Dash Cam Footage Recording Setup

[miss demeanor]

Hello!

So I'm looking to purchase a dash cam storage device, I was wondering how the whole configuration of the car works. Do I need to configure anything additionally in car after plugging in to get it to record? Does it record on impact or is it always running? Does the 2018 even have a dash cam built-in?

Thanks!

 

[focher]

Yes, all Model 3s support video recording. It should be as easy as inserting the drive into the USB connector in the dash, then navigating to the Safety and Security section in the car and choosing the Format USB option. You can also configure settings whether to record while driving, saving clips by honking the horn, and controls Sentry mode (which is recording when the car is parked).

 

[hydro 481]

Hello!

So I'm looking to purchase a dash cam storage device, I was wondering how the whole configuration of the car works. Do I need to configure anything additionally in car after plugging in to get it to record? Does it record on impact or is it always running? Does the 2018 even have a dash cam built-in?

Thanks!

You can just plug in a regular USB stick or if you want something better you could use an SSD drive. I would recommend at least 120GB for the storage capacity. You can get a 128GB USB for like $20.

As far as setup, it's very straight-forward. Just plug in the drive and format it. Here's a link showing you how [New feature] How to format a USB drive in a Tesla

There's no dash cam per say but the car uses the multiple exterior cams to record. You can enable/disable Sentry Mode via your phone or the car display.

 

[jjrandorin]

Hello!

So I'm looking to purchase a dash cam storage device, I was wondering how the whole configuration of the car works. Do I need to configure anything additionally in car after plugging in to get it to record? Does it record on impact or is it always running? Does the 2018 even have a dash cam built-in?

Thanks!

There is an entire chapter in the manual on dashcam, starting on page 70 in this manual here:

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/model_3_owners_manual_north_america_en.pdf

There is also a very long existing thread on drives, etc, here:

MASTER THREAD: USB drives that work with Sentry and TeslaCam

A few days ago this message showed up: “Dashcam: USB drive is too slow to save-please use a drive with higher write speed” Then I tried to format the usb stick but it still didn’t work. The worked flawlessly for months until now. Any suggestions? Thanks.

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[miss demeanor]

There is an entire chapter in the manual on dashcam, starting on page 70 in this manual here:

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/model_3_owners_manual_north_america_en.pdf

There is also a very long existing thread on drives, etc, here:

MASTER THREAD: USB drives that work with Sentry and TeslaCam

A few days ago this message showed up: “Dashcam: USB drive is too slow to save-please use a drive with higher write speed” Then I tried to format the usb stick but it still didn’t work. The worked flawlessly for months until now. Any suggestions? Thanks.

teslamotorsclub.com

Thanks everyone! My car didn't come with a manual unfortunately, but thanks for the web link; going to save this!

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks everyone! My car didn't come with a manual unfortunately, but thanks for the web link; going to save this!

Actually, no tesla comes with a "printed" manual. The manual is accessible in the car itself through the touch screen (although some have reported issues with that version of the manual glitching the screen at times).

The manual for your vehicle is in the your tesla account and can be downloaded from there. In fact, I would suggest you download the one from your account, vs the one I linked to online, because the manual changes over time and I did not look very closely to see which version of the firmware that specific model 3 manual covers.

To download the manual from your tesla account:

1. Go to tesla.com. Click ACCOUNT in upper right hand side of screen.
2. Sign into your online tesla account (same password as you used to sign into the app). Enter 2 factor authentication if enabled
3. In the picture of your tesla vehicle, click the word MANAGE, which is a link
4. On the resultant webpage, which shows your car and various choices, find GLOVEBOX and click the down arrow to open it. Owners manual is one of the links that appears there (along with your MVPA). Click link for owners manual to open it and then save it using normal operating system controls.

 

[hydro 481]

Actually, no tesla comes with a "printed" manual. The manual is accessible in the car itself through the touch screen (although some have reported issues with that version of the manual glitching the screen at times).

The manual for your vehicle is in the your tesla account and can be downloaded from there. In fact, I would suggest you download the one from your account, vs the one I linked to online, because the manual changes over time and I did not look very closely to see which version of the firmware that specific model 3 manual covers.

To download the manual from your tesla account:

1. Go to tesla.com. Click ACCOUNT in upper right hand side of screen.
2. Sign into your online tesla account (same password as you used to sign into the app). Enter 2 factor authentication if enabled
3. In the picture of your tesla vehicle, click the word MANAGE, which is a link
4. On the resultant webpage, which shows your car and various choices, find GLOVEBOX and click the down arrow to open it. Owners manual is one of the links that appears there (along with your MVPA). Click link for owners manual to open it and then save it using normal operating system controls.

After 3 years I just realized my car has no printed manual