Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Dash Cam saves the day

I was on a minor road heading home after a nice day out .I was in my new VW Tiguan ,a Beedons HGV came round a very tight corner I pulled over and was stopped when he collided with my car .
Wing mirror off drivers door damaged and a very excited wife .
Exchanged details and when home phoned my insurance company , they explained I would be booked in for repairs and would have to pay my excess until it was proved who was at fault .
I then told them I had Dash Cam footage ,after viewing the footage I was told no excess and to collect a hire car .
If the unthinkable happens it makes dealing with the incident much easier . Best £150 spent this year .

Our daughter has just purchased her first new car (slightly smaller than yours, a VW T-Roc) and I strongly recommended (insisted?) that she install a DashCam for her (and my?) piece of mind.

It looks like my (almost non-existent ) wiring and trim skills are going to be called in to hard wire it in, as she was informed that running a front and rear DashCam from the 12v cigarette lighter socket was going to draw too much current.

As you say a very worthwhile investment on today's roads.

Andy

That doesn’t sound right mate? Are they also saying she can’t use a plugged in SatNav or phone charger? These dash cams use very low current levels and nothing like the draw of a fag lighter element!

I would be inclined to email Alex Smith (MD) VW U.K. and ask why they are selling products that can’t have low amperage consumers plugged in.... that should do it.

Contact him on alex.smith@vwg.co.uk

Or try Customer Service on 0800 083 3914

BR
Colin

What model dashcam Andy?

I find it hard to believe that a socket that can generally run 2x2.1amp iPhone charges cannot run a dual view dashcam? I have a few friends in VW so might be able to find out for you.

Sounds to me more like a lazy dealer's excuse to fob off a female customer because they can't be arsed to do the fitting work possibly?

Is there a dash cam that doesnt record your speed? I would hate to have a bump that was someone else's fault and lose out because I was doing 50 in a 40 limit

Is there a dash cam that doesnt record your speed? I would hate to have a bump that was someone else's fault and lose out because I was doing 50 in a 40 limit

From the sounds of it Andy, she has got a couple of those outside broadcast cameras that you used to see on top of a small scaffolding tower for sports events etc!!
If you are hardwiring, just remember the devices are usually 5V, with the 12V to 5V dropper in the adaptor that plugs into the car.
I remember one forum owner (not here on TM, I think it was a Volvo forum) who happily hard wired his direct to 12V after removing the cigar lighter plug. Result - one very cooked camera!

On mine - a Nextbase - you can turn off the speed stamp on recorded files. Don't know if that completely eliminates the speed info or just doesn't include it on the video output. Am sure if "they" really want to get at the speed information it will still be there somewhere, or they could work out the speed from the video footage of the roadside going past!

Fully understand your thinking Colin , but I have personal experience of a VW hire car where we blew the 12V cigarette lighter plug-in circuit by trying to run a phone charger and a SatNav simultaneously. As a result we got hilariously lost in the Julian Alps and ended up in Austria rather than Slovenia!

This statement was made by NextBase , the dash cam supplier.

Thanks for all the help and advice , if this is not sorted with the hardwiring (better and neater anyway) I will be back.

Thanks for the tip Graham, the hardwire kit contains an in-line fuse and voltage reducer.