[NYvolt21]

Hello everybody,

I'm a big believer on everyone having dashcams in their cars, (I'm not even sure why cars don't come factory installed with them, but thats besides the point of this post).
On all my vehicles i've always installed them in the front and rear. The Volt has a fuse box in the rear that makes it easy to tap 12v power from but all of those are always on (not ACC switched). I installed a mobius dash cam in the rear over 2 years ago and although it draws very little power, if the car is left parked for over a week the 12v battery can drop to near 11.2V (almost dead).
My solution was a to wire in a low voltage disconnect module. I have it set the cutoff at 12.1v and reconnect at 12.6v. So far so good, stays on after I turn ofF the car for 20+ minutes. If anyone is thinking of wiring a rear dashcam to the rear fuse box, the module can be purchased from amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018TW0KN2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The voltage cutoff and reconnect is easy to set with dip switches.

 

[emg77]

Thanks for posting this. This is something I want to do to my Volt. I'd love to hear more about your dashcam equipment and any other installation tips. The low voltage disconnect module is something that I never even realized existed, and I can think of a lot of great uses for this.

 

[kevinbmcnamara]

This module works well: http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-24V-Exc...for-Car-DVR-/252108805261?hash=item3ab2db148d
I have been running a Qvia T790 dashcam for 15 months now....flawless performance and a ton of features for your buck...

I will post photos when I get a moment

Blue skies!

Kmac

 

[patb]

Iopted for a 12 hour support battery instead. I want to not drain down the 12V battery.

 

[MattDeZ]

Here's a good question... when the battery drops to 12.1V how long does it take to charge back up to its normal voltage? I have a 2.2 mile drive each day so I fear something like this would never allow my 12V battery to recharge completely.

 

[freshcut]

The APU usually charges the 12V battery at 14.8V, so it should charge it up within a few minutes. I realize 2.2 miles isn't a whole lot but if it takes more than about 5 minutes or so you should probably be ok. On a side note, if you take longer drives for tasks such as errands, that should allow more charge to the 12V battery if necessary. Also it's my understanding that as long as the main battery is being charged via the EVSE it will also top off the 12V battery. Once charging is complete though I understand the APU turns off.