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Facelift (19-21 coupe) hardwire dash cam question

Old Mar 6, 2022 | 11:17 PM
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Facelift (19-21 coupe) hardwire dash cam question

Good evening everyone,

Just got done hardwiring a Garmin 57 (front) and Garmin mini 2 (rear) in my 21 C63S Coupe. Was a pain, since the facelift coupes have the battery now in the trunk, they removed the additional passenger side fuse box. The fuse box by the driver's door is only constant power (no keyed / accessory power). I searched the forum and one members installer tapped into the 12 volt line under the glove box. Since I was running rear and front cameras, I ended up running both fuse taps into the battery/trunk fuse box and ran the wire to the front. I used the Garmin parking mode kits (both cameras) and ran the constant (if I want to use parking mode) and keyed/acc for normal usage).

What I noticed is that the cameras do not turn on when turning on accessory, which is odd, because power is being sent to them. Only time power comes on to them is when I start the car. I did wait like 5-7 minutes and they did happen to turn on via just accessory. But every time I start the car, bam, they start up. Comparing it my other vehicle (Silverado), the Garmins turn on as soon as I put it in accessory.

Anyone know if this is a c63/facelift thing? Another forum search yielded a user saying this (but never elaborated)

"If you turn parking mode off or hook it up to an ignition enabled powersource, the dash cam will not run if the ignition is off"

I just want to make sure this is a thing? The benefit of having them turn on just via accessory is so I can extract videos via gamin app/wifi when parked and play around with settings while in the garage and not have to worry about starting my c63 up.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Chris
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 07:24 AM
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I also tested it with the USB/12 volt (cigarette lighter) adapter under the glove box and the front does not turn on until the engine is turned on. Seems like a C63 (FL) quirk, maybe so it doesn't run the battery down while in accessory?

Any insight from anyone?

Thanks
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 08:21 AM
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I'm not sure of the equipment you are using but I was one of the members that tapped into the 12 volt output under the glove box for my radar detector. Is there a reason why the equipment you are using needs to be powered up without the engine being on?
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by wings02
I'm not sure of the equipment you are using but I was one of the members that tapped into the 12 volt output under the glove box for my radar detector. Is there a reason why the equipment you are using needs to be powered up without the engine being on?
Hello! Long time no speak! I remember now it was you that had it tapped into the 12 volt line. It's not a big deal, but I'm using the Garmin dash cams.....if you want to extract a video clip via WiFi, or change the settings, you have to have the dashcam powered. It does have an internal battery so I can power it up that way. But it's odd because my silverado powers them up once I turn the key to accessory.

When you turn on "accessory", does your dash cam turn on? Or only when the ignition is turned on? And what model/brand dash cam do you have?

Thanks!
Chris
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 11:09 AM
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I don't have a dashcam or anything hardwired, but I plug my radar detector in the 12V socket under the glovebox and it powers up in accessory mode in my 2019 FL. So power is definitely being supplied to the 12V line there. It gets power in both ignition position 1 (one press of the engine button) and ignition position 2 (two presses of the engine button w/o foot on brake).
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by superswiss
I don't have a dashcam or anything hardwired, but I plug my radar detector in the 12V socket under the glovebox and it powers up in accessory mode in my 2019 FL. So power is definitely being supplied to the 12V line there. It gets power in both ignition position 1 (one press of the engine button) and ignition position 2 (two presses of the engine button w/o foot on brake).
Thank you sir. Any idea what could be wrong (if it is even an issue). It was odd, last night I plugged my Garmin 57 into the factory USB/cigarette 12 volt charger and it also did NOT turn on when I turned on accessory (1 press and 2 press). Maybe it is just how Garmins react with the FL's. No big deal, but I want to rule out installation error.

My father and I did the installation together and we verified that the fuse taps were one for the 100% constant (the parking guard) and accessory/key power for the normal operation. On a side note, we did run extension cables (properly soldered). Not sure if that has anything to do with it. We had to run extensions because we ran both the front and back to the trunk fuse box.

Any ideas? Again, no big deal that they only turn on when the ignition is on, but wanted the option to 'play around' with my dash cams in the closed garage with accessory.

Thanks,
Chris
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by cjqamg
Thank you sir. Any idea what could be wrong (if it is even an issue). It was odd, last night I plugged my Garmin 57 into the factory USB/cigarette 12 volt charger and it also did NOT turn on when I turned on accessory (1 press and 2 press). Maybe it is just how Garmins react with the FL's. No big deal, but I want to rule out installation error.

My father and I did the installation together and we verified that the fuse taps were one for the 100% constant (the parking guard) and accessory/key power for the normal operation. On a side note, we did run extension cables (properly soldered). Not sure if that has anything to do with it. We had to run extensions because we ran both the front and back to the trunk fuse box.

Any ideas? Again, no big deal that they only turn on when the ignition is on, but wanted the option to 'play around' with my dash cams in the closed garage with accessory.

Thanks,
Chris
My hunch is that your cameras draw more current than the car is willing to supply with the engine off. You could measure the current and see what it draws with and without the engine running, and also measure the voltage as it might dip which could indicate an installation issue.
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by superswiss
My hunch is that your cameras draw more current than the car is willing to supply with the engine off. You could measure the current and see what it draws with and without the engine running, and also measure the voltage as it might dip which could indicate an installation issue.
Thats a good thought, we will check that out. I do have the same theory too that the cameras are drawing too much power to run fully when on just accessory. The fact they turn on immediately when car is turned on with no foul, makes it seem like this is a case. We traced all the wiring and tested to ensure proper power was going to each line.
Also, per my earlier post, I did run the camera with the stock cigarette/12 volt/USB charger and the front camera still did NOT turn on in accessory. I basically ruled out a hard wire issue based on that fact. But we will test the current too.

Just seems odd, as I can play the radio, charge my phone, the fan will run for the heat/ac system, but it won't power the dashcams.

Thanks again.

Appreciate it!
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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 12:24 PM
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Originally Posted by cjqamg
Thats a good thought, we will check that out. I do have the same theory too that the cameras are drawing too much power to run fully when on just accessory. The fact they turn on immediately when car is turned on with no foul, makes it seem like this is a case. We traced all the wiring and tested to ensure proper power was going to each line.
Also, per my earlier post, I did run the camera with the stock cigarette/12 volt/USB charger and the front camera still did NOT turn on in accessory. I basically ruled out a hard wire issue based on that fact. But we will test the current too.

Just seems odd, as I can play the radio, charge my phone, the fan will run for the heat/ac system, but it won't power the dashcams.

Thanks again.

Appreciate it!
You may also wanna make sure that your battery is fully charged. These cars do gradually put things in energy saving mode to preserve the starter battery. If the Mercedes me connect app says partially charged, then the battery is definitely not fully charged, but it says that fairly quickly and doesn't give any details. You can see the voltage and current draw in the workshop menu under vehicle data to get more details, but I probably would start by hooking up a battery tender overnight until it says the battery is full, so at least you know you have a full charge.


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Old Mar 8, 2022 | 06:38 PM
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I have an Escort Radar detector. It does power up with the accessory on without having to start the ignition.
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Old Mar 9, 2022 | 08:31 AM
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Originally Posted by superswiss
You may also wanna make sure that your battery is fully charged. These cars do gradually put things in energy saving mode to preserve the starter battery. If the Mercedes me connect app says partially charged, then the battery is definitely not fully charged, but it says that fairly quickly and doesn't give any details. You can see the voltage and current draw in the workshop menu under vehicle data to get more details, but I probably would start by hooking up a battery tender overnight until it says the battery is full, so at least you know you have a full charge.


Thanks! I plugged in my MB trickle charger last night. When I get home from work tonight, I will try to see if it has power on accessory.
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Old Mar 9, 2022 | 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by superswiss
You may also wanna make sure that your battery is fully charged. These cars do gradually put things in energy saving mode to preserve the starter battery. If the Mercedes me connect app says partially charged, then the battery is definitely not fully charged, but it says that fairly quickly and doesn't give any details. You can see the voltage and current draw in the workshop menu under vehicle data to get more details, but I probably would start by hooking up a battery tender overnight until it says the battery is full, so at least you know you have a full charge.



@superswiss

I put the c63 on the MB trickle charger around 7pm last night. I know for a fact the battery had to be low, as we had the car doors/trunk open and we were going in and out all afternoon on Saturday and had it in accessory a fair amount of time. I didn't drive it long enough to warrant a recharge. When I plugged it in last night it was at the lowest level, and 15 minutes ago on my app it is still showing partially charged (pic below).
​​​​​​My wife checked on the charger itself a few minutes ago and it was showing fully charged. She adjusted the clamps and as soon as she did, it went down to this level:

1. Is this normal to drop to that level by just removing and re-adjusting the clamps?
2. Why would my app still say "partially charged"? Could there be a delay in the app??

Thanks






Last edited by cjqamg; Mar 9, 2022 at 01:50 PM.
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Old Mar 9, 2022 | 02:28 PM
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Originally Posted by cjqamg
@superswiss

I put the c63 on the MB trickle charger around 7pm last night. I know for a fact the battery had to be low, as we had the car doors/trunk open and we were going in and out all afternoon on Saturday and had it in accessory a fair amount of time. I didn't drive it long enough to warrant a recharge. When I plugged it in last night it was at the lowest level, and 15 minutes ago on my app it is still showing partially charged (pic below).
​​​​​​My wife checked on the charger itself a few minutes ago and it was showing fully charged. She adjusted the clamps and as soon as she did, it went down to this level:

1. Is this normal to drop to that level by just removing and re-adjusting the clamps?
2. Why would my app still say "partially charged"? Could there be a delay in the app??

Thanks
From my experience, the app doesn't update the battery level in real time. It updates it when you close the hood or open/close a door. I've noticed this, too, when I hook mine up to a trickle charger periodically. The charger would say full, but the app still says partially charged. Then I disconnect the clamps and shut the hood which wakes up the car and it reports the current status and then the app shows charged. For your charger to show low level after removing the clamps, though, that's somewhat unusual. I would think it might start charging again briefly, but should quickly detect that the battery is full. There have been cases of faulty batteries even on newish cars, so you might wanna do a battery diagnostics to make sure your battery is good.
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Old Mar 9, 2022 | 02:44 PM
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Originally Posted by superswiss
From my experience, the app doesn't update the battery level in real time. It updates it when you close the hood or open/close a door. I've noticed this, too, when I hook mine up to a trickle charger periodically. The charger would say full, but the app still says partially charged. Then I disconnect the clamps and shut the hood which wakes up the car and it reports the current status and then the app shows charged. For your charger to show low level after removing the clamps, though, that's somewhat unusual. I would think it might start charging again briefly, but should quickly detect that the battery is full. There have been cases of faulty batteries even on newish cars, so you might wanna do a battery diagnostics to make sure your battery is good.
Thanks, I think everything is ok, but is there a way I can check diagnostics? Or do I have to take it to a dealer?

Also - when I had in the trickle charger over the winter, when it would be full for a few days, whenever I open my door and turn on accessory or whatever, the trickle charger level drops a level. Is that normal? It goes back to full charge, but anytime I open a door/trunk/hood while charging it will drop one. Seems normal, but want to see.

Thanks!
Chris
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Old Mar 9, 2022 | 02:51 PM
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Originally Posted by cjqamg
Thanks, I think everything is ok, but is there a way I can check diagnostics? Or do I have to take it to a dealer?

Also - when I had in the trickle charger over the winter, when it would be full for a few days, whenever I open my door and turn on accessory or whatever, the trickle charger level drops a level. Is that normal? It goes back to full charge, but anytime I open a door/trunk/hood while charging it will drop one. Seems normal, but want to see.

Thanks!
Chris
No, you would have to take it to a dealer, so they can do a load test and also check that you don't have a parasitic draw. In the vehicle data menu you can see the current draw as shown above. That's from my car in accessory mode, so it draws about 15-16 Amps. If you see significantly higher than that I would say you have a problem. As for the second question, that's probably normal. When you open a door, the car wakes up and the COMAND system starts booting, the fuel pump primes and a bunch of other things start happening in preparation of starting the car, so there's probably an associated voltage drop with that due to all these consumers suddenly coming to live.
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Old Mar 9, 2022 | 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by superswiss
No, you would have to take it to a dealer, so they can do a load test and also check that you don't have a parasitic draw. In the vehicle data menu you can see the current draw as shown above. That's from my car in accessory mode, so it draws about 15-16 Amps. If you see significantly higher than that I would say you have a problem. As for the second question, that's probably normal. When you open a door, the car wakes up and the COMAND system starts booting, the fuel pump primes and a bunch of other things start happening in preparation of starting the car, so there's probably an associated voltage drop with that due to all these consumers suddenly coming to live.
@superswiss

I checked on the charger when I got home and it was 100% charged. I opened my door, closed it. Refreshed the app and bam! Fully charged!



Also, I turned on accessory and my dash cams turned on! You were right, it sounds like MB cuts off certain things when the battery is too low. Like I said earlier, my dad and I had the doors open and trunk/hood open for 4-5 hours on Saturday and never drove it enough to charge it up.

I also went into the workshop mode. My battery is drawing 13 when in accessory mode. That is normal right,?



You are a great resource for this forum and a wealth of knowledge. Thanks a lot for helping me out!

Chris

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Old Mar 9, 2022 | 07:59 PM
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Originally Posted by cjqamg
@superswiss

I checked on the charger when I got home and it was 100% charged. I opened my door, closed it. Refreshed the app and bam! Fully charged!


Also, I turned on accessory and my dash cams turned on! You were right, it sounds like MB cuts off certain things when the battery is too low. Like I said earlier, my dad and I had the doors open and trunk/hood open for 4-5 hours on Saturday and never drove it enough to charge it up.

I also went into the workshop mode. My battery is drawing 13 when in accessory mode. That is normal right,?


You are a great resource for this forum and a wealth of knowledge. Thanks a lot for helping me out!

Chris
Excellent! Glad you got it sorted out. I'm going out on a limb and say the battery draw is normal. Mine is a little higher as shown, and the actual difference is likely due to different equipment and perhaps updated hardware.
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