Dash Camera Hard-Wire

[weeitsmikelee]

Apologies, I didn’t know the homelink was the powered mirror. I thought that was something available on the rubicon trim.

I’m not an expert with wires but I spliced the BlackSys’ red and yellow to the Jeeps homelink hot wire (red) and that has the cam energized always. The only issue is it doesn’t enter parking mode so my video files are standard recording size.

The external battery setting is for 3rd party battery packs I’m guessing? It seems like the cam will still record for ~8 minutes once the vehicle is off due to its own battery. Does yours stay on for a while once the Jeep is off?
I’m emailed blackboxmycar for some help with working the app, hopefully I’ll have some insight to share with you.

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[RussJeep1]

Mike, I think the homelink refers to the 3 buttons on the driver's sun visor that can be programmed to emit the codes of popular wireless devices like garage door openers and wireless hoist lifts/lowers. I have it, but not the powered mirror so perhaps we shouldn't conflate the two.

Mike, the only issue is not, IMHO, that your dash cam doesn't enter parking mode. Your other issue, and a bigger one I'd say is that because it doesn't enter parking mode, it (the Blacksys) does not check your battery's voltage and turn off if that voltage runs low. I would serious consider connecting that yellow wire to one energized only when the rig is on, or even nothing at all, in which you'll lose any parking video, parking mode or not, but at least not risk draining your batteries (yes I said batteries, there are two) to the point where you can't crank the rig without a jump.

The camera is designed to be able stay on for while after being de-energized by a power source primarily so it can properly close video files and not corrupt them.

Mike, check out my post here if you haven't done so.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...dash-cam-non-powered-mirror.5440/#post-205339

It provides "a" way, perhaps not the best, to allow you to set the camera up for both active and parking modes with minimal removal of Jeep components to get to things.

 

[RussJeep1]

Does anyone know of a switched fuse?

One such place, your pardon the simplicity, is the front cigarette lighter. One NOT such place, if you have it, is your cargo area cigarette lighter, installed by default by FCA to always be on.

 

[weeitsmikelee]

Where does it say it only monitors the voltage in parking mode? Not disagreeing with you but I couldn't find that in my manual and I want to ask the seller as specifically as possible, thanks in advance!

Today I did sit in the Jeep between meetings lol to see how long the dashcam stays on (with the vehicle off) in the regular hardwired setting and I got around 30 minutes before I heard "terminating the system". I assumed that was the voltage meter doing its job

 

[RussJeep1]

Where does it say it only monitors the voltage in parking mode? Not disagreeing with you but I couldn't find that in my manual and I want to ask the seller as specifically as possible, thanks in advance!

Today I did sit in the Jeep between meetings lol to see how long the dashcam stays on (with the vehicle off) in the regular hardwired setting and I got around 30 minutes before I heard "terminating the system". I assumed that was the voltage meter doing its job

My 411 comes from instant chat with Blackboxmycar.com pursuant to discussions on the purpose of the yellow wire.

Did your camera turn off from lack of motion or rig battery power inadequacy.?

I'm finding it hard to believe a new rig (your JL) in warmer weather lacks battery power to keep the DashCam operational at all times...but maybe....the thing's (your rig that is has) got not 1 but two batteries, albeit the second one is smaller and tucked away...

 

[alex_a2012]

This is what I was thinking when I get my Jeep. I'm novice with electrical work so correct me if I am wrong.

I would consider either utilizing the aux switches (most straight forward, if you have it) or splicing into the power rear-view mirror; albeit, it will power down when the ignition/acc is off.

At that point, a typical dash cam will enter its period of "cameras internal batter, power-down phase, parked car mode, 8 min time out mode, motion or impact detection recording, etc".

My concern would be the power drain from the Jeep battery if it was left on constant. I'm the same way, I would like to have my camera on at all times for security. My camera loops files at a certain GB limit. If an incident occurred at 5 PM and I use my car the next morning at 7 AM - I might have lost that recording. I would be more inclined to have it hooked up to a constant aux power switch so that when I'm parked in a public place (store, park, busy area) for a short period of time it can record. Thoughts?

 

[RussJeep1]

This is what I was thinking when I get my Jeep. I'm novice with electrical work so correct me if I am wrong.

I would consider either utilizing the aux switches (most straight forward, if you have it) or splicing into the power rear-view mirror; albeit, it will power down when the ignition/acc is off.

At that point, a typical dash cam will enter its period of "cameras internal batter, power-down phase, parked car mode, 8 min time out mode, motion or impact detection recording, etc".

My concern would be the power drain from the Jeep battery if it was left on constant. I'm the same way, I would like to have my camera on at all times for security. My camera loops files at a certain GB limit. If an incident occurred at 5 PM and I use my car the next morning at 7 AM - I might have lost that recording. I would be more inclined to have it hooked up to a constant aux power switch so that when I'm parked in a public place (store, park, busy area) for a short period of time it can record. Thoughts?

Hey Alex, here's what I know. I'm no expert, but I've "been there and done that."

Please note: my JL neither has aux switches nor a power mirror. If the one you've presumably (from your thoughts) ordered does, you *may* want to go this route, or at least know it exists, I say in deference to your desire to keep the electrical hookups more straight forward than this.



It's my understanding that within the power rear view mirror, wires can be found that are both a direct connected to the battery (i.e. always energized irrespective of whether the vehicle is cranked*, as well as an "accessory wire:" one that's energized *only* when the vehicle is cranked*, in addition to a ground wire.

* (When I use the term "cranked" I am referring to an engine that's either running, or temporarily stopped by virtue of the rig's ESS system.)

To reiterate, and for clarity, anytime I say a "battery" wire I refer to a wire that's energized as long as your rig's battery has power. Anytime I say an "accessory" wire I refer to a wire that's only energized when the rig is cranked*.

So your presumption about the camera powering down when the rig is parked, I glean from this video, need not be so. ( I did not go this route because I don't know if the wires are up there and reasonable tappable for non-power mirrors like mine.)

It seems you have wires to choose from that are always energized or energized only when the rig is on. As you may appreciate already , the best setups on the better dash cams may use both type wires to help them determine what state your rig is in (parked or driving): a desire you seem to have, to record at all times, but also not drain the rig's battery when the rig is parked--the presumption here being the better dash cams monitor rig battery power when in parking mode, and shut off when the rig's battery dips below a particular (often programmable) threshold.

I speak generically with respect to dash cams. Some cams may supplement or use GPS or motion change to determine their state (parked or driving), additional or alternatively to these wires.

(My Blacksys uses these 2 energy wires (battery and accessory), or so the people at BlackBoxMyCar.com tell me, and seems to be my experience, to determine parked or driving status.)

Certainly, within the homelink buttons (if you have them) you'll find an accessory wire, not a battery wire. FCA wanted to make sure someone couldn't break into your garage if you programmed one of these homelink switches to operate the garage door, simply by gaining access to parked rig.

(Good write ups are on the forum about making the homelink buttons always on.)

I cannot speak to the electrical state of the aux wires when the rig is parked. Nor can I can't speak to whether their on/off state is maintained between vehicle usages, or whether they fail to retain "state," as is the design of the ESS switch: always shutting off after vehicle startups/shutdowns.

Other's here definitely can. I strongly suspect, given the large bundle of wires that feed the aux switches, that anything can be set up. Discussed below, I believe the bundle provides different amperages and different states to choose from.​

If the aux switches (by default?) are like the ESS, you'll have to rewire them to at the very least, automatically energize when the vehicle is cranked, or you may find your camera not knowing what state it should be in, short of you pressing the Aux button you've used each time the vehicle cranks.

Again: it's my understanding that the wire bundle to the aux switch contain power wires of both the accessory and battery kind, and are rating for different amperages. Please know that the design of the aux switches are such that they are relays.

At the risk of insulting your intelligence, a relay is an electronic switch. That basic switch in your house that turns on the light is a manual switch. You had to physically turn it on. A relay, often energized on a separate lower wattage circuit, often turns on another circuit of much greater capacity, not that your typically dash cam, even when it actively records, draws much current, but that light kit or winch that some owners may attach to an aux switch may be more power hungry.

If this is all confusing to you, I recommend, if you have it, of going my route of using the cargo (always on) cigarette lighter and the front seat (accessory) cigarette lighter, as I've written up--at least until you decide down the road exactly what you want to use your aux switches for, if anything.

Conversely, constantly energizing both the accessory and battery wires irrespective of the vehicles state of crank (i.e. energizing both constantly) may find your camera thinking the rig is always on, and never going into a rig battery watching parking mode.

The point with all of this is that most higher end dash cameras with parking mode capabilities (I own a Blacksys, not to be confused with a Blackview: both great products I think) have 3 wires: an accessory, battery, and ground. And the camera "knows" its in parking mode, if not by the lack of movement, then its being "on" by virtue of the battery wire, but in parking mode where not only video shots will differ, but vehicle battery consumption is monitored and the camera is turned off if draw thresholds are exceeded, by virtue of the accessory wire being deenergized in park mode.

Many better dash cams feature batteries you can buy that I believe tap into the accessory wire to charge the battery when the rig is on, and then use it when the rig is parked to power the dash cam in parking mode.

I don't know if any of this helps. Hit me up with specific questions if you'd like.

 

[weeitsmikelee]

This is what I was thinking when I get my Jeep. I'm novice with electrical work so correct me if I am wrong.

I would consider either utilizing the aux switches (most straight forward, if you have it) or splicing into the power rear-view mirror; albeit, it will power down when the ignition/acc is off.

At that point, a typical dash cam will enter its period of "cameras internal batter, power-down phase, parked car mode, 8 min time out mode, motion or impact detection recording, etc".

My concern would be the power drain from the Jeep battery if it was left on constant. I'm the same way, I would like to have my camera on at all times for security. My camera loops files at a certain GB limit. If an incident occurred at 5 PM and I use my car the next morning at 7 AM - I might have lost that recording. I would be more inclined to have it hooked up to a constant aux power switch so that when I'm parked in a public place (store, park, busy area) for a short period of time it can record. Thoughts?

Hey Alex,

I do have the Aux switches but decided to go the homelink way since I was already removing the rear view mirror panels and there is a constant red wire in the driver side A-pillar.

To the best of my knowledge I do not have a powered rear view mirror. The aux 1 and 2 connections are always on just like the USB ports in the vehicle. I still haven’t had time to test anything out thoroughly but I’ll report back once I do

 

[RussJeep1]

I want to say that that big power wire that

Hey Alex,

I do have the Aux switches but decided to go the homelink way since I was already removing the rear view mirror panels and there is a constant red wire in the driver side A-pillar.

To the best of my knowledge I do not have a powered rear view mirror. The aux 1 and 2 connections are always on just like the USB ports in the vehicle. I still haven’t had time to test anything out thoroughly but I’ll report back once I do

Mike: it would help me if you could watch the video linked in (my) post 22 here. If you have the mirror in that video you have the power mirror. If not, you have the regular mirror.

This would be useful to me because if you have the regular mirror then I know there's a battery red (always hot) tucked away in the "A" pillar even for plain old non power mirror people like me to tap for a much cleaner dash cam install.

I know there's an accessory wire there (on when the rig's on) by virtue of my having the homelink buttons.

Thanks.

 

[weeitsmikelee]

Yup, that isn't my mirror. I don't have those buttons (sos?) or the anti glare glass. If you have homelink on your driver's side visor then your set up is the same as mine.

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