Struggling to get your Rexing V1 dash cam to hold a charge or keep its settings? You’re probably dealing with a tired old battery, and thankfully, swapping it out is a fix you can totally handle yourself! It’s a pretty common issue since these small batteries, especially in dash cams that sit in hot cars all day, just don’t last forever. But don’t worry, you don’t necessarily need to shell out for a brand new dash cam. With a little patience and the right tools, you can give your trusty Rexing V1 a new lease on life, save some money, and keep capturing those important moments on the road.
We’re going to walk through everything you need to know, from spotting the signs of a failing battery to the nitty-gritty of the replacement process. We’ll even talk about why your dash cam has a battery in the first place and how to make sure your new one lasts. So, let’s get your Rexing V1 back in top shape!
Why Your Rexing V1 Battery Might Be Giving Up the Ghost
Your dash cam isn’t a smartphone, and its internal battery isn’t really designed to power it for hours on end. For a Rexing V1, the internal lithium-ion battery is mostly there for emergencies. Think of it as a tiny backup generator. When you turn off your car, it gives the dash cam just enough juice—typically anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes, depending on the model and its age—to properly save the last video file and shut down gracefully. If this little battery is weak, your dash cam can get a bit confused.
You might notice a few tell-tale signs that it’s time for a replacement:
- Random Reboots: Your dash cam keeps turning off and on, especially when you start or stop your car. This is often because it can’t maintain a stable power supply internally during transitions.
- Not Saving the Last File: Ever check your footage and realize the very last clip from your drive is corrupted or missing? That’s a classic symptom of a battery that can’t provide enough power to finalize the recording when the main power cuts out. It’s super frustrating, especially if that was the one you really needed!
- Immediate Shutdown: If your dash cam powers off almost instantly after you turn off your car, instead of taking a few seconds to shut down, its battery is likely shot. It just doesn’t have the capacity to keep things running for even a short period.
- Time and Date Resetting: This is a big one. If every time you start your car, the dash cam asks you to set the date and time, the internal battery that maintains these settings is no longer holding a charge. It’s basically losing its memory with every power cycle.
- Bloated Battery Warning!: In some cases, a severely degraded lithium-ion battery can swell up. If you manage to peek inside your dash cam carefully!, and see a bulging battery, it definitely needs replacing. This can be a fire hazard, so handle with extreme care.
Why do they fail? Well, those little lithium-ion batteries are sensitive. They don’t love extreme heat, which is a pretty regular occurrence inside a car parked under the sun. Constant charging and discharging, even if it’s just for those few seconds of shutdown, also takes a toll over time. Generally, you can expect an internal dash cam battery to last anywhere from 1 to 2 years with regular use, though some might go a bit longer or shorter depending on your climate and usage habits.
Understanding the Battery vs. Supercapacitor Debate
Now, you might hear a lot about “supercapacitors” in newer dash cams, and it’s worth a quick chat about why that matters for your Rexing V1. Your Ultimate Guide to the Rexing V1 Basic Dash Cam: Everything You Need to Know
Many modern dash cams, including some newer Rexing models like the V1P Pro, have moved away from traditional lithium-ion batteries and now use supercapacitors. What’s the big deal?
- Lithium-Ion Batteries like in your V1: These are what you find in most portable electronics. They store a decent amount of energy and can power the device for a short while even without external power. The downside? They’re sensitive to heat and cold, degrade over time with charge cycles typically around 500-1,000 full cycles, and can sometimes swell or even pose a fire risk if faulty or old.
- Supercapacitors: These are different. They store energy electrostatically, not chemically. The huge advantages are their extreme temperature resistance they don’t care about a hot car!, much longer lifespan up to half a million cycles!, and quick charging/discharging. The main “con” is that they only hold enough power for a few seconds to properly shut down, so they can’t power your dash cam for minutes like a small battery could.
Since your Rexing V1 likely uses a lithium-ion battery, these environmental factors and charge cycles are what lead to its eventual demise. That’s why we’re talking about replacement here – it’s a known wear-and-tear item for this specific type of dash cam.
Is It Worth Replacing Your Rexing V1 Battery?
This is a fair question, right? When your dash cam starts acting up, you might wonder if it’s just better to buy a whole new one. But for the Rexing V1, replacing the battery can be a really smart move, especially if you like your current camera and it’s otherwise working perfectly.
Here’s why it’s often worth it: Master Your Rexing V1P Dash Cam: The Ultimate User Manual & Setup Guide!
- Cost Savings: A replacement battery typically costs a fraction of a new dash cam. You can often find suitable batteries online for a low price. Think about it: a few dollars for a battery versus potentially over a hundred for a new unit. That’s a significant saving.
- Environmental Impact: Keeping electronics out of landfills is always a good thing. By fixing your existing dash cam, you’re contributing to less electronic waste.
- Familiarity: You already know how to use your Rexing V1. You’ve got it mounted just right, and all your settings are dialed in. Why go through the hassle of learning a new system, finding a new mount, and adjusting to a different interface if you don’t have to?
- It’s Doable! While it involves some delicate work and soldering don’t worry, we’ll guide you through it, it’s a pretty straightforward repair for someone with basic DIY skills. Many people have successfully done this.
So, if your Rexing V1 is otherwise performing well and you’re just seeing those classic battery failure symptoms, a battery replacement is definitely worth considering.
What You’ll Need for the Swap
Before you start tearing into your dash cam, gather all your tools and the new battery. Trust me, having everything laid out makes the process much smoother and less stressful.
Tools:
- Small Phillips Head Screwdriver: You’ll need this to open the dash cam’s casing. Make sure it’s a precision screwdriver that fits those tiny screws well to avoid stripping them.
- Prying Tool Plastic or Thin Metal: A plastic spudger like those used for phone repairs is ideal, or a very thin flathead screwdriver, to gently separate the casing without damaging the plastic.
- Soldering Iron: This is crucial. You’ll need to de-solder the old battery and solder the new one. A basic, variable-temperature soldering iron is perfect. Aim for a temperature around 750°F about 400°C as a good starting point for electronics.
- Solder: Thin gauge, rosin-core solder is best for small electronics.
- Flux Optional but Recommended: This helps the solder flow better and makes for cleaner joints. It looks a bit like Vaseline or lard! You can dab it on the wires or the soldering iron tip.
- Wire Strippers: For stripping a tiny bit of insulation off the new battery wires if they aren’t pre-stripped. Small, precision strippers are best.
- Heat Shrink Tubing or Electrical Tape: To insulate your new solder joints and prevent short circuits. Heat shrink tubing looks much cleaner, but electrical tape works in a pinch.
- Tweezers: Handy for manipulating tiny wires and components.
- Small Container: For keeping those tiny screws safe so they don’t roll off your workspace and disappear into another dimension.
The New Battery:
This is the most critical part! You’ll need a suitable replacement battery. The Rexing V1 typically uses a 3.7V lithium-ion or lithium-polymer battery.
- Voltage: Make sure it’s 3.7V.
- mAh Milliampere-hour: This is the capacity. You’ll often find the original around 320 mAh. You can usually go for a slightly higher mAh e.g., 350 mAh or even 600 mAh if you can find one that fits, as this just means slightly longer emergency power. A higher mAh battery might be a bit thicker, so double-check dimensions.
- Dimensions: This is super important. The battery needs to physically fit inside your Rexing V1’s casing. Measure your old battery length, width, thickness and try to find one with similar or smaller dimensions. Standard sizes like 402030 4mm thick, 20mm wide, 30mm long or 303040 3mm thick, 30mm wide, 40mm long are common for these small electronics.
- Source: Look for these on electronics marketplaces like eBay or AliExpress. Search using the voltage and dimensions e.g., “3.7V LiPo battery 303040”.
Safety Note: Always handle lithium-ion batteries with care. If your old battery is visibly swollen, be extra gentle with it. Do not puncture it. Dispose of old batteries responsibly at an electronics recycling center. Rexing V33 Plus Dash Cam: Your Complete Road Companion
Step-by-Step Rexing V1 Battery Replacement
Alright, let’s get your hands dirty! Take your time with each step, and if something feels forced, stop and re-evaluate. Patience is your best friend here.
Step 1: Power Down and Prepare
First things first: unplug your Rexing V1 from any power source. You don’t want any power running through it while you’re working. Also, remove the SD card. You definitely don’t want to accidentally damage it.
Set up a clean, well-lit workspace. Having a mat or a piece of cloth can prevent small screws from rolling away.
Step 2: Carefully Open the Dash Cam Casing
The Rexing V1’s casing is usually held together by a few small Phillips head screws. Getting Started: What’s in Your Rexing V1P Flex X4 Box?
- Locate the Screws: Typically, there are four screws on the back of the unit. Sometimes they might be hidden under rubber feet or stickers, so check carefully. If there’s a sticker covering a screw, be aware that removing it might void any remaining warranty though if your battery is dead, it’s likely out of warranty anyway.
- Unscrew Them: Use your precision Phillips head screwdriver. Apply firm but gentle pressure and turn slowly to avoid stripping the screw heads. Place these tiny screws directly into your small container.
- Separate the Casing: Once all screws are removed, gently pry apart the two halves of the casing. Start with a thin plastic prying tool in a seam, wiggling it gently. Don’t force it. the plastic clips might be a bit stubborn. Take your time, working your way around the edges until the case starts to split open. You might hear some small clicks as the plastic clips release.
Step 3: Identify and Disconnect the Old Battery
With the casing open, you’ll see the internal components. The battery is usually a small, flat, rectangular pack, often wrapped in yellow or black protective film, with two wires red and black leading to the circuit board.
- Locate the Battery: It’s usually tucked into a corner or compartment. Some older batteries might be stuck down with double-sided adhesive.
- Inspect the Old Battery: Check if it’s visibly swollen. If it is, handle it very carefully.
- Identify Solder Points: Follow the red positive and black negative wires from the battery to where they are soldered onto the main circuit board. Take a picture with your phone if it helps you remember which wire goes where, though red is always positive and black is always negative.
- Prepare for Desoldering: Heat up your soldering iron. If you’re using flux, apply a tiny bit to the solder joints you’re about to work on.
- Desolder One Wire at a Time: This is a critical safety step to prevent short-circuiting.
- Pick one wire e.g., the black one.
- Touch the hot tip of your soldering iron to the solder joint where that wire connects.
- Once the solder melts, gently pull the wire away with tweezers or your fingers careful, it’s hot!.
- Repeat for the other wire. If the old battery was glued down, gently pry it up with your plastic tool.
Step 4: Prepare the New Battery
Your new battery will likely come with wires attached, possibly with a small connector that won’t fit your Rexing V1’s board.
- Cut the Wires: Carefully cut the wires on the new battery, leaving enough length to reach the solder points on your dash cam’s circuit board. You’ll be soldering these directly. Cut one wire at a time, making sure the exposed ends don’t touch anything.
- Strip the Wires: If the ends aren’t already stripped, use your wire strippers to expose about 2-3mm of copper wire on both the red and black leads. Gently twist the exposed copper strands together to make them neat and prevent fraying.
- “Tin” the Wires Recommended: This step makes soldering much easier. Apply a tiny bit of flux to the stripped wire ends, then touch the hot soldering iron to the wire while feeding a small amount of solder onto it. The wire should get a thin, shiny coating of solder. This is called “tinning.” Do this for both red and black wires.
Step 5: Solder the New Battery In Place
Now it’s time to connect the new battery to your dash cam.
- Solder One Wire at a Time Again, Safety First!: Just like desoldering, do not solder both wires at the same time or let them touch.
- Match the red wire from your new battery to the positive solder point on the circuit board where the old red wire was.
- Heat the solder point on the board with your iron, then touch the tinned end of the new battery’s red wire to the molten solder. Remove the iron and hold the wire still for a few seconds until the solder cools and solidifies, creating a strong connection.
- Repeat the process for the black negative wire.
- Insulate the Joints: Once both wires are securely soldered and cooled, slide a small piece of heat shrink tubing over each joint and shrink it with a heat gun or the side of your soldering iron carefully, without touching the bare plastic. If you don’t have heat shrink, wrap each joint neatly with a small piece of electrical tape. This is crucial to prevent short circuits.
- Secure the Battery: If there’s space, you can use a small piece of double-sided gorilla tape or similar adhesive to secure the new battery in its compartment, preventing it from rattling around inside the casing.
Step 6: Reassemble Your Rexing V1
You’re almost there!
- Carefully Close the Casing: Align the two halves of the dash cam casing. Make sure no wires are pinched and that the screen if applicable and buttons are properly seated. Gently press the halves together until the clips engage.
- Replace the Screws: Put the tiny Phillips head screws back into their holes. Don’t overtighten them, as you can strip the plastic. Just snug is good.
- Test It Out: Reinsert your SD card. Connect your Rexing V1 to its car charger. It might take a few minutes for the new battery to get some initial charge, especially if it was completely depleted.
- Check if it powers on correctly.
- Verify if the date and time settings hold after unplugging it for a moment after it’s had a chance to charge for 5-10 minutes.
- Make sure it shuts down properly after disconnecting power.
If all goes well, congratulations! You’ve successfully replaced your Rexing V1 dash cam battery and saved yourself some money. Mastering Your Rexing V3C Dash Cam: Your Ultimate Guide to Installation, Features, and Troubleshooting
Tips for Extending Your Dash Cam’s Battery Life New and Old
Even with a fresh battery, a dash cam’s internal power source isn’t designed for heavy lifting. Here are some pro tips to help your new battery and your dash cam in general last longer:
- Always Keep It Plugged In: This is the golden rule for dash cams with internal batteries. Your Rexing V1 is designed to operate primarily while connected to your car’s power supply. The internal battery is truly just for those emergency shutdowns.
- Use the Right Charger: Always use the Rexing-approved car charger that came with your dash cam, or a compatible hardwire kit. Generic or low-power USB ports in your car might not provide enough amperage, which can lead to charging issues or even damage the device. Faulty connections can cause issues too.
- Manage Parking Mode if applicable: If your V1 has a parking mode that records while the car is off, understand how it draws power. For extended parking surveillance, a dedicated dash cam battery pack or a hardwire kit with low-voltage cutoff protection is highly recommended to avoid draining your car battery and to reduce strain on the dash cam’s internal battery. Some Rexing models like the V1P Pro even boast supercapacitors for better parking mode performance.
- Avoid Extreme Temperatures: While you can’t always control the weather, try to park in shaded areas in summer to reduce internal car temperatures. Extreme heat and cold are harsh on lithium-ion batteries.
- Regularly Format Your SD Card: This helps maintain overall dash cam health. Format your SD card directly within the dash cam’s settings at least once a month. This prevents file corruption and ensures smooth recording.
- Keep Firmware Updated: Sometimes, power management improvements are included in firmware updates. Check the Rexing website for the latest firmware for your specific V1 model and follow their update instructions carefully.
Troubleshooting After Replacement
What if you’ve done the battery swap, but your Rexing V1 is still acting up? Don’t despair, here are a few things to check:
- Check Your Solder Joints: Are the connections solid? Sometimes a “cold” solder joint where the solder didn’t properly melt and bond can cause intermittent issues. Gently tug on the wires to see if they’re secure. If not, re-solder.
- Ensure Wires Aren’t Pinched: When reassembling, it’s easy for tiny wires to get caught between the casing halves. Open it up again and double-check.
- Confirm Battery Polarity: Did you connect the red wire to positive and the black wire to negative? Reversing polarity can cause serious damage.
- Try a Different Power Source: If the dash cam still won’t power on reliably, test it with a different car charger or a wall adapter that provides sufficient power. Sometimes the issue might be with your charging cable or car’s power outlet, not the dash cam itself.
- Perform a Factory Reset: After any major internal change like a battery replacement, performing a factory reset through the dash cam’s menu can help clear any software glitches. Remember to reformat your SD card afterward.
- Contact Rexing Support if all else fails: If you’ve tried everything and it’s still not working, it might be a more complex issue with the circuit board itself. You can reach out to Rexing support for further assistance, especially if you have an important corrupted file.
Grab 50% OFF on RexingUSA.com Your Ultimate Guide to the Rexing V1P Flex X4 4K WiFi Dual Dash Cam
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you change the battery in a Rexing V1 dash cam?
Yes, you absolutely can change the battery in a Rexing V1 dash cam. It’s a common DIY repair for these models, often involving opening the case and some basic soldering to replace the internal lithium-ion battery.
How long do Rexing V1 dash cam batteries typically last?
The internal lithium-ion battery in a Rexing V1 dash cam is primarily for emergency use to save the last file, not continuous operation. Its effective lifespan, especially in hot car environments, is typically 1 to 2 years. When fully charged, it might only provide power for about 5 to 45 minutes when disconnected from the car’s power.
What are the signs that my Rexing V1 dash cam battery needs to be replaced?
Common signs include the dash cam randomly rebooting, failing to properly save the last video file when the car turns off, immediately shutting down after disconnecting from power, or constantly losing the correct date and time settings.
Is it difficult to replace the battery in a Rexing V1, and do I need to solder?
Replacing the battery in a Rexing V1 is a moderately difficult DIY task. It requires opening the dash cam’s casing, desoldering the old battery, and soldering the new one in place. If you’re comfortable with basic electronics and soldering, it’s definitely doable.
Where can I buy a replacement battery for my Rexing V1?
You can typically find suitable replacement 3.7V lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries on online marketplaces like eBay or AliExpress. You’ll need to match the voltage 3.7V and ensure the physical dimensions length, width, thickness and mAh capacity are compatible with your Rexing V1. Mastering Your Rexing V5C: A Smooth Firmware Update Guide
What’s the difference between a dash cam with a battery and one with a supercapacitor?
Dash cams with lithium-ion batteries like the Rexing V1 can provide a bit more standalone power minutes but are sensitive to temperature, degrade over time, and have a shorter lifespan. Dash cams with supercapacitors found in newer models like Rexing V1P Pro are much more durable, resistant to extreme temperatures, and have a significantly longer lifespan, but they only provide power for a few seconds to safely shut down.
Can a bad dash cam battery drain my car battery?
Generally, a small internal dash cam battery cannot drain your car battery because the dash cam is designed to draw power from your car’s electrical system, not the other way around. However, if your dash cam has parking mode enabled and isn’t connected via a smart hardwire kit with low-voltage cutoff protection, the dash cam itself not its internal battery could potentially drain your car battery by continuously drawing power. The dash cam’s internal battery issue mostly affects its own functions, not your car’s battery.
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