Wiring Power Magic Pro without ACC connection

I'm sure you have checked, but I would double check that - a lot of modern cars the ciggy is can-bus activated, so will switch off a while after the ignition is off.
So if you're just testing it might give the appearance of working after the ignition has switched off, but it might then disable after a certain amount of time.

I know in my car the ciggy activates when I unlock the car, and if I don't touch anything at all and just sit there it'll go off after about 2 mins. - I needed to hook into the fuse box to get a 'true' perm live (which if I remember, I took off the OBD socket fuse).
We went shopping at Asda this morning, I left the rear camera plugged into the cargo area power point, came back to the car after about 3/4 hour (didn't unlock the car) and the camera was still on, so looks as though the cargo area socket is permanent power.

When we got home I plugged a 5w bulb into the ciggy lighter socket, left it on for 1/2 hour and it was still on, so can definitely say that the ciggy lighters are permanent power. I did this first with the car unlocked, then with the car locked.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention, my car could have easily been the same as your VW, Audi being in the same group.
 
Great stuff, and always worth to doublecheck.
I don't have a VW (or anything from the VAG group), apologies if I planted that seed :D but its good you've confirmed the power status.
 
Great stuff, and always worth to doublecheck.
I don't have a VW (or anything from the VAG group), apologies if I planted that seed :D but its good you've confirmed the power status.
Sorry about the VW mix-up, that was Hillbilly who has the VW.
 
A lot of work when if you looked in your fuse box there are fuses that turn off with ign and can be used via an addafuse.

Could have done the same with a Power Magic PRO as it will run two cameras .

Very few cars have the ciggy socket on ALL the time.

Most certainly couldn't do that in my VW's and couldnt do the courtesy light thing in the other thread.

Much easier to do it the proper way All wired up in 20 mins and no relays needed just a pair of wires under the r/h side floor trim and into rear quarter.

Whatever grabs you I guess
I would like to see a diagram of this method Hillbilly!!!
 
I would like to see a diagram of this method Hillbilly!!!

Can only post pics of my Passat installation which will be different to other cars.

Basically this is your alternatives.

1 Hook a ciggy socket up to a acc controlled fuse via an ADD a fuse. Camera will only work with ign on

2 Use the ciggy socket In most cars it turns off with IGN

3 Buy a Power magic or Power magic Pro wire it into TWO adda fuses.

4 Or as I did initially, find two blanks with power on one side in the fuse panel One permanent power and one ACC power and put two addafuse type fuses in there Wire up the PM and plug your cameras into the ciggy socket.
Some of the PM's have two ciggy sockets or you can solder one to the wiring after it exits the PM box to run a second camera.


I actually did it different to all that I put the two fuses in and ran the front camera off the feed to the PM from the ACC fuse so it turns off with the IGN

It goes to a ciggy socket I removed off the PM.
I then extended the wires on the PM and ran them along trim into R/R of Wagon Soldered a Ciggy socket on Then ran camera wire out through trim and up taildoor seal and into camera which is fixed to the roof just inside the taildoor It stays on for 2 hours in parking mode Front camera is off when I get out.

Hope that makes sense Pic one shows the two fuses with wires attached pic 2 shows line fuse and PM and ciggy socket wrapped in bubble wrap
Last one shows black cable going up to end of dash to camera
 

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Great thread, however, I have a similar but different question.

I have a 2012 Chev Tahoe, and I am unable to locate an ACC type fuse, either they have power or they don't. The truck also has four 12-v outlets that are powered up all the time (I know because my camera will run until the battery is dead). The only fuse I could come remotely close to and which I currently have my Power Magic (PM) hooked up to is the one for the front daytime driving lights. Unfortunately, they don't come on at dark or in poor weather, rather the headlights turn on leaving my camera in the off position. In addition, I have my PM set to stay on all the time (I like the parking mode and want the system to shut off only if the battery gets low) but once my vehicle is off, several minutes later the Power Magic turns off (the 12-v line the PM is hooked into has full time power)

Questions: Does anyone have any idea of a circuit in the Tahoe that will work as an "ACC", I'd tap into a wire if need be? If no suggestions, what would happen if only the 12-v line is connected and the ACC line is not, will the system still run and power down if the battery get low? What I've read in the past threads is that the ACC is used for the timer.

Any suggestions?
 
Great thread, however, I have a similar but different question.

I have a 2012 Chev Tahoe, and I am unable to locate an ACC type fuse, either they have power or they don't. The truck also has four 12-v outlets that are powered up all the time (I know because my camera will run until the battery is dead). The only fuse I could come remotely close to and which I currently have my Power Magic (PM) hooked up to is the one for the front daytime driving lights. Unfortunately, they don't come on at dark or in poor weather, rather the headlights turn on leaving my camera in the off position. In addition, I have my PM set to stay on all the time (I like the parking mode and want the system to shut off only if the battery gets low) but once my vehicle is off, several minutes later the Power Magic turns off (the 12-v line the PM is hooked into has full time power)

Questions: Does anyone have any idea of a circuit in the Tahoe that will work as an "ACC", I'd tap into a wire if need be? If no suggestions, what would happen if only the 12-v line is connected and the ACC line is not, will the system still run and power down if the battery get low? What I've read in the past threads is that the ACC is used for the timer.

Any suggestions?
If your camera is turning off after a short time it seems that the fuse has a delay on it and is in fact an ACC type circuit.

I would start the car, run it for a few minutes, turn it off and leave it for half an hour and then meter the fuses and see which ones are still on and which have turned off.
I would seriously doubt that ALL are still live.

The correct way is that the yellow "timer" wire is connected to always on. The other (red) wire is connected so that it turns on and off with the ignition. You could always run a wire direct from the battery to power the timer wire but shouldnt be necessary.
Dont have a Tahoe as they are about $125,000 to buy one here in Australia.
 
If your camera is turning off after a short time it seems that the fuse has a delay on it and is in fact an ACC type circuit.

I would start the car, run it for a few minutes, turn it off and leave it for half an hour and then meter the fuses and see which ones are still on and which have turned off.
I would seriously doubt that ALL are still live.

The correct way is that the yellow "timer" wire is connected to always on. The other (red) wire is connected so that it turns on and off with the ignition. You could always run a wire direct from the battery to power the timer wire but shouldnt be necessary.
Dont have a Tahoe as they are about $125,000 to buy one here in Australia.

Thanks Hillbilly for the reply. Tomorrow during the daylight, I will revisit the wiring and try your suggestions. I was surprised to hear $125k for a Tahoe in Australia. I wish I could ship some over and sell them for a profit, but I know the duty and shipping would kill any profit.

I'll post tomorrow with my findings.

Thanks again!
 
Thanks Hillbilly for the reply. Tomorrow during the daylight, I will revisit the wiring and try your suggestions. I was surprised to hear $125k for a Tahoe in Australia. I wish I could ship some over and sell them for a profit, but I know the duty and shipping would kill any profit.

I'll post tomorrow with my findings.

Thanks again!
Yes and the steering wheel is on the wrong side and thats where the money comes in, for the conversion.
 
I'm still running into problems, I want the camera to stay on until the battery would drop below the set voltage. I currently have the yellow wire of the PMP hooked to a constant hot. The red is connected to a circuit that goes off once the ignition is turning off and the black to ground. The switch on the PMP is set to 12v and timed to indefinite. Also, I have a fairly new car battery which tests good.

What is currently happening, when I start my car, the PM turns on and the camera starts. Once I turn the car off, the PMP turns off seconds after with the switch light goes off. Once the PMP and camera shut down, I disconnected the PMP from the wiring harness and checked the connection to the yellow wire, it showed it had power. The red line did not have any power until I started the car, the power then came on to the red wire.

I have the switch set to 12v, both switch 1& 2 in the up position and set to indefinite power, switches 3, 4 and 5 down or in the on position.

I'm not a newbie to wiring and this can't be that difficult, but it's got me stumped. Is there something I'm missing? Is there a way to test this to verify that the PMP is operating correctly?

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I guess I answered my own question. After one more read of the instructions, it appears that I had the toggle switch in the wrong position allowing the device to shut off when the ignition turned off.
 
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