Does the Dash Cam Continue Recording After the Car is Turned Off?
3 Answers
Dash cams do continue recording after the car is turned off, but the recording duration is not very long since the dash cam is not being charged once the vehicle is turned off. There are two types of parking monitoring functions for dash cams: one is continuous recording, and the other only activates short-term recording when the vehicle detects vibration. During the day, dash cams operate using the car's electrical power. When the vehicle is turned off, the dash cam stops functioning. Although many dash cams have built-in batteries, some can only last for four to five hours in standby mode, while others may only sustain recording for about half an hour. Therefore, dash cams cannot continue recording for extended periods after the car is turned off.
Whether a dash cam can continue recording after the car is turned off depends on the specific model and settings. Most dash cams connected to the cigarette lighter or ACC line will stop recording once the power is cut off after turning off the engine. However, some high-end models come with built-in batteries or supercapacitors that support parking surveillance mode, allowing them to record for a few minutes to several hours after the engine is off. The key is to check the device manual or APP settings to enable parking guard features like motion detection, which automatically starts recording when someone approaches to prevent theft. However, don't let it run continuously, as it can drain the car battery and leave you unable to start the car the next day—I've experienced this myself. Connecting it to the fuse box's constant power supply works well, but it's recommended to buy a dash cam with low-voltage protection for safety. In short, there are significant differences between brands, so choose and install the right one based on your needs to prevent accidents and save hassle.
When I first installed the dash cam, I thought it would keep recording after turning off the car, but actually most models don't unless they have special features. My basic version plugged into the cigarette lighter would stop immediately when the car was turned off. Later, through research, I found that if the dash cam has a backup battery or is directly connected to the constant power line in the fuse box, it might continue working - but you need to manually enable parking mode, like turning on motion detection in the app. The first time I didn't understand this and thought it was broken, spending half a day watching tutorials to adjust it properly. Now my car automatically records when there's movement in the parking lot, which is quite practical for security. New users should note: after installation, carefully adjust the settings - don't be lazy, or you might overlook important details. If left on continuously for long periods, it could drain the car battery. My neighbor fell victim to this - after one week his car wouldn't start.
