Hardwiring dash cam

Hello Everyone,

Hopefully all of you had a nice start to 2025! Unfortunately for me not too much! Somebody damage my wife’s 1 week old impreza at the mall parking leaving some scratch that needed repainting, anyway both of our vehicles have dash cams but it's not hardwired and with what happened I wanted to make use of the parking monitor to keep recording but I am worried with the car's battery getting drained. Any suggestions or experiences with the dashcam hardwired? Which kit did you use? Appreciate all the response!

 

If you don’t want to hardwire, this adapter allows you to plug into the review mirror

$37 Dongar Dashcam Power Adapter (7-pin Type B) for Select Economy Mirrors. Compatible w/Select Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, & More. Connects to Rearview Mirror, Built-in USB Power Source, Easy Install

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FQ7C9B8

 

I have hard wire kit on my 4runner but want to remind you that my dashcams don't show the sides.

I bought the regular hardwire kit for my blackvue dashcam.


Next I added a automotive wire to the battery through the firewall. This wire is also protected by a fuse and a switch.
Then this full time 12v wire is connected to the hardwire kits red wire with a low voltage cutoff unit.


This is not a must since Blackvue camera already have low voltage cut off functionality built in. But I added it as a secondary protection.

(I have linked the pictures to Amazon products that I personally purchased in 2021 and still use without any problems.)

 

With the dash cam pulling from the starter battery (with engine off), there’s always a risk of draining it too low. I frequently forget to turn off the parking mode when at home, and it will record all night!!
The cheapest way to prevent this is with a voltage cutoff relay, just like the one kmeeg shows above. It will disconnect the load when your starter battery’s voltage reaches a preset threshold. Having a dedicated cutoff instead of relying on the cameras software is great peace of mind. The downside to this is you’re still going to short cycle your starter battery every time you park, which will shorten its life … some unknown amount - that could be negligible.
Another way is to power your dash cam via another source when in parking mode. Blackvue makes a battery pack specifically for this purpose - but it’s $350.
Or… If you have future plans for a full auxiliary battery system in your truck, this would be a good time to do it. Great way to justify the expense to any matrimonial approval authorities!!! 100ah Lithium, REDARC charger, and a fuse box and you can power anything you want with the engine off!!