Dash Cam - When does it record?

[edalga]

Does anyone know when the built in dash cam (using USB drive) record?

Last night someone ran a red light and I stopped my model 3 about a foot before I ran into the car. I hit the record button as soon as I passed the intersection but see it only recorded about 7 seconds after I hit the button and missed the actual event. I also see there's all sorts of random 1 minute recordings.

Would love to know how to make sure I capture an event.

 

[BluestarE3]

The dashcam is recording when the red dot appears on the camera icon. Tap the icon to save the last 10 minutes (or so) of the recording so it doesn't get overwritten. Press and hold the icon to pause recording so you can safely remove the thumbdrive.

If your dashcam was paused (no red dot) when the incident occurred, then the event did not get recorded. When you tapped the icon right after the incident, that's when recording started. So, if you want to be able to capture unanticipated events, you should leave your dashcam on all the time and then tap it when an event has occurred to preserve a recording of that event.

 

[edalga]

The dashcam is recording when the red dot appears on the camera icon. Tap the icon to save the last 10 minutes (or so) of the recording so it doesn't get overwritten. Press and hold the icon to pause recording so you can safely remove the thumbdrive.

If your dashcam was paused (no red dot) when the incident occurred, then the event did not get recorded. When you tapped the icon right after the incident, that's when recording started. So, if you want to be able to capture unanticipated events, you should leave your dashcam on all the time and then tap it when an event has occurred to preserve a recording of that event.

Thanks for the reply. Good to know more how it works. Most sites don't mention this when they explain how to use it.

Yes is was recording with the red dot all day and I hit the record button right after the event. I actually got 7 minutes prior to the event, just stopped right before the incident so was a glitch. But I think it might be caused by me hitting the icon button and getting the green check mark, I then hit it again. I wonder if that led to it messing up. I in future will hit the icon button only once in a 10 min period.

 

[ZOlivier]

The way Tesla stores videos is not optimal for quick viewing (full of small 1-minute videos, the three cameras in three different files ...).

There is now an Android app called TeslaCam Viewer on the PlayStore, you plug in your flash drive in your phone with an OTG adapter and you can watch the recorded videos side by side and well organised by date.

It becomes a lot easier to review footage.

 

[Pagemakers]

I too would like to know when the dashcam records.

My car is at home in the garage with Sentry off so I assume it’s not recording.

Just pulled the USB drive to view the videos on my phone and I noticed 27 minutes of recent recordings in my garage.

If I woke the car via the app earlier this morning would that prompt the dashcam to record and if so for how long? I have approx 27 mins of recording.