[JDsX3]

I just completed the installation of a BlackVue DDR900S front and rear dash cam system in my 2019 X3. I also installed BlackVue's Power Magic Pro, designed to allow the dash cams to continue to record in 'parking mode' while the engine is turned off.

A quick bit of background: I do technology and product reviews professionally, most (but not all) being related to automotive applications. The BlackVue system was provided to me for a long term review.

The write-up is a step-by-step description of the install with pictures, and is a preliminary to a comparative analysis of the image quality to other dash cams. It can be found at https://insight.daumphotography.com/?p=989 Once the preliminary review of image quality is up, I will provide that link as well.

The front and rear dash cam install went pretty smoothly and easily. I was able to hide all of the cables using a plastic trim pry tool. Once I figured out the fuse block, adding fuse taps was easy.

However, a couple of things unique to the X3 came out through the install. The BlackVue Power Magic Pro has user settings to enable the system to stop drawing power from the vehicle battery, at a pre-set level, so as to ensure you can always start after being parked. I initially set the cut at 12.5 volts and found, perhaps because of the time I had the doors open during the install, that the base voltage on the X3 was less than 12.5 volts. I changed that so the cut-off would be at 12 volts, and the system worked perfectly. That is, when parked, both the front and back cameras continued to record when motion was detected.

However, that brought up a second issue. The X3 has software that doesn't like unknown drains on the battery while parked. In this case, the X3 continued to allow the BlackVue system to fully operate in 'parking mode' but started to shut down 'non-essential' functions and post a message. The non-essential function I noticed it shut off was the remote FOB's ability to open the trunk, for example. The message displayed when I got in the X3 was that it did not shut down properly and electrical management issue.

Unfortunately this X3 software designed to ensure you can always start your X3 after prolonged parking, ends up defeating the usefulness of the Power Magic Pro system. It does have a bypass switch which I am now using, but will shortly replace the Power Magic Pro with an alternative hardwire power link to ACC for the cameras. This means that other than the short period of the built in super capacitor powering the units after engine shut down, continued recording while parked will be lost. BlackVue does offer a battery pack option, but it doesn't provide sufficient power for long term parking.

Thanks for reading- let me know if you have any questions.

[wingzee]

Good stuff. I think it has been widely reported that the G01 has issues with PMP given the sensitivity of the ECU re voltage drain. I have paired the Cellink Neo with a Viofo A129 Duo as an alternative for hardwired parking mode which allowed continuous 25hrs recording. Been 2 weeks so far and pleased to report that the setup has been running great.

[JDsX3]

Thanks wingzee. The battery pack from BlackVue will also provide that or even more if they are piggybacked. I was hoping for a set up that did not add more batteries and had the potential for a longer parked period.

[freshxdough]

All BMWs in the relative 10 years or so have been this way with battery management. The IBS always monitors battery voltage and current draw. Even the slightest current draw can be detected and the vehicle will start cutting consumers from 30B to 30F to make sure the startability of the battery is still available.
I would say that the only real way to do it without fault is with the battery method powering the cameras.

[asyvan]

I don't get it?
Why can't the BlackVue be powered from the cars battery? For sure it must have more power than the Magic Pro. And the BMW power management will make sure it cuts off the BlackVue if the car battery gets too low (so you still will be able to start your car).

What am I missing here?

[focker]

Originally Posted by JDsX3

Thanks wingzee. The battery pack from BlackVue will also provide that or even more if they are piggybacked. I was hoping for a set up that did not add more batteries and had the potential for a longer parked period.

For the X3 I agree, the Power Magic Ultra Battery is the way to go.

[JDsX3]

Originally Posted by asyvan

I don't get it?
Why can't the BlackVue be powered from the cars battery? For sure it must have more power than the Magic Pro. And the BMW power management will make sure it cuts off the BlackVue if the car battery gets too low (so you still will be able to start your car).

What am I missing here?

You are correct that it can be powered directly by the X3's battery (as mentioned in my write-up, it ran fine off of Magic Pro). But the issue isn't the BlackVue running in 'parking mode'- it is that the BMW software starts cutting off other functions of your vehicle. So for example, in my case, after the BlackVue through the Magic Pro, ran in parking mode for 24 or so hours, the X3 no longer allowed you to open the trunk using the remote FOB. I presume other functionality was also reduced or eliminated by the software, all well before the Magic Pro pulled the battery down to 12 volts.

[JDsX3]

Originally Posted by focker

For the X3 I agree, the Power Magic Ultra Battery is the way to go.

Yes, definitely better than the Magic Pro, since using the Ultra battery pack alone or piggy backed would have zero draw down on the BMW battery. However, that is only a couple day parking solution. Would not work for example, if you left your X3 parked for a week or more and wanted to capture anyone approaching or touching your X3.

[JDsX3]

As I discussed in my install write-up, the Magic Pro is basically incompatible with our BMWs because of the 'unknown' power drain. Until I find a viable independent power source solution that could power the BlackVue dual cameras in parking mode for periods of a week or more, I decided to hard wire the BlackVue system to one of the accessory circuits.

I chose to use an add-a-circuit fuse tap to F46 in the fuse block (accessory). I purchased a female cigarette lighter outlet (accessory outlet) which came with 16awg wires, one terminating in a grounding eyelet, and one in a fused power line. I cut off the end of the fused power line, and soldered it to the hot-line on the add-a-circuit fuse tap, and then heat shrink sealed the solder joint. I connected the ground eyelet to the existing stud and nut near the fuse block (removed the nut, put the eyelet on, reinstalled the nut).

Then I connected the accessory plug from the BlackVue cameras to the new accessory outlet and used electrical tape to ensure the plug remained properly connected. Finally I placed the excess wire up by the top of the passenger foot-well near the fuse block.



Now the BlackVue front and rear dash cams start recording when the ignition is turned on, and stop after the engine is turned off and accessory power is cut (about 10 or less minutes).

[wingzee]

Originally Posted by JDsX3

Thanks wingzee. The battery pack from BlackVue will also provide that or even more if they are piggybacked. I was hoping for a set up that did not add more batteries and had the potential for a longer parked period.

Yes I believe both the Cellink and Blackvue are made by the manufacturer/OEM. 1 week might be a stretch though even for a battery pack option (if you chain-linked them all together you might be looking at more than 3).

[JDsX3]

Originally Posted by wingzee

Yes I believe both the Cellink and Blackvue are made by the manufacturer/OEM. 1 week might be a stretch though even for a battery pack option (if you chain-linked them all together you might be looking at more than 3).

I agree, that won't be viable solution. I am still looking at alternatives, but in the interim, the hardwire path is working perfectly. The comparison between it an other dash cams in terms of quality of the video is in the works. Stay tuned

[pej7445]

following

[JDsX3]

Originally Posted by pej7445

following

Here is a link to the field test and comparison of the Blackvue DR900S-2channel. https://insight.daumphotography.com/...ch-field-test/

The Blackvue has been installed for nearly a year and performing flawlessly.

[LemmiBMW]

Originally Posted by JDsX3

I just completed the installation of a BlackVue DDR900S front and rear dash cam system in my 2019 X3. I also installed BlackVue's Power Magic Pro, designed to allow the dash cams to continue to record in 'parking mode' while the engine is turned off.

A quick bit of background: I do technology and product reviews professionally, most (but not all) being related to automotive applications. The BlackVue system was provided to me for a long term review.

The write-up is a step-by-step description of the install with pictures, and is a preliminary to a comparative analysis of the image quality to other dash cams. It can be found at https://insight.daumphotography.com/?p=989 Once the preliminary review of image quality is up, I will provide that link as well.

The front and rear dash cam install went pretty smoothly and easily. I was able to hide all of the cables using a plastic trim pry tool. Once I figured out the fuse block, adding fuse taps was easy.

However, a couple of things unique to the X3 came out through the install. The BlackVue Power Magic Pro has user settings to enable the system to stop drawing power from the vehicle battery, at a pre-set level, so as to ensure you can always start after being parked. I initially set the cut at 12.5 volts and found, perhaps because of the time I had the doors open during the install, that the base voltage on the X3 was less than 12.5 volts. I changed that so the cut-off would be at 12 volts, and the system worked perfectly. That is, when parked, both the front and back cameras continued to record when motion was detected.

However, that brought up a second issue. The X3 has software that doesn't like unknown drains on the battery while parked. In this case, the X3 continued to allow the BlackVue system to fully operate in 'parking mode' but started to shut down 'non-essential' functions and post a message. The non-essential function I noticed it shut off was the remote FOB's ability to open the trunk, for example. The message displayed when I got in the X3 was that it did not shut down properly and electrical management issue.

Unfortunately this X3 software designed to ensure you can always start your X3 after prolonged parking, ends up defeating the usefulness of the Power Magic Pro system. It does have a bypass switch which I am now using, but will shortly replace the Power Magic Pro with an alternative hardwire power link to ACC for the cameras. This means that other than the short period of the built in super capacitor powering the units after engine shut down, continued recording while parked will be lost. BlackVue does offer a battery pack option, but it doesn't provide sufficient power for long term parking.

Thanks for reading- let me know if you have any questions.

Very nice instructions. I tried to install the rear camera, but struggled to route the cable without interfering with the hinge. Do you have any pictures on how to do this?

[JDsX3]

Originally Posted by LemmiBMW

Very nice instructions. I tried to install the rear camera, but struggled to route the cable without interfering with the hinge. Do you have any pictures on how to do this?

The only pictures I have of that part are included in my link https://insight.daumphotography.com/...meras-install/ . The most important suggestion for routing the rear camera wires are:

I recommend using several small pieces of electrical tape to secure the dash cam cable to the existing cable. Next you will be sliding the cable down the back side of the hinge (where there are already cables running). To be on the safe side, I recommend using electrical tape and making a protective wrap for about a foot along the dash cam cable, where it will be going down the backside of the hinge. If possible, secure the dash cam cable to the plastic sleeve in the inside channel of the hinge. Next, fish the cable out between the liner and the hinge and begin to use the plastic pry tool to ease the cable to the right front of the vehicle.

Let me know if you have tried that along with the removal per the link of the trim pieces. I'll see if there is anything else I can think of to assist you.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by JDsX3

However, that brought up a second issue. The X3 has software that doesn't like unknown drains on the battery while parked. In this case, the X3 continued to allow the BlackVue system to fully operate in 'parking mode' but started to shut down 'non-essential' functions and post a message. The non-essential function I noticed it shut off was the remote FOB's ability to open the trunk, for example. The message displayed when I got in the X3 was that it did not shut down properly and electrical management issue.

I was looking at the BMW Advanced Eye 2.0 which offers a powered radar parking mode (assume it stops when the voltage drops to a setpoint i.e 24 hours use). Looking at the power wiring it uses feeds from both the trunk fuse box and front fuse box, which doesn't appear to result in any error messages from power management.

[JDsX3]

Originally Posted by avi66

I was looking at the BMW Advanced Eye 2.0 which offers a powered radar parking mode (assume it stops when the voltage drops to a setpoint i.e 24 hours use). Looking at the power wiring it uses feeds from both the trunk fuse box and front fuse box, which doesn't appear to result in any error messages from power management.

That makes sense since it is essentially optional OEM equipment.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by JDsX3

That makes sense since it is essentially optional OEM equipment.

Just wondered what would happen if a Blackvue was wired in the same way using the connection points instructed by BMW.

[mentbase]

Originally Posted by LemmiBMW

Very nice instructions. I tried to install the rear camera, but struggled to route the cable without interfering with the hinge. Do you have any pictures on how to do this?

Re: wiring around hinge - there are few words about it here: https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showp...93&postcount=7
Sorry - forgot to take pictures.

[mentbase]

The setup with PMP is just a way to manage supply of power from the vehicle's on-board battery to the camera (or cameras, if there are 2ch) to allow Parking Mode (PM) feature to work. But that setup won't override the vehicle's computer settings configured to prevent the on-board battery drainage beyond certain level. You still can increase the PM duration within that capacity by changing from 'Time laps' to 'Motion & impact detection' in the BlackVue app. But just a bit. Anything else, including a way safer way, is to use B-124X (or similar battery) and, if needed, expanding it with one (or more!) batteries. To plan for several days of non-stop PM without driving car (i.e. - recharging the battery) ? - I don't think it's a good idea to count on it, unless that period is covered by capacity of the external battery (or batteries). Just IMHO.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by mentbase

The setup with PMP is just a way to manage supply of power from the vehicle's on-board battery to the camera (or cameras, if there are 2ch) to allow Parking Mode (PM) feature to work. But that setup won't override the vehicle's computer settings configured to prevent the on-board battery drainage beyond certain level. You still can increase the PM duration within that capacity by changing from 'Time laps' to 'Motion & impact detection' in the BlackVue app. But just a bit. Anything else, including a way safer way, is to use B-124X (or similar battery) and, if needed, expanding it with one (or more!) batteries. To plan for several days of non-stop PM without driving car (i.e. - recharging the battery) ? - I don't think it's a good idea to count on it, unless that period is covered by capacity of the external battery (or batteries). Just IMHO.

Thanks.

I just don't want to strip a brand new car down to start fitting batteries etc. Not really interested in long-term parking, as in days or weeks, and 24 hours would be enough for my needs.

Wish BMW would offer a decent factory install option, or at least install wiring prep.

[pock3trock3t]

Has anyone found a solution to this?

I didn’t know this about the BMW power management system. I’ve installed the DR900 before without any issues.

I’ve just bought the new model for our second car, DR970 and it has built-in own magic pro. Looks like it’s not need, BMW management system will cut the power for it!