Viofo A329S Review

[Briseide]

To further answer your question we recommend 3 hour cutoff timer and low bitrate. We find most people will never have any issues with those settings.

Oh, thanks for the clarification, my battery is lead-acid.
I'm not very familiar with electronics, you've probably figured that out!
Tonight I'll try to check the current battery voltage with Carscanner via OBD with the ignition off.
Anyway, the limit values should be those reported by @jsmith .
From what you say, I need to set the voltage cutoff in the HK6 kit and on the camera to 12.4V, while on the camera I need to set the cutoff time to 3 hours.
Regarding parking mode, do you suggest setting it to low bitrate recording (continuously for 3 hours), or Hybrid Parking Recording with Low Bitrate and Impact?

@jsmith , the 3-hour limit is subjective, it depends on your habits. At work, I'm safe and don't need to record, while most of the time I park in the city center, 3 hours is enough for me.
If I need to record an entire day, then I need the external battery; I can add it later.
I'm taking it one step at a time 🙂

 

[Nigel]

I have a new Kia EV3 electric car, and I obviously don't want the battery to run out.

My understanding is that new Kias will keep recharging the 12V battery from the big traction battery, so you have nothing to worry about, except for not leaving your traction battery nearly empty for several days, which you shouldn't do anyway.

 

[Nigel]

From what you say, I need to set the voltage cutoff in the HK6 kit and on the camera to 12.4V,

12.4 might be a bit high, 12.2 is probably fine.

Regarding parking mode, do you suggest setting it to low bitrate recording (continuously for 3 hours), or Hybrid Parking Recording with Low Bitrate and Impact?

You can do either, but Impact mode uses so little power that you might as well make use of it permanently, as long as your Kia does keep the 12V battery charged. So I would use hybrid low bitrate for 3 hours, not bother with the voltage menu because it is never going to get used, and set the switch to 12.2V so that even if your traction battery does run out, your 12V battery is still safe.

 

[ogzogz]

If you have a new vehicle, especially a hybrid or electric vehicle, my research suggests that this can lead to costly problems.

Therefore, interventions performed while parked are often excluded by vehicle manufacturers due to existing warranty issues.

Additionally, battery packs designed for dash cams can also cause similar problems. Because the vehicle's operating principle requires that accessory batteries be charged indirectly, and this battery pack also requires a high-power, short-term charge.

In conclusion, if you can afford the costs associated with your vehicle, you can use dash cams in parking mode.

 

[SafeDriveSolutions]

I'm not sure on what vehicles you would be able to wire a hardwire kit to a lithium battery instead of a lead acid battery?

But if you did, then with most lithium batteries, the voltage is dependent on temperature as well as state of charge, and for LiFePO4, most of the state of charge range is more dependent on temperature than SoC, so:

I am not convinced that would give a reliable solution, in Canada you would need to change your setting for winter, probably several times per night:

Decent LiFePO4 chargers have a thermometer and temperature compensation built in, so I guess the HK7 could have too... Maybe it can record the temperature on screen, next to the voltage overlay...

Vehicles are changing. We have tried educating on here and on our YouTube videos. Unless you work on thousands of different vehicles every year you would not notice how vehicles are changing. Up until 3 years ago i assumed all car batteries were still standard 12.6 volts means fully charged when off, and 13.8 to 14.4 while vehicle is running means the alternator is charging the battery back up to normal. But vehicles co ntinue to change. We have seen new Hyundai and Kia vehicles where the car battery is sitting at 14.2 volts with ignition off and 14.2 volts with ignition on. This is why we call Vantrue and some other dash cameras battery killers because they do not have proper cut off timers to limit the wear and tear on a vehicle car battery. With a 3 hour timer you can at least limit the wear and tear and most normal driving behaviour will allow you to replenish that car battery.

 

[Nigel]

We have seen new Hyundai and Kia vehicles where the car battery is sitting at 14.2 volts with ignition off and 14.2 volts with ignition on.

Ahh, that will be because their 12V batteries were being charged/float charged from the big traction battery, they are still normal 12V lead acid batteries, and the float charge will probably come to an end after several hours.

This is why we call Vantrue and some other dash cameras battery killers because they do not have proper cut off timers to limit the wear and tear on a vehicle car battery. With a 3 hour timer you can at least limit the wear and tear and most normal driving behaviour will allow you to replenish that car battery.

Yes, a timer is definitely desirable, Vantrue could also do with raising their 11.6V cutoff, which we have been complaining about for a decade now, that is low even for AGM!

 

[SafeDriveSolutions]

Ahh, that will be because their 12V batteries were being charged/float charged from the big traction battery, they are still normal 12V lead acid batteries, and the float charge will probably come to an end after several hours.


Yes, a timer is definitely desirable, Vantrue could also do with raising their 11.6V cutoff, which we have been complaining about for a decade now, that is low even for AGM!

These are not EV vehicles if that is what you are thinking when you say traction battery some of these are hybrid. We have even seen this in non hybrid vehicles as well. Korean companies have caught onto this already in their menus. However, they have it labeled wrong as they have general terms of hybrid and EV. However most hyrbid and EV vehicles still have standard 12v batteries.

 

[Nigel]

We have even seen this in non hybrid vehicles as well.

Probably had a stop-start auxiliary battery,

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You probably connected the dashcam to the auxiliary battery, and the auxiliary battery is charged from the main starter battery when the engine is running, and maybe for a while after the ignition is off. But who knows on new vehicles, as you said, things are changing, and LiFePO4 has become very cheap recently, so an LiFePO4 auxiliary battery makes sense, much more efficient than AGM, but can't be charged below freezing, so is not normally used, would need a heater, and couldn't be used for the main battery.

 

[Briseide]

My understanding is that new Kias will keep recharging the 12V battery from the big traction battery, so you have nothing to worry about, except for not leaving your traction battery nearly empty for several days, which you shouldn't do anyway.

I connected the OBD dongle and recorded the voltage of the auxiliary battery for a few hours.
The dongle draws 24 mA during use.
I observed the following:

- When I turned off the car, the voltage was 12.5-12.6V.
- After 30 minutes, the voltage dropped to 12.4V.
- At this point, the traction battery charges the auxiliary battery, the voltage drops to 14.8V, and the power drawn by the HV EV battery reaches up to 0.55 kW.
- After 10 minutes, it stops charging, and the auxiliary battery voltage is 12.8V.
- After 30 minutes, the voltage drops to 12.4V and charges again for 10 minutes, bringing it back to 12.8V.

In practice, the auxiliary battery never drops below 12.4V, and with the OBD dongle's current draw, it is charged every half hour.

The car manual states that "The auxiliary battery is automatically charged when the vehicle is in POWER ON, DRIVE READY mode, or the high-voltage battery is charging."
I wasn't in either case; I turned off the car's power before getting out.

The car also has a Utility function that can be activated from the screen. This is the description in the manual: "The high-voltage battery is used to operate the vehicle's useful functions instead of the 12V auxiliary battery. When not driving, for example, during a stop or when the vehicle is idle for an extended period, you can use the electrical devices (audio, lights, air conditioning, heating, etc.) for several hours."

Do you think it's possible for the auxiliary battery to be charged only if the power draw is coming from the OBD port? But not if the power draw is coming from a fused device?
If the dashcam is connected via the hardware kit to the Battery+ and ACC fuse, does it behave as if it were in POWER ON and therefore the HV battery should charge the auxiliary battery?

 

[SafeDriveSolutions]

I connected the OBD dongle and recorded the voltage of the auxiliary battery for a few hours.
The dongle draws 24 mA during use.
I observed the following:

- When I turned off the car, the voltage was 12.5-12.6V.
- After 30 minutes, the voltage dropped to 12.4V.
- At this point, the traction battery charges the auxiliary battery, the voltage drops to 14.8V, and the power drawn by the HV EV battery reaches up to 0.55 kW.
- After 10 minutes, it stops charging, and the auxiliary battery voltage is 12.8V.
- After 30 minutes, the voltage drops to 12.4V and charges again for 10 minutes, bringing it back to 12.8V.

In practice, the auxiliary battery never drops below 12.4V, and with the OBD dongle's current draw, it is charged every half hour.

The car manual states that "The auxiliary battery is automatically charged when the vehicle is in POWER ON, DRIVE READY mode, or the high-voltage battery is charging."
I wasn't in either case; I turned off the car's power before getting out.

The car also has a Utility function that can be activated from the screen. This is the description in the manual: "The high-voltage battery is used to operate the vehicle's useful functions instead of the 12V auxiliary battery. When not driving, for example, during a stop or when the vehicle is idle for an extended period, you can use the electrical devices (audio, lights, air conditioning, heating, etc.) for several hours."

Do you think it's possible for the auxiliary battery to be charged only if the power draw is coming from the OBD port? But not if the power draw is coming from a fused device?
If the dashcam is connected via the hardware kit to the Battery+ and ACC fuse, does it behave as if it were in POWER ON and therefore the HV battery should charge the auxiliary battery?

This is false from what I have seen in USA and Canada.

We have worked on many EV Kia and I have personally seen 11.5 volts frequently and then 10 minutes later it charges the car battery uo to high 12,s again. At 11.5 volts it is too late dash camera is turned off already in parking mode.

 

[Nigel]

Do you think it's possible for the auxiliary battery to be charged only if the power draw is coming from the OBD port? But not if the power draw is coming from a fused device?

Seems unlikely, but possible. More likely that it was staying in a "Utility" like mode because you were in or near the car.

If the dashcam is connected via the hardware kit to the Battery+ and ACC fuse, does it behave as if it were in POWER ON and therefore the HV battery should charge the auxiliary battery?

I think the only way to be sure is to try it. The manual may not be accurate because the car has been updated and the manual not, and European cars don't necessarily behave in the same way as North American cars, we have different rules and laws. Also, newer Kias appear to work differently to older ones, where people did have issues with the 12V batteries discharging rather quickly.

There have been a number of posts recently from people with newer Kias who have found that things work OK for them.

 

[Briseide]

This is false from what I have seen in USA and Canada.

We have worked on many EV Kia and I have personally seen 11.5 volts frequently and then 10 minutes later it charges the car battery uo to high 12,s again. At 11.5 volts it is too late dash camera is turned off already in parking mode.

These are the images from the CarScanner screen

 

[Briseide]

Seems unlikely, but possible. More likely that it was staying in a "Utility" like mode because you were in or near the car.


I think the only way to be sure is to try it. The manual may not be accurate because the car has been updated and the manual not, and European cars don't necessarily behave in the same way as North American cars, we have different rules and laws. Also, newer Kias appear to work differently to older ones, where people did have issues with the 12V batteries discharging rather quickly.

There have been a number of posts recently from people with newer Kias who have found that things work OK for them.

I hadn't selected Utility mode; the car was locked and parked. I had my phone connected about 10-15 meters away.
Of course, when they deliver it to me and I have it installed, I'll run some tests to see how it works.

If that were the case, everything would change regarding the recording settings in parking mode.
The voltage would never drop below 12.4V, so the Cut-off Voltage would never kick in. However, is it better to set it to 12.4V or 12.2V?
Leaving the Cut-off Time OFF would result in continuous recording until the HV battery is completely discharged, so it's best to set the number of hours you want to record (and here, let's say 3 hours is the standard).
And what about parking mode? What's the best mode to select? The Hybrid modes would be useless.

P.S.: A while ago, I saw a comparison of consumption in the various parking modes; I don't remember if it was in a post or a video. I can't find it, not even using the search...can someone please send me the link? Thanks.

 

[TonyM]

P.S.: A while ago, I saw a comparison of consumption in the various parking modes; I don't remember if it was in a post or a video. I can't find it, not even using the search...can someone please send me the link? Thanks.

Post in thread 'VIOFO A329S - Testing/Review - RCG'

Jun 5, 2025

During my testing of the A329S 3-Channel prototype dash camera, I performed a series of parking mode power consumption tests. Recently, I asked VIOFO is there was any parking mode that would have a significant change in its power consumption based on the firmware version or the production hardwire. VIOFO stated there should be no notable differences in the parking mode power consumption with the production firmware / hardware.

The power consumption data was gathered using a Fluke 117 multimeter measuring the amp draw with 12.6 volts being provided to the input power wires of a VIOFO HK4...

• rcg530

• 

 

[Nigel]

And what about parking mode? What's the best mode to select? The Hybrid modes would be useless.

If you want to set a duration time of 3 hours, and then have it switch to impact detection only, then you do want the hybrid modes.
Personally, I would choose Low Bitrate Hybrid Parking Mode for a 3 hour record, since that is best for supermarket car parks, and that is what I would want to use the 3 hours for.

The hybrid low voltage switch to impact detection would not get used if the battery is kept charge.

You can't make sensible decisions until you find out how the car works though!

 

[Briseide]

Post in thread 'VIOFO A329S - Testing/Review - RCG'

Jun 5, 2025

During my testing of the A329S 3-Channel prototype dash camera, I performed a series of parking mode power consumption tests. Recently, I asked VIOFO is there was any parking mode that would have a significant change in its power consumption based on the firmware version or the production hardwire. VIOFO stated there should be no notable differences in the parking mode power consumption with the production firmware / hardware.

The power consumption data was gathered using a Fluke 117 multimeter measuring the amp draw with 12.6 volts being provided to the input power wires of a VIOFO HK4...

• rcg530

• 

Thank you, this is useful to me! in addition to this I remembered a post or video that unfortunately I did not save where there was a comparison and the currents absorbed were indicated..... I would not like to remember badly

 

[Briseide]

If you want to set a duration time of 3 hours, and then have it switch to impact detection only, then you do want the hybrid modes.
Personally, I would choose Low Bitrate Hybrid Parking Mode for a 3 hour record, since that is best for supermarket car parks, and that is what I would want to use the 3 hours for.

The hybrid low voltage switch to impact detection would not get used if the battery is kept charge.

You can't make sensible decisions until you find out how the car works though!

You're absolutely right, maybe we'll update when I actually see how the car works after installing the dashcam. I wanted to understand the best ways to set up in both conditions so that I would not find myself unprepared.

 

[SafeDriveSolutions]

These are the images from the CarScanner screen

Like i said from what I have seen in Canada. It gets a lot lower

 

[TONTON81]

Welp I just wired up my A329S with HK6 to an iroad powerpack 12000, using hybrid mode, using 12 hour parking timeout and 1fps timelapse, no problem so far ! should i switch for low bitrate or stick to timelapse?

 

[SafeDriveSolutions]

Welp I just wired up my A329S with HK6 to an iroad powerpack 12000, using hybrid mode, using 12 hour parking timeout and 1fps timelapse, no problem so far ! should i switch for low bitrate or stick to timelapse?

It depends what you want for video. Low bitrate is better but it depends how big your sd card is and what you are monitoring while parked