Battery Dashcam Discharge Prevention
Dash cams that utilize parking mode draw energy from the car battery while parked and can drain the battery over time.
If left for extended periods of time this can drain the car battery to a point where your car will no longer start.
Furthermore, it is also not good for your car battery to be frequently drained below 80-90% as this can decrease the life span of the battery.
That’s why there is a battery dashcam discharge prevention device, also know as a battery protector, electric power controller, low battery cutoff device, or uninterrupted power cable.
Our top picks:
1. Power Magic Pro BlackVue Vehicle Battery Discharge Prevention Device
2. VicoCation Vico-Power PLUS Battery Discharge Prevention Device

As a rule of thumb, you want to keep your car battery at 80-90% and this equates to about 12.4 volts. Many battery discharge prevention devices have levels that are much lower than this. While they save your car’s battery from dying, they are still letting the battery deep cycle to levels under 80-90% which can negatively affect its lifespan.
What is a battery discharge device:
This piece of equipment is hardwired into your car and connected to your dash cam. It will shut off your dash cam if your battery reaches a set level or after a certain amount of time.
A quality battery discharge prevention device will allow you to set the shut off voltage level as well as have a timer option.
Who needs one:
For daily commuters or people who drive their car every day, a battery discharge prevention device is not a necessity.
Most modern dash cams don’t drain enough energy from batteries when left on for a few hours up to a few days for battery drain to be an issue.
However, if you plan on leaving your dash cam in parking mode for extended periods of time (a few days or longer) we highly recommend a battery discharge prevention device.
For car owners with an old battery or one that has given you issues in the past we recommend getting a new car battery. While a battery discharge device will indeed solve the issues of draining your car’s battery it is more of a short-term solution. Getting a new battery will improve the performance of your vehicle and eliminate the need for a battery discharge device if you drive your vehicle on a daily basis.
Voltage cut off:
We know that car batteries shouldn’t routinely be drained below 80-90% in order to maximize their lifespan.
Putting measurements to this percentage is more complicated. Temperature, along with the specific type of battery employed in your vehicle are key factors to estimate the number of volts at various percentages of a battery charge.
We put together this chart for various temperatures using a typical 12V lead acid car battery to help you figure out where to set your battery prevention device to keep your car battery at or above the 80-90% level.
Conclusion:
A battery discharge device can shut off your dashboard camera if it drains your car battery to a voltage threshold or length of time that you set.
Owning one is really only necessary if you plan on leaving your dash cam in parking mode for more than a few days or if you want to protect an aging car battery.
Make sure to check out the settings of your battery discharge device so that you have reasonable levels set for both time and voltage. You should aim to keep your car battery at 80-90% or above at all times to maximize its lifespan.