Features
What Is Parking Mode and How Does It Work?
Parking mode is one of the most valuable dash cam features, catching incidents when you are nowhere near the car. Here is how it actually works.
Recording while off
In parking mode the camera keeps watch after the engine is off, capturing hit-and-runs, door dings, and vandalism that would otherwise go unrecorded.
How it triggers
Depending on settings, it can record continuously, or wake and record only when it detects motion or an impact, which conserves storage and power.
What it requires
Because the ignition is off, parking mode needs constant power from a hardwire kit or a battery pack, and a hardwire kit should include a low-voltage cutoff intended to help protect your car battery from excessive drain.
Setting it up
Once you understand the concept, Setting Up Parking Mode walks through configuring triggers and protecting your battery, and Hardwire Kit vs Battery Pack covers which power source to choose.
Frequently asked questions
Does parking mode drain the car battery?
It can with a poorly configured hardwire kit. A quality kit includes a low-voltage cutoff that stops drawing power before the battery is compromised, or you can use an isolated battery pack instead.
Do I need parking mode if I park in a garage?
It is less critical than street parking, but garages are not immune to break-ins or accidental damage, so many owners still enable it.