When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Thank you @BHMav8r It's good to know that you were able to leave it for a few days without problems. I recently replaced my battery, so it should be in good health.
Just bought an N4 and asked Vantrue the same question. Jennifer at Customer Support replied:
If you set parking mode to collision detection only and manually turn off the cam, the cam will start to record for 1 minute after it detects the collision, then turn off the dash cam again. If you set parking mode to other options and manually turn off the cam, the cam will shut down completely and will not consume power. Only the car charger will consume power that is rarely negligible.
Please note that if the dash cam continues to be hit during collision detection recording, it will exit the collision detection mode and enter normal recording, restarting the 5-minute entry mechanism.
The N4 requires a 5V 2A power supply and it consumes 1000Mha per hour.
This depends on the option of parking mode and the number of times the detection is triggered. Also consider other power consuming equipment in the car (like car insurance system, radar, etc.)
If motion detection is enabled and is not triggered too often, then a healthy battery can support the camera for about 5 days. If you need to use parking mode for a long time, we recommend choosing collision detection, which will be more power saving.
I plugged it into the passenger side outlet. The only problem is when I forget to unplug it when I get home and park in the garage. Only happened once, but I may leave a note on the door to the house reminding me to unplug it. At some point, I may go to the hard wire connection
I plugged it into the passenger side outlet. The only problem is when I forget to unplug it when I get home and park in the garage. Only happened once, but I may leave a note on the door to the house reminding me to unplug it. At some point, I may go to the hard wire connection
I plugged it into the passenger side footwell outlet because that seemed to be the easiest way to route the power cable. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to route the power and rear camera wires along the edge of the headlining and windshield. It resulted in a tidy installation. I left the car for 2 days with motion and impact detection enabled in Parking mode, and there was no issue starting the car. The worst part of the experience was wading through days of video files. I'll probably disable motion detection next time. Someone put a flyer under my windshield wiper. I was curious to see if the cam picked that up, but I wasn't able to find it.
the fuse tap - is not that bad @ all. it's been documented here many times over the years with step by step instructions + as well as photos. i recall the threads also told me exactly which fuse spots were empty (available) AND ignition switched.
while i suppose constant 12v cig lighters have their place for daily usage - you can easily add a fuse tap -> DC cig lighter. Giving you a (hidden) switched outlet using products such as I have attached below. All of which can be easily hidden.
you can use them to create switched power outlets for phone chargers, dashcams etc without any risk of battery drainage. as they turn off when the car does.
That's good to know @myw I didn't have time before my trip to hardwire the dashcam, but I have the hardwire kit ready to go. I'll be nice to free up the passenger outlet.
Best Buy charged me $100 to install into my car and also do it direct to the fuse. Clean install, no problems.
also will record if my car is bumped when it’s parked (which I’ve already have to do when someone bumped my front bumper and denied it. Their insurance sided with me when I showed the video).
I plugged it into the passenger side footwell outlet because that seemed to be the easiest way to route the power cable. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to route the power and rear camera wires along the edge of the headlining and windshield. It resulted in a tidy installation. I left the car for 2 days with motion and impact detection enabled in Parking mode, and there was no issue starting the car. The worst part of the experience was wading through days of video files. I'll probably disable motion detection next time. Someone put a flyer under my windshield wiper. I was curious to see if the cam picked that up, but I wasn't able to find it.
n1gels, how did you do the rear camera wiring? Did you have to drop the headliner? Or did you just stuff the wiring at the edge? If so, did it go in easy? Also, what did you do about the extra length (i.d., where did you stick it). Any info would be appreciated.
@cringely I was able to run the wire along the edge of the window trim by the headliner above the driver's door and side window. It was very easy to push the wire into what felt like a bit of a channel along the edge of the trim. The only place I ran into problems was along the edge of the rear window. About half way down I think there's an electrical connector for the heated rear window, so the wire is exposed for about an inch there. I installed the rear camera middle-top of the rear window, so I ended up with a loop of extra cable. I coiled it up and left it on the corner of the rear parcel shelf. Not ideal. Perhaps it could be hidden under the parcel shelf? I wasn't sure how to remove it though. Hope this helps!
10-13-2022, 02:38 PM
