Garmin Dash Cam Power Issues, Frozen, or Not Powering On

Check the Following if a Garmin Dash Cam™ Won't Power On or is Having Power Issues, Freezes, or Experiences Freezing During Recording:

• Ensure one of the Garmin cables that came with the camera is being used. NOTE: The Garmin Dash Cam™ X110, Garmin Dash Cam™ X210, Garmin Dash Cam™ X310, and Garmin Dash Cam™ Mini 3 driving recorders come with the longer 13 ft. (4 meter) cable only. 

  • If the shorter cable is being used, try using the longer power cable.
    
  • For the Garmin Dash Cam™ Mini, Mini 2, or Mini 3 - If the LED is stuck on a green light while plugged into the vehicle, use the longer power cable.
  • For Dash Cams with displays - If the display shows a black screen with the Garmin logo with either garmin.com/express or garmin.com/dashcamvideos below it, use the longer power cable.
• Use the Dual USB Adapter that came with the camera and plug it directly into a 12V power outlet or cigarette lighter outlet in the vehicle, rather than through a splitter or straight into a USB port to prevent a freeze or power issue.
• Update the camera software. See the owner’s manual for instructions.
• If the vehicle is hot, allow it to cool down before plugging in the Dash Cam.
  • See Charging Factors for an Automotive Device for more information about temperature.
• Connect the device to a power source with its car charger cable. Press and hold the power button and slowly count to 20.
  • The Garmin Dash Cam Mini, Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3, and Garmin Dash Cam Tandem do not have a power button.
    • These models should turn on after being connected to an adequate power source.
    • If the Garmin Dash Cam Tandem does not power on, press and hold the Save button for 10 seconds and release the Save button once the light turns off and becomes green. This indicates the device has reset and is now powering up.
  • An A/C adapter or USB charging block may also be used for testing purposes, but if the problem persists it may be due to an insufficient power level.  In that case the Dual USB Adapter in your vehicle's 12V auxiliary power outlet will need to be used.
    
  • Remove the installed microSD card and try this step again. If the camera powers on and displays a memory card error, reinsert the microSD card. If the issue persists, use a new compatible microSD card.
    • Use only authentic microSD cards to avoid slot with thickness specs 0.7mm +/- 0.1mm to avoid slot damage. 
    • For more info see SD Memory Card Compatibility for Garmin Dash Cams.