Car 12V Problem

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I have a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, there are 2, 12 volt outlets in the car, one up front near the driver, and the other in the very back. The outlet in the very back has continuous power even when the car is off, however the outlet near the driver does not and the power is off when the car is off. How do I change the front driver outlet to have continuous power? I ask because I would like to get a dashcam so that if someone hits me while I'm parked I have video footage, however if the power is off the camera will not stay on then.










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  • It looks like Pathfinder line went cheap. My older model has 5 (five) 12V outlets, and two of them (one in front, the other in the back) has continuous power. Why don't you try some "extension" 12-V cord to power your dashcam from the back? Re-wiring might be challenging and clumsy.
    – Ale..chenski
    3 hours ago














up vote
1
down vote

favorite












I have a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, there are 2, 12 volt outlets in the car, one up front near the driver, and the other in the very back. The outlet in the very back has continuous power even when the car is off, however the outlet near the driver does not and the power is off when the car is off. How do I change the front driver outlet to have continuous power? I ask because I would like to get a dashcam so that if someone hits me while I'm parked I have video footage, however if the power is off the camera will not stay on then.










share|improve this question







New contributor




Jessica is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.



















  • It looks like Pathfinder line went cheap. My older model has 5 (five) 12V outlets, and two of them (one in front, the other in the back) has continuous power. Why don't you try some "extension" 12-V cord to power your dashcam from the back? Re-wiring might be challenging and clumsy.
    – Ale..chenski
    3 hours ago












up vote
1
down vote

favorite









up vote
1
down vote

favorite











I have a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, there are 2, 12 volt outlets in the car, one up front near the driver, and the other in the very back. The outlet in the very back has continuous power even when the car is off, however the outlet near the driver does not and the power is off when the car is off. How do I change the front driver outlet to have continuous power? I ask because I would like to get a dashcam so that if someone hits me while I'm parked I have video footage, however if the power is off the camera will not stay on then.










share|improve this question







New contributor




Jessica is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I have a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, there are 2, 12 volt outlets in the car, one up front near the driver, and the other in the very back. The outlet in the very back has continuous power even when the car is off, however the outlet near the driver does not and the power is off when the car is off. How do I change the front driver outlet to have continuous power? I ask because I would like to get a dashcam so that if someone hits me while I'm parked I have video footage, however if the power is off the camera will not stay on then.







car






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Jessica is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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share|improve this question







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asked 3 hours ago









Jessica

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Jessica is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • It looks like Pathfinder line went cheap. My older model has 5 (five) 12V outlets, and two of them (one in front, the other in the back) has continuous power. Why don't you try some "extension" 12-V cord to power your dashcam from the back? Re-wiring might be challenging and clumsy.
    – Ale..chenski
    3 hours ago
















  • It looks like Pathfinder line went cheap. My older model has 5 (five) 12V outlets, and two of them (one in front, the other in the back) has continuous power. Why don't you try some "extension" 12-V cord to power your dashcam from the back? Re-wiring might be challenging and clumsy.
    – Ale..chenski
    3 hours ago















It looks like Pathfinder line went cheap. My older model has 5 (five) 12V outlets, and two of them (one in front, the other in the back) has continuous power. Why don't you try some "extension" 12-V cord to power your dashcam from the back? Re-wiring might be challenging and clumsy.
– Ale..chenski
3 hours ago




It looks like Pathfinder line went cheap. My older model has 5 (five) 12V outlets, and two of them (one in front, the other in the back) has continuous power. Why don't you try some "extension" 12-V cord to power your dashcam from the back? Re-wiring might be challenging and clumsy.
– Ale..chenski
3 hours ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
1
down vote













The best solution is to find a suitable power supply under the dash or in the fuse box. That way anything plugged into the front cigar lighter socket won’t be forgotten to discharge the battery.






share|improve this answer



























    up vote
    1
    down vote













    Your front outlet is tied into a switched power line. The rear one isnt (surprisingly). You can, with some spare wire and a "add a fuse", rewire the circuit at your fuse box. This would be easier with a wiring diagram, but most fuses are labeled.



    You can also find other always on circuits under your dash. This would at a minimum require the wiring diagram for your car, and be able to read it.



    I would advise against either, as a dash cam could cause your battery to drain with the car off. instead, get a dash cam with a battery so it can run off that when the car is off.






    share|improve this answer




















    • Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours.
      – Ale..chenski
      2 hours ago










    • @ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still.
      – cde
      38 mins ago

















    up vote
    1
    down vote













    I would suggest trying to find a dashcam that has an internal battery charged by the 12V voltage in the car. If you can find such a device, it's much better than powering it through an always-on 12V outlet.



    The reason for being much better is that if you leave your car parked for a very long amount of time, only the dashcam battery will be depleted, whereas the car battery won't and the car will start flawlessly.



    I wouldn't be happy to find the main 12V battery depleted by a dashcam, and being unable to start the car without a jump start. Then even with a jump start, the radio presets will be lost.



    I believe a dashcam could require as much as 5 watts, because it's encoding video which takes significant amounts of CPU time and power (the compression ain't free). This means if you park your car for 5 days or more (50 Ah battery), the car battery will be depleted.



    Of course, a dashcam will never have as hefty battery as your car, so you shouldn't expect more than 10 hours of battery life from a small dashcam battery if it's continuously recording.






    share|improve this answer




















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      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes








      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes








      up vote
      1
      down vote













      The best solution is to find a suitable power supply under the dash or in the fuse box. That way anything plugged into the front cigar lighter socket won’t be forgotten to discharge the battery.






      share|improve this answer
























        up vote
        1
        down vote













        The best solution is to find a suitable power supply under the dash or in the fuse box. That way anything plugged into the front cigar lighter socket won’t be forgotten to discharge the battery.






        share|improve this answer






















          up vote
          1
          down vote










          up vote
          1
          down vote









          The best solution is to find a suitable power supply under the dash or in the fuse box. That way anything plugged into the front cigar lighter socket won’t be forgotten to discharge the battery.






          share|improve this answer












          The best solution is to find a suitable power supply under the dash or in the fuse box. That way anything plugged into the front cigar lighter socket won’t be forgotten to discharge the battery.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 4 hours ago









          Solar Mike

          15.6k21027




          15.6k21027




















              up vote
              1
              down vote













              Your front outlet is tied into a switched power line. The rear one isnt (surprisingly). You can, with some spare wire and a "add a fuse", rewire the circuit at your fuse box. This would be easier with a wiring diagram, but most fuses are labeled.



              You can also find other always on circuits under your dash. This would at a minimum require the wiring diagram for your car, and be able to read it.



              I would advise against either, as a dash cam could cause your battery to drain with the car off. instead, get a dash cam with a battery so it can run off that when the car is off.






              share|improve this answer




















              • Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours.
                – Ale..chenski
                2 hours ago










              • @ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still.
                – cde
                38 mins ago














              up vote
              1
              down vote













              Your front outlet is tied into a switched power line. The rear one isnt (surprisingly). You can, with some spare wire and a "add a fuse", rewire the circuit at your fuse box. This would be easier with a wiring diagram, but most fuses are labeled.



              You can also find other always on circuits under your dash. This would at a minimum require the wiring diagram for your car, and be able to read it.



              I would advise against either, as a dash cam could cause your battery to drain with the car off. instead, get a dash cam with a battery so it can run off that when the car is off.






              share|improve this answer




















              • Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours.
                – Ale..chenski
                2 hours ago










              • @ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still.
                – cde
                38 mins ago












              up vote
              1
              down vote










              up vote
              1
              down vote









              Your front outlet is tied into a switched power line. The rear one isnt (surprisingly). You can, with some spare wire and a "add a fuse", rewire the circuit at your fuse box. This would be easier with a wiring diagram, but most fuses are labeled.



              You can also find other always on circuits under your dash. This would at a minimum require the wiring diagram for your car, and be able to read it.



              I would advise against either, as a dash cam could cause your battery to drain with the car off. instead, get a dash cam with a battery so it can run off that when the car is off.






              share|improve this answer












              Your front outlet is tied into a switched power line. The rear one isnt (surprisingly). You can, with some spare wire and a "add a fuse", rewire the circuit at your fuse box. This would be easier with a wiring diagram, but most fuses are labeled.



              You can also find other always on circuits under your dash. This would at a minimum require the wiring diagram for your car, and be able to read it.



              I would advise against either, as a dash cam could cause your battery to drain with the car off. instead, get a dash cam with a battery so it can run off that when the car is off.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered 4 hours ago









              cde

              5241313




              5241313











              • Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours.
                – Ale..chenski
                2 hours ago










              • @ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still.
                – cde
                38 mins ago
















              • Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours.
                – Ale..chenski
                2 hours ago










              • @ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still.
                – cde
                38 mins ago















              Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours.
              – Ale..chenski
              2 hours ago




              Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours.
              – Ale..chenski
              2 hours ago












              @ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still.
              – cde
              38 mins ago




              @ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still.
              – cde
              38 mins ago










              up vote
              1
              down vote













              I would suggest trying to find a dashcam that has an internal battery charged by the 12V voltage in the car. If you can find such a device, it's much better than powering it through an always-on 12V outlet.



              The reason for being much better is that if you leave your car parked for a very long amount of time, only the dashcam battery will be depleted, whereas the car battery won't and the car will start flawlessly.



              I wouldn't be happy to find the main 12V battery depleted by a dashcam, and being unable to start the car without a jump start. Then even with a jump start, the radio presets will be lost.



              I believe a dashcam could require as much as 5 watts, because it's encoding video which takes significant amounts of CPU time and power (the compression ain't free). This means if you park your car for 5 days or more (50 Ah battery), the car battery will be depleted.



              Of course, a dashcam will never have as hefty battery as your car, so you shouldn't expect more than 10 hours of battery life from a small dashcam battery if it's continuously recording.






              share|improve this answer
























                up vote
                1
                down vote













                I would suggest trying to find a dashcam that has an internal battery charged by the 12V voltage in the car. If you can find such a device, it's much better than powering it through an always-on 12V outlet.



                The reason for being much better is that if you leave your car parked for a very long amount of time, only the dashcam battery will be depleted, whereas the car battery won't and the car will start flawlessly.



                I wouldn't be happy to find the main 12V battery depleted by a dashcam, and being unable to start the car without a jump start. Then even with a jump start, the radio presets will be lost.



                I believe a dashcam could require as much as 5 watts, because it's encoding video which takes significant amounts of CPU time and power (the compression ain't free). This means if you park your car for 5 days or more (50 Ah battery), the car battery will be depleted.



                Of course, a dashcam will never have as hefty battery as your car, so you shouldn't expect more than 10 hours of battery life from a small dashcam battery if it's continuously recording.






                share|improve this answer






















                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote









                  I would suggest trying to find a dashcam that has an internal battery charged by the 12V voltage in the car. If you can find such a device, it's much better than powering it through an always-on 12V outlet.



                  The reason for being much better is that if you leave your car parked for a very long amount of time, only the dashcam battery will be depleted, whereas the car battery won't and the car will start flawlessly.



                  I wouldn't be happy to find the main 12V battery depleted by a dashcam, and being unable to start the car without a jump start. Then even with a jump start, the radio presets will be lost.



                  I believe a dashcam could require as much as 5 watts, because it's encoding video which takes significant amounts of CPU time and power (the compression ain't free). This means if you park your car for 5 days or more (50 Ah battery), the car battery will be depleted.



                  Of course, a dashcam will never have as hefty battery as your car, so you shouldn't expect more than 10 hours of battery life from a small dashcam battery if it's continuously recording.






                  share|improve this answer












                  I would suggest trying to find a dashcam that has an internal battery charged by the 12V voltage in the car. If you can find such a device, it's much better than powering it through an always-on 12V outlet.



                  The reason for being much better is that if you leave your car parked for a very long amount of time, only the dashcam battery will be depleted, whereas the car battery won't and the car will start flawlessly.



                  I wouldn't be happy to find the main 12V battery depleted by a dashcam, and being unable to start the car without a jump start. Then even with a jump start, the radio presets will be lost.



                  I believe a dashcam could require as much as 5 watts, because it's encoding video which takes significant amounts of CPU time and power (the compression ain't free). This means if you park your car for 5 days or more (50 Ah battery), the car battery will be depleted.



                  Of course, a dashcam will never have as hefty battery as your car, so you shouldn't expect more than 10 hours of battery life from a small dashcam battery if it's continuously recording.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 3 hours ago









                  juhist

                  8,37342960




                  8,37342960




















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