For C7 it was around 100 minutes ish for each file/recording then it just stops and won't tell you, so you dont' know it stopped recording. So before I always stop it before 100 min then hit record again. How about for C8 PDR is there a time limit? (For manual and auto recording)

I set PDR to auto record, for that when I turn off the car just turn it off and I don't need to manually turn off PDR right? it won't have a corrupt file?

 

It will just overwrite, no need to think about it. Just download if there is something specific you want to save.

 

It will automatically start recording if you set it up that way. No need to stop or restart. It will overwrite on the SD card if you tell it to. That’s how I have mine. Just in case there’s an accident that the PDR can prove my innocence….

 

By overwrite you guys mean overwrite the SD card if it's full right? I meant each file/recording until you turn off the car, is there a time limit or does it just keep recording until you turn off the car?

 

It’ll record until you turn off the car. And yes, it’ll overwrite on the SD card once “full”.

 

Mine is set to auto record too, and you don't have to do anything special when you turn the car off. The files will be fine. Also, I've definitely driven way more than 100 minutes straight, and I'm not aware of ever losing any part of a recording. I think it just keeping on going until you turn the car off.

 

FWIW. Mine is set to record when I start. Worked fine for a year then it would start and only record for a few minutes then stop. Some cards do better overwriting. It only restarted on the next car start and do the same thing. There are some designed for security videos camera recording that state their overwrite ability.

In addition I bought my name brand card for Amazon in 2020 from the lowest cost seller for that size. May have been a bootleg product.

My advice buy it AND if using a USB flash drive for music buy from a reliable source. I had the issue with my flash drive and the C8 Tech after reloading the infotainment software with no help found a comment in the GM Service Computer that said DON’T USE THAT TOP NAME BRAND FLASH DRIVE. I won’t mention the name because some get apoplectic! Just follow the advice, buy from a reliable source. My new one is still working great after a year!

 

A couple of points…
- The card will have on it numerous video files. There must be a maximum size of a file but I don’t know what it is nor have ever run into it. It’s certainly longer than 100 minutes and is probably based on file size, not time.
- I assume that when the car reaches this limit. It just starts a new video file.
- When set properly, the car will start a new video file when the car starts up.
- When the SD card is full or almost full, the oldest video file will be deleted and that space will be used for a new video file.

So the limitations are the size of the SD card and some unknown maximum video file size.

 

The format used for the SD card determines the maximum file size. FAT32 is limited to 4GB files, exFAT is basically unlimited. I could not quickly find what format the C8 uses on the cards - you can pop the card in a PC or Mac and find out the format that is used and that will tell you the maximum file size possible.

I also don’t know if you can format the card using exFAT on your PC and use it directly in your C8 or if you have to format the card in the card for it to function properly.

http://ntfs.com/exfat-comparison.htm

 

An exFAT formatted SD card works fine on the C8. I have a 128GB SD card in my C8 until my 512GB card arrives.

JT

 

The longest drive/video so far since turning on the PDR is 1h:48m long.

JT

 

Just checked and my SD card is exFAT. I guess there is no size/time limit then! (I googled and limit is 16EiB, that's so big!)

When I manually stop it, it takes awhile until I am able to hit start record again, maybe 5 to 10 seconds I think it's saving the file. Is it the same for you guys? or maybe my SD card is slow and needs to be updated, because I have to keep watching traffic and wait for it to clear and hit record and tap it again if finger moved, kind of dangerous.

When there is an accident PDR could be very useful since it has both audio and video, now if one gets hit and car turns off from the impact I wonder if the file will become corrupt? and how easily is it to recover the corrupted file.

 

Care to mention what card you are using?

A post yesterday recommended a ScanDisk High Endurance 256G U3. I plan to buy an extra one for the drive home from the museum. Thanks

 

It's what the GM Service Computer had a note from another Tech that said that top brand I was using was the issue. My Tech said he gave no reason but that was just what he found.

This is experience with Bootlegged parts. We had the first US Patents on TIG gas lenses, many water and air-cooled torches under the Heliarc Brand name. We were by far the market leader.

When patents were over the parts copiers picked our products just could not our trademarked name. Good examples were consumable type parts, collets and collet bodies, too small to put a logo only the package had our name. Copiers even copied our part numbers. Funny today even the leading welding competitors use our part numbers on copy parts they no doubt from China!

For fun just looked up the part number for our once patented gas lens collet bodies Gas Lens Collet Body for various size tungsten electrodes: 45V24 45V25 45V26 45V27
Some name I never heard of has them listed for sale! Now those are copiers but sell under their name some battery, UPB flash drives etc also copy the brand name!

So would say even the leading brand is fine IF purchased thru a reputable seller. Not so easy to find! Give you another example. I bought batteries for my C7 FOB from Amazon. Bought a brand name but from the lowest price supplier. Lasted only a year. Just replaced the battiers in my C8 FOB and bought from Best Buy in town. (Wonder how long they will exist!)

Daughter who has our old 2018 BMW SUV when wife bought her current BMW SUV. She called and said her FOB was not working. I said probably needs a battery. She said she replaced it 3 or 4 months prior. Told her before going to the BMW dealer, her plan as lives in OH, was to buy another from a reliable source. She did at a brand drug store. That was a few months ago and it's still working fine. IMO source is the key.

 

If you set it to overwrite it will overwrite the oldest recording first.

If you set it to auto record it starts when you start the car and stops when you turn it off.

JT