Hardwired dash cam won't power on

[will_0407]

Hi all,

I have recently bought a 2014 A3 sport, loaded with plenty of nice extras. I have upgraded from a 2014 Seat Leon.

I have moved my dashcam from the Leon into the A3, and set up seemed identical. I have a nextbase hardwire kit which I used to wire into the fusebox, running the cable up the front pillar and across the top of the windscreen.

I got everything sorted however when I turn the ignition, I get no response from the camera. It is in the same 20a fuse socket that I used in the Leon for the cigarette lighter, and oddly the cigarette lighter works fine as I have tested the plug with my iphone cable. So I can happily charge my iphone but the camera doesn't receive any power despite being connected to the same fuse.

Does anyone have any idea why this could be? i thought it may be the cable but I bought a new one from amazon and that hasn't solved it. I've earthed it to the exact same screw (in terms of location) that I did in the Leon so I'm at a loss as to what could be wrong with it.

For info, I have plugged the camera into a standard wall charger and it receives power fine from there so it's not the unit itself, has to be the set up but I've no idea what!

Any help appreciated.

 

[Darren92]

Just because the fuse box looks the same, doesn't mean things are fused and wired the same. Are you using an ignition or permanent feed?

 

[will_0407]

Just because the fuse box looks the same, doesn't mean things are fused and wired the same. Are you using an ignition or permanent feed?

Ignition feed. The 20a cigarette lighter fuse is 'piggybacked' on the adapter. There is obviously power coming from that fuse as the cigarette lighter works.

My only thought is that it isn't earthed properly. I have attached the earth cable to the same screw as I did in the leon, the one circled in green below (the pic is from another dashcam thread on here)

 

[mike170]

What the red circle for, that looks like an earth!

 

[Rob2k68]

The pic is my car what I posted in another thread - to get a 100% certain earth I drilled a hole and used a self tapper - looping to a dashboard mounting bolt wasn't good enough and made the camera only work occasionally for me which defeats the object.

 

[Rob2k68]

Hi all,

I have recently bought a 2014 A3 sport, loaded with plenty of nice extras. I have upgraded from a 2014 Seat Leon.

I have moved my dashcam from the Leon into the A3, and set up seemed identical. I have a nextbase hardwire kit which I used to wire into the fusebox, running the cable up the front pillar and across the top of the windscreen.

I got everything sorted however when I turn the ignition, I get no response from the camera. It is in the same 20a fuse socket that I used in the Leon for the cigarette lighter, and oddly the cigarette lighter works fine as I have tested the plug with my iphone cable. So I can happily charge my iphone but the camera doesn't receive any power despite being connected to the same fuse.

Does anyone have any idea why this could be? i thought it may be the cable but I bought a new one from amazon and that hasn't solved it. I've earthed it to the exact same screw (in terms of location) that I did in the Leon so I'm at a loss as to what could be wrong with it.

For info, I have plugged the camera into a standard wall charger and it receives power fine from there so it's not the unit itself, has to be the set up but I've no idea what!

Any help appreciated.

Does your hardwire kit cut voltage to the camera when the battery dips below a certain voltage ? Mine cuts supply at 11.8V, does it work with engine running ?

 

[lenny151]

I wouldn't say that's a proper earth myself might be wrong but I know there is a proper earth abit further down the door sill that the fuse box goes to Connect it to that


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[will_0407]

Thank you all for the quick replies. It seems the equivalent screw from the leon in the audi is not a suitable earth, so fortunately I had a torx screwdriver that fit the silver screw closer to the door. Earthed it to that (which may be the one lenny151 is referring to) and it now works fine.

@Rob2k68 I didn't actually turn the engine on, I only clicked the key round so it powered on but I assume it'll work fine (hope so as it's cold outside now so my fingers were freezing!)

The green circle indicates where I have earthed it, the red circle is where I had it before when it wasn't working

 

[lenny151]

That one may be one but there's one even further down what i wired my footwell lights to


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rob2k68]

Thank you all for the quick replies. It seems the equivalent screw from the leon in the audi is not a suitable earth, so fortunately I had a torx screwdriver that fit the silver screw closer to the door. Earthed it to that (which may be the one lenny151 is referring to) and it now works fine.

@Rob2k68 I didn't actually turn the engine on, I only clicked the key round so it powered on but I assume it'll work fine (hope so as it's cold outside now so my fingers were freezing!)

The green circle indicates where I have earthed it, the red circle is where I had it before when it wasn't working

Glad you're all sorted

The torx bolt you've gone to is a popular choice but was 50/50 for me so I used the self tapper in the end.

 

[will_0407]

Glad you're all sorted
The torx bolt you've gone to is a popular choice but was 50/50 for me so I used the self tapper in the end.

I'll keep a listen out for the power on tone of the camera, fingers crossed it works ok. This is what the camera's gone in...

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/post-pics-of-your-a3-s3-8v-in-here.158398/page-144#post-2865963

 

[Rob2k68]

I'll keep a listen out for the power on tone of the camera, fingers crossed it works ok. This is what the camera's gone in...

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/post-pics-of-your-a3-s3-8v-in-here.158398/page-144#post-2865963

Car looks awesome mate !!

 

[will_0407]

Car looks awesome mate !!

Thanks, was a nearly a few grand more than I was going to spend as I had planned to get a 1.8 petrol leon to replace my 2.0 diesel but there was nothing reasonably priced Leon wise so I figured I'd spend a bit more and go premium!