Does anyone know which fuse to use to hardwire a dashcam to for the 7ES?

 

Sadly I already tried that, using the Dongar cable, which is made to do that. Unfortunately, my dashcam periodically loses power on that connection, and I think it's not enough amps. There are a few more issues I'm trying - because I would much much prefer to use the power from the mirror. There is some chance that the USB cable doesnt carry enough power, so I'm trying some different cables. Barring that, it's hardwiring for me.

 

Any fuse that is powered when the car is running would work. An inline fuse for the dash cam should be used. I suggest any fuse block with 10 amp or more should be fine.

 

Thank you. If you could pick any 10A fuse, is there a system that would be least affected?

 

You're looking for "the best" answer, there is none. Pick something you don't use and isn't safety critical. No need to overthink this. Did you even look to see what fuses are near the driver kick panel yet? I also think that your post #8 has you drawing conclusions that are not based on diagnostic checking. No such thing as "not enough amps", it'd blow the fuse for the circuit. Intermittent is usually a poor connection or a bad cable to the camera. Test the cable for continuity and resistance, wiggle it around as you do. It's also possible the cable is incompatible, even though the description says it is.

 

Hey dude, there's no need to be uncivil. I just asked a simple question. I realize the holidays is a stressful time of year.

Why don't you stop answering this thread. I want someone else's opinion anyway.

 

I was just being direct. Sorry you felt I was uncivil. Good luck with your install.

 

From another post you indicated installing a Viofo S229 Pro (shouldn't that be A229 Pro? there's no S229 Pro on Viofo's web site). Based on that, the VIOFO A229 Pro USER MANUAL states for "regular" non-parking mode power source:
and in the manual's "Parking Mode" section (page 22) there's:
In reading over the HK4 Hardwire Kit English Manual and the ACC Hardwire Kit Installation, the installation instructions (on the third page) has this:
The non-bold text parts are my addition of the fuse values shown in the sample fuse chart diagram.
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While I hope it is obvious, the Acc signal is a switched power source - only powered when the the ignition is ON or ACCessory modes. Battery signal is an always powered source even when the ignition is in OFF mode.

If I'm not mistaken, on a 7th generation Lexus ES the P/OUTLET No. 1, a 15A fuse, is for the 12V power outlets circuit. A 12V power outlet is where the user's manual instructs for plugging in for power source for non-parking mode use. So, that fuse looks like the optimal one to use for the switched/Acc signal power source.

I'm not really certain as to what's a good fuse to tap for the "always on"/battery signal. Perhaps the 10A HAZ fuse for the hazard warning lights circuit would work.
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Thank you for the detailed response. I really appreciate the reasoning that you showed there, because it seems really logical. In particular I had no experience for expecting that there would be any relationship between the fuses in their manual and the 7ES's fuses, so I didnt consider those manuals relevant. In fact I dont understand why they have this generic fuse suggestions anyway, because I suppose that fuses in the 7ES might have fundamentally different relationships. Maybe that's dumb. Thank you for the help

 

FYI, the relationship that may seem to exist between the dash cam manual's sample fuse diagram and fuse use recommendations is merely coincidental. I was really trying to find a concrete number on what the minimum amp power supply was needed to reliably power your dash cam set up in order to address your "periodically loses power on that connection" issue. The installation instruction's fuse usage recommendations and associated sample fuse diagram was the only thing I could find in all the documentation that indicated what the minimum amp number might be - the Fuse No. 8 Power Mirror with the 10A fuse rating in the sample fuse diagram.

Assuming that sample recommended 10A fused circuit was sufficient for reliably powering the full two camera dash cam installation, it was then a matter of finding good ES 10A or greater fused circuit switched and always powered circuit candidates preferably located on the under dash fuse block.

As briefly outlined in my previous posting, the P/OUTLET No. 1 is optimal for the switched circuit power supply connection.

For the always on power supply, I searched the lexusguide.net Lexus ES (XZ10) Service Manual wiring diagrams and for the 10A fused circuits I could find information on I looked for a fused circuit that looked to always have adequate 10A always on supply and the least functionality that could be affected if the circuit got screwed up with an ill behaving dash cam system. Since the wiring diagram for the hazard warning lights circuit showed nothing between the 10A HAZ fuse and the normally open hazard warning switch assembly, that fused circuit is a good candidate for reliably supplying 10A and for normal, routine usage there's nothing to be affected if an ill behaving dash cam system impacts that circuit.

They needed to provide some form of documentation on wring up the dash cam system for parking mode operation. Pure speculation on my part but the documentation creators may have thought the sample fuse diagram with fuse recommendation was the clearest, easiest to understand form of documenting that for the technical skills range of their customer base and would be generic enough to apply to all the vehicles the dash cam system could be installed in.

P.S. Before getting too involved with hardwiring the power feed to solve your intermittent power loss issue, suggest you switch over to using the supplied car charger adapter to see if that fixes the issue. If the 15A fused 12V power outlet using the vender furnished connection means doesn't fix the issue then something else besides inadequate amp supply is the issue. If you still have intermittent power loss with that power connection then it's reasonable to assume there's some defect internal to the dash cam hardware that's the cause of the problem. If so, contacting Viofo support about the issue is your next step.

 

Start with your engine off.

Do you have a multimeter?
You don't need a famous brand like my Fluke 87V.
You can purchase for as little as $12.99.





If you want to really cheap out, buy this fuse tester for only $6.99.
However, a multimeter can be much more useful when diagnosing car flat batteries, or flat batteries at home.





For a constant current fuse, try testing the Hazard WarningFuse with the ignition switched off.
For a switched fuse, try testing the Shade Fuse, first with the ignition switched off, then with the ignition switched on.





Fuse Polarity
Switch the multimeter on.
Rotate the dial to the DC Voltage Mode.

Using pliers, remove the fuse you want to test.
Look close and you will see two tiny copper electrodes: left and right.
One of those electrodes will be red positive and carry the current from the battery, while the other electrode will be black negative to return the current to the battery.

Place the red electrode pen to test the left copper electrode, and place the black negative electrode pen to the big ground screw at the bottom of the photo below, and see what current reading you get?
Then place the red electrode pen to test the right copper electrode, and again place the black negative electrode pen to the big screw at the bottom of the photo below to return the current to the negative terminal of the battery, and see what current reading you get?

The positive copper terminal will generate a 12 V reading on the multimeter.
The negative copper terminal will generate a 0 V reading on the multimeter.
So which column of copper terminals [left or right] is positive, and which is negative?
Eg, if the left column of terminals is positive, then the right column of terminals will be negative.



NB.
Understand that the red wire carries current from the battery to the device.
Also understand that the black wire is supposed to carry a return current from the device back to the negative black terminal of the battery.

However, if auto manufacturers did this, we would have tens-hundreds of meters of black return cabling!
Because most cars are built with high tensile steel chassis which conduct electric current, the high tensile steel chassis itself is used to return the current to the negative terminal of the battery, saving many many meters of black return cabling.

The 12 V current, at low amperage, and hence low power - is too low to electrocute humans.
Hence, to complete the circuit, you only have to place the black negative pen of the multimeter to the big hexagonal ground nut at the bottom of the photo below.

An all aluminum or carbon fiber chassis vehicle would need black return cabling to the negative terminal of the battery.


Constant vs Switched Fuses
Thus, having determined the polarity [+/-] of the two copper electrodes, find out if that fuse is truly constant, or truly switched by testing the fuse with the ignition off, and testing again with the ignition on.
A constant fuse will always register a 12 V current on the multimeter, regardless of whether the ignition is on or off.
A switched fuse will only register a 12 V current on the multimeter when the ignition is switched on.

NB
Constant and switched fuses don't always make sense; they aren't what they appear to be.
For example, a windscreen wiper fuse you'd expect to be a "switched-type" because it can only be operated with the ignition on, but you may find that your windscreen wiper fuse is constant!
Thus, the only way to ascertain if a fuse is truly constant or truly switched is to test it with a multimeter!
Hence, we can't just talk about it, nor ask questions on the forum, but we must actually test it ourselves using a multimeter.
Even if someone else has a Lexus 7ES, I would not trust what they say, but I would test it myself with a multimeter.


Fuse Taps
You must purchase a fusetap with the same fuse type as your vehicle.
This allows you to piggyback off one of the existing fuse slots in your motor vehicle.

Most Toyotas use the Low Profile Mini Typefuse pictured below.

Next step is with the correct positive to negative polarity, to plug in a fuse tap.
Unfortunately, you cannot plug the fusetap in with any +/- polarity you feel like.
The red wire from the fusetap to your dashcam will either pass to the left, or pass to the right; the fusetap in the photo below is carrying current to the right.

If the positive copper electrode is on the left, then you would plug in the fusetap like the last photo below, with the positive current passing up the fusetap on the left, and returning to the negative terminal of the battery by travelling down the right hand side pin below with the red arrows.
Notice how the fusetap taps current via the blue arrows to a 2nd fuse to ultimately pass through the right hand side red wire below to your dashcam?

Thus, you would plug the manufacturer's original fuse into the lower slot of the fuse tap like the last photo below.


Fuse Types
Meanwhile you must purchase a new fuse for your dashcam.
Toyotas generally use Low Profile Mini fuses below.




Fuse Sizes
You must find out what is the maximum current draw of your dashcam; use the spec sheet.
Normally it is well under 5 amps.
You could purchase a 5 Amp fuse of the same type for Toyota products and insert it into the upper fuse slot of the fuse tap with blue arrows like the photo below.
Fuses are color coded depending on the amperage rating.

NB
If you use a fuse with a lower amperage rating than your dashcam, then the fuse will melt, smoke, and your dashcam will stop working.
You must use a fuse with a slightly higher amperage rating than your dashcam's maximum current draw; look at your dashcam's spec sheet.
If you use too high a fuse like 10-15 A, your dashcam will certainly work, but very high 10-15 A currents can potentially destroy your low current draw dashcam, long before they melt the fuse; the fuse is there to protect your dashcam from excessively high currents.

Your dashcam should now be ready to go....









Using a pair of pliers, crimp this to fasten the red/yellow cable.



In the end, you will look something like this.
With two red wires going to two fuse taps: one for constant, and one for switched.
And a black wire going to the chassis hexagonal screw to return the current.

Below, I have used a 3 Amp fuse for my constant and switched fuse taps, because most dashcams run at less than 1 Amp maximum, and I am running two separate front and rear dashcams simultaneously, which could theoretically draw a maximum of 2 Amps simultaneously, hence using a 3 Amp fuse is generous, but not excessively generous to run a very high amperage which can fry my separate front and rear dashcams.

Eg.
If I use a 1 or 2 A fuse, then my fuse can melt very quickly, and my dashcams will stop working - however, my dashcams have NOT actually "fried" up!
On the other hand, if I use a 15 A fuse, then amperages can fluctuate up to 15 Amps before my fuse melts to cut the current, but when each of my dashcams operate at 1 Amp maximum, my dashcams have actually "fried" long before the current ever reached 15 Amps.





Basically, the dashcams draws current off the switched fuse while driving, but then draws current off the continuously on fuse while parking.
Using the car's PbSO4 battery to power dashcam in parking mode is fine, if the dashcam only records when triggered, or if the dashcam only records continuous timelapse photography like 1 frame every 5 seconds etc, which uses little current, but has a compromized video footage.

My Lexiis record FT full time, and one of my Lexiis have four dashcams for: front, rear, LHS and RHS.
I used to run this simple switched and continuously powered PbSO4 setup on two of my Lexiis, but then realized that prolonged car parking use was making my car battery too weak for engine starts, and it was also diminishing the long term life of my car batteries.
Hence nowadays, I use dedicated LiFePSO4 lithium iron phosphate battery packs like Cellink Neo to power my dashcams while parking.

 

Wow. Thank you so much!!

 

That's a clear and helpful lesson in automotive electricity. Thanks very much.
I would second the advice to test the connection with a multi tester before hooking anything up. Don't rely on forum advice, because wire locations and wire colors can differ even on the same model year. I have hard wired many radar detectors in my day, and I generally read the forums to see what others say about the location and color of switched and unswitched wires, but have often found that my car had different colored wires. A multi meter is a great investment for adding things to the car and for checking stuff around the house as well. Don't wait - buy one now.

 

About 4 months ago, I installed my VIOFO A119 V3 dashcam via the rearview mirror cable using the dongar cable (first time I installed a dashcam in my vehicle). Works like a charm and you don't even know that the dashcam is there. I periodically check the footages to make sure that everything's working perfectly and for now, everything looks good. I am not sure if it's the camera that you are using that makes it lose power over time.

Took me about 30 mins to install the whole thing (it took me about 15 mins to carefully unmount the plastic cover below the rearview mirror to make sure I didn't break any clips). I wasn't really fond and was not comfortable to go via the fuse box route. I also didn't like the idea of using the USB port with all the cable management.

 

Thanks for this datapoint.

I am running the A229 Pro in dual channel mode; the system is known to draw much more power because its high resolution (4k + 2k) requires lots of processing power to encode into a video file. It looks like you are running in single channel mode, so you may have dodged the issue, or you may have used a better cable than me.

I've replaced the cable and am currently testing a large gauge usb cable that runs to the dongar cable. The cable I was using before felt like a shoestring relative to this one. The resistance on this new cable is less than even the 12V 3.5M charging cable that is meant to run to the cigarette lighter, so hopefully the issue does not continue. Unfortunately the powerdown situation on the Viofo that I'm experiencing sometimes does not even occur over several hours of driving - so I need to test it quite a bit before drawing any conclusions. Since i haven't driven much over the holidays, I've not had much experience with the setup lately, but I hope this new cable works.

Overall I think the dongar cable is a great solution for lots of cars. Especially in the ES, where the 12V power is in the armrest of all places, it's really annoying to have to run a wire to that location.