BMW OEM Dash Cam

[Anonymous]

BMW OEM Dash cams not compatible with BMW i3??

In looking at the BMW OEM Front/Rear Dash Cam kit, it has an interesting note on installation:

If an AGM Absorbent Glass Mat battery is not installed in the vehicle it will be necessary to retrofit one.

followed by:

AGM or lithium-ion battery, installation Prohibited in USA

Which, I guess, is the reason the BMW OEM Dash Cam is not normally available in the US. I'm assuming that this is because the i3 12v battery isn't up to powering a dash cam setup for hours-on-end when it is in "park mode", with the car off, and the camera drawing power just from the 12v battery.

 

[TheMK]

What's funny about that statement is that AFAIK, all U.S. i3s have the 20Ah AGM battery!

But, it's 20Ah, which means that it's not going to be powering a dash cam for hours on end either. Something interesting would be if the i3's DC to DC converter can turn on while the vehicle is parked and in standby, if the 12V voltage drops below a predetermine threshold.

 

[AndrewDebbie]

Some people on the UK facebook group say they've got the BMW dash cams installed. We might get a different kit here. No idea.

 

[Anonymous]

Some people on the UK facebook group say they've got the BMW dash cams installed. We might get a different kit here. No idea.

I know that here in the US, people have installed other brands of dash cameras, either just plugging them in to the power-port below the dash, which doesn't stay on for long after the car is shut off, or using add-a-fuse to plug them into the fuse box on a circuit that is powered when the car is on. Negates the parking mode, but saves the battery. To use the parking mode, there are portable recharge-able UPS's available that some use, to power the camera in park-mode for a chunk of time when the car is off.

Wonder who is the actual manufacturer of the BMW dash cams, and what other installation option accessories they might sell outside the BMW universe, like a dash power plug, etc?

EDIT: Posted on other sites - it is a re-branded "Mondo Bf100" manufactured in Korea. And seems pretty much "end-of-life", current version video viewing software not supported by windows 10, etc. Supposedly being replaced by a (more expensive) version 2

 

[Anonymous]

But, it's 20Ah, which means that it's not going to be powering a dash cam for hours on end either

Must be why when you look up the BMW dash cam kit, and check the "compatible with" list, the i3 isn't shown.