Hardwired Dash Cam - Battery Drainage?

[koplebob]

hey guys, so i just picked up a 2023 mustang gt, i'm looking into getting a 24/7 dash cam just to be on the safe side, and i already noticed that my uniden r3 stays powered on if i turn the car off until it shuts itself off. i'm looking to prevent battery drainage, so i just unplug the r3 every time i get out of the car. it works for now. with the dash cam, the hardwire kit states the below info about voltage cutoffs. I want to know, will using a hardwire kit shorten the lifespan of my battery? Even though it cuts off at lets say 12 volts, would the fact that its being drained to 12 volts every time the car turns off hurt the lifespan of the car vs all tech being off when the car is off?

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[MACHtobers Very Own]

I had a rough experience with leaving in the mode that shuts off after certain period as well as having what I believe some general drain from just being plugged into a 24/7 fuse.

not an expert in these matters but my Dash cam consistently ran me down to point of getting the low battery warning on the screen and the message from ford in the app. To the point that I have had a dead battery after washing the car for a bit. Just having key near car and my dash cam To turn on was enough.

I redid the fuse to one that only came on when car came on and no more issues BUT does eliminate the very feature you are asking about and one that I also wanted. )=

 

[koplebob]

I had a rough experience with leaving in the mode that shuts off after certain period as well as having what I believe some general drain from just being plugged into a 24/7 fuse.

not an expert in these matters but my Dash cam consistently ran me down to point of getting the low battery warning on the screen and the message from ford in the app. To the point that I have had a dead battery after washing the car for a bit. Just having key near car and my dash cam To turn on was enough.

I redid the fuse to one that only came on when car came on and no more issues BUT does eliminate the very feature you are asking about and one that I also wanted. )=

yeah i mean at that point i'd rather just leave it in the cigarette lighter (which also tends to stay on for 90 min i believe) although that works for partially the intent i want, as that'll at least cover when i park in lots etc as most of the time i won't be leaving my car unattended for more than 90 minutes anyway, so i might just leave it in the cigarette lighter slot and not unplug it like i do with my uniden radar.

 

[BlackandBlue]

The map light circuit powers on when the door open/car unlocks and powers off after a few minutes.

I tapped mine and use it for my radar detector. Works perfectly.

There are dash cams with a built in battery that will run it for certain periods of time. That allows the best of both worlds.

 

[koplebob]

The map light circuit powers on when the door open/car unlocks and powers off after a few minutes.

I tapped mine and use it for my radar detector. Works perfectly.

i think i'll use that for my radar as well and then leave the dash cam in the front cigarette lighter. how can i tap into the map light circuit?

 

[BlackandBlue]

Lockitt POSI-TAP are what I used. I think there is 3 wires (always ,neg, switched) coming out of the back of the light. Find the 2 that are activated by the doors. Ran the wire down the sleeve to a blend mount.

The pain though is getting the map light housing down. Small screwdriver and poke the clips. That was the most difficult part.

 

[Torched10]

hey guys, so i just picked up a 2023 mustang gt, i'm looking into getting a 24/7 dash cam just to be on the safe side, and i already noticed that my uniden r3 stays powered on if i turn the car off until it shuts itself off. i'm looking to prevent battery drainage, so i just unplug the r3 every time i get out of the car. it works for now. with the dash cam, the hardwire kit states the below info about voltage cutoffs. I want to know, will using a hardwire kit shorten the lifespan of my battery? Even though it cuts off at lets say 12 volts, would the fact that its being drained to 12 volts every time the car turns off hurt the lifespan of the car vs all tech being off when the car is off?

Looks like you can set voltage turn off at 12.4v.battery is usually 12.6 so 12.4 would be fine.

 

[MACHtobers Very Own]

yeah i mean at that point i'd rather just leave it in the cigarette lighter (which also tends to stay on for 90 min i believe) although that works for partially the intent i want, as that'll at least cover when i park in lots etc as most of the time i won't be leaving my car unattended for more than 90 minutes anyway, so i might just leave it in the cigarette lighter slot and not unplug it like i do with my uniden radar.

I've also been researching batteries because I really wanted parking mode for when I'm traveling versus at home a little pricy but can kinda solve the problem just have to have a laptop sized battery sitting under seat/dash etc

 

[Gnatsum21]

I am using a "Wolfbox" camera I wired to the fuse box. Never had an issue, used it in my former stang and current one.

 

[koplebob]

I am using a "Wolfbox" camera I wired to the fuse box. Never had an issue, used it in my former stang and current one.

does it record while the car’s off too?

 

[Gnatsum21]

does it record while the car’s off too?

Yes, I have is set to "motion only". And it will record "on impact" I believe.

 

[EFI]

i'm looking into getting a 24/7 dash cam just to be on the safe side

Plug it into the mirror power supply, plug and play vs. hardwiring it and it's a key on power. No messy wires to be routed either.

 

[PKs]

I have been running a Celllink Neo dash cam battery for five years now and works great. The dash cam is powered off of it rather than the car. It recharges when engine is running. Powers the dash cam for days/weeks when the car is parked and sits under the driver seat out of the way. The mustang still has it's parasitic draw on the main battery regardless so a connected charger is a must for long periods.

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