A dashcam is a valuable addition for every motorist. Not only does a dashcam offer extra safety while driving, but also when your car is parked. No one wants to return to their car and find damage without knowing who the culprit is. With parking mode on your dashcam, that is a thing of the past. Thanks to parking mode, your dashcam remains active and records what happens around your car. This way, you are always assured of video evidence in case of damage or vandalism. We explain how this works and why a Hardwire Kit is indispensable.

How does parking mode work?

The parking mode ensures that when you turn off the car, the dashcam turns off but goes into standby mode. All VIOFO dashcams have three different parking modes:

1. Motion Detection – The dashcam automatically turns on when it detects movement around the vehicle. The camera records the previous 15 seconds and the next 30 seconds. This way, a passing pedestrian, another car, or an attempted break-in is captured.
2. Time Lapse Recording – The dashcam continuously records without audio. This is done at a low frame rate of 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 FPS. This prevents the SD card from filling up quickly.
3. Low Bitrate Recording – The dashcam continuously records with audio. This is done at a lower bitrate. This ensures that files become smaller while still capturing the essential footage.

* Data: A229 Pro 3CH

These different modes can be set via the app and/or the dashcam itself. This way, you can capture possible damage or vandalism without draining your car's battery. VIOFO offers parking mode on all cameras of all models. This means that if you have a 3-channel dashcam, you still record front, rear, and interior in parking mode.

Hardwire Kit

To make parking mode work, a Hardwire Kit is necessary. Without this kit, the dashcam cannot receive power once the car is turned off. A Hardwire Kit provides a direct connection to your car's electrical system, allowing your dashcam to keep working without using the cigarette lighter.

A Hardwire Kit consists of three important cables:

• Red wire (constant power cable): Provides the dashcam with constant power, even when the car is off.
• Black wire (ground cable): Connects the dashcam to the vehicle's ground.
• Yellow wire (ACC cable): This is the switch wire. You connect this to a switched power wire so that it only receives power when the car is on.

Thanks to the cut-off system, which is on every Hardwire Kit, your battery won't be drained easily. As soon as you start the car, the dashcam automatically switches from parking mode to normal recording and you can continue on your way.

OBD power cable

An alternative to the Hardwire Kit is the OBD power cable. This is simply plugged into the car's OBD-II port and provides the dashcam with constant power. This makes installation extremely easy, without having to run wiring through the car.

If you choose an OBD power cable with ACC detection, the dashcam automatically switches to parking mode as soon as the engine is turned off. If you use a cable without ACC detection, the dashcam continues recording in normal mode. This makes the OBD power cable a quick and practical solution for anyone who wants to activate parking mode without complicated installation.