Powering a dash cam in your car can sometimes be tricky, especially when you want continuous recording or parking surveillance. While directly wiring to your car’s electrical system might seem like an option, using your OBD2 port to power your dash cam offers a safer and often simpler alternative. Let’s explore how to effectively use the OBD2 port for your dash cam and avoid potential battery drain issues.
Understanding OBD2 Port Power for Dash Cams
Your car’s cigarette lighter socket might be always on or only powered when the engine is running. This difference dictates the best approach for powering your Obd2 Port Dash Cam. For vehicles where the cigarette lighter stays powered, a simple solution involves a cigarette lighter adapter with a low voltage cutoff. The Koolatron “battery saver” is a readily available example. This device prevents your dash cam from draining your car battery by automatically cutting power if the voltage drops too low (around 11.6 volts). You can then connect a standard cigarette lighter to USB adapter to power your dash cam.
Alt text: Koolatron battery saver adapter plugged into a car cigarette lighter socket, used for powering an OBD2 port dash cam setup.
If your cigarette lighter only works when the engine is on, OBD power supply adapters are a convenient and inexpensive option available on platforms like Amazon. These adapters also often come with a similar low voltage cutoff feature, protecting your battery. It’s generally advisable to avoid directly splicing wires into your OBD port.
For parked car surveillance, consider dash cams with standby or parking modes that utilize G-sensor or motion activation. This minimizes power consumption when the vehicle is stationary.
Setting Up Your OBD2 Port Dash Cam Power
Depending on your cigarette lighter behavior, here are recommended setups for your obd2 port dash cam:
Scenario 1: Cigarette Lighter Always On
For this setup, a robust cigarette lighter splitter (rated at least 10 amps) is useful. Plug the Koolatron battery saver into one port of the splitter. Connect a high-quality cigarette lighter to USB adapter into the Koolatron. Run the USB cable to your dash cam. The remaining port on the splitter can still be used for charging phones or other devices.
Scenario 2: Cigarette Lighter Only On with Engine
In this case, you can run a USB cable from your dash cam, tucking it neatly under the dashboard. For regular driving, you might use a standard cigarette lighter adapter when the engine is running. When you need power when parked (engine off), you can then switch to an OBD port adapter. This provides flexibility and ensures power only when needed when the engine is off, reducing battery drain risk.
OBD2 Port Power Considerations
It’s important to remember that the OBD2 port is designed to supply power, typically up to 4 amps. Most dash cams, even dual dash cam models, usually have a power consumption of 2 amps or less. Therefore, powering a dash cam through the OBD2 port is generally safe and won’t overload the system.
When you need to use your OBD2 port for diagnostics with a scanner, simply unplug the OBD power adapter. This easy disconnection is another advantage of using an OBD2 port dash cam power solution.
