No because if a problem arises it can blow the fuse which the ECM uses as well. There are plenty of options to power a dashcam continuously without involving any major components. Use a test light and find areas of the fuse box that are powered when the key is off.

For instance map/dome lights. They have power and ground all the time, connection controlled by switch on the them.

Never tie aux components into power wires for anything that is computer based.

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grab the cover locate your cig or port chrger fuse use a piggy back Micro min one and be done guessing.

I got my led illuminations off one of hte fuses. today its till works.

 

I have a BlueDriver unit plugged into mine. It claims it shuts off all power draw when the ignition is off. I never really gave it much thought but it is certainly possible that when ignition is turned on it could short the ECU power bus line. This post has made me think twice about leaving it in. I would never consider leaving in one of those sub $30 units that always draws power.

Edit: oops did not see the Op wanted to plug in a dash cam. I thought he wanted to leave an OBDII reader in 24/7. Plugging a Dash Cam in is super risky!

 

I googled it and pin 16 is 4A unswitched. A 2A inline fuse after tapping that pin should be fine if you don't want to use the fuse box.

 

safe and effective, especially if the cam has park mode, has low voltage cutoff so it won't run down your battery. With all the devices that can be plugged into that port and left for the vehicles life that have been around for a decade now, I'm surprised many are still worried about it. That being said, if the cam doesn't have park mode or it's a feature you don't care about, then hardwire it and leave the odb port for other devices such as diagnostic scanners or driving monitors for insurance discount.

 

yeah those are the kinds of i answers i get. again no clear cut answers as some say its fine and others not. all in all though thank you for the input i really do appreciate it regardless of opinion love yall here at crvowners club

 

OBD reader port companies plug into for tracking, go for it.

 

Units that plug into OBD II ports use a small fraction of the power that a dash cam will.

Make some clarification, I'm an almost 20 year ASE tech specializing in these areas as well as I well versed in dealing with aftermarket add on electronics. Been doing it for a long time from cameras to full offroad lighting systems

Most people that say stuff like this is ok have 0 understanding of how electrical works besides plug in power and flip a switch.

Do not tie into OBD II power for a dash cam. There are many other options as I explained above.


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As a 20 year ASE tech, don't just say not to do it, tell us all of the ways plugging into this port can harm the vehicle and how a dash cam differs from every other device that uses that port. I know most "ase techs" around here don't know wiring and couldn't track down a short to save their lives. We have specialty shops for that kind of work and they are very expensive so if you're a wiring guru, you may want to narrow your field and maybe earn more money.

 

Cars are so electronically complex that problems with cars are frequently traced to defective add ones or defectively installed add ons.
Connecting to the obd2 port is connecting into the heart of you car.
I would strongly discourage the use of the obd2 port to power anything like this in favor of powering from one of the many non critical systems in the car. Eg fuse box, power outlet etc.

 

The fuse box is just next to the ODB2 unit, so why not just use one of those "add a circuit fuse adapter" i think it is much easier and cheaper option.

https://www.amazon.com/Support-Stan...et/dp/B0146EB8EM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1532535753&sr=8-6&keywords=fuse+adapter

Note: all the fuses are live even when the ignition is off. I checked since I installed a front and back dash-cam. So what I did was got me a cigarette lighter extension. Don't get the heavy duty ones because the cord is too stiff, so the thinner the better, you decide how long you need it to be and use the plug that's in the center consul (next to the two USB's). Since the wire is thin, it is not unsightly and hardly noticeable if it is black. Some dash cams have built in battery for park mode so this setup is the easiest.

 

OK, lots of well meaning comments on this but some of it may not be 100% correct. That is understandable as the electronic systems on modern cars are so complex and difficult to fully comprehend.
As for the "OBD II Plug" people are taking about. Its a technically a "SAE J1962" connector. Its pin connectors are clearly spelled out by SAE standards. This was to allow a universal generic scan tool to be connected per EPA standards adopted in the late 1980's and fully implemented by all 1996 model year vehicles sold in the US. I have attached an article that spells the pins out for you.

I appreciate those who shy away from using this plug for anything. To be frank, its best to leave things you don't know anything about lone as a general rule. I appreciate and applaud those who wisely follow that rule. For those who are more open minded and pay attention to details, let me lay it out. Pin 16 on the J1962 connector is nothing more than 12V+ battery power. It has no connection to anything (including any computer or other electronic device) in your car other than the Batt + power bus. The purpose of that pin was only to provide the power to operate a scan tool. You can use that pin to power a low draw device without danger of hurting anything unless you draw too much from it and blow its fuse. That said, there are many better options and ways to do this. Rather than have an unknowing person accidentally draw or inject power into the wrong plug why not go to your fuse box and pull your power from there? There are many nice options for doing this including special fuses that plug in and allow your extra circuit to piggy-back another circuit in the car. Since more vehicles have extra sockets anyway due to the various options that might need power but aren't installed in your vehicle you can often find a place for a fuse.

I appreciate the input of "ASE Technicians", especially the one's who are cautious. Much of what they have to say is technically correct. I had many of those guys in class back in the 1990's when we were rolling OBD II out and I had to train hundred of them on how OBD II was going to work. Part of the class was explaining that J1962 connector and how it as wired and functioned. The real problem we most often found with using the J1962 for devices was actually more on the ground side of the circuit. The J1962 has two ground terminals. Pins 4 and 5 are both grounds. BUT, 4 is a chassis power ground for the scan device power while 5 is a "signal ground". Using 4 for a device ground is fine as that is why it is there. However, we saw cases where people were using pin 5 for a ground and that threw off the reference voltages for sensors as this ground is used by the computer for voltage reference.

Like I said, it is technically possible to safely use the J1962 for power and ground for a device but there is a possibility that you could foul up and use the wrong pins and cause "complications" in the system. Play it safe and go elsewhere. That is the straight poop and the best answer you will find.
http://pinoutguide.com/CarElectronics/car_obd2_pinout.shtml

Pin 16 is clean power but honestly, you can find other options with a little search. Its always best if you can power items off the fuse box however.

 

Lmao VERY TRUE. Most cant manage to function if the check engine light isnt on. See that with MANY MANY MECHANICS OVERALL. My buddy that owns our shop and the guy with the dealership next to us hate the fact I prove them wrong on engine diagnostics on a regular basis, many times without the scan tool. I still do a lot of old school ways of checking things. I never rely on a computer only. Never have. Now my buddy is a transmission guy. He can do what I do with engines but with transmissions. So we make an insane team.

I can happily (love showing then off, not going to lie) show examples of my electrical skills. My CRV is a perfect example with a full 360deg array of LED offroad lights. All done from start to finish by me alone including custom wiring a separate entire relay/fuse box for them and a secondary relay controller for my "Zombie" switch which can turn all on at once instead of the individual switches. Some pictures in my thread. Includes a couple tie ins to vehicle wiring to simplify set up and make things function as desired like the 12v power in the cargo area is full time on now and a switch that will turn on the rear roof lights from back there (or the front) as needed.

That said, the reason I said this was explained above. First and foremost is that a dash cam will draw A LOT more power than the little bluetooth units (I have one that lives in my CRV and another I use at the shop just for quick code checks or more so clearing codes). Along with that the obd II power is always tied into other circuits, so if that circuit which is designed for what its tied into ONLY, can very easily pop that fuse. Now that may cause loss of accessories or even cause the engine not to run depending on what else its tied into.

Secondly if something goes wrong with that camera and someone tries to use the obd II port (or even the extra wire becomes loose or damaged) it can risk a short that can take out the computer.

Can you do it? Yes physically you can and it will function. But the risks to the vehicles primary electronics is excessively high. Bluetooth units will fry and break connection before damaging anything. They are designed for the fact they need no more power than a tiny watch battery to operate (simply the power requirements of that type of electronic which is same/less than any vehicle sensor would use either, the computer can deal with that level of failure repetatively).

A dash cam is going to pull at least 500mA when on, if not even a full amp depending on power requirements. Figure a 2 amp USB charger which is 5V out pulls close to an amp. Would you be trying to run a 2amp usb charger off that location??? God I hope not. Well a dash cam can pull the same wattage.

Way too high risk. Not to mention kiss any vehicle warranty goodbye modifying that port in any way.

It will operate but why risk expensive damage to critical parts instead of just trying into the fuse box which is specifically designed for this purpose. To distribute power where it is needed in a safe and protected way, isolating critical electronics from each other and peripheral systems.

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I installed a dash cam on my touring some time ago. I ran the power cord into the center consul. I pulled the covering off the right side of the consul. (very easy to do ) I then broke into the wire running to the cigar lighter on the center consul soldered on a female cigar lighter end in place. Plugged in the wire from the cam and it was done. I know it is switched, but the cam has a battery that should cover the time when the car is parked. I have had no issues with this configuration and no worries on car battery drain. After sitting for two weeks, the cam would still work on internal power. My OBDll is busy with a scan gauge and I wouldn't mess with that connection anyway.
For what it's worth

 

What camera do you have that has an internal battery that will run it for 2 weeks?

 

What I meant was that the camera internal battery will provide power to the camera to record any events that could happen while the vehicle is parked. As in a bump from another vehicle. It runs for 15 seconds and then goes back to sleep.

 

That was my interpretation. Its just from everything I've read from various manufacturers is that the internal battery or capacitor is very small and is only there to keep the settings while the cam is not powered externally, it's not there to run the camera. If you've stumbled upon one that'll run in park mode without external power for two weeks, I'm sure there are other members that would be interested as well.

 

Here is one method of connecting a dash cam.

2017 EXL Dash Cam Wiring

Hi All... New 2017 CRV Owner (Purchased Yesterday) and Member... This is my first post, so I hope it's in the correct location. I would like to hide the dash cam wiring and would appreciate any photos, steps and/or help in general as to how to run the wiring..... My better half is worried...

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