Hardwiring dash cam - which fuse??

JustAnotherSaver

I've had a dash cam (Nextbase 522GW) waiting on getting installed & i just hadn't gotten round to it.

Electrics is by far and away my worst area. I'm clueless on many things but electrics is by far the worst. Imagine my relief then when Nextbase actually sell a hard wire kit and have a video showing how to do it. Great stuff - even i can do that. I'll plug it in to the 12v socket fuse since that's what everyone else seems to plug these things in to. Job done.

Then comes the problem ... my 12v socket is permanent. With my last car, the ignition needed to be on. With this car it doesn't - and i don't want my dash cam running 24/7.

This is supposed to be the fuse box setup:

https://fusesdiagram.com/ford/fuses-and-relay-ford-mondeo-mk3.html

https://www.autogenius.info/ford-mondeo-mk3-fuse-box-diagram/

Is there a suitable fuse in that lot that anyone reading this with a bit of know-how can suggest to tap in to? Basically i want the dash cam to power up when i turn the key and turn off when i turn the engine off ... and i would rather not have to pay someone to do this.

https://www.nextbase.com/en-gb/accessories/series-2-hardwire-kit-special-offer/

Scrapit

From very quickly reading that 88 is the drl and headlights fuse so will be on all the time the ignition is in. Seems like a good choice.

JustAnotherSaver

Just checking but it won't matter if my car doesn't have DRL's will it? 

I'd need to check but I thought the lights could come on without the key being in. I'm not 100% on that one though.

I know some fuses have different A ratings and I didn't know if that would make a difference too. Will be simple stuff to many I imagine but I've always been so lost on electronics. 

Goudy

Generally modern cars will have three different types of circuits running through the assesories fuse box.
Constant live. Sort of explains it's self.
Switched live, switched on and off from the ignition circuit. Usually things like wipers, washers, heated screens and the likes.
Inhibited/Timed live, similar to the switched but stays live for a limited amount of time after the ignition is turned off, usually radios, electric windows, interior lights etc.

You should piggy back any switched live fuse with the fuse tap in the kit, I would probably use F90, the rear wiper motor fuse as it's very unlikely to be a Constant/Inhibited circuit as some light circuits can be Constant or Inhibited (ie the lights stay on for parking if the light switch is in a certain position).

The amp rating shouldn't matter as long as you replace the pulled fuse (to make space for the fuse tap) in the correct side of the fuse tap, so the piggy backed fuse (wipers) and the camera are protected by the correct rated fuse.

knightstyle

First are you sure the socket is permanently on?  On my Ford it goes off a few minutes after the ignition is switched off.
I wired one into the dash lights feed for a friend as that was the easiest switched feed I could find near where I put the dash cam. 

molerat

Ford forums suggest the front socket on a Mondeo is times out at 15 minutes.

JustAnotherSaver

Yeah I read the 15minute thing. Not sure I believe that. 
I stopped by my mother's house, forgot to unplug my dash cam as I'd not long put it in place and my last one auto switched off, I was in there for what felt like a good amount more than 15mins although admittedly I didn't time it, came out and it was still recording. 

So at the moment, short of timing it, I'm not convinced the 15min thing is correct, at least not on my car. However, even if it was, I'd rather not have 15mins recorded each time. I'd prefer it to stop recording when the ignition is off. 

Some lights come on without the key in such as the side mirror puddle lights or whatever they're called - they come on when I use the remote to unlock. Not sure if this makes a difference when tapping in to headlights / sidelights / any other lights. 

Wipers sound a fair shout as I know they don't come on without the ignition being on. 

UncleZen

You may not have to piggy back an existing fuse. Often fuse boxes have spaces for fuses that are not used because your model does not have that feature, or that feature is only used in another country. This would be my first preference.

forgotmyname

Your 12v socket is NOT permanent unless you switched it to that. its switchable.

oh_really

If your unsure of your ability would this help...https://www.amazon.co.uk/AUKEY-Hardwire-Detection-Dashboard-Cameras/dp/B07N775LPM

JustAnotherSaver

UncleZen said:

You may not have to piggy back an existing fuse. Often fuse boxes have spaces for fuses that are not used because your model does not have that feature, or that feature is only used in another country. This would be my first preference.

Well i don't have a sunroof for example

or DRLs.

With it being an ST model i imagine it probably has most extras, just not quite all.

Though not sure if that puts me in the same situation where piggy backing the 12v socket would.

forgotmyname said:

Your 12v socket is NOT permanent unless you switched it to that. its switchable.

Well i don't really know what i'm talking about so i'm sure i'll end up using some incorrect terminology or something.

To avoid that (or at least try to) i'll explain what happens. If i go to my car now and plug anything in to the 12v socket, it will work. Whether the key is in the ignition or not. I've had cars like this in the past too.

However my previous car, if i did that then it wouldn't work at all - the ignition would need to be turned on for whatever is in the 12v socket to work.

Does that help explain anything better? No sarcasm at all. As i'm talking about something i've no clue about i know it may not be making sense.

And i haven't changed anything. I've not long been using the car really.

oh_really said:

If your unsure of your ability would this help...https://www.amazon.co.uk/AUKEY-Hardwire-Detection-Dashboard-Cameras/dp/B07N775LPM

That looks like a hardwire kit, no? Nextbase do their own. Watching the video on how to do it, even i can manage that much. It's just a question of where to piggy back as i would like it where once the key is removed, the recording stops - not continues and not continues on for x-minutes.