DashCam Wiring Peculiarities

[kiteboy]

Hi all

Just wired up a dashcam to my mothers Leon. The camera is a Thinkcam F50 and it has Parking mode. Anyway wired the (ACC Labeled) wire to the 12V Socket - which was Fuse 37 if I remember right - down the bottom.

Put the other cable (Battery Labeled) to the interior lights fused - Fuse 15 or 16 I think

I thought this would work - it didnt

The cameras was powering up when the engine was off and not going off as far as I could tell

I didnt know what was going so in the end swapped the labeled cables around so the Battery Labeled wire was going to the switched live and vise versa - thats seemed to have solved the camera being powered all the time - now it only comes on when the iginition is turned

Its now not going to parking mode!!! Anybody have any advise at all - I thought the original wiring I did was correct - who knows

Thanks

 

[Speed-FReek]

On the pre-facelift Mk2 Leons, fuse #15 in the fuse box on the end of the dashboard (a brown 7.5 amp fuse) isn't just a fuse for the interior lights. It is a fuse that supplies power to the BCM which in turn passes on or switches that power to certain individual control circuits that feed off of the BCM, the interior lights being one of those circuits that is serviced by fuse #15. So it is fuse #15 where you need to connect the wire to from your Dashcam labelled "Battery Power" (or whatever it says).

The "ACC" wire is the "Accessory" wire and needs to go to an ignition switched voltage source. On the pre-facelift cars the 12v socket only becomes live when switched on by the J519 Body Control Module (BCM). Something to be careful of here is how exactly the BCM controls the powering down of the 12v socket. It may not switch off immediately when you turn the ignition off and there may a be a period of sleep/delay before it powers down. I'm not 100% sure because I have a facelift model and on those the 12v socket is permanently live all the time (not ignition switched).

An better place to connect the wire to from your Dashcam labelled "ACC" would be to fuse #2 in the fuse box on the end of the dashboard (an orange 5 amp fuse). This is a fuse that is provided with power when the ignition is switched on and which loses power when the ignition is switched off.

 

[kiteboy]

Great thanks Speed-FReek will go up and try again later - great info

 

[richicupra]

Bump - just bought myself a dash cam after too many near misses...
Thinking about a hardwire kit as the ciggie lighter power supply gets in the way, eBay item 291517377396, would this work in fuse #2 as described above?

 

[Speed-FReek]

Bump - just bought myself a dash cam after too many near misses...
Thinking about a hardwire kit as the ciggie lighter power supply gets in the way, eBay item 291517377396, would this work in fuse #2 as described above?

It looks like the piggyback fuse connector that comes with that kit is for a full size fuse holder.

Both fuses mentioned in post #2 are mini fuses so you would need one for a "mini" piggyback fuse holder.

 

[richicupra]

It looks like the piggyback fuse connector that comes with that kit is for a full size fuse holder.

Both fuses mentioned in post #2 are mini fuses so you would need one for a "mini" piggyback fuse holder.

Cheers for your help. I can get a mini connector instead, would that then be OK on fuse position #2?
I only want the camera to have power when the ignition is switched on, I don't intend to use it in parking mode.

 

[richicupra]

OK so in the end of dash fuse box I have 6 mini fuses in the top row, according to the manual these are:
1) 10 A, Diagnosis switchboard/instrument lighting/etc
2) 10 A, ECU/ABS-ESP/light switch/brake sensor/power steering/headlights
3) 5 A, Airbag
4) 5 A, Heating/reverse switch/ASR-ESP switch
5) 10 A, Right xenon headlight
6) 10 A, Left xenon headlight

Is fuse number 2 suitable as a switched power supply? Or are any of the vacant slots switched with the ignition?

 

[richicupra]

Could do with knowing this before the weekend

Which fuses are switched, or which empty slots are switched?

Edit: sorted it cheers