Question on Spare power suppy in Mic grill

[seevT]

Hi all,
Just picked up my model S and wanted to get started in the dashcam installation. on my other car, I am using a rexing Amazon.com: Rexing V1 2.4" LCD FHD 1080p 170 Wide Angle Dashboard Camera Recorder Car Dash Cam with G-Sensor, WDR, Loop Recording: Cell Phones & Accessories camera and i am pretty happy with it so planning to use the same on tesla. I was able to power this on my other car using a cable from invisicord but it needs a switched 12v supply. I am also keen on powering the dashcam on tesla using a switched power supply rather having the dashcam record 24x7

in the mic grill found a unused power supply. It has three wires. Can someone comment if these are all alwyas ON 12v or are switched 12 V (only On when the car is ON) ? also what is the color mapping? hoping for one of them to be switched which will make my installation simpler.

TIA

 

[mblakele]

It's unswitched, always on. I'd use a meter to find the right pins: it may vary, and with mine black was not ground.

Just curious.... Why do you want switched power? The camera won't draw much. I have two Rexing V1 cameras on that connector. The power draw is nothing, compared to actually moving the car.

 

[seevT]

thanks. don't have a multimeter handy
my reasoning for switched was so that i can get a smaller SD card and maybe a little easier file management?. How big of a SD card did you need for 24x7 recording

 

[mblakele]

thanks. don't have a multimeter handy
my reasoning for switched was so that i can get a smaller SD card and maybe a little easier file management?. How big of a SD card did you need for 24x7 recording

I'm using 32GB SanDisk Ultra cards, which were about $10 each. A five minute video segment is about 500 MB, so 32 GB should hold about five hours. The Rexing loops automatically, overwriting the oldest segment. It also supports motion detection, which seems to work reasonably well. Anyway I mostly care about capturing any incidents that happen while I'm driving, so really I only need an hour or two. In theory you can press a button on the camera to lock the current video segment, but I also carry a spare card that I could swap in if needed. So far that hasn't happened, but I did get this golf ball on camera.

 

[seevT]

Wow nice capture and sorry to hear about the dent.

How did you connect the rexing to that connector? some special USB cable? and What do you use the second rexing for -do you a run wire for rear dashcam?

 

[mblakele]

How did you connect the rexing to that connector? some special USB cable?

I used the cable that Rexing included. I think it has a mini USB on one end, and had a 9V auto plug on the other. I cut that off.

What do you use the second rexing for -do you a run wire for rear dashcam?

Yes, similar to how Install DR650GW-2ch in 90D did it. I put the visible part of the rear cable on the driver's side, where I don't really notice it.

 

[seevT]

I tried the same but having hard time inserting the cut wires into the spare 12V supply connector. anyone has recommendation on what male connector i can buy to use with the spare connector?

I used the cable that Rexing included. I think it has a mini USB on one end, and had a 9V auto plug on the other. I cut that off.
.

 

[Az_Rael]

I tried the same but having hard time inserting the cut wires into the spare 12V supply connector. anyone has recommendation on what male connector i can buy to use with the spare connector?

I wasn't lucky enough to have the spare plug in my car, but based on my research a 4-pin computer fan connector was a good match.

 

[mblakele]

I forgot to mention a couple other parts that I used:

1. Amazon.com: StarTech.com FAN4EXT12 12in 4 Pin Fan Power Extension Cable - M/F: Electronics
2. Amazon.com: Spy Tec Dash Camera Vehicle Hard Wire Kit - Mini USB Compatible with G1w / G1w-C / G1WH / GT680W / Mini 0801 / Mobius Action Spy Tec Camera and More | Car DVR Camera Recorder Dashboard Dashcam: Car Electronics

 

[seevT]

I forgot to mention a couple other parts that I used:

1. Amazon.com: StarTech.com FAN4EXT12 12in 4 Pin Fan Power Extension Cable - M/F: Electronics
2. Amazon.com: Spy Tec Dash Camera Vehicle Hard Wire Kit - Mini USB Compatible with G1w / G1w-C / G1WH / GT680W / Mini 0801 / Mobius Action Spy Tec Camera and More | Car DVR Camera Recorder Dashboard Dashcam: Car Electronics

thanks..
So just to replicate your setup for the front cam:
0. Using a multimeter to find the 12v points in in the spare connector
1. Cut the 12 cigarette lighter wire that came with rexing,
2. Attach the 4 fin fan power extension cable (FAN4EXT from amazon) to the Red and black wire with USB on one end
3. insert the fan connector to the spare connector with the red wire point in the 12v and black to neutral.
4. Run the USB end to the rexing and it should work..

 

[mblakele]

Well, not quite. I misled you earlier, sorry. In step (1) I set the Rexing cable aside and used the second part in that list: the Spy Tec mini usb adapter.

And I strongly recommend using a multimeter to check voltage. In my case I think the hot wire was yellow and the ground was red, but those are the wires on the fan adapter and anyway your car might be different. The wires on the Tesla plug all look about the same dark grey to me.

 

[seevT]

thanks. I got the multimeter today and checked the connector. i can see 10 v between wire 2 and 3 and wire 1 shows no voltage. searching the forum, looks like it is a blown fuse.

Does anyone know hot to access the fuse box (i can't find it in the use manual pdf) and where do i get a replacement fuse for tesla?

 

[mblakele]

Oh dear. Yes, it's probably a blown fuse. Tesla's made it difficult to fix a blown fuse on newer cars, perhaps unnecessarily. But see Fuse Box in Refreshed Model S for some good info.

After reading that thread, you might watch this:

The good part starts at about 3:00. That's the older model which has two fuseboxes: you'll only see one in a newer vehicle. But removing the cover is basically the same.

I'll guess that the fuse you want is a 5A micro2 (they're all micro2), toward the right side of the fusebox. Most auto parts stores should have micro2 fuses. Be sure to replace it with another 5A fuse.

If you have trouble finding the dead fuse, try watching this:

But be aware that your multimeter may look a bit different.

 

[ifonul]

@sveeeT, have you found the location of that fuse? I'm in exactly the same situation...

 

[Nosken]

It is a MICRO2 5 Amp. Fuse F100 closest to the driver side wheel well in the front/Frunk on my 11/16 Refreshed Model S.

 

[ifonul]

Thank you, that worked!

 

[Akikiki]

thanks. don't have a multimeter handy
my reasoning for switched was so that i can get a smaller SD card and maybe a little easier file management?. How big of a SD card did you need for 24x7 recording

I recommend that you search on Amazon for a single pole remote 12v switch. You can add it to the circuit and there's space in the grill for it. Then you can remotely turn it on and off via a remote that hangs from your gear shift lever. I did the same for my Blackvue

 

[Akikiki]

In case someone needs this, this is the connector and pins for the 12V power connector behind the speaker grille.

3-968696-2 TE Connectivity | Mouser

928918-1 TE Connectivity / AMP | Mouser

 

[David.85D]

Just to help out here a little. Photos from an early 2015 build. +12V (really 12.6V to 14V) is the tan with black stripe. Ground is the Black. This stayed on when I forced the car to power down, so think it is always on.

I used one end from the amazon computer fan cable (StarTech.com FAN4EXT12 12in 4 Pin Fan Power Extension Cable - M/F).

Unfortunately, the colors get reversed with this arrangement - ground is red and +12V hot is blue.

 

[David.85D]

I used one end from the amazon computer fan cable (StarTech.com FAN4EXT12 12in 4 Pin Fan Power Extension Cable - M/F).

Unfortunately, the colors get reversed with this arrangement - ground is red and +12V hot is blue.

After playing with this some more this weekend, I realized this fan connector can be reversed. I don't recommend using it. I will order the proper connector from Mouser.