What to Do When the Dash Cam Screen Doesn't Light Up?
3 Answers
Many people have encountered the issue where a dash cam fails to power on normally. There are generally two reasons for this: either the dash cam itself is faulty, or it is not receiving power. If the dash cam is broken, you can contact customer service or simply replace it. However, most modern dash cams come with built-in batteries. The purpose of these batteries is to allow the dash cam to delay shutdown and continue recording for about a minute after the car is turned off. Some dash cams even offer a parking monitoring feature. However, relying solely on a built-in battery of 200-300 mAh for parking monitoring isn't very reliable. Therefore, the most likely reason a dash cam with a built-in battery won't power on is that the battery is depleted. Most dash cams today have a battery protection setting. When the built-in battery is completely drained, even if you connect the dash cam to the car charger, it won't power on immediately. The reason is simple: the battery has no charge left, so it needs to be charged slightly before the dash cam can power on normally. In such cases, waiting for about half a minute to a minute should suffice. Once the built-in battery has stored some charge, the dash cam will automatically power on. Although the dash cam is always plugged into the car charger while in use, the battery can still drain significantly due to parking monitoring. Some dash cams have parking monitoring but aren't connected to the car battery, relying instead on the built-in battery. A 200-300 mAh battery can only record for about ten minutes if the car is disturbed at night. Once the battery is fully drained, the dash cam won't power on normally. Another scenario that might prevent the dash cam from powering on is extreme temperatures. Different products have varying standards for high and low-temperature resistance. Therefore, in extremely cold winters (e.g., -20°C at night in northern regions) or extremely hot summers (e.g., over 60°C inside a car exposed to direct sunlight), the dash cam may not power on normally. In such cases, you'll need to wait until the temperature stabilizes (typically between -10°C and 40-50°C) after turning on the air conditioning, at which point the dash cam should function normally. If the dash cam is broken, you can contact customer service or simply replace it. However, most modern dash cams come with built-in batteries. The purpose of these batteries is to allow the dash cam to delay shutdown and continue recording for about a minute after the car is turned off. Some dash cams even offer a parking monitoring feature. However, relying solely on a built-in battery of 200-300 mAh for parking monitoring isn't very reliable. Therefore, the most likely reason a dash cam with a built-in battery won't power on is that the battery is depleted. Most dash cams today have a battery protection setting. When the built-in battery is completely drained, even if you connect the dash cam to the car charger, it won't power on immediately. The reason is simple: the battery has no charge left, so it needs to be charged slightly before the dash cam can power on normally. In such cases, waiting for about half a minute to a minute should suffice. Once the built-in battery has stored some charge, the dash cam will automatically power on. Although the dash cam is always plugged into the car charger while in use, the battery can still drain significantly due to parking monitoring. Some dash cams have parking monitoring but aren't connected to the car battery, relying instead on the built-in battery. A 200-300 mAh battery can only record for about ten minutes if the car is disturbed at night. Once the battery is fully drained, the dash cam won't power on normally. Another scenario that might prevent the dash cam from powering on is extreme temperatures. Different products have varying standards for high and low-temperature resistance. Therefore, in extremely cold winters (e.g., -20°C at night in northern regions) or extremely hot summers (e.g., over 60°C inside a car exposed to direct sunlight), the dash cam may not power on normally. In such cases, you'll need to wait until the temperature stabilizes (typically between -10°C and 40-50°C) after turning on the air conditioning, at which point the dash cam should function normally.
Recently, my dashcam screen also went black inexplicably while driving, which was quite annoying. It’s probably due to a loose cigarette lighter socket—try pushing it in firmly or switching to another USB port for power. It could also be a blown fuse; check the manual to locate the corresponding fuse and replace it yourself—it only costs a few bucks. If that doesn’t work, reboot the device by unplugging the power for 30 seconds and then reconnecting it, just like restarting a frozen phone. The screen brightness in settings might be set too low, so manually increase it for testing. Worn-out wires or poor contact at connectors are also common—use a flashlight to check for damaged wires and gently wiggle the connections. If the hardware is faulty, it’ll need repair or replacement, but never attempt to fix it while driving—safety first, handle it after parking. Remember to avoid buying knockoff products and inspect the connections monthly to prevent issues.
Last month during my road trip, the screen of my dash cam suddenly went black. I thought it was broken and panicked for a while, but the issue turned out to be minor. First, ensure the power supply is normal—check if the cigarette lighter is plugged in securely and if the car charger's indicator light is on. Also, see if any fuses are blown; they can be replaced with simple tools. Restarting the dash cam a few times might solve the problem—no need for complicated fixes. Check the brightness settings in the menu to ensure you didn’t accidentally activate sleep mode. Loose wiring connections can also cause this; try wiggling the cables. Even if it’s truly broken, replacements are affordable. But for safety, if the screen goes black while driving, pull over to address it to avoid accidents. For daily use, avoid pulling the cables too tight or exposing them to high temperatures to extend the device’s lifespan.
