properly work on a 2020 Nissan Altima? If so, help is appreciated and a PM is fine so I don't hijack this thread

 

[Prelude89]

Remember, the ACC is a fuse that is only active while the car is started.

On every car I have ever owned, the ACC line goes live as soon as you turn the key 1 stop. You then have a set of fuses that goes live when you go to the 2nd stop, and the third stop (having to hold the key in this position) starts the engine.

Your ACC line should not go low when the engine stops. Popular items that make use of the ACC lines are your radio system.

This can cause issues with some cars which keep many traditional ACC lines live for some time after removing the key.

ACC turns off while the starter motor is engaged,

I had this issue with a stereo that would re-scan the memory card for songs every time it started. Starting the engine can send ACC lines low because of the huge draw required to start the engine.

I fixed it by putting a small capacitor on the ACC line. As there is very minimal current draw on this line, it didn't have to be massive for the stereo to think the ACC line was still active for the few seconds it took to start the car.

I use a PMP for my dashcam, which also has a capacitor in it for this very reason.

 

[HonestReview]

On every car I have ever owned, the ACC line goes live as soon as you turn the key 1 stop. You then have a set of fuses that goes live when you go to the 2nd stop, and the third stop (having to hold the key in this position) starts the engine.

Your ACC line should not go low when the engine stops. Popular items that make use of the ACC lines are your radio system.

This can cause issues with some cars which keep many traditional ACC lines live for some time after removing the key.

Except it's now 2021 and modern cars use a push button and keyfob to start the car. Sure, holding the button without depressing the brake will also turn on the camera, but that's moot. You don't need position "1" on a modern vehicle for much.

I guess I'm fortunate to not be driving a 10 or 15 year old car that still uses a physical key.

 

[gabilondo77]

Except it's now 2021 and modern cars use a push button and keyfob to start the car. Sure, holding the button without depressing the brake will also turn on the camera, but that's moot. You don't need position "1" on a modern vehicle for much.

I guess I'm fortunate to not be driving a 10 or 15 year old car that still uses a physical key.

In my case the thing I hate on new vehicles is that I have only one fuse which is live with the engine on and dead when I stop the engine,so I had to connect my Cellink Neo battery to this 10A fuse "Restraint system.Occupant weight sensor",not sound good at all but all of them are live 13-15min after I lock the car,so this stupid "option" will drain car battery with the Neo charging.

 

[HonestReview]

In my case the thing I hate on new vehicles is that I have only one fuse which is live with the engine on,so I had to connect my Cellink Neo battery to this 10A fuse "Restraint system.Occupant weight sensor",not sound good at all but all of them are live 13-15min after I lock the car,so this stupid "option" will drain car battery with the Neo charging.

I really doubt you only have one ACC fuse. Too many systems are activated with ignition to be reliant on a single fuse.

Radio, Heated Seats, Power Windows, etc are all examples of an accessory fuse.

Give me the make, model, and year of your vehicle along with the fuse diagram. I'll be happy to take a peak.

 

[HonestReview]

Fwiw. I never said firmware, I just mentioned my issue.
Has anyone here had everything properly work on a 2020 Nissan Altima? If so, help is appreciated and a PM is fine so I don't hijack this thread

Feel free to post your fuse diagram here and layout here. I don't consider that hijacking thread.

 

[gabilondo77]

I really doubt you only have one ACC fuse. Too many systems are activated with ignition to be reliant on a single fuse.

Radio, Heated Seats, Power Windows, etc are all examples of an accessory fuse.

Give me the make, model, and year of your vehicle along with the fuse diagram. I'll be happy to take a peak.

Sorry I think you misunderstood(previous message edited),I have checked all of them with a multimeter and the only one which goes dead when I stop the engine is this 10A fuse(F86)..all the others(the ones going dead) are stopped after 10-15min by canbus,same in the boot panel....2018 mk3.5 Ford Focus.

Fuse Box Diagram Ford Focus (2015-2018)

Fuse box diagram (location and assignment of electrical fuses and relays) for Ford Focus (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

fuse-box.info