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12V Constant Power for Park Mode Camera

9433 Views 19 Replies 13 Participants Last post by SDW, 3 mo ago

jaysicle

Discussion Starter · Jul 14, 2018

Hi guys,

Does anyone (here, on this forum

) know which of the Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Lower Left of Steering Wheel) Micro2's marked "Provision" have a constant 12V on them?

Connecting Park Mode for a Dash Camera. It draws 1A/12-15W max. with both front and rear devices driven, Wifi and GPS ON.

I have checked around at the panel on those marked "Provision", but no joy.

I do not want to piggy back. Discrete only. (I have already checked other camera install posts...)

Any help is appreciated...

1 - 20 of 20 Posts

quirkySquirt

· #2 · Jul 15, 2018

There was a post somewhere here that mentioned running a dedicated pair of wires off the 12V jumpstart terminals I believe from under the hood, through the firewall, and into the center console area. I forget the post, but I think they were trying to rig a UHF radio or something high powered that needed more current than the 12V accessory outlet.

Some others I think also rigged up a 12V windshield wiper heating system too. I don't know where they sourced their 12V from under the hood, but the wiper heating system came with an inline low-voltage detection feature that would prevent their wipers from killing your 12V battery if it dropped to a certain level.

Raymondjram

· #3 · Jul 15, 2018

A circuit installed in any vehicle should be fused, and in some cases, switched by a relay. Such directly attached circuits may cause damage, discharge the battery, and even shut down the 12 VDC converter. In many ICEVs there are constant 12 VDC fused circuits in use, and some spares available (empty fuse sockets). I strongly recommend going through the owner manual and see what circuits are available before adding your own.

XJ12

· #4 · Jul 15, 2018

quirkySquirt said:
There was a post somewhere here that mentioned running a dedicated pair of wires off the 12V jumpstart terminals I believe from under the hood, through the firewall, and into the center console area. I forget the post, but I think they were trying to rig a UHF radio or something high powered that needed more current than the 12V accessory outlet.

Some others I think also rigged up a 12V windshield wiper heating system too. I don't know where they sourced their 12V from under the hood, but the wiper heating system came with an inline low-voltage detection feature that would prevent their wipers from killing your 12V battery if it dropped to a certain level.

http://www.chevybolt.org/forum/282185-post6.html

Reactions: 1

jaysicle

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 15, 2018

quirkySquirt said:
There was a post somewhere here that mentioned running a dedicated pair of wires off the 12V jumpstart terminals I believe from under the hood, through the firewall, and into the center console area. I forget the post, but I think they were trying to rig a UHF radio or something high powered that needed more current than the 12V accessory outlet.

Some others I think also rigged up a 12V windshield wiper heating system too. I don't know where they sourced their 12V from under the hood, but the wiper heating system came with an inline low-voltage detection feature that would prevent their wipers from killing your 12V battery if it dropped to a certain level.

I am using the Instrument Panel Fuse Block, not going through the firewall.

Currently looking at..

F11 AMP = 25A
F24 WCM = 7.5A

Both are not installed currently. i.e.: I do not have an external audio amplifier (AMP) or a Wireless Charging Module for a Cellular Phone (WCM) (Premiers might?)

As mentioned the cameras draw 1A / 12-15W maximum.

The device I am installing is a camera park mode hard wire kit that has draw down protect (as selected by DIP switch settings).

Someone here used F22 and it suited their application I guess, but F22... this is marked (and tested) as Switched ACCY.
I want constant "12V" since the vehicle will be OFF/Parked. I type "12V" because the voltage varies whether the vehicle is on or not.
Dormant = ~12.5V and "ON" = ~14.5V on a given "12V" circuit.

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2

jaysicle

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 15, 2018

Raymondjram said:
A circuit installed in any vehicle should be fused, and in some cases, switched by a relay. Such directly attached circuits may cause damage, discharge the battery, and even shut down the 12 VDC converter. In many ICEVs there are constant 12 VDC fused circuits in use, and some spares available (empty fuse sockets). I strongly recommend going through the owner manual and see what circuits are available before adding your own.

Yes, as posted this will be fused. More to it though - I am asking which in the block is a good selection.

That is what I am looking for comment on.

wesley

· #7 · Jul 16, 2018

Just to add a data point, I'm drawing the constant 12V power from where the fuse #12 is connected to power the Park Mode for my dashcam. The dashcam draws about 4W of power and have configured to have itself shut down when the voltage drops below 12.2V. I haven't had any problems with it so far.

Reactions: 1

Catster

· #8 · Jul 16, 2018

From earlier in this thread, confirming that yes, Premier does have wireless charging.

jaysicle

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jul 25, 2018

Update : I ended up using "F22 ACCY 5A" as switched - F22 was not listed in my .pdf manual (just shows a "-"), but it was moulded into the back of the plastic instrument panel fuse block cover.
...and then used "F11 AMP 25A" as constant. I have an LT, so I don't have the Bose Subwoofer Amplifier.

NEG/BLK - There is a downward facing PEM stud to mount a tray to the right of the instrument panel fuse block.
I used this chassis point as NEG/BLK (reversed 10mm nut a little, inserted spade, tightened).

System works as expected.

Each circuit is using a 5A fuse inserted into the panel like any other active circuit in the panel (OK - aside from relays and breakers...

).
I could not find anything smaller i.e.: (2A / unicorn?) in Micro2 type. 87% sure that 5A is smallest available.

The original "provisional F22 ACCY" calls out a 5A fused circuit, and the "provisional F11 AMP" is a 25A fused circuit. Both wire sets are protected with something "equal" or "smaller" now.

The camera itself w/Hard Wire Kit draws 1A maximum at full go - everything on / Front and Rear camera, GPS and Wi-Fi Cloud connected.
The Park Mode DIP switches are set to turn system off at <12.5VDC threshold or 24hr duration - whichever happens first.
I test wired the system (twists and clamps) and drove around with it for a few days first - to ensure no nuisance trips - checked that as good, then hard wired it.

Perhaps I should not comment on Premier versions, but tapping piggyback into the F11 25A subwoofer constant seems like a safe way to hard wire a camera park mode device.
The amp (F11 at 25A slot) will have monster draws with headroom (off audio transients) compared to a dash camera system, and should not interfere with other functional / safety circuits.

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jaysicle

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 25, 2018

Catster said:
From earlier in this thread, confirming that yes, Premier does have wireless charging.

OK cool. I will check whether this F24 Wireless charging module provision is constant, switched or no connection on my LT Instrument Panel Fuse Block.

Maybe it is another safe option for LTs, or piggyback taps on Premiers.

wrillo

· #11 · Jun 30, 2019

Might be a long shot, but what dashcam system did you install?

Is it still working and are you happy with it?

Digi

· #12 · Oct 17, 2019

jaysicle said:
Update : I ended up using "F22 ACCY 5A" as switched - F22 was not listed in my .pdf manual (just shows a "-"), but it was moulded into the back of the plastic instrument panel fuse block cover.
...and then used "F11 AMP 25A" as constant. I have an LT, so I don't have the Bose Subwoofer Amplifier.

NEG/BLK - There is a downward facing PEM stud to mount a tray to the right of the instrument panel fuse block.
I used this chassis point as NEG/BLK (reversed 10mm nut a little, inserted spade, tightened).

System works as expected.

Each circuit is using a 5A fuse inserted into the panel like any other active circuit in the panel (OK - aside from relays and breakers... ).
I could not find anything smaller i.e.: (2A / unicorn?) in Micro2 type. 87% sure that 5A is smallest available.

The original "provisional F22 ACCY" calls out a 5A fused circuit, and the "provisional F11 AMP" is a 25A fused circuit. Both wire sets are protected with something "equal" or "smaller" now.

The camera itself w/Hard Wire Kit draws 1A maximum at full go - everything on / Front and Rear camera, GPS and Wi-Fi Cloud connected.
The Park Mode DIP switches are set to turn system off at <12.5VDC threshold or 24hr duration - whichever happens first.
I test wired the system (twists and clamps) and drove around with it for a few days first - to ensure no nuisance trips - checked that as good, then hard wired it.

Perhaps I should not comment on Premier versions, but tapping piggyback into the F11 25A subwoofer constant seems like a safe way to hard wire a camera park mode device.
The amp (F11 at 25A slot) will have monster draws with headroom (off audio transients) compared to a dash camera system, and should not interfere with other functional / safety circuits.

Thanks for this.

quirkySquirt

· #13 · Oct 17, 2019

I recently switched from using a 12V jump starter pack as my dashcam battery for parking mode to using the ODBII port thanks to this part which was recommended elsewhere on this forum:

www.amazon.com

REARMASTER Universal OBD Power Cable for Dash Camera,24 Hours Surveillance / Acc Mode with Switch Button(Mini USB Port) : Electronics

Buy REARMASTER Universal OBD Power Cable for Dash Camera,24 Hours Surveillance / Acc Mode with Switch Button(Mini USB Port): On-Dash Cameras - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I have 3 dash cams that total draw 1.9A peak and settle at 1.5A steady state. When I set the switch on the above ODBII power adapter to "5 min cutoff", my dash cams would occasionally flake out while the Bolt was running. So I just left it in the "always on" position and hope the 11.5V cutoff will save my Bolt's battery.

On the bright side, at 1.5A * 5V = 7.5W, I left my dash cams on over nearly 48 hours (a weekend) and my Bolt still had 12V power to spare. Bolt wasn't on EVSE either. For when I want to actually turn off my dashcams, I bought some in-line USB power switches off Amazon. Stuffed it all in the cubby area below the infotainment screen and fairly clean setup!

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hoffy97

· #14 · Apr 9, 2020

To jump on to an old thread: the Bolt can actually charge it's 12v battery off the big batteries. Someone went through the shop manual and dug out some interesting tidbits:

electricrevs.com

Revealed: secrets of the Bolt EV service manual

The official General Motors 2017 Bolt EV service manual is now available in both paper and PDF thumb drive formats and a quick skim reveals some interesting trivia. Access to service manuals is one…

electricrevs.com

electricrevs.com

as far as the battery:

12V battery maintenance mode
Many drivers are familiar with having a “dead” 12V battery either due to accidentally leaving a light on after turning off a car or having the lead acid battery self-discharge after sitting unused for several weeks. In order to reduce the need for jump starts, the Bolt EV has a 12V battery charging maintenance strategy.
If the car is plugged in but not charging, it will wake up and check the status of the 12V battery every 6 hours. If the 12V battery is low the car will begin charging it for up to 2 to 3 hours.
If the car is not plugged but has been turned on within the last 30 days, it will wake up every 3 days to check the 12V battery and if the main battery is at least 40 percent full it will begin charging the 12V battery for 45 to 90 minutes.

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davioh2001

· #15 · Apr 10, 2020

quirkySquirt said:
I recently switched from using a 12V jump starter pack as my dashcam battery for parking mode to using the ODBII port thanks to this part which was recommended elsewhere on this forum:

REARMASTER Universal OBD Power Cable for Dash Camera,24 Hours Surveillance / Acc Mode with Switch Button(Mini USB Port) : Electronics

Buy REARMASTER Universal OBD Power Cable for Dash Camera,24 Hours Surveillance / Acc Mode with Switch Button(Mini USB Port): On-Dash Cameras - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I have 3 dash cams that total draw 1.9A peak and settle at 1.5A steady state. When I set the switch on the above ODBII power adapter to "5 min cutoff", my dash cams would occasionally flake out while the Bolt was running. So I just left it in the "always on" position and hope the 11.5V cutoff will save my Bolt's battery.

On the bright side, at 1.5A * 5V = 7.5W, I left my dash cams on over nearly 48 hours (a weekend) and my Bolt still had 12V power to spare. Bolt wasn't on EVSE either. For when I want to actually turn off my dashcams, I bought some in-line USB power switches off Amazon. Stuffed it all in the cubby area below the infotainment screen and fairly clean setup!

What system did You get and do You have pictures?

BostonB

· #16 · May 14, 2022

I’m upgrading the Tesla dashcam and putting my old one in the Bolt. In the Model S there’s a really easy way to tap into constant 12v right at the rear view mirror.
In the Bolt, the overhead lights are constant 12v. Why not tap into that source with a fused 12v-5a converter and plug into dashcam directly without running wires?

BostonB

· #17 · May 18, 2022

Actually, it seems like running the dash cam install wire down to the fuse box won’t even be difficult since it’s in the cabin. Had to see it for myself in the car to get a handle on just how simple this thing is to work on.

Sean Nelson

· #18 · May 21, 2022 (Edited)

I ran a power wires from the under-dash fusebox to the top middle of the windshield by simply tucking it in under the door seals and pillar trim. After many months of procrastination due to worries about how to do it, it turned out to be ridiculously simple to do.

I ran another wire from the front dashcam to the rear hatch - that was pretty dead simple too - the hardest part was routing the wire through the flexible grommet tubes connecting the body to the hatch door and then reseating the grommet back into its openings.

Bonus: I had installed extending visors from a Volt into my 2017 Bolt which originally had fixed visors - the Volt visors included makeup lights which finally, a few years after installing them, now have power to them.

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SDW

· #19 · 3 mo ago

jaysicle said:
Hi guys,

Does anyone (here, on this forum ) know which of the Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Lower Left of Steering Wheel) Micro2's marked "Provision" have a constant 12V on them?

Connecting Park Mode for a Dash Camera. It draws 1A/12-15W max. with both front and rear devices driven, Wifi and GPS ON.

I have checked around at the panel on those marked "Provision", but no joy.

I do not want to piggy back. Discrete only. (I have already checked other camera install posts...)

Any help is appreciated...

Run it to the front fuse panel for an inside constant 12v source, here is how I did it for the parking monitor feature on my 3 camera rear view mirror camera system. This is for the EUV. I soldered it to the load side of a Mini fuse in this exact location. Note it is not a Micro fuse like most the others are.

Electrical wiring Computer hardware Electronic component Audio equipment Electronic engineering

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SDW

· #20 · 3 mo ago

jaysicle said:
Hi guys,

Does anyone (here, on this forum ) know which of the Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Lower Left of Steering Wheel) Micro2's marked "Provision" have a constant 12V on them?

Connecting Park Mode for a Dash Camera. It draws 1A/12-15W max. with both front and rear devices driven, Wifi and GPS ON.

I have checked around at the panel on those marked "Provision", but no joy.

I do not want to piggy back. Discrete only. (I have already checked other camera install posts...)

Any help is appreciated...

Here you go.

Electrical wiring Computer hardware Electronic component Audio equipment Electronic engineering

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1 - 20 of 20 Posts