Dash cams are convenient gadgets that can prove helpful in many situations, but unfortunately, they’re not without their faults.
Thousands of users have recording problems on their dashcams, so we’ve decided to write this article and cover some of the reasons behind them.
By the end, you will learn how to know if dash cam is recording or not, as well as some of the most common recording problems that dash cams face and how you can solve them.
How to Know if Dash Cam Is Recording
Every dash cam model is different, but they all operate on a similar principle. Most modern dash cams have led indicators placed on them, by which you can tell whether the camera is recording. The best way to make sure is to check your dash cam’s user manual.
Other than looking at the indicator lights, also make sure to check the following:
- The memory card and whether or not it’s appropriately inserted into the slot.
- The dash cam app, if your dash cam is also connected to your phone. You can quickly check the camera’s status from there.
Common dash cam recording problems
Now we’ll cover some of the most frequent problems people have with recording on their dash cams and explain how you can try to solve these common issues.
Your camera stops recording for no reason
The cause of this problem is often a weak or faulty battery. This happens especially if you’ve had the dash cam for a more extended period or if it has been constantly exposed to the sun and heat.
Excessive heat and prolonged usage weaken and drastically reduce battery life, meaning the battery on your cam can no longer sustain a constant power supply to the device.
To resolve this issue, you may need to check and replace the battery with a new one. You can also extend the battery life by using general tips from this website.
Another common problem with random recording stops is the “Motion Detection” feature. This feature stops the camera from recording when it’s not detecting any motion to save storage space. So if you see this option enabled, disable it for a constant recording session.
Read more: Does A Dash Cam Record Sound?
The footage is choppy, or the video files are corrupted
If you notice that the footage being recorded from the dash cam is choppy, or the video files are corrupted, you may have memory card problems.
In this case, your memory card may be too slow to write all the data your camera sends, resulting in choppy footage. You may not even be able to open the video file later, as it might show an error message.
You can resolve this problem by checking the class of your memory card. If the class has a value of 6, then it’s too slow for high-quality footage recording, and you should replace it with a class 10. The value indicates the speed of the card in Mb(Megabytes per second).
If the dash cam is powered via a cable, you can also check the power supply adapter and whether or not it’s delivering intermittent power to the camera. An improperly placed power adapter, for example, may cause severe damage to your camera and cause it to become permanently unusable.
Also read: How Many Hours of Recording on 64GB Dash Cam
How long can a dash cam record footage
Several factors impact the duration of the dash cam footage, including the quality of the image, the capacity of the memory card, as well as various settings in the camera menu.
For example, a Full HD, 1080p recording would take more space than a 720p HD recording, and the more storage space on the memory card, the longer the footage will be. As a reference, an 8GB memory card would store around 50 minutes of 1080p footage, while a 16GB card would store double that time.
Modern dash cams also have an option called “Loop Recording”. Once the memory card is full, the camera continues to record in a loop or over the old footage. This is also known as endless recording.
But how to know if dash cam is recording in loop mode or not? Find this feature in the settings, and enable or disable it as you prefer.