So you got a dashcam to protect your car. That’s awesome. With this short guide you will be able to take good care of your new equipment and be certain that your vehicle is getting the best protection it can.

Dashcams – such as the BlackVue full HD Cloud dashcams – are pretty easy to set up and are basically made so that you forget they exist most of the time. Still, there are a few easy maintenance steps you can add to your daily routine that will help you take care of your dashcam.

This article will show you five practices of a good dashcam owner.

Make sure your dashcam is installed properly

First things first, you need to make sure that your dashcam and the cables are installed properly. Check if the lens of the front camera (and the rear if you use a dual-channel dashcam such as the BlackVue DR970X-2CH) is pointed correctly – you need to find the proper balance between how much of the dashboard, the road and the sky is visible.
In doubt, we recommend angling the dashcam slightly towards the road rather than the sky. The sky should take no more than a third of the screen. Why? Because this will ensure that what really matters–i.e. other vehicles’ license plates–is properly exposed. 

Then you need to check if the cables are all plugged in correctly – both the video (coaxial) cable and the power cable. If you haven’t installed your dashcam yet, we have a page dedicated to installation videos made by BlackVue users. You can also find an installer near you if you’d like to have your dashcam installed professionally. 

Keep the unit clean

Seems like a no-brainer – swipe your dashcam (both front and rear cameras if you use a dual-channel dashcam) with a dry cloth once in a while to get rid of dust and dirt. Take extra care of the lens – clean, fingerprint-free lens is important and ensures better image quality.

Caution! You may be tempted to leave the protective film that the dashcam is protected with when you first take it out of the box. We advise against it – it may hinder the performance of the dashcam and cause overheating issues.

Use Parking mode & Cloud features 

By using both the Parking Mode and Cloud features of your Cloud-compatible dashcams you can protect your car both 24/7 and when you’re not there. Most of BlackVue dashcams (like all BlackVue dashcams with X in their model names, ie. DR770X-2CH) come with Native Parking Mode, which means you won’t need additional Parking Mode accessory for your dashcam to run when the engine is off. 

If you’d like to keep an eye on your car at all times, using the Cloud (check BlackVue Cloud for details) is the answer. From checking Live View and backing-up files to push notifications whenever something happens, your vehicle is always protected. BlackVue Cloud now offers Live Event Upload, which may be one of the biggest reasons to use Cloud – ever.

Update the firmware

Always update your dashcam with the most recent firmware. BlackVue dashcams can be updated over the air (FOTA) via the BlackVue app or  by downloading the firmware from our website. You can also update the firmware remotely if you use BlackVue Cloud. It’s essential to always check if your dashcam has the latest firmware updates installed. This ensures that the most recent security patches are in place, as well as new features and improvements that may have been added. You don’t want to miss that!

Change SD cards

Lastly, we need to talk about wear-and-tear. Dashcams themselves are made to be very durable, but at the same time, they record all the time. That means that the SD cards they use – no matter if they are high endurance – are being constantly overwritten. 

To prevent data loss, the best practice is to back up all important files as soon as they are recorded to prevent overwriting, and once every 6 months or so, change your SD card for a new one.

We hope these five simple steps will help you maintain your dashcam even better so you can use it for longer – and, of course – increase your peace of mind.