Dash Cam Power Supply installation.

[AVJ]

Hi,

I have a 2016 RS and have installed a dash cam but as the assessor plugs do not turn off when the car is turned off, have to take out the plug when the car is turned off.

My questions is, has anyone else installed a dash cam or similar device needing the lighter power socket and did you find another way to hard wire it in so that it was not on constant supply of power?

Thanks...

[Fourwinds]

Have a read here. The post covers various options for you and/or an auto electrician to install a permanent fixture

Cheers Fred

Dash Cam & 12V Multi Adaptor Hidden Install (driver storage compartment) - Skoda Octavia II (2004 - 2013) - BRISKODA

[Guest001]

You can do it neater and easier than that by buying one of these ciggy sockets and hooking it to an addafuse as in the thread.

Run the camera end of the cable from inside the fuse box area to the weatherseal and up to the camera tuck the excess inside the dash and wrap it all in bubble wrap to stop rattles

Attached are some pics of two of my installs in a Polo and a Passat which has front and rear cameras In the one thats cream you can see the camera cable going up to the right and is hidden when end panel is fitted. I cut a small nick out so it didnt crimp it Same with the Polo one.
The fuses i used are in spare powered sockets and come from Jaycar with the wires attached

Dont cut the ciggy plug off the cameras as they have a 2 amp fuse in them usually The Dual lock tape is what I attach my Blackvue cameras to the windscreen with Havent had one fall off in 3 years of temps from -5 to +40

[AVJ]

This info is exactly what I was after. Thank you very much guys....

[GTR27]

You can also get a fuse tap to something that is powered by accessories, rather than power. It's much neater than one of those cigarette lighter sockets.

[Guest001]

You can also get a fuse tap to something that is powered by accessories, rather than power. It's much neater than one of those cigarette lighter sockets.

Like these BUT as the fuse for the camera is in the ciggy plug its best to use that and also it means you can take the camera out and use it another car.

Been there done that on overseas trips. I have a spare power lead that I use for that

If you use the addafuse on the left make sure you put it in the correct way as it only works properly one way.

Have installed 7 cameras altogether quite sucessfully and neatly so you cant tell the wiring is there I did use a multi ciggy socket overseas so I could run a nav ,camera and charge phones at the same time but a bit untidy

[AVJ]

After a quick visit to Jay Car today, I have as per suggestions installed the dash cam with the use of an add fuse and a cigarette socket, the dash cam now turns off and on with the car and not just stay on.

Total Cost: $16.00 inc 5A blade fuse.

Thank you all for your assistance with this. Would have saved me will over $100-200 in auto electrican costs.

[Guest001]

After a quick visit to Jay Car today, I have as per suggestions installed the dash cam with the use of an add fuse and a cigarette socket, the dash cam now turns off and on with the car and not just stay on.

Total Cost: $16.00 inc 5A blade fuse.

Thank you all for your assistance with this. Would have saved me will over $100-200 in auto electrican costs.

Just make sure you put the addafuse in the correct way It goes in with the wire pointing down usually as if you put it in the other way the fuses wont work as fuses What I mean is you put the Addafuse in with the wired side to the cold side of your fuse that you replace so that the power comes in the other pin and through the fuses to the car.

As per this link from 2013 DIY Blackvue DR400G-HD/Power Magic Pro Dashcam - Scion FR-S Forum | Subaru BRZ Forum | Toyota 86 GT 86 Forum | AS1 Forum - FT86CLUB

These are the brand I install except it is an older model now but all else applies.

The Power Magic enables it to stay on for a selected time when parked and has a low voltage cutout so it doesnt run the battery flat

[The_Hawk]

I've used those blade fuse wiring things in the past but have put the extra wire on the hot side (and added an inline fuse to that line) so I wasn't attempting to add extra draw across an existing fuse.

Did you get the type that are hard wired or the ones like this with have a socket on the back?

Double Blade Fuse Socket Wire Tap | Automotive Blade Fuses & Holders | Circuit Protection | Passive Components | PRODUCTS | SF5115 | Jaycar Electronics

The only reason I ask is that if you've gone the hard wired route you need to remember to keep a spare in case it ever blows, the one with the socket of course uses your standard replacement fuses.

[Guest001]

I've used those blade fuse wiring things in the past but have put the extra wire on the hot side (and added an inline fuse to that line) so I wasn't attempting to add extra draw across an existing fuse.

Did you get the type that are hard wired or the ones like this with have a socket on the back?

Double Blade Fuse Socket Wire Tap | Automotive Blade Fuses & Holders | Circuit Protection | Passive Components | PRODUCTS | SF5115 | Jaycar Electronics

The only reason I ask is that if you've gone the hard wired route you need to remember to keep a spare in case it ever blows, the one with the socket of course uses your standard replacement fuses.

Using the one in your link you have the left side in the hot side of the fuse socket and the current flows through both fuses as normal If you fit it back to front it goes through the bottom fuse and then to the extra fuse so you have effectively got the load of both on the "original" fuse.

Using the little one in my pic, if you use the 10amp one it doesnt really matter as if you also use the ciggy socket the camera plug has a 2 amp fuse in it which will blow long before the 10 amp one does.

I dont know why you would add another wire as if you want to put a line fuse in you could have just put it in with the wire on the hot side and take it off that and the internal fuse would work as normal.

In the VW it has plenty of unused fuse sockets with both always on and Acc power so I just stick one in there and there is nothing else on the circuit anyway

Attached is pic of what I mean Excuse the bad drawing LOL

[The_Hawk]

You think your drawings are rubbish! Check out mine:



1) is the stock setup, fuse across a circuit.

2) is a piggy back wire installed on the cold side. This puts both the original circuit and your new one across a common fuse.
In most cases this is OK since your camera doesn't draw a lot of power so should work fine. But it's possible that a normal power draw could blow the fuse.

3) is a piggy back fuse on the hot side. The output wire carries 12V with no fuse. While you *could* rely on the fuse built into the ciggy socket in your power adaptor, the problem is that the socket itself is just carrying power, what if something gets in there to arc it out or (depending on where you locate it) something on the wire shorts out?? I think it's worth the couple of bucks for an inline fuse just in case.

Allof that is on the basis that you're using a hardwired piggyback fuse:





The best option for all would be one of these since you then get to have two separate circuits and 100% of your new wiring is protected by a fuse.

Socket Type Piggy Back:

[Guest001]

You think your drawings are rubbish! Check out mine:



1) is the stock setup, fuse across a circuit.

2) is a piggy back wire installed on the cold side. This puts both the original circuit and your new one across a common fuse.
In most cases this is OK since your camera doesn't draw a lot of power so should work fine. But it's possible that a normal power draw could blow the fuse.

3) is a piggy back fuse on the hot side. The output wire carries 12V with no fuse. While you *could* rely on the fuse built into the ciggy socket in your power adaptor, the problem is that the socket itself is just carrying power, what if something gets in there to arc it out or (depending on where you locate it) something on the wire shorts out?? I think it's worth the couple of bucks for an inline fuse just in case.

Allof that is on the basis that you're using a hardwired piggyback fuse:





The best option for all would be one of these since you then get to have two separate circuits and 100% of your new wiring is protected by a fuse.

Socket Type Piggy Back:

Yes I agree to a point but as my ciggy socket is in the back of the dash and has the plug taped into it and wrapped in Bubble wrap I dont think it will be a problem. Same applies to a ciggy socket in the console for that matter
Also in the Passat there isnt room for the addafuses as they stick up too far and would hit on the cover.
I actually put line fuses in and then realised they werent really necessary but as I have a slightly different wiring setup for my rear camera than standard i used them The rear stays on for 2 hours when parked.

The illustration you have for them looks like you pinched it off a thread on Dashcamtalk LOL

[The_Hawk]

looks like you pinched it off a thread on Dashcamtalk LOL

Google image search, but yes I think that's where it was from

I also get that there isn't always room for the full piggy back module (which is where the hardwired versions come in handy).



I agree that the risk is massively reduced when you have the socket right next to the fuse box anyway. It's very unlikely that something will go wrong with that 2" of wire. In my case I have the extra socket in the glove box in the van so there is a decent run of wiring that I want to protect. So in my case I've used the hardwired piggy back (mostly because that's what I had available on the day) with an inline fuse for all the reasons I've already covered).