Anybody have a dashcam? How to?

[ExNorth]

I've recently bought a Saturn and would like to install a dashcam in my car for insurance and liability reasons but I don't see any power ports I can use. Does anyone have any idea how to get a dashcam working in these cars?

I drive a 1997 SL1 SOHC.

[wi111y]

Originally Posted by ExNorth

I've recently bought a Saturn and would like to install a dashcam in my car for insurance and liability reasons but I don't see any power ports I can use. Does anyone have any idea how to get a dashcam working in these cars?

I drive a 1997 SL1 SOHC.

Power has to come from the battery, current wiring can't support additional constant loads.

[ExNorth]

Originally Posted by wi111y

Power has to come from the battery, current wiring can't support additional constant loads.

I was thinking of possibly removing the cig-lighter and seeing if it's possible to wire in a power port in its place. The thing is that I am not sure what power it provides to the cig-lighter.

[bumpdraft]

Originally Posted by ExNorth

I was thinking of possibly removing the cig-lighter and seeing if it's possible to wire in a power port in its place. The thing is that I am not sure what power it provides to the cig-lighter.

Be advised that the Einsteins put the cig lighter on the same fragile circuit as the fuel pump
Wire to the battery. Post pictures and I will follow your lead an install one in my car

[anmasher]

I wired up a two outlet power port and mounted it on the passenger side of the center console, looks pretty good and powers the camera and sailfawn charger. The ground is tied into the brackets under the radio and the power source comes straight off the uhjb positive post. Same line powers the radio and a few other not-stock loads.

[OldNuc]

Originally Posted by ExNorth

I was thinking of possibly removing the cig-lighter and seeing if it's possible to wire in a power port in its place. The thing is that I am not sure what power it provides to the cig-lighter.

When the car exhibits signs of being possessed by ghosts with a bad attitude you will know why.

[jsevinsk]

I have to believe that a dashcam will use a tiny amount of power. Can you mount it to the windshield with a suction cup (or whatever) near the mirror and run a wire to the dome light?

[OldNuc]

The DOME Light is powered from the exact same fragile circuit as the lighter socket.

[ExNorth]

To anybody that's interested, I found a nice and easy guide on how to install a power source by connecting it to a modified fuse that plugs in to the fuse box. I think I will go with this.

[ExNorth]

http://thedashcamstore.com/installation-kits/

-Not sure which kit will work best for my car.

http://thedashcamstore.com/advanced-...-installation/

[OldNuc]

Originally Posted by ExNorth

To anybody that's interested, I found a nice and easy guide on how to install a power source by connecting it to a modified fuse that plugs in to the fuse box. I think I will go with this.

There are no circuits in that fuse box that will long tolerate any additional load.

Either one of those is a 1 amp continuous load on the circuit.

[ExNorth]

Originally Posted by OldNuc

There are no circuits in that fuse box that will long tolerate any additional load.

Either one of those is a 1 amp continuous load on the circuit.

So I guess the only option is to tap in to an existing wire? These power sources are only 5V, which isn't much but how many amps? I'm not an electrical engineer haha.

[OldNuc]

You run a new wire to the battery. Search above will bring up several lengthy posts on exactly how to do this so you can have all your toys and not have electrical isues. If you are using the lighter socket for chargers you are already working on a failure. The car does not run without a running fuel pump.

[bumpdraft]

Originally Posted by OldNuc

...If you are using the lighter socket for chargers you are already working on a failure. The car does not run without a running fuel pump.

It took years for this to sink in. I had been running my Windows 95 ThinkPad with diagnostics off the cigarette lighter socket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spy Cameras shown on the DashCam Store:
When running direct to the battery, the key on, camera on feature will not work will it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...and, I say to everyone again. If you are perturbed by tailgaters, then a camera looking rearward will make life care-free

[jculver09]

Originally Posted by bumpdraft

It took years for this to sink in. I had been running my Windows 95 ThinkPad with diagnostics off the cigarette lighter socket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spy Cameras shown on the DashCam Store:
When running direct to the battery, the key on, camera on feature will not work will it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...and, I say to everyone again. If you are perturbed by tailgaters, then a camera looking rearward will make life care-free

You are correct, your key on camera on function will not work. This is most easily replaced by plugging and unplugging the camera.

However, if you run the wire from the battery through a relay that is controlled by a line that is only powered on through ignition then you can have this functionality without plugging and unplugging the cord. I wonder if you could use the radios power on signal wire for this purpose? I dont think the relay would add too much load to this line, solid state would probably be a good choice.

If this function is truly a must have then this is where I would start; in summary: Hot wire from battery to relay, relay signal on wire tied into the radios signal on wire, grounds to frame, hot wire from relay to 5v transformer for camera. The rest is plug an play. If you need I could draw you a basic diagram and help you pick a relay. Cost for this will be on par with their kit, and will not lead to demonic possession in your cars electrical system.

Disclaimer: I am no electirician, just a certified redneck with some small idea of how electricity works.

[ajs_saturn]

I ran a 12 gauge wire from my battery to the interior of my car. Then in the footwell area, I wired up a relay to that wire, which is triggered by the accessory wire on my ignition. Inline with this, I installed a 5 amp ATC fuse. I have more than just the dashcam wired up to this wire though including a secondary USB charge port and multi-display in a custom overhead console I made. However, after all of this, it's nice that things power on when I turn the key.