What Type Of Fuse Should I Use For My Dash Cam?

If you've found the right dashcam for your car you might be wondering which fuse box is correct for powering your dashcam since there are different types of fuses. 

Choosing the right fuse for your dashcam is important depending on whether you want losses power when the car is turned off or to use the dashcam as a constant power source. You also need to make sure the fuse you choose has enough power, most fuses for a dashcam should be between 10-30A. 

To help you out with choosing the right fuse for your dashcam we've composed a short guide below which will take you through why choosing the right fuse for your dashcam is important, whether to choose a switched or constant fuse plus how to prepare your chosen fuse for a dashcam fitting. 

Why Is It Important To Choose The Right Fuse For Your Dashcam? 

Choosing the correct automotive fuses for your dash cam is very important, choosing the wrong amp fuse could cause issues with how your dashcam records and choosing the original fuse could interfere with safety features of the car such as airbags and horns. 

When you put your new fuse for your dashcam instead of the old one you are essentially installing a piggyback fuse so having the right amount of power for this is important.

Should I Choose a Constant Or Switched Fuse? 

When picking the fuse to connect your dash cam with you will either find mini fuses, micro2 or ATO in your type of fuses box.

Some of these fuses can cause a power cut delay in the dashcam if they are switched fuses, as this means there is no power to the dashcam when the ignition switches off, some also have switched delay fuses which will cause the dashcam to turn off after 30 minutes to avoid unexpected power drain. 

In most ideal situations, choosing constant fuses is preferable over switched fuses as this allows your car to record while turned off so could be great for parking accidents or theft for example.

What Are The Benefits Of Hardwiring a Dashcam?

If you have decided to fuse your dashcam into your car then are many benefits to doing so rather than having your dashcam powered via your car's battery.

• It's easy to hide the wires - Many people get worried about all the wiring into your cars fuse box with a piggy back fuse but actually, wires are easy to hide within your car's interior and can show a clean look to your car.
• You have constant power - When your dashcam is wired into your fuse panel your dashcam can be on all the time whether you turn your car off or on, this allows you to record all the time constantly and pick up new footage.
• Not forgetting to charge - A dashcam that isn't hardwired needs to be taken out to charge, when your cam is hardwired this is not something to be concerned about since it constantly stays with power.
• It doesn't drain your car's battery - Some dash cams when plugged into the car through a cigarette lighter and other sources can end up draining the battery of your car.
• You can use parking mode - Parking mode can only be used with your dashcam if it's hardwired into the car, this is great for catching hit and runs in car parks or vandalism in off car recordings.

How To Identify Constant & Switched Types Of Fuses 

Now you know the type of amp fused and constant fuse you need to look for, you will have to start testing fuses to identify whether they are switched or constant.

We've listed a few steps for identifying whether or not a fuse on your car is switched or constant. 

• Step One - First of all turn your car off and locate the manual for your type of car, identify where the fuse box is on your car, this could be in your dashboard or under the hood, choose the one which is closest to where you'll dash cam will stay.
• Step Two - Grab your fuse removal pliers and compare them against a chart to see whether they are mini or larger fuse boxes to get the right size fuse, after this, you can then start testing fuse boxes to see whether they are constant or switched fuses.

How To Prepare a Fuse For Dashcam Fittings 

For the right dashcam fitting, you need to choose a constant fuse that is the right size and most importantly the right power between 10-30A for permanent power. 

To help you prepare the right fuse for your dashcam fitting we've listed some steps for installing your model below. 

• Step one - Once you've identified your cars fuse box from the manual choose a fuse that is not the airbags, horn or any other safety control programme for the car, instead pick a fuse which is for a car door or radio for example where losses power will not be noticeable. 
• Step two - Get your two wires, one will be for the constant or switched fuse depending on your choice and the other is the wire which goes to the metal ground bolt, some dash cam kits can have three wires which could be for both fuses.
• Step three - Connect the red wire from your dashcams hardwiring kit to the constant fuse, the other wire will be in a ring and c-shape and should be connected to the metal ground bolt, make sure this bolt is not connected to any part of your car which is plastic. 
• Step four - At this point, you can clean up your wiring by adding a fuse kit or wrapping the wires around the leg part of the fuse. Make sure the grounded part of your fuse is bolted tight enough to avoid any power loss. 
• Step five - Now you've wired into your chosen fuse, you can install the dashcam to its location and test whether or not it is working. Make sure you do the testing before you hide all the cables in your car so that it's easier to troubleshoot if the cam is not working.

Frequently Asked Questions About Which Fuse To Use For a Dashcam 

What does a piggy back fuse mean? 

A piggyback fuse means when a new fuse circuit is put into place instead of a new one this then piggybacks the power where it was used before to something new. It is important to piggy back a fuse the right otherwise it can lead to fuse delay power.

Does permanent power for a dashcam drain the battery of a car? 

If you use a constant fuse for your dashcam which stays on when the car ignitions is off then it can drain the battery of your car, this is why it is important to choose a dashcam that has a battery monitor for your car.

Should dashcam installers use a cigarette lighter for power?

You can indeed power a dashcam with a cigarette lighter instead of hardwiring it, this is much easier if you don't want the hassle of installation. This also allows you to take the dashcam out of the car whenever you want rather than disconnecting an individual fuse.

How do I find the right fuse box cover diagram for my car?

Most fuse box diagrams can be found in your car manual under the fuse index, if you can't find your manual you can usually find it online by looking up the cars model.

Which amp fuse do I use for my dashcam?

Most fuses which are compatible with your dash cam should have a power ranging between 10-30A, it's important to have a matching power otherwise your dash cam can fail.

Does it matter which fuse box you use in your car?

Depending on your car you might have multiple boxes inside such as one for the dash or one at the boot, it doesn't matter which fuse box you use, but it's best to choose the one which is closest to your dashcam's location.

What happens if my dash cam has three power cable choices?

If your dash cam has three power cables then it means it connects to a constant fuse as well as a switched fuse then an extra cable to attach to ground metal.

Last Words

Overall, you should use a fuse for your dash cam which is constant if you want your dashcam to stay fully powered even when the ignition is turned off, this fuse should be an unimportant one such as a car door for the best power and you should also make sure it has enough AMP power.