[Mukdoo]

Hi,

Im installing 2 Garmin dashcams in my Early 23 XC60. I want to use the OBD2 connector by Garmin as it was the most simple DIY setup for parking mode. The OBD2 connector has 3-time modes, 8 min, 24hr, and Infinity. Can someone explain what these time durations mean in terms of power consumption and other things which I have not accounted for...

I'm concerned as just yesterday my car battery died when parked and the car had to be serviced(charging two batteries and new software 2.8) at the dealership, currently, I'm only using a single dashcam, and it's powered via the 12v cigarette connection. Volvo service said the dashcam had nothing to do with the battery issue and was either the battery and/or a software issue.

The car is home now and I wanted to get some opinions before I install the second dashcam and the OBD2 power.

Thanks

 

[Walkabout]

I'm about to install a ring car cam using OBD2, so I have similar fears.

 

[volvogod]

I do not know what the time duration is. All US Spec cars 2016- has OBD3. I assume that you have the same setup. Among other things, OBD3 has the ability to connect with the car wirelessly. Volvo and other manufactures can do remote software updates while the car is parked at your home. I do not know if this is thru the cell tower system or how it works. We can read your car remotely from the dealership to see what codes may be set and erase them ect.
The Volvo rep told us a few years ago that an OBD dongle plugged into the OBD port will not let the system go to sleep and can drain the battery if the car sets for an extended period of time. I am not sure if this is a thing or not.

 

[BigBang]

All US Spec cars 2016- has OBD3.

OBD3 ?
Where did you get this information from?

I would like to compare obd3 pinout with obd2 pinout

As far as I know, all modern cars use OBD2

 

[volvogod]

After doing some research, OBD3 is not out yet. We were told that SPA cars are the next gen OBD3. I just assumed that it was so. BigBang, thanks for asking about OBD3. I did find New Car Features for the 2016 XC90. The below page 77 is from NCF. I did not think that it would upload here. There is lots of great information about the XC90 and how everything works. This will be about the same for all SPS cars.

 

[BigBang]

I think that the next generation of cars will have a locked OBD2 (OBD3) protocol system, so only authorized services will be able to access the car's electronic modules
There are already such cars on the market

 

[MyVolvoS60]

The OBD port is intended for diagnostics and not necessarily hardwiring your vehicle. I DO NOT profess to be an expert here, but I have a reasonable amount of experience installing and utilizing dash cameras. The Garmin hardwire via OBDII is ILL ADVISED.

1. A typical hardwire kit will allow you to set the battery to 75 (12.4v), 50 (12.2v), 25 (12v), or 0% (11.8v). Typically, you'd select 12.2 (50%).

2. The Garmin Kit has 10 Minutes or 24 Hours. 10 Minutes for hardwiring is useless. The 24 Hour Option will run your battery down to 25% (12V) before being triggered to shut off. In winter you may be WALKING HOME as the car could have issues doing a cold start.

3. Drawback #3 - OBD port gets unplugged if vehicle goes to a mechanic. Guess what, the camera doesn't record being driven during this period .

As a battery ages, hitting 12V will happen quicker and quicker.

See Gamin's Literature: Using the Constant Power Cable with a Garmin Dash Cam | Garmin Customer Support

The Constant Power Cable Will Protect the Battery by Shutting Down After 10 Minutes if it Detects the Battery is Low (Less Than 12V).

• The Constant Power Cable will not turn back on until the power levels are restored.
• Starting the vehicle and allowing it to charge the battery for a few minutes should help restore power to the Constant Power Cable.

 

[Mukdoo]

The OBD port is intended for diagnostics and not necessarily hardwiring your vehicle. I DO NOT profess to be an expert here, but I have a reasonable amount of experience installing and utilizing dash cameras. The Garmin hardwire via OBDII is ILL ADVISED.

1. A typical hardwire kit will allow you to set the battery to 75 (12.4v), 50 (12.2v), 25 (12v), or 0% (11.8v). Typically, you'd select 12.2 (50%).

2. The Garmin Kit has 10 Minutes or 24 Hours. 10 Minutes for hardwiring is useless. The 24 Hour Option will run your battery down to 25% (12V) before being triggered to shut off. In winter you may be WALKING HOME as the car could have issues doing a cold start.

3. Drawback #3 - OBD port gets unplugged if vehicle goes to a mechanic. Guess what, the camera doesn't record being driven during this period .

As a battery ages, hitting 12V will happen quicker and quicker.

See Gamin's Literature: Using the Constant Power Cable with a Garmin Dash Cam | Garmin Customer Support

The Constant Power Cable Will Protect the Battery by Shutting Down After 10 Minutes if it Detects the Battery is Low (Less Than 12V).

• The Constant Power Cable will not turn back on until the power levels are restored.
• Starting the vehicle and allowing it to charge the battery for a few minutes should help restore power to the Constant Power Cable.

View attachment 193678

Thanks for your feedback. I hear your viewpoints and it does make sense, but wouldn't harder wiring also drain the battery? i thought at least with OBD2 we have some control over the recording time.

 

[MyVolvoS60]

Per above both drain battery. The cutoff on Garmin obd2 is set to 12.0 or 25% battery if set to 24hr. That's potentially not enough juice to cold start a car.

Higher end dash cameras have customizable Hardware kits and the recommended voltage is 12.2 or 50% of your battery at minimum. If you do not want to risk draining your battery that low then you can also set to 75% or 12.4. However as the battery ages the camera will shut off quicker and quicker.

Unfortunately the Garmin OBD2 kit does not allow you to customize the voltage and I would not recommend it due to it going off at 12.0 or 25%

 

[Mukdoo]

Per above both drain battery. The cutoff on Garmin obd2 is set to 12.0 or 25% battery if set to 24hr. That's potentially not enough juice to cold start a car.

Higher end dash cameras have customizable Hardware kits and the recommended voltage is 12.2 or 50% of your battery at minimum. If you do not want to risk draining your battery that low then you can also set to 75% or 12.4. However as the battery ages the camera will shut off quicker and quicker.

Unfortunately the Garmin OBD2 kit does not allow you to customize the voltage and I would not recommend it due to it going off at 12.0 or 25%

after your and others' feedback and a dedicated power cell is makes more sense. I do not want another dead battery incident for sure. These arent cars anymore but computers on wheels.

 

[MyVolvoS60]

after your and others' feedback and a dedicated power cell is makes more sense. I do not want another dead battery incident for sure. These arent cars anymore but computers on wheels.

Battery packs will run you about $300 each on top of camera. Yes, hardwiring to fuse box does put strain and use on battery but that $300 battery pack won't offset that as it'll last a few years.

Only benefit to battery pack is longer periods of record time since battery pack is dedicated to powering camera.

If you get a Viofo or Street Guardian dashcam, they have excellent parking modes and proper hardwire kits with a customized voltage shutoff. Ie. 12.4 or 12.2 vs. Garmin obd2 with a 12.

 

[Mukdoo]

Update: Iv been using two Garmin MINIs via the OBD2 connector(Two USB ports) since May 1 and haven't had any issues with the battery. Looking good so far.

 

[MyVolvoS60]

Update: Iv been using two Garmin MINIs via the OBD2 connector(Two USB ports) since May 1 and haven't had any issues with the battery. Looking good so far.

As time goes on you will definitely see battery issues if parking mode is used for extended periods. Running your battery down to 12V (25%) repeatedly will not only shorten battery life, but may result in the car not turning over in winter weather from a cold start.

Garmin's only parking mode options at last check were 10 minutes and 24hrs (12v) cutoff

You've tested this one month in May.....

Immediate concern, OBD II port needs to be available to diagnose faults. Bye bye camera and parking mode.

 

[Mukdoo]

As time goes on you will definitely see battery issues if parking mode is used for extended periods. Running your battery down to 12V (25%) repeatedly will not only shorten battery life, but may result in the car not turning over in winter weather from a cold start.

Garmin's only parking mode options at last check were 10 minutes and 24hrs (12v) cutoff

You've tested this one month in May.....

Immediate concern, OBD II port needs to be available to diagnose faults. Bye bye camera and parking mode.

I was worried too, but the app has more time frames, iv kept the recording to 8hrs. Garmin dsnt advertises the app features much( they shud).

Regarding the connection setup, so the camera only faces the front and rear and once the hood is up they isn't anything worth recording anyway. Now I'm not saying iv got it figured completely, I'm not an expert. But I did happen to test this situation. I had a battery issue (Not due to dash cam lol). Prior to the OBD2, I was using the cigarette lighter USB for the front cam there wasn't anything worth recording during that period.

 

[Peter1234]

Update: Iv been using two Garmin MINIs via the OBD2 connector(Two USB ports) since May 1 and haven't had any issues with the battery. Looking good so far.

1 month - not much. Please report back after 5 years (12V battery normal lifespan).

I doubt your 12v battery will last more than a year with daily use of parking mode.

 

[MyVolvoS60]

I was worried too, but the app has more time frames, iv kept the recording to 8hrs. Garmin dsnt advertises the app features much( they shud).

Regarding the connection setup, so the camera only faces the front and rear and once the hood is up they isn't anything worth recording anyway. Now I'm not saying iv got it figured completely, I'm not an expert. But I did happen to test this situation. I had a battery issue (Not due to dash cam lol). Prior to the OBD2, I was using the cigarette lighter USB for the front cam there wasn't anything worth recording during that period.

I don't understand. The hardwire kit has a physical switch. Choice are 10 minutes and 24 hours.

Does the Garmin app have timer setting to shut camera off sooner than 24 hours?

Unfortunately, even if that is true, it becomes moot as the battery ages. As a battery ages with wear, it holds less and less charge. So say you can get 6 hours out of battery when brand new, a year later you might get 4 hours. You'd need to periodically test the battery's charge to determine how much to reduce the parking timer.

A new battery tests at 12.6. Say in a year it sits at 12.4 (75%). You clearly cannot keep parking mode timer to same length or cat hit 12v before timer shuts off.

Garmin's hardwire kit setup sucks. Better manufacturers go from 12.4, 12.2, 12, and 11.8, to ensure as battery ages, voltage turns off camera not some guesstimate timer.

FYI, your cigarette lighter usb is not an always active circuit. Car shuts off, that circuit shuts off, and camera powers off. You need a fuse tape that retains juice when car is shut off and parked.

 

[Mukdoo]

1 month - not much. Please report back after 5 years (12V battery normal lifespan).

I doubt your 12v battery will last more than a year with daily use of parking mode.

so what's the solution here.., remove all dashcams? i surely cant be the first person to use dash cams. I went ahead after reading through others feedback over the years...

 

[Mukdoo]

I don't understand. The hardwire kit has a physical switch. Choice are 10 minutes and 24 hours.

Does the Garmin app have timer setting to shut camera off sooner than 24 hours?

Unfortunately, even if that is true, it becomes moot as the battery ages. As a battery ages with wear, it holds less and less charge. So say you can get 6 hours out of battery when brand new, a year later you might get 4 hours. You'd need to periodically test the battery's charge to determine how much to reduce the parking timer.

A new battery tests at 12.6. Say in a year it sits at 12.4 (75%). You clearly cannot keep parking mode timer to same length or cat hit 12v before timer shuts off.

Garmin's hardwire kit setup sucks. Better manufacturers go from 12.4, 12.2, 12, and 11.8, to ensure as battery ages, voltage turns off camera not some guesstimate timer.

FYI, your cigarette lighter usb is not an always active circuit. Car shuts off, that circuit shuts off, and camera powers off. You need a fuse tape that retains juice when car is shut off and parked.

The OBD2 connector has physical switches- 10min, 24hrs, and infinite. However, the app has additional options(timer) that override the physical buttons.

Wouldnt the battery get worse over the years just by use.... how much charge (Impact) would the small minis have on such a large battery...

Anyway, I hope to update this thread periodically... if all goes well lol

 

[rmj.scribbins]

Just as a point of reference, I had my Valentine One connected to the OBD port via the SAAVY module. It killed the battery over a long weekend, like can't open the doors dead.

The V1's display wasn't on when the car was off, it was just the vampiric draw.

Now connected via the lighter port, no issues at all.

 

[MyVolvoS60]

⁰

The OBD2 connector has physical switches- 10min, 24hrs, and infinite. However, the app has additional options(timer) that override the physical buttons.

Wouldnt the battery get worse over the years just by use.... how much charge (Impact) would the small minis have on such a large battery...

Anyway, I hope to update this thread periodically... if all goes well lol

Thanks for clarifying.

Unfortunately, a software based timer will not overcome hardware deficiencies.

Running the battery down to 12V repeatedly will result in the battery having a much shorter lifespan.

1. The Physical OBDII has 24 Hr (12V) and 10 Minute selection.

2. Software timers don't measure voltage.

3. Let's say you set the software timer to 3 Hours. A new battery at 12.6 will be unlikely to drop to 12V when running that long. Over time, the amount of charge held by the battery decreases. Say in 2 years the battery has a 12.3 Volt Charge (62.5%). Setting the time to 3 hours MAY result in the battery hitting the 12V hardware (OBDII) before reaching the 3 hour software cutoff. Now you're draining your battery every time it runs in parking mode.

Come winter, a battery may not start at 12V (25%) and running the battery to 12V constantly will result in needing to replace it sooner. Points to consider.

Note: The 3 Hours here is a random number as an example only.