I have a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, there are 2, 12 volt outlets in the car, one up front near the driver, and the other in the very back. The outlet in the very back has continuous power even when the car is off, however the outlet near the driver does not and the power is off when the car is off. How do I change the front driver outlet to have continuous power? I ask because I would like to get a dashcam so that if someone hits me while I'm parked I have video footage, however if the power is off the camera will not stay on then.
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It looks like Pathfinder line went cheap. My older model has 5 (five) 12V outlets, and two of them (one in front, the other in the back) has continuous power. Why don't you try some "extension" 12-V cord to power your dashcam from the back? Re-wiring might be challenging and clumsy. – Ale..chenski Oct 24 '18 at 19:58
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The best solution is to find a suitable power supply under the dash or in the fuse box. That way anything plugged into the front cigar lighter socket won’t be forgotten to discharge the battery.
If you are worried about a dash-cam draining your battery, then fitting a second (small 12v ie motorcycle size) battery with a split-charge system would give you the functionality and peace of mind...
Solar Mike
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I would suggest trying to find a dashcam that has an internal battery charged by the 12V voltage in the car. If you can find such a device, it's much better than powering it through an always-on 12V outlet.
The reason for being much better is that if you leave your car parked for a very long amount of time, only the dashcam battery will be depleted, whereas the car battery won't and the car will start flawlessly.
I wouldn't be happy to find the main 12V battery depleted by a dashcam, and being unable to start the car without a jump start. Then even with a jump start, the radio presets will be lost.
I believe a dashcam could require as much as 5 watts, because it's encoding video which takes significant amounts of CPU time and power (the compression ain't free). This means if you park your car for 5 days or more (50 Ah battery), the car battery will be depleted.
Of course, a dashcam will never have as hefty battery as your car, so you shouldn't expect more than 10 hours of battery life from a small dashcam battery if it's continuously recording.
juhist
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Your front outlet is tied into a switched power line. The rear one isnt (surprisingly). You can, with some spare wire and a "add a fuse", rewire the circuit at your fuse box. This would be easier with a wiring diagram, but most fuses are labeled.
You can also find other always on circuits under your dash. This would at a minimum require the wiring diagram for your car, and be able to read it.
I would advise against either, as a dash cam could cause your battery to drain with the car off. instead, get a dash cam with a battery so it can run off that when the car is off.
cde
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Cheap Wallmart-grade dashcams use about 300 mA at 5V in continuous 1080P recording mode. 150 mA won't discharge a 40-50 Ah car battery even over few days of parking with dashcam running. However, to be on a safe side, I agree, a simple typical USB powerbank (4000mAh) should be able to run the dashcam for about 10 hours. – Ale..chenski Oct 24 '18 at 20:52
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@ale on fresh or large batteries. I had a 5 year old battery that was giving up the ghost and a small 20mA led in addition to the normal factory drain cause draining to the point of needing a boost multiple times. Symptom of the battery age, but still. – cde Oct 24 '18 at 22:33