Struggling to figure out how to hardwire your Rexing dash cam for that awesome 24/7 parking mode? You’re in the right place! We’re going to walk through everything you need to know about the Rexing smart hardwire kit with Type-C port, from why it’s a must for dash cam users to a detailed, step-by-step installation guide. Hardwiring your dash cam isn’t just about keeping wires tidy. it’s about unlocking crucial features like continuous parking surveillance and protecting your car’s battery, giving you total peace of mind. It really makes a huge difference in how useful your dash cam becomes.
What is the Rexing Smart Hardwire Kit with Type-C Port?
Alright, let’s talk about what this kit actually is. The Rexing smart hardwire kit with Type-C port is essentially a power adapter that connects your Rexing dash camera directly to your car’s fuse box, instead of using the traditional cigarette lighter socket. This isn’t just a fancy cable. it’s a smart piece of tech designed to provide consistent power to your dash cam, even when your vehicle is turned off.
Think of it this way: your dash cam usually gets power when your car is on, right? But what about when you park and walk away? That’s where this kit steps in. It taps into your car’s electrical system, offering uninterrupted power for things like 24/7 surveillance, keeping an eye on your car while you’re away. Plus, since it uses a Type-C port, it’s ready for a lot of Rexing’s newer and more advanced models, ensuring you get the best performance and compatibility.
Why Type-C?
You might be wondering, “Why Type-C?” Well, Type-C is pretty much the standard for modern electronics these days, and for good reason. It offers faster charging capabilities and a reversible connector, meaning no more fumbling around trying to plug it in the right way. For Rexing dash cams, having a Type-C port in the hardwire kit means you’re getting a robust and future-proof connection, optimized for the power demands of high-resolution recording and advanced features.
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Key Features You’ll Love
The Rexing intelligent hardwire kit often referred to as the smart hardwire kit comes packed with features that make it incredibly useful for any dash cam owner. These aren’t just buzzwords. they genuinely enhance your dash cam experience and vehicle security.
24/7 Parking Surveillance
This is arguably one of the biggest reasons to get a hardwire kit. Imagine leaving your car in a parking lot, or even just parked on the street. With the hardwire kit, your Rexing dash cam keeps recording, constantly monitoring for any incidents. Whether it’s a fender bender, vandalism, or someone trying to break in, your dash cam will capture it, even if your engine is off. This continuous surveillance is a huge step up from only recording while you’re driving. The Ultimate Guide to Rexing Lock Video: Protecting Your Crucial Dash Cam Footage
Low Voltage Protection
Nobody wants a dead car battery, especially not because their dash cam was working too hard. Thankfully, the Rexing smart hardwire kit includes a built-in smart low voltage protection system. This clever feature monitors your car’s battery voltage. If it drops to a certain level typically around 11.8V for 12V vehicles or 23.5V for 24V vehicles, the kit automatically cuts off power to the dash cam. This ensures you always have enough juice left to start your car, which is a huge relief.
ACC Detection for Smart Parking Mode
The kit has an ACC Accessory detection feature that’s super smart. What this means is that your dash cam knows when your vehicle’s engine is on and when it’s off. When you turn off your car, the dash cam automatically switches into parking mode, ready to use its motion or impact detection features. When you start your car again, it seamlessly goes back to normal recording. This automation means you don’t have to remember to manually switch modes, making it truly set-it-and-forget-it.
Important Note: Some Rexing intelligent hardwire kits, especially those with motion sensors, might override the dash cam’s internal parking monitor settings. In these cases, it’s actually recommended not to enable the parking monitor function in your dash cam’s menu, as it could cause malfunctions. The hardwire kit takes care of it automatically!
Wide Compatibility
While this specific kit features a Type-C port, Rexing offers various hardwire kits to suit different dash cam models. The Type-C version is typically compatible with a range of Rexing dash cams like the DT2, M2 Max, R4, R316 Series, RH2 Series, CPDuo, M3, M2-4, M4-4, and L4 Series. It’s designed to work with vehicles running on 12V to 30V systems, making it suitable for most cars, trucks, buses, and SUVs. Always double-check your specific dash cam model to ensure you grab the right kit!
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Why Hardwire Your Dash Cam? Beyond Just Parking Mode
If you’re still on the fence about hardwiring your dash cam, it’s one of the best upgrades you can make for your vehicle’s security and your own peace of mind. It goes way beyond just enabling parking mode.
Always-On Protection Parking Mode
I know we’ve already touched on this, but it’s worth emphasizing. Hardwiring is the only way to get reliable 24/7 parking surveillance. Without it, your dash cam usually only records when your car is running. This means if someone bumps your car in a parking lot, tries a door handle, or causes any kind of incident while you’re away, you won’t have footage. Hardwiring ensures your camera is always ready, using its G-sensor or motion detection to capture critical evidence even when you’re not around. This gives you an “extra set of eyes that will never sleep or rest.”
Clean and Tidy Installation
Let’s be real: nobody likes a messy dashboard. Those dangling wires from a cigarette lighter adapter can be an eyesore, not to mention a distraction. Hardwiring tucks all those cables away, usually behind your car’s trim and headliner, creating a super clean, factory-like look. It makes your interior look much tidier and professional, which is a big win for aesthetics.
Free Up Your Power Outlets
Another perk of hardwiring is that it frees up your car’s 12V accessory port the cigarette lighter. Now you can use that outlet for charging your phone, powering a GPS device, or any other gadgets you need, without constantly swapping plugs or dealing with splitters. It’s all about convenience and maximizing your car’s utility.
Battery Health Safeguards
As mentioned with the low voltage protection, hardwiring kits are designed to protect your car battery. While leaving a dash cam constantly recording might sound like a recipe for a dead battery, the smart circuitry in these kits prevents that. They’ll cut power before your battery level gets too low to start your car. This is a crucial benefit that a standard cigarette lighter plug just can’t offer. Some kits even offer adjustable low-voltage cutoff settings, so you can tailor it to your battery’s condition and usage. Rexing Hardwire Kit Type-C: Your 24/7 Car Guardian
Enhanced Reliability and Safety
A hardwired connection is generally more secure and reliable than plugging into a cigarette lighter. There’s less chance of the connection coming loose over bumpy roads, ensuring your dash cam is always powered and recording when it should be. Plus, with no dangling wires, you eliminate a potential distraction or obstruction while driving, contributing to a safer driving environment.
Getting Ready: What You’ll Need
Before you jump into the installation, it’s a good idea to gather all your tools. This will make the process smoother and prevent any frustrating pauses.
Here’s a quick checklist of what you’ll typically need:
- Rexing Smart Hardwire Kit with Type-C Port: Obviously, you need the kit itself! Make sure it’s the correct version for your dash cam.
- Your Rexing Dash Cam: Fully charged, if it has an internal battery, to help with initial setup and testing.
- Car’s Owner’s Manual: This is crucial for locating your fuse box and understanding its diagram.
- Fuse Puller: Often included with your car or the hardwire kit, but small pliers or needle-nose pliers can also work.
- Circuit Tester / Multimeter: Absolutely essential for identifying the correct fuse slots for constant and ACC power. Don’t skip this!
- Trim Removal Tool Plastic Pry Tools: These are incredibly helpful for prying open panels and tucking wires without damaging your car’s interior.
- Zip Ties / Cable Hiding Clips: For neat cable management.
- Wire Cutters/Strippers Optional: Some fuse tap kits might require you to crimp wires, though many hardwire kits come with pre-attached fuse taps for popular fuse types.
- Flashlight or Headlamp: To see clearly under the dash or in tight spaces.
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Step-by-Step Installation Guide
Now for the fun part! While it might seem intimidating, hardwiring a dash cam is a DIY project many can tackle. Just take your time, follow these steps, and don’t be afraid to consult your car’s manual or a professional if you get stuck.
Step 1: Plan Your Dash Cam Placement and Wire Routing
First things first, decide where you want your dash cam mounted. Typically, it’s best behind your rearview mirror to give it a clear view of the road without obstructing your vision. Once you’ve got the spot, plan the route for your cables. You’ll want to run them neatly along the edge of the windshield, down the A-pillar the side pillar between your windshield and side window, and then under the dashboard to your fuse box. Use your trim removal tools to gently pry open panels and tuck the wires away, making sure to avoid any airbag areas.
Step 2: Locate Your Vehicle’s Fuse Box
Most cars have an interior fuse box, usually located under the dashboard on the driver’s side, behind a panel, or sometimes on the passenger side. Your car’s owner’s manual will pinpoint its exact location and provide a fuse diagram, which is super important.
Step 3: Identify ACC Switched and Constant Power Fuses
This is probably the most critical step. Your Rexing hardwire kit has three wires:
- Red Wire ACC / Switched Power: This needs to connect to a fuse that only gets power when your car’s ignition is on like your radio or windshield wipers. This tells your dash cam when your car is running.
- Yellow Wire Constant Power / Always On: This connects to a fuse that always has power, even when your car is off like your interior lights or horn. This is what enables parking mode.
- Black Wire Ground: This connects to a bare metal bolt or screw on your car’s chassis near the fuse box.
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- For Constant Power: With your car off and the key removed, touch the circuit tester’s probe to the metal contact points on the fuses one by one. Find a fuse that makes the tester light up. This is your constant power source.
- For ACC Switched Power: Now, turn your car’s ignition on but you don’t need to start the engine. Repeat the process, looking for a fuse that lights up only when the ignition is on, and turns off when the ignition is off.
Make sure you’re testing both sides of the fuse slot. The side that lights up first closer to the battery is usually the “hot” side where you want to insert the fuse tap’s power blade.
Step 4: Connect the Fuse Taps
Your Rexing hardwire kit should come with fuse taps also called “add-a-circuit” adapters. These nifty devices allow you to safely tap into an existing fuse without cutting any wires.
- Carefully remove the original fuse from the slot you identified for constant power. Insert this original fuse into the bottom slot of the fuse tap.
- Insert a new, appropriately rated fuse check your hardwire kit’s instructions, often a 5A fuse is recommended into the top slot of the fuse tap.
- Plug the fuse tap with the yellow wire into the constant power fuse slot in your fuse box.
- Repeat this process for the red ACC wire and its respective switched power fuse slot.
Pro Tip: Pay attention to the orientation of the fuse tap. You want the power to flow through the fuse tap and its new fuse before going to your dash cam. Typically, the wire coming out of the fuse tap should be on the “load” side, away from the main power source.
Step 5: Ground the Hardwire Kit
Locate a metal bolt or screw on your car’s chassis near the fuse box. This needs to be bare metal, not painted, to ensure a good electrical connection. Loosen the bolt, slide the hardwire kit’s black ground wire which usually has a C-shaped connector underneath it, and then tighten the bolt securely. A good ground connection is crucial for the kit to work properly.
Step 6: Connect to Your Dash Cam
Once all three wires red, yellow, black are securely connected, run the Type-C end of the hardwire kit to your dash cam’s Type-C power input. Make sure the connection is snug. Hardwiring Your Rexing Dash Cam: A Full Guide to 24/7 Protection
Step 7: Test Everything!
This is the moment of truth.
- Start your car: Your dash cam should power on and begin recording in normal driving mode.
- Turn off your car: After a few seconds, your dash cam should switch into parking mode. You might see a different icon on the screen or hear an audible confirmation. If your kit has a motion sensor, try walking around the car or gently tapping it to trigger a parking mode event.
- Check for low voltage cutoff: While you can’t easily test the low voltage cutoff directly without draining your battery, knowing the feature is built-in offers peace of mind.
If everything works as expected, congratulations! You’ve successfully hardwired your Rexing dash cam. Now you can neatly tuck away any remaining wires and reattach any panels you removed.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Even with the best instructions, sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. Here are some common issues people face when installing a Rexing smart hardwire kit and how to troubleshoot them.
Parking Mode Isn’t Working
This is a frequent one. If your dash cam isn’t going into parking mode after you turn off your car, or if it says “To use parking monitor, please make sure Smart Hardwire Kit is connected” even when it is: Understanding Your Rexing R4 GPS Logger
- Check the Yellow Constant Power Wire: Make sure the fuse tap for your yellow wire is connected to a fuse that provides constant power, even when the car is off. If it’s connected to an ACC fuse by mistake, the dash cam won’t have power when the ignition is off. Use your circuit tester again to verify.
- Check the Red ACC Wire: Sometimes, if the ACC wire isn’t getting a clear “off” signal, the camera might think the car is still on. Double-check that this fuse only has power when the ignition is on. If you accidentally reversed the red and yellow wires, the parking mode might not work, or the camera might stay on all the time.
- Dash Cam Settings: Remember the important note from earlier? The Rexing Intelligent Hardwire Kit often overrides the dash cam’s internal parking mode settings. Make sure you have not enabled parking monitor in the dash cam’s own menu, as this can sometimes cause conflicts or malfunctions. The kit’s motion sensor will handle it.
- Charge the Dash Cam’s Supercapacitor/Battery: In some cases, if the dash cam’s internal supercapacitor or battery if it has one is very low, it might not properly transition to parking mode. Driving the car for a while 90 minutes was mentioned in one case or connecting the dash cam to a USB charger overnight can help charge it up.
Dash Cam Not Turning On At All
If your Rexing dash cam isn’t powering on after hardwiring:
- Check All Connections: Go back through each wire connection – red, yellow, and black. Make sure they are all secure and properly seated. A loose ground wire is a common culprit.
- Verify Fuses: Are the fuses in your fuse taps good? Make sure neither the original fuse nor the new fuse in the tap is blown. If you’re unsure, replace them with new ones of the correct amperage.
- Re-test Power Sources: Use your circuit tester to re-verify that both your constant and ACC fuse slots are indeed providing power as expected.
- Dash Cam Itself: Rule out issues with the dash cam. Does it power on when connected to a standard cigarette lighter adapter, if you have one? If not, the issue might be with the camera itself.
Fuses Stop Working for Other Car Components
If you’ve hardwired your dash cam and suddenly another car component like your power locks or radio stops working, and you used that fuse for your hardwire kit:
- Check the Fuse Tap: You might have connected the fuse tap incorrectly. Ensure the original fuse for that component is in the correct slot within the fuse tap, and that the fuse tap itself is inserted with the correct orientation power flowing correctly.
- Blown Fuse: The fuse for the affected component might have blown. This could happen if there was a short during installation or if the dash cam draws more power than that circuit is designed for though this is rare with dash cams. Replace the blown fuse with one of the correct amperage.
- Overloaded Circuit Less Likely for Dash Cams: While rare, ensure you didn’t tap into a critical or very low-amperage circuit that can’t handle the extra draw. Using a circuit like interior lights or power locks is usually fine for the low power draw of a dash cam.
Remember, if you ever feel out of your depth, it’s always a good idea to seek help from a professional installer. They can quickly diagnose issues and ensure your dash cam is properly and safely hardwired.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the main difference between the Rexing Smart Hardwire Kit and the Intelligent Hardwire Kit?
From what we’ve seen, Rexing often uses “Smart Hardwire Kit” and “Intelligent Hardwire Kit” interchangeably, especially when referring to kits that enable advanced parking modes with low voltage protection and ACC detection. The key is to check if it has the specific features like motion detection, 24/7 surveillance, and battery protection, and ensure it has the correct port like Type-C for your dash cam model. How to Master Your Rexing V1P: The Ultimate SD Card Formatting Guide
Can I hardwire any Rexing dash cam with this Type-C kit?
Not necessarily any Rexing dash cam. This particular kit is designed for Rexing dash cams that specifically use a Type-C power input. Make sure to check the compatibility list provided by Rexing, which usually includes models like the DT2, M2 Max, R4, R316 Series, RH2 Series, CPDuo, M3, M2-4, M4-4, and L4 Series. If your dash cam uses a Mini-USB port, you’ll need the Rexing smart hardwire kit with a Mini-USB port.
How does the low voltage protection work, and what’s the cutoff?
The low voltage protection is a built-in safety feature that constantly monitors your car’s battery voltage. If the voltage drops to a preset level, typically around 11.8V for 12V vehicles or 23.5V for 24V vehicles, the hardwire kit automatically cuts power to your dash cam. This ensures your car battery retains enough power for you to start your engine, preventing you from getting stranded.
Do I need to enable “parking mode” in my Rexing dash cam’s settings if I use this hardwire kit?
Actually, for many Rexing intelligent hardwire kits, especially those with their own motion sensor, it’s recommended not to enable the parking monitor function in your dash cam’s settings. The intelligent hardwire kit is designed to override the dash cam’s internal feature and manage parking mode automatically based on its ACC detection and/or motion sensor. Enabling it in the camera settings could potentially cause malfunctions.
What if my car doesn’t have an easily accessible fuse box or I’m not comfortable doing it myself?
No worries at all! While many people find hardwiring a DIY project, it’s perfectly fine if you’re not comfortable working with your car’s electrical system. Most auto shops, car audio installers, or even some Best Buy locations offer professional dash cam hardwire installation services. They have the right tools and expertise to ensure a safe and clean install.
My dash cam used to turn off automatically, but now it stays on 24/7 after hardwiring. Is this normal?
Yes, that’s completely normal and often the main goal of hardwiring! The Rexing smart hardwire kit provides continuous power to your dash cam, enabling features like 24/7 parking surveillance. When your car is off, the dash cam should transition into its parking mode e.g., motion detection or time-lapse recording, rather than turning off completely. The low voltage protection will prevent it from draining your battery. Rexing mayaris review
How long can my dash cam record in parking mode with the hardwire kit before draining the battery?
The recording duration in parking mode depends on several factors: your car’s battery health and size, the dash cam’s power consumption, and the specific low voltage cutoff setting of your hardwire kit. With the built-in low voltage protection, the kit will cut power before your battery is too low to start the car. While it can provide 24 hours or more of surveillance, it’s designed to protect your battery first and foremost. For extended periods of parking, especially in colder weather, shorter parking mode times or specific energy-saving parking modes like time-lapse might be beneficial.
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