Grimmer
Well-Known Member
It was my understanding that you could simply leave the Power Magic Pro switch to "on" when you want parking mode (recording with the ignition off). Then it would cut power after a certain amount of time and/or when the battery voltage gets down to the set voltage...I moved the Power Magic Pro unit into my glovebox so that I can reach it to switch modes. Even so, this brand new battery will drop below 12v sometimes, even if the car sits just overnight.
Are you saying that you turn off parking mode when you park at home in the garage? Then reactivate it when you park elsewhere? I would be too worried that I would forget to reactivate parking mode and just leave it enabled at all times.
My dashcam has both the low voltage and max time cut off features built into the unit itself (no need for an external power module). There is an option in the menus to enable/disable parking mode (and you can choose between continuous time lapse or buffered motion sensing recording, e.g. 5 seconds before and 10 seconds after visual or shock motion is detected). I just leave parking mode enabled all the time. This is a significant part of the reason I changed to an AGM battery.
The flooded lead acid engine start batteries (as opposed to deep cycle or marine start/deep cycle hybrid) are designed to deliver a lot of current for a short burst to start the vehicle and then be fully recharged and stored at full charge. Modern cars consume power continuously (even when off) for the ECU, GPS, cell/data link (if equipped), WiFi, monitoring for key fob presence and unlock requests, etc... Perhaps car designers are operating within the acceptable limits of discharge / storage expecting a full recharge the next morning on the way to work, or perhaps they don't care how much they shorten the battery life... At any rate, adding a dashcam makes the discharge/storage situation worse, and not driving the car everyday makes it much worse on top of that. Add in a crappy battery and you are destined to replace it more often. I am surprised that car designers are not specifying AGM as the factory battery to mitigate the continuous draw, even more surprised that the crap (unsealed, maintenance required) battery they spec'd for these Mustangs (and many other modern model lines) don't have a direct replacement AGM option.
Batteries are a consumable part, just like brake pads. We are asking a lot of the factory battery design, which I personally consider to be under spec'd for the task at hand, and should expect to have to replace them. The only question is when and where and whether or not you will be stranded when the time comes...
+1. I just replaced my motorcycle battery (which was AGM from the factory) simply because it was 5 years old. It showed a slightly lower than expected voltage before starting the engine but was otherwise working just fine. I ride my motorcycle into the mountains and well off the beaten (paved) path. I have also seen automotive batteries go from working fine to completely shot in as little as a single start cycle. You never know when it is going to happen, and I don't want to get stuck 20 miles from the pavement with no cell reception for the lack of a $100 battery. Maybe I short changed myself 20% or even 50% of the life of that original battery... what is peace of mind worth ?Toss the battery. If it dies on you once without leaving something like the lights on, it will never hold a charge. To cheap of a fix to risk getting stuck.
Sponsored