Thinkware dash cam Q800 pro - hard wiring help

[andy greenwood]

I've altered the camera cut off to 12.3v so we'll see how things go tonight.

Sorry to be a pain in the arse but if you get chance tomorrow would you please take some screenshots of your settings ?

 

[Big.mac]

Sorry to be a pain in the arse but if you get chance tomorrow would you please take some screenshots of your settings ?

Happy to but remember mine is connected to my leisure battery so i have a lot more wriggle room to let it use up more juice....

 

[andy greenwood]

Happy to but remember mine is connected to my leisure battery so i have a lot more wriggle room to let it use up more juice....

Ah yes, forgot that. No need for screenshots, thanks for your help and advice with all this .

 

[Big.mac]

You’re very welcome. If your van is a EURO6 van with a smart alternator, the battery will never fully charge. This means you will have less time on park mode before your battery runs flat. This is one of the reasons I attached to my leisure battery.

 

[andy greenwood]

You’re very welcome. If your van is a EURO6 van with a smart alternator, the battery will never fully charge. This means you will have less time on park mode before your battery runs flat. This is one of the reasons I attached to my leisure battery.

The van is a 66 plate euro 5 engine. Will it have a smart alternator ?

 

[Minimucks]

Assuming nothing else has changed.
When you turn your ignition on, does the camera start up and then shut down when you turn the ignition off? It will go through an annoying sequence of spoken updates everytime. “GPS connected” etc.
If it isn’t doing this it isn’t connected correctly and is probably on all the time (which means the wires are probably the wrong way round). If it is powering up and down properly, try setting the camera so it doesn’t do parking record so when it’s off it is off and see if the battery lasts any better.

Interestingly I have the same camera hard wired by bognormotors whilst having other works done last year.
Mine does not verbally tell me parking mode enabled when I switch off.
I've not looked into its settings etc tbh to see if I need to activate it but think I should after reading this thread.

 

[andy greenwood]

Interestingly I have the same camera hard wired by bognormotors whilst having other works done last year.
Mine does not verbally tell me parking mode enabled when I switch off.
I've not looked into its settings etc tbh to see if I need to activate it but think I should after reading this thread.

When it goes into parking mode does the little red light start flashing as it should do ? I think there is a volume button as well so it might be something as simple as the volume is down ? Im certainly no expert though and the last few days have been a learning curve for me (thanks Big Mac )

 

[andy greenwood]

You’re very welcome. If your van is a EURO6 van with a smart alternator, the battery will never fully charge. This means you will have less time on park mode before your battery runs flat. This is one of the reasons I attached to my leisure battery.

So good news is that my battery was not flat this morning, i checked the battery voltage after a night of "motion detection" recording and it measured 12.32. I had set the cut off limit to 12.3v so i was just ok.
Maybe like you said, all the testing i did yesterday may have drained a load of the battery's juice. I'll keep my eye on it for a few days.

 

[Ads_Essex]

The van is a 66 plate Euro 5 engine.
Will it have a smart alternator?

Yes.

 

[Minimucks]

When it goes into parking mode does the little red light start flashing as it should do ? I think there is a volume button as well so it might be something as simple as the volume is down ? Im certainly no expert though and the last few days have been a learning curve for me (thanks Big Mac )

The volume is up as I get the startup message when ignition is turned on.
Having tried to use the app last night it would not connect. I've actually only ever used it successfully whilst the ignition is on.
I think I might investigate the wiring when I get a chance as it feels like I might only be connected into ignition live possibly.

 

[andy greenwood]

The volume is up as I get the startup message when ignition is turned on.
Having tried to use the app last night it would not connect. I've actually only ever used it successfully whilst the ignition is on.
I think I might investigate the wiring when I get a chance as it feels like I might only be connected into ignition live possibly.

This is how i have wired mine...red to the middle (switched) and yellow (constant) to the right
(Ignore the piggy back blue wire as that is for something else)

 

[Big.mac]

The volume is up as I get the startup message when ignition is turned on.
Having tried to use the app last night it would not connect. I've actually only ever used it successfully whilst the ignition is on.
I think I might investigate the wiring when I get a chance as it feels like I might only be connected into ignition live possibly.

Have you checked the recordings to see if there are any parking recordings? If there are I’d say all is fine. If not, investigate further

 

[Minimucks]

Have you checked the recordings to see if there are any parking recordings? If there are I’d say all is fine. If not, investigate further

No parking recordings and I can only view on my phone when the ignition is on.
Had a quick look earlier. It appears there's no power to the camera when the ignition is off. It's looking like it's wired into ignitions only.
Doh!!

 

[Big.mac]

No parking recordings and I can only view on my phone when the ignition is on.
Had a quick look earlier. It appears there's no power to the camera when the ignition is off. It's looking like it's wired into ignitions only.
Doh!!

Check if there are two +ve cables feeding it. If there are it could be they are connected the wrong way round or they could both be switched ( one needs to be permanent live). Have a look at your fuse panel to start with as the most common way to wire them will be using piggy back connectors into the fuse panel. If you can see them we might be able to determine what is connected

EDIT
I’m pretty sure the being able to connect when IGN is on is normal. When its in park mode it just records depending on how you set it. I assume you have checked parking mode is switched on?

 

[Minimucks]

Check if there are two +ve cables feeding it. If there are it could be they are connected the wrong way round or they could both be switched ( one needs to be permanent live). Have a look at your fuse panel to start with as the most common way to wire them will be using piggy back connectors into the fuse panel. If you can see them we might be able to determine what is connected

EDIT
I’m pretty sure the being able to connect when IGN is on is normal. When its in park mode it just records depending on how you set it. I assume you have checked parking mode is switched on?

It's been soldered in behind the fuseboard.I ran the cables and the guys done the final connection.I've never checked what was actually done.

I must confess since being fitted last December I've barely touched it. Next time 5 spare mins appears I'll sit in it and have a play then report my findings.

Ps. Sorry about hijacking the thread.

 

[Minimucks]

So, hands up for being a typical bloke and not reading instructions.
I've looked into my settings and parking mode was intact turned off.
Turned it on last weekend and have nottouched the can since. Jumped on it today to get ready for the morning and low and behold 8 parking mode recordings.
Here's me thinking there might be people walking past or my kids bumping the van but no. It's picked up the neighbours across the rd and low flying pidgeons.( Probably the f***ers that keep shitting on the van too).
Then low and behold I've a flat battery. (1st time since new).
More than likely because of lack of use in the last 3 weeks but I'll check the settings once it's back from the dealers in a few days.

 

[Dazwoods]

Same camera as mine. It needs two feeds, one permanent live and one switched IGN live. I would suggest you use two piggy back leads like the red one in your last picture to get the feeds from the fuse box. Below is a picture showing where mine connect, centre row is switched from memory, Right hand row is permanent.

That blue lead on your fuse panel looks like it has a two prong connector on the end of it so it is effectively shorting across the fuse panel. I’d recommend changing that for a piggy back lead.

The red one is facing the wrong way (unless the photo is upside down). The tail needs to go to the LHS os the fuses are connected correctly.

Hope this helpsView attachment 77261

Sorry to jump in here @Big.mac but after some advice. I have the same camera. I was thinking of using a piggy back for switched live and extending the yellow wire onto my leisure battery under the drivers seat assuming that this would be better for parking mode. Any advice appreciated.

 

[andy greenwood]

Sorry to jump in here @Big.mac but after some advice. I have the same camera. I was thinking of using a piggy back for switched live and extending the yellow wire onto my leisure battery under the drivers seat assuming that this would be better for parking mode. Any advice appreciated.

I ending up rewiring mine so the switched live niw comes off the leisure battery, same as you are planning on doing. No problems at all since doing it and peace of mind that the camera wont flatten the starter battery

 

[Dazwoods]

I ending up rewiring mine so the switched live niw comes off the leisure battery, same as you are planning on doing. No problems at all since doing it and peace of mind that the camera wont flatten the starter battery

Thanks Andy. I was thinking switched live off ignition so when driving it would use starter battery and permanent live off leisure battery for when parked.

 

[Big.mac]

Thanks Andy. I was thinking switched live off ignition so when driving it would use starter battery and permanent live off leisure battery for when parked.

That’s how mine is wired, works perfectly and no danger of starter battery being drained by park mode.