My dash cam enters parking mode while driving

This article helps you troubleshoot a THINKWARE dash cam that enters Parking Mode while driving.

Parking settings, power cable type, ACC and constant-power connections, battery protection thresholds, the Off Timer, and vehicle battery age can affect recording.

Note: If your dash cam is not recording while driving, it is because the microSD card displays a memory error or formatting prompt, please refer to My dash cam announces "Memory Card Error".

Note: If you hear "Parking recording will now start" while driving, check the ACC signal and voltage from the power harness.

Already tried some steps? Jump to:

1. Adjust Parking Mode Waiting Time Setting

2. Inspect the OBD-II Port and Vehicle-Type Switch

Check Parking Mode Power Connections

Depending on your installed power cable, verify the electrical connections below:

Select your power cable or battery pack:

Hardwiring Cable
THINKWARE OBD-II Power Cable with selector switches
THINKWARE OBD-II Power Cable without selector switches
Echomaster OBD-II Power Cable
iVolt External Battery Pack (BAB-95 / BAB-50)

Hardwiring Cable

Required tools: Multimeter or circuit tester.

1. Use a circuit tester at the vehicle fuse box to verify that current flows on the Red (ACC) wire only when the ignition is ON, and on the Yellow (BATTERY) wire at all times (constant 12V).

2. Check the wire color and printed sheath label together: Red = ACC, Yellow = BATTERY, Black = GND.

THINKWARE Hardwiring Cable showing the Red ACC, Yellow BATTERY, and Black GND wires with printed labels

3. Inspect the Black (GND) ground wire eyelet. Ensure it is securely bolted to bare, unpainted metal on the vehicle chassis.

Black GND wire secured to bare unpainted chassis metal

4. If the dash cam stays powered on without announcing "Parking recording will now start", check whether the Red ACC wire uses a constant fuse. Connect it to an ignition-switched fuse, such as the cigarette lighter or wiper fuse.

Red ACC wire connected to an ignition-switched fuse and Yellow BATTERY wire connected to a constant-power fuse

For power cable installation guidance, see How to install a Hardwiring Cable.

THINKWARE OBD-II Power Cable with selector switches

1. Set the vehicle-type switch to [F] for gasoline vehicles or [EV] for electric and hybrid vehicles. Set the parking switch to [P] to enable Parking Mode.

OBD-II Power Cable selector showing EV and F vehicle settings & D and P parking settings

2. Check that the OBD-II connector is firmly seated, the cable indicator is lit, and the power cable is connected to the dash cam.

3. Turn off the engine and check whether the dash cam enters Parking Mode. Allow the configured Parking Mode Waiting Time (default 30 seconds, adjustable to 1–5 minutes), plus approximately 5 minutes for gasoline vehicles or 10 minutes for electric and hybrid vehicles.

For power cable installation guidance, see How to install an OBD-II Power Cable.

THINKWARE OBD-II Power Cable without selector switches

1. Confirm that Parking Mode is enabled in the dash cam settings.

2. If you have a power connection issue, disconnect and reconnect the OBD-II Power Cable three times to reset the connection.

Old OBD-II Power Cable without selector switches

Echomaster OBD-II Power Cable

This cable does not support hybrid, electric, or stop-and-start vehicles. Contact THINKWARE support to check compatibility with your vehicle.

1. Check the IGN-3F module indicator: it should stay solid with the ignition ON and flash slowly with the ignition OFF.

2. If you have a power connection issue, disconnect and reconnect the OBD-II Power Cable three times to reset the connection.

iVolt External Battery Pack (BAB-95 / BAB-50)

1. Verify that the output cable Red ACC wire is spliced securely to the dash cam hardwire harness Red ACC wire.

2. Check the input connection for your battery model:

BAB-50: Have the installer verify that the input cable is connected to an ACC power source.

BAB-95: Have the installer verify the B+ power input and the separate ACC IN connection against the installation guide.

For detailed iVolt installation instructions, see How to power your dash cam (iVolt Mini Battery Pack) or How to power your dash cam (iVolt Xtra Battery Pack).

Adjust Parking Mode Waiting Time Setting

1. Open the THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK app > [Dash Cam Settings] > [Record Settings] > [Parking Mode Waiting Time].

2. Increase the waiting time threshold to 2 min or 5 min.

A longer waiting time helps prevent short voltage drops, including auto-stop/start cycles at traffic lights, from triggering Parking Mode.

For a Hardwiring Cable, have the installer check that Red ACC loses power with ignition OFF and try a different ignition-switched fuse if needed. For iVolt, check the input power and output ACC connections described above.

Inspect the OBD-II Port and Vehicle-Type Switch

1. Identify your OBD-II Power Cable version and follow the matching checks under Check Parking Mode Power Connections above.

2. If the dash cam still enters Parking Mode while driving, contact THINKWARE support to check vehicle compatibility and the cable.

None of the above worked

If Parking Mode still does not work after checking app settings, ACC/constant fuse connections, voltage thresholds, and battery health, contact THINKWARE support.

Please refer to About THINKWARE's warranty policy for warranty requests or technical evaluation.

Need more help?

Contact the support team for your region by email or phone. We’ll respond to your email as quickly as we can.

North America (US/CA)
Email: support@thinkware.com
Phone: 1-844-865-9273

United Kingdom (UK)
Email: support.eu@thinkware.com
Phone: +44 (0) 333-121-0008

Europe (EU)
Email: support@thinkwarestore.com
Phone: +49 69 943 22200