Do Dash Cams Drain Your Car Battery?

Yes, dash cameras can drain a car’s battery but not always. It depends how the dash cam is installed and how it draws power from the vehicle. A dash cam using power from the cigarette lighter should be unplugged when the car is off to avoid draining battery.

Most dashboard cameras are designed to be controlled by the ignition — they turn on when you start the car and shut off when you turn off the vehicle. Let’s dive deeper into dash cams interaction with a car’s battery & talk about the nuances.

Power Methods

When you start your car, the vehicle’s battery powers up the dash cam. But, what happens when you turn off the car?

There are primarily three ways a dash cam receives power — through your vehicle’s cigarette adapter, a dash cam hardwire kit and battery packs.

Hardwiring Kit

Hardwiring is the most reliable method of powering your dash cam but it’s also the hardest. It connects the dash cam directly to the car’s electrical system.

A hardwired dash cam typically has two wires: one for power & one for your grounding point. These wires are plugged into a fuse that charges when you start your vehicle. If you don’t have an open circuit, you can easily setup add a fuse by accessing your fusebox.

The great part about a hardwiring kit is that it won’t drain your car battery while you’re driving but the dash cam stops recording once you switch off the ignition.

However, if you want your dash cam to continue recording even when your car is parked, there’s a way. You can opt for a hardwire kit with three wires, which can provide constant power. Whether you’re able to safely do this depends on your automotive fuse type.

Cigarette Lighter

A cigarette adapter is an easy method to power your dash cam. Plug the dash cam’s power cord into the cigarette charger, and that’s it. The adapter works similarly to the hardwire kit — it powers up when you start your car and shuts down when you turn off the vehicle.

However, if your car is one of those that keep the cigarette adapter powered even when off, it can continue to power your dash cam and gradually drain the battery. If your adapter doesn’t cut off the power supply when the vehicle is off, a dash cam left running could eventually drain your car battery. If your battery completely dies, try the 6 dead car battery tricks mentioned in our recent post.

External Battery Packs

For those who wish to keep their dash camera running round-the-clock without worrying about battery drainage, external batteries can be the perfect solution. They can be charged at home and then plugged into the dash cam to provide power. These batteries are designed to provide sufficient power to run your dash cam for long hours.

How Parking Mode Drains Your Vehicle’s Battery

Parking mode is a valuable feature for many dashboard camera users. This mode allows the dash cam to record incidents when your car is parked and you’re away. While useful, it requires a parking mode hardwiring kit onto the car’s battery. If you don’t you’ll certainly drain the battery.

Modern dash cams are equipped with motion sensors to combat this issue. They’re designed to start recording only when they detect movement, thereby reducing the unnecessary drain on the battery. However, if there’s continuous movement near your car, it can still potentially drain your battery.

FAQ

Final Words on Dash Cams Draining Battery

We’ve gone into how a dashboard camera impacts a vehicle’s battery in-depth. Most dash cams draw their power directly from the vehicle’s battery. This is typically not a problem when the vehicle is frequently used because the car battery is regularly recharged, but even a car with a built-in dashcam can have battery draining issues.

Our recommended solution is to hardwire the dash cam to allow it to run in parking mode without depleting the car battery. However, it can become an issue if the vehicle is left idle for prolonged periods or if the camera is left to draw power constantly.

An alternative solution is an external power source such as a dedicated dash cam battery pack. Battery packs supply power to the camera without drawing from the vehicle’s battery.

Some vehicles come equipped with a cigarette lighter that powers off when the engine is switched off, thereby preventing the dash cam from draining the car battery. Regardless of what method you choose you’ll need to hide your dash cam wires for safety.

One power source we didn’t mention are dash cams with super capacitors instead of traditional batteries. Super capacitors are more resistant to heat, making them a safer option in warmer climates or during the peak summer heat. On the topic of weather, learn whether a car battery can get wet or not in our new post. How you choose to install and power your dash cam can greatly impact its effect on your vehicle’s battery.