Dear Car Talk:
I have a 2025 RAM 1500. Last month, I bought a front-facing dashcam that plugs into a cigarette lighter or USB port. I thought the camera would turn off when I turned off the ignition, but it doesn’t. It stays on. I’ve tried all the power sources, but it remains on when I lock the truck and walk away.
Two questions: Am I doing something wrong that keeps the camera on all the time? And will this drain my battery? I’ve unplugged it for now. My friend’s Toyota RAV4 and Jeep Patriot don’t have this problem with the same dashcam.
— Anand
Response
Hi Anand,
A customer had a similar issue with a phone charger with an LED light that remained on after he shut off his car. He thought he’d have to unplug it every time, but he discovered it was a timed switch that eventually turned off after about 30 minutes.
In your RAM 1500, the USB ports stay powered for about an hour after you shut off the engine, so your dashcam will eventually turn off and shouldn’t harm your battery. It would take about 30-60 hours for a dashcam to drain a healthy battery, which means an hour isn’t a problem.
However, the power port (cigarette lighter) remains powered 24/7, so leaving the dashcam plugged into that could eventually kill the battery. A workaround is to adjust the fuse. If you move the fuse for the power port from holes one and two to holes two and three in the fuse box under the dash, it will shut off when you turn off the ignition.
This way, you won’t have to unplug your dashcam every time, and you can focus on reviewing your dashcam footage!
If you have more questions, feel free to reach out!
Best,
Ray
