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Dashcam installation and the live accessory socket port

34K views 31 replies 22 participants last post by  mazda318gt 
#1 ·
Hi forum, first post here..

I got a dashcam and then realized that the accessory socket port is always on, so even if I turn off the ignition, it will still power the dashcam. That is of course unacceptable.

I have been asking around for a potential solution for my Blackvue DR750S. Here are some:


  1. Manually plug and unplug the power cable from the port. Easiest to do but prone to error (may forget) and also repeated removals may damage the port?
  2. Hardwire the dashcam. However I don't know much about it and I am hesitant to do it because it's a new car.
  3. Get an extension cable that stays plugged in all the time and then attached the dashcam power cable to it. This prevents the port from being damaged but is still prone to me forgetting about it.
  4. Get a different dashcam that has a power-off button and then simply turn it off?

An ideal solution will be to hardwire it of course so I don't have to worry about it but I am hesitant doing it because I haven't done it before.

Thank you very much for your help.
 
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#2 ·
I’ve got the blackvue 900 and one day I discovered that my videos were looping all day and all night long and learn the hard way that it was always on. So the only thing I can do now is just unplug it each day and hope to God that I don’t miss a day and run my battery low. I will continue to do this until a new method is available. Thanks for your input. I too will not hardwire.
 
#5 ·
#7 ·
I unplug my dashcam when leaving the car overnight but not when stopping at store, etc.. I don't think a day or two of use will drain the battery even if I forget to unplug it. I bought an extension cable for another reason off Amazon last year for my 2014 Mazda3 (just got the 2019 model). The extension has an LED light indicating it is always on and draining some power so leaving that plugged in might not solve things (although likely uses less power than the dashcam). I'm going to look for an extension that stays off when plugged in. I hadn't really thought about wear and tear on the socket but now that you raise the issue it's worth spending ten or twenty bucks to prevent any potential problem. Also should be easier to plug dashcam into the extension rather than reaching in the compartment. Can leave the extension dangling outside....hope I can find one that doesn't use power when plugged in.
 
#8 ·
Anyone have any ideas on a dashcam that uses low power, and/or motion sensored or a wiring schematic that addresses this issue when the car is parked. I'm still looking for something since a lot of bad things can happen in parking garages or parked at night.

Is the only solution still just to keep plugging and unplugging the power?
 
#9 · (Edited)
I just hardwired a Viofo A129 Duo to my son's 2019 Mazda 3. Make sure you also purchase the HK3 Hardwire Kit and the A129 CPL filter. You can also buy all of this stuff as a kit from third-party sellers on amazon.com, but I elected to get mine from Viofo through amazon.com, which doesn't sell kits. Here's what I purchased.

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DL8MS1T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K83R5W1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/VIOFO-Circular-Polarizing-Compatible-Reflections/dp/B01N0KVD4C/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=a129+cpl&qid=1558793682&s=gateway&sr=8-4[/ame]

In order to do the install, you will need to carefully run your wires through the rubber grommet and fuse tap into one of the fuses in the engine bay. I'm specifically using F8 for 12V switched power and F30 for 12V constant.

I can also confirm that the nipple trick works in a 2019 Mazda 3. Just be careful. That's where your main wiring harness is. If you cut or damage any of those wires you're screwed. I also found that if you remove the battery it's easier to access this grommet.
 

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#14 ·
I just hardwired a Viofo A129 Duo to my son's 2019 Mazda 3. Make sure you also purchase the HK3 Hardwire Kit and the A129 CPL filter. You can also buy all of this stuff as a kit from third-party sellers on amazon.com, but I elected to get mine from Viofo through amazon.com, which doesn't sell kits. Here's what I purchased.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DL8MS1T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K83R5W1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/VIOFO-Circul...ords=a129+cpl&qid=1558793682&s=gateway&sr=8-4

In order to do the install, you will need to carefully run your wires through the rubber grommet and fuse tap into one of the fuses in the engine bay. I'm specifically using F8 for 12V switched power and F30 for 12V constant.

I can also confirm that the nipple trick works in a 2019 Mazda 3. Just be careful. That's where your main wiring harness is. If you cut or damage any of those wires you're screwed. I also found that if you remove the battery it's easier to access this grommet.
I'm going to attempt hard wiring my Viofo A129 as soon as I can put a side a bit of time to not have to rush through it. Can you give me a bit more detail on how you did yours? Did you connect both fuses under the hood because there is an F8 on the inside kick panel as well. My hard wiring kit came all 15 amp fuses for the taps but I've heard of some people using lesser amp rated fuses instead.
 
#12 ·
While going thru the firewall will work, its not necessary.

Power may be going to the inside fuse box all the time, not all the inside fuses are hot all the time. My dashcam takes 2 power cords, 1 hot, 1 switched. I used a couple of add-a-fuses, one to a hot and one to a switched. The dashcam goes into parking mode with the ignition off.

The dashcam should have a voltage cutoff where the camera shuts down if it detects low voltage in parking mode. It will save a dead battery, no start condition.

I wish I could find a switched 12v at the moonroof but all I can find is always on.
 
#15 ·
I used the internal Fuse box...

I wired my nextbase cameras to Fuse F13 which is labeled as "Audio". It doesn't actually power the audio but powers the central dial.

Anways, like you have all mentioned, all the fuses internally are constantly outputting 12v even with the car ignition off ...

This may actually not be the case I can't really prove it. The cable I use (using a breakout fuse) auto cuts off if the power on the socket drops below 11.8v.

I have found roughly after 1 hour, the camera is off. This is either because

a) the voltage has dropped or
b) the car does indeed power down after an hour.

Either way I am not experiencing any issues and it was a damn site easier then wiring through to the engine bay.
 
#16 ·
I ran the USB power cable to the center console (storage under the armrest). I plugged it into a USB cigarette lighter adapter that has a voltage display. I also plugged it through a USB inline switch. The 12V adapter has a switch of its own, but you have to hold it down for 5 or 6 seconds to turn it on and off, so I use the inline switch instead.

I open the armrest and switch it off if I'm not going to drive the next day. I've left it on for a couple of days without discharging the battery much, the battery usually reads about 12.3 V when I leave for work in the morning.

I originally ran a 3 wire Viofo kit, with the ACC wire going through the firewall to the engine bay fuse box and the power and ground going to the interior fuse box, but I found that the low-profile mini fuse taps are not very secure in the engine fuse box. They feel like they'll pop out if the car hits a pothole, so I pulled everything out and just used the plain USB solution I described above.

Here are links to the 12V adapter and USB inline switch I used:
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078462B3D[/ame]
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UR321B6[/ame]
 
#19 ·
Yes there are all constant which is why I use a voltage reg to cut power if the voltage drops below 11.6v. Also my camera has parking mode but it uses an internal battery for that function (Nextbase 412gw).

I have hardwired my camera to the inside fuse box and it turns off fine.

[ame]https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07F71RBR8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

This is the cable I used.
 
#20 ·
Hello all...

New 3 AWD owner. Has anyone attempted a mirrortap for the dashcam? I have purchased a mirrortap kit for the homelink mirror. My only hesitation is disassembly of the mirror housing to access the port. Anyone know how to remove the housing without "bustin' clips"?? Cheers
 
#28 ·
Hi all
I own a new 2020 mazda 3 manual, I want to install my old dashcam, but I didn't want to run a cable through the engine's firewall, neither the USB nor the mirrortap, so this is my solution.
I made a custom relay activated by an accelerometer sensor controlled by an arduino , which can be programmable to behave differently (sensor sensitivity, off delay time, different power mode to save battery life).
The installation is still from inside the fuse box .
What it does is: the relay turns on the dashcam when the sensor detect motion, then when the car stops after a while (10 min for me) it will turn off the dash cam.
So far so good, it works as expected, just to make a couple of tweaks to the arduino code.

let me know what you guys think


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#29 ·
Hi all
I own a new 2020 mazda 3 manual, I want to install my old dashcam, but I didn't want to run a cable through the engine's firewall, neither the USB nor the mirrortap, so this is my solution.
I made a custom relay activated by an accelerometer sensor controlled by an arduino , which can be programmable to behave differently (sensor sensitivity, off delay time, different power mode to save battery life).
The installation is still from inside the fuse box .
What it does is: the relay turns on the dashcam when the sensor detect motion, then when the car stops after a while (10 min for me) it will turn off the dash cam.
So far so good, it works as expected, just to make a couple of tweaks to the arduino code.

let me know what you guys think
That's pretty cool. How has it been holding up? Have you made any changes?
 
#30 ·
2023 M3 awd. Trying to find a way to install power for dashcam. I am thinking to use fuse tap.
Just winder which fuse number generally people will use.?
Is Mazda using micro, micro2, or mini type of fuses., so I can get the proper tap?
Is it a problem if I routing usb wire through the A pillar.?
thx in advance.
 
#31 ·

I got these and I think I used a red one to connect to the wire, above the internal fuse box, that is for the wireless charging pad. I think the wire is red with another white wire spliced to it for the wireless charger. I saw a forum post somewhere with pictures, but I can't find it now. I used a fuse tap for the constant power. I don't remember which fuse I used, but they are always hot.
 
#32 ·

I found the forum post that I used to help me install my dashcam without going through the firewall or messing with the mirror.
 
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