Stephen Casner wrote:
On Wed, 23 May 2018, Greg D. wrote:
Curious why he didn't use the regular OBDII connector under the driver's side dash? +12v is about the only thing it provides that's useful. I don't think it's switched off when the car sleeps, but could be wrong there. That's exactly it -- the +12V turns off when the car sleeps. He said that was contrary to the ODBII spec, but I don't know whether that is correct. He wanted the camera to be always on.
-- Steve
Ah, ok. Yes, OBDII ports are supposed to be always powered, and the Roadster's port was only put there (as I understand it) because it - the connector - was required, so I assumed it was also properly powered. If he wants the dashcam to be continually powered, teeing the diag port, or finding an upstream source that may be beefier is probably his best bet. As Mark notes, the Roadster can be a bit finicky with modifications to the electrical system. Greg