I intend to install a rear facing Dash Cam, as half the collisions are into the rear of the car.
I have a suitable camera for it if I can get the power from wires in the hatch. I have a camera with front and rear facing lenses but running the wire from front to back is a pain in the ***.
The only constant power in the hatch is the license plate lights. they are supplied the 12 volt via an 18 g wire. I have replaced the lamps with LED lamps.
The question is can the 18 g wire supply enough power for the camera as well as the light, the ground wire to the lamps is 20 g wire.

I guess I could figure it out but it would take days and I would not be sure of the answer.

The camera specs are 12V at 3 to 3.8 W.
The transformer for the camera is 5 volt 2 amp.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

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Dave, that transformer can be 10 amps (in other words just because the supplier put a 2 amp transformer into the package it doesn't mean the system your installing takes 2 amps because that might have been the least expensive and available transformer). It is the camera current draw you need to consider in this application. What is the voltage and current for the camera? A simple ohms law calculation can give you the actual max current the system will have (along with a minor loss in that transformer). The bulbs at 12v/4w will be 0.333 amp (or 333ma) times the number of bulbs (if you have two of the same, it's 0.666 amps or 666ma). So, look for the current draw of the camera and you can figure out the power needed. I seriously doubt the camera takes 2 amp, you'll have to know what the camera actually uses to know what current the transformer is actually using (of the 2 amp maximum designed current flow at 5 volts out). Finally, I have no idea what Canada does about rear-end collisions because if your not backing up, the car that hits you will be liable for the damage (plus, I would not want a camera recording the damage to the driver when I went back to his car if he hit me from behind while distracted, the video would be used against me).


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If hit from behind and I am stationary or moving forward, the other driver is at fault.
I do not know what you mean in your last sentence, who is distracted me or him?

I have spotted a serious error in my specs, it is the camera specs not the lamp specs, big difference, sorry.
My electrical knowledge is basically zero,

 

Double post deleted.

 

What I meant by that above, is if he hits my XF while he is distracted and there is a video of it running in my car, it may catch the whole amount of whoop-*** on him for damaging my car.


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So it’s the 😉 in your post what I missed, OK
I tend to just read the words.
Did you see that I had mistakenly written lamp instead of camera?
I think that should be sufficient facts to see if an 18 g wire was strong enough to carry a constant camera load.
I will try and sell it back to the US where it came from, Canadians are pretty cheap.
The car may be coming up for sale soon due to moving and having only one garage in the future.☹️
I have had it nearly 13 years and babied it, no winter use at all and stored in the garage that never went below 35 deg F.
It will be a sad loss but the house is easily twice the size we need and we are slowing down.

 

I hope if you sell your car you will still visit this site. You are a true asset.

 

Thanks for that comment, I have only asked a few questions since 2006 and hardly had an answer.
Sparky stuff I do not know about, simple for others I guess but not for me. I am mechanically incllined.
Has no body got an answer? PLEASE.

 

Like you I'm more mechanical than electronically inclined.
This is just a thought, I don't know if this would work or not.
Could you temporarily rig the camera to a battery with a couple of pieces of 18 Gauge wire and see if it works? Maybe rig a meter in between the camera and the battery to test the current draw.
I wish I could be of more help.

I've only been here about a year, but ditto to what zeracer said.

 

Thanks to the three that did answer my question, so I guess its a case of suck it and see.