I have a dash cam too. Mine is not the "in the mirror" type, but I understand every time there's an interruption in power the camera wants to turn the screen on. In your case, the mirror. My camera has settings and I'm sure yours does too. I know I can set my camera to not display the screen at all, 30 seconds, and I think it can display up to 2 minutes.

I'm also wondering if your hard wired power supply (5V with keyed ignition) is wired to something where power drops significantly. If I had to solve your problem for myself I think I would go with a 12 volt relay controlled by a keyed source, the power coming directly from the battery, thus eliminating power sharing on a line that may see more significant voltage drops because of power usage.

Even when I've had weak batteries in cars, seeing voltages drop below 10 volts during starting - I wouldn't think that would kick your camera into a restart. Perhaps your car battery is old and in need of replacement. If it's affecting your camera then that's worth a look. At the very least, rule that possibility out. You DO say it's a 2017 Escape, so the battery SHOULD still be good. But you could have gotten this very Escape in 2016. 3 year old batteries CAN become weak. Not saying it IS, just that it's a possibility. I'd at least look into that.

Putting a capacitor on the 12 volt line - - - the capacitor will feed its power back into the cars electrical system during restart. Unless you put a diode in circuit to prevent the back flow of current. But if I were to go the route of a cap I'd put it on the 5 volt line where it couldn't back feed it's stored charge. But that may mean having to cut into the power harness and adding a capacitor into the circuit. That can become a weak "failure" point in the system.

I've been using dash cams since 2014 and so far have not had the need to prove anything. However, in my wife's car, she had an incident with another driver and road rage where she tried to force my wife to stop on railroad tracks. No train was coming, but you could hear my wife panic. The video was sent to the police and they "had a talk" with the other driver.

 

My X5 has autostop as well as autohold. Not only does it make driving more pleasant, if all cars in cities reduced emissions 5% it would be a if benefit. It really requires a modern engine in good condition, and it’s smart—if the engine is too cold, it doesn’t try. I find it quite nice.

I quiet like the idea of an auto-stop car ... never seen or had one........ they must be vary rare because the reductions are not 5% ..probably less than 1% in cities ... if they saved 5% everyone would have them ... I took great care in my calculation , did not look at manufacturers claims ...

but since you have one it would be easy to find your savings and reduced emitions ... approximately every 10 hours the engine is off at traffic lights saves about a gallon of gas I would bet you save less than a gallon of gas a year .

It's an idea dreamed up to sell cars ,,, It sounds great , but they know few will do the calculations and find out it's more trouble than it's worth because of extra wear and tear and added expense in in other areas

 

While it IS a fuel saving point it's more about pollution. Stopping an engine at every red light, every car, every red light in every city, that's thousands of tons of pollutants not released into the environment. Sure we save some gasoline, but it's not about that. There's an elementary school just down the street. I see cars idling and idling and idling for upwards of 15 minutes or more waiting for their child to come out of school. If people wanted to save gasoline they would shut their engines off. But they don't. Having a car that shuts itself off means there's dozens of cars every day at every school NOT polluting the air our children breathe.

Back on topic - keeping the dash cam from re-initializing every time you start from a red light. A cap with a diode on the 12 volt line would probably work. A cap on the 5 volt line would probably work even better. Knowing the cars electrical system is up to snuff may resolve all issues without the need to modify anything.

 

I have a dash cam too. Mine is not the "in the mirror" type, but I understand every time there's an interruption in power the camera wants to turn the screen on. In your case, the mirror. My camera has settings and I'm sure yours does too. I know I can set my camera to not display the screen at all, 30 seconds, and I think it can display up to 2 minutes.

I have a dash cam but the autostop doesn’t affect it. I power it from an accessory circuit, so that’s probably why. The infotainment system doesn’t react to the autostop either.

 

It's an idea dreamed up to sell cars ,,, It sounds great , but they know few will do the calculations and find out it's more trouble than it's worth because of extra wear and tear and added expense in in other areas

In fact, it does increase average MPG because for every gallon spent idling you have 0 MPG, which is very inefficient.

The car starts on the first crank, it's almost not noticeable.

 

How would you calculate the amperage rating of the slow-blow fuse between the Battery and the 5 Farad Super Cap?
And the amp rating of the blocking diode ?
I ask because ... I think the Dash Cam would only need a 1 amp fuse between Super Cap and the 12v-to-5v Converter.
I don't see any fuses, in any schematics, so far.

 

the engine itself is designed with different components, such as bearings,

Proof of that statement. Just a simple quote from a manufacturer will do.

 

For fear of getting too off-topic; we're on our second Prius, and any time you are in slow moving or stop and go traffic, or just waiting in the car the fuel savings is significant. The engine barely ever runs, even with the A/C on (even the A/C compressor is electric). If it's cool outside (no A/C) you can creep along for what seems like 20 minutes without the engine ever starting up. The two things I'm surprised they didn't take to auto-stop cars (I'm sure for budget reasons) are the fully-electric A/C, and the direct drive motor/generator that is used to start the combustion engine. There's no "starter", no gears to engage, no bendix to wear out, etc.. The motor/generator is direct drive to the crank shaft, and it silently spins the ICE to get it running. And savings for the fully electric A/C at stop lights in warm climates is obvious.

<....SNIP...>
There are many different sizes on eBay , apparently they ....

"1. Raise the engine power to make the throttle response more brisk and sensitive.

2, to improve the low-speed driving car phenomenon, so that shifting more smoothly.

4. Spark plugs that provide power evenly to the cylinders make the engine work more smoothly.

5, to reduce the phenomenon of idling jitter, making it more stable.

6, to reduce clutter and improve the sound quality of the car audio system.

7, protect the battery and the original car electrical circuit system, reduce its load and extend the service life.

8, shorten the car engine startup time.

1. Reduced load on the generator circuit system:
The ignition voltage of the engine is stabilized, the spark plug ignition current is enhanced, the torque output is more abundant, and the throttle response is quick and quick. When a super capacitor rectifying regulator is not installed, the current generated by the generator directly reaches the battery and is ......"
<....SNIP....>

Do they also cure cancer and protect your kids as they walk to school? Talk about marketing run amuck, those are some far out claims that I really doubt are backed up by any real data.

 

I have a dash cam but the autostop doesn’t affect it. I power it from an accessory circuit, so that’s probably why. The infotainment system doesn’t react to the autostop either.

This is why I suspect his car battery be weak. ACC power is uninterrupted except when significant drain is on the system. If the battery is weak it may kick the 5V supply off line for that instant when it's restarting the engine. Either that or he's using a shared line that during restart there's significant drain on that line to trigger the camera as well.

 

This is why I suspect his car battery be weak. ACC power is uninterrupted except when significant drain is on the system. If the battery is weak it may kick the 5V supply off line for that instant when it's restarting the engine. Either that or he's using a shared line that during restart there's significant drain on that line to trigger the camera as well.

Well, he's wired his USB supply to an unknown point that might be interrupted by the start. For example, my wipers do pause for a moment when starting. So it is clear that BMW has created a special supply for things that shouldn't be interrupted.

On a "normal" car, I am used to the ignition cutting off power to the sound system at start. Maybe there is a better place to take the 12V to prevent the interruption.

 

A neighbor wanted 12 volts, so he got it from the OBDii port. That did not work out well for him at all. 12 volts doesn't mean 12 volts. That's why I would draw it from the battery and use a control signal to trigger the relay. But as you said, it can't be from something that is interrupted during startup.

 

I quiet like the idea of an auto-stop car ... never seen or had one........ they must be vary rare because the reductions are not 5% ..probably less than 1% in cities ... if they saved 5% everyone would have them ... I took great care in my calculation , did not look at manufacturers claims ...

Nor did you look at the actual data of any of the people that have actually tested them with and without start/stop enabled over actual road courses. When not running the A/C, they typically find 10% and more increase in fuel economy over city driving.

And, no, if they saved just 5% would not mean that every one would have them. Most people (myself included) are not really that sensitive to mileage, otherwise pickups and SUVs wouldn't continue to be not only the largest market share, but the fastest
growing market share of cars sold.

I don't know how your calculations came up with just 3 minutes stopped at traffic lights per 100 km of city driving, either. Here the timed lights are on a three minute cycle so that's well over a minute per light that you miss on average. I know I can't go 100 km in the city without missing more than three lights -- a lot more. There are several places where I can count on not just missing a light, but having to sit through three or more cycles of the light to finally get through. Now, whether the engine would should down after the first light as I move up in line depends on what the speed threshold is, which I don't know and I'm sure if varies.

 

Proof of that statement. Just a simple quote from a manufacturer will do.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start-stop_system
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/r/advice/car-technology/how-start-stop-tech-works
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1109687_dont-start-stop-systems-wear-out-your-cars-starter
https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-tech/polymer-coatings-engine-bearings-science-behind/
http://bestride.com/research/buyers-guide/does-auto-stopstart-technology-wear-out-engine-components

I bet you can find a few more.

 

Hi, I'm Henry and new to the forum, I am an automotive technician
Some may think this should be in the automotive thread, but I think I'll get better results here.
So, I installed a dash cam that is basically a bigger rear-view mirror, this:
https://www.amazon.ca/TOGUARD-Waterproof-170°Wide-G-Sensor-Detection/dp/B07DN8Q8Q6
It is powered by a USB that runs off the cars ACC plug(cig lighter), so 12-14 volts to (usb) I think about 5 volts converter.
It only runs while the ACC socket is powered, and the dash cam shuts down when acc socket is live.
What happens is when the dash cam initially turns on, there is a display in the mirror glass of what the cam is recording, then after 30 seconds that image turns off so you can use the rear-view as its intended for.
My 2017 Ford Escape is wired so the acc sockets are always powered on, so the cam would never shut down.
I bought USB hardwire kit that only is powered with key on, and it works great: This:
https://www.amazon.ca/SHISHUO-Dash-...+volt+kit&qid=1553553104&s=electronics&sr=1-5
So here's my problem;
My vehicle has a feature called Auto Start/Stop, basically when you stop with your foot on the brake pedal and vehicle is in gear( waiting at a stop light) the engine shuts off and will remain off until you lift your foot from the brake pedal or put it in park, then the engine automatically restarts and away you go.
What's happening is there must be a momentary voltage drop in the fuse panel when the engine auto re-starts and what happens is the recording image pops back on the display for the 30 seconds which is annoying and blocks my rear-view for that time.
It will not do this if I use the provided ACC plug, but I want to use the hardwire kit I installed so I don't have to keep unplugging and plugging in that ACC plug, I bought the hardwire kit so it is a " set it and forget it"
Would a capacitor in-line with the 12 volt feed hold the voltage momentarily while the vehicle re-starts? I know something greater than 15 volts is needed but, What rating of cap would you use?
Thanks

I'd run the cam off a USB power bank and charge that from the cigar socket. 2 obvious problems: some power banks inhibit output while charging, and you have to remember to unplug the cam when you switch everything off. You could of course wire up a relay to unpower the cam when needed. If your cigar socket is always powered - it might be that isn't a problem anyway.

 

I should add for clarity that what is happening is that the cam is not actually doing a full restart, just the image pops up, its like tapping the power button which cycles the display on/off. I like to see the full camera start-up when first starting car so I know the camera is functioning
If you look at how the hardwire kit I used is connected, you see it basically piggy backs off an existing fuse,
https://www.amazon.ca/SHISHUO-Dash-...+volt+kit&qid=1553553104&s=electronics&sr=1-5
I've tried many different fuses locations at that fuse block that switch off with when car is turned off, for example the rear wiper wash fuse, so it wouldn't be active most of the time. same results.
I tested the main power supply to that fuse block using a multimeter set at min-max and discovered that the vehicle will actually momentarily cut the power while the engine restarts- min rating dropped to 0 volts, maybe 1 second only, but enough to cause.
What I've done is the relay method. The fuse for the front acc socket is in the engine bay fuse box. It is too difficult to access the wire for the acc socket from under the fuse block, so I pulled the fuse, used 2 female spade terminals, wires and added an equal rated fuse in line with the feed wire then to a relay, so now my acc socket is no longer hot all the time. Sounds a little hooky, but its actually legit. Worked good but I noticed one day not long ago the relay was stuck on, found corrosion at relay terminals. I've since got a new relay that came with a weather proof connector pigtail to keep corrosion out, also added a little di-electric grease to terminals. I'd like to have the acc socket free for other things
Some may ask, why not put relay under dash?
First, it is near impossible to access the acc socket without tearing half the dash apart, second, any wire I use as the trigger for the relay would be something that loses voltage momentarily while the engine re-starts.

 

Are you saying you've solved the problem? If so then great. If not - do this: First thing in the morning, after the car has sat all night, check the battery voltage BEFORE you start the car. Then report that please. A good (new) battery should be 12.6 or better. 12.4 is still good, and a 3 year old battery should not be below 12.2 volts but that's getting down to the point of needing to be replaced. It's important to check the resting voltage of the battery because that's a fairly good indicator of battery health. Some may disagree with me, but I believe a low voltage indicates low capacity. In other words, during startup battery voltage may drop quite low. I had a battery that read (resting) 12.1 volts and during startup the voltage was dropping all the way down to the 9 volt range. The car seemed to start well enough but the low voltage was problematic. Sensitive electronics such as Chinese dash cam's may not tolerate low voltages like that.

But if you're reporting that the circuit you are using actually goes cold during startup then there's not much you can do except design your own electronic relay, one you can build into a "hold" feature where the relay remains active for a few seconds after power interruption. Comes to mind, a MOSFET with a capacitor to hold power on for a few seconds after interruption. The gate is wired to the delay while the source and drain act as the circuit control connected directly to constant power (a.k.a battery). May go with a P-type MOSFET, NON LOGIC type. I'm not experienced with these so I can't make recommendations. As long as the battery is healthy this should do quite nicely.

 

Are you saying you've solved the problem? If so then great. If not - do this: First thing in the morning, after the car has sat all night, check the battery voltage BEFORE you start the car. Then report that please. A good (new) battery should be 12.6 or better. 12.4 is still good, and a 3 year old battery should not be below 12.2 volts but that's getting down to the point of needing to be replaced. It's important to check the resting voltage of the battery because that's a fairly good indicator of battery health. Some may disagree with me, but I believe a low voltage indicates low capacity. In other words, during startup battery voltage may drop quite low. I had a battery that read (resting) 12.1 volts and during startup the voltage was dropping all the way down to the 9 volt range. The car seemed to start well enough but the low voltage was problematic. Sensitive electronics such as Chinese dash cam's may not tolerate low voltages like that.

But if you're reporting that the circuit you are using actually goes cold during startup then there's not much you can do except design your own electronic relay, one you can build into a "hold" feature where the relay remains active for a few seconds after power interruption. Comes to mind, a MOSFET with a capacitor to hold power on for a few seconds after interruption. The gate is wired to the delay while the source and drain act as the circuit control connected directly to constant power (a.k.a battery). May go with a P-type MOSFET, NON LOGIC type. I'm not experienced with these so I can't make recommendations. As long as the battery is healthy this should do quite nicely.

Some dashboard cameras specs I've seen brag about having an internal supercapacitor. That's the kind of component I'd be considering to solve this issue. Along with the diode already mentioned, of course.

 

Some dashboard cameras specs I've seen brag about having an internal supercapacitor.

The DC in my wife's car has a SupCap. Thing sucks! The camera is supposed to be able to film for 30 seconds beyond powering down. Hers won't. The SC will go dead before it can complete writing to the file and the video will become corrupted. Hence, I've had to set it to stop recording when power is lost. That way we don't lose any of the video.

The DC in my truck has a Li-Po battery and can record up to 2 minutes beyond powering down. The batteries are small and not really meant to run the camera. So I have my DC set to record 30 seconds after power is lost. Mine is old and doesn't hold the date and time anymore. But it still shows the speed and also tracks the location via GPS, so there's a log of where I've been. At best, in a court of law I'd have to state the time and date of any footage. If I want proper date/time pinning I'd have to reset the date and time every time I start the truck. Too much of an inconvenience. My wife's DC also has GPS speed reporting. Some times it takes a minute or two before the speed will start displaying. Poor design camera. I'd get another one like the one I have in my truck but I can't seem to find that model anywhere anymore.

 

I'm going to stick to the relay set-up I have now, perhaps someday when I have time I will try playing with the diode/capacitor.
There has been some questions about the life of my battery, the battery is new, less than 2 months,. I had brought the car to the dealer about 4 months ago because the auto start/stop stopped working, was told the battery was weak and they charged it and said it was good.(auto start/stop functioned again) Forward 2 months when it was -30 here in Canada and over night the battery froze and was toast.
With the Auto Start/Stop system, many things must be met before the engine will allow an auto stop, one of the most important needs is the battery's state of charge( has a module strictly for battery and charging management). If the battery is low or alternator is putting out a lot of amperage to try and re-charge the battery, the auto stop just stops working,
The loss of the auto start/stop feature is a good indicator of a weakened battery, which is kind of a good thing because it can give you a heads up before total dead battery

 

We can only go on the picture you paint. If you say the battery is good then I fully accept that. But I've seen bad batteries right out of the box before. Forgive my skepticism. If you told me the resting voltage was 12.6 volts I'd be 100% on board with it being good. But judging batteries based on time and circumstances is a lack luster way of telling battery health. I'm probably wrong, but I am not yet convinced.