i have 3 v3 cams all no more than 3 years old. all are not fully working. sd card slot suddenly stop working, sometimes not even working after a factory reset…and/or a reset is successful but then stops and shows the camera is off even though its still plugged in. over time ive been replacing the cams but now the 3rd one is giving issues and im just wondering why arent these cams lasting very long. im curious on how long peoples cams is lasting them and which model. thinking about getting the v4 and hoping its better built than v3
I know some people report having cameras fail over time.
I don’t know why I am different though. I have over 50 cameras with Wyze, several since Spring of 2020 when I first got cameras, and I have basically every model. So far I have not had a single Wyze camera with SD card issues or stop working. I am sure their an average or curve of how long they last and I’m just on the upper end of the average.
I know V3’s tend to have more problems if the lens is pointed slightly upward outdoors (elements wear out the seal there faster) or hung upside down in a location where weather could hit the SD card seal and wear it out faster. But usually pointed straight or downward and not flipped 180 degrees and they generally seem to last a long time. I have some that have been sitting outside on a window-ledge pointed slightly downward since the day they were released and they’re still going strong.
SD card slot is susceptible to moisture, even with the rubber boot over it. Is your cam mounted right side up or upside down? Is it at an sharp angle that might let water run down the cam body and get into the SD or even the speaker on the back?
Also the tail that comes off the back of the camera should have a drip loop in it to keep water from running along the wire and making its way into the camera.
The IP rating on these cams is “water resistant” so when exposed to rain you still need to take some steps to protect them.
On your current cams you can try unplugging, removing the SD card, putting a few drops of contact cleaner (CRD QD or WD40 contact cleaner) and insert/remove the SD card several times, wiping off the contacts each time to try and remove any dirt/water/corrosion. Personally I like to use a junk/spare SD card for this but in theory the cleaner should not affect the card. If you do use a spare SD card, clean the contacts on your main one with a soft cloth and some of the cleaner as well.
Then a few more drops into the slot and blow it out with compressed air as a “final rinse”. If you don’t have/want to buy one of those cleaners, 91% isopropyl alcohol will work, just will take a bit longer to dry out, but if you blow it out with air and leave the rubber boot open and facing up for 5-10 mins should dry out.
Or going a totally other direction, have you checked the power adapters? When those start to die one of the first things you might notice is issues with the SD card and/or wifi. The USB power bricks that come with these aren’t the most robust, and 3 years of constant use may just be their lifespan.
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Great info. I keep forgetting to remind people about a drip loop because it’s such a natural thing I do, but it is very important and something that often wears out people’s electronics outdoors, especially if they aren’t immersion rated since a cord can make water flows act similar to constant immersion instead of splash.
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I guess I have been lucky, but then all of my cams are inside a environmentally-controlled house sitting on a window sill. The only fear is from too much sun. I have had my v2 and v3s since 2019. Not sure when v3s came out.
All of these cams are indoor, hanging on the wall facing down. cam A wasnt detecting the sd card,tried to get to work but no luck. i had a working cam (cam B) stored away so i got that one but the same thing was happening. i was playing around with them yesterday for hours to try to get them working, including 1 cam (cam C) that was already “retired” only a few months after i bought it. so 3 cams total, trying to get them working completely. i was able to get cam B to fully work, whatever i did, i did the same thing with cams A and C too, no luck. i dont see cam B lasting long since it already took time to get it to work… i also have the pan v3 which hasnt given me any problems but i only had it 1.5 years. im really hoping that one last. anyways thats 2 v3 cams “retired” and 1 other one about to be the same. all no more than 3 years old
Are you trying this with new SD cards? 3 years is more than enough to wear out a standard/non endurance SD card.
havent tried brand new cards but i have some that has been barely been used, no luck there
How were they used? If you’re trying different cards in different cameras, then there are a few other things I’d be inclined to attempt in order to narrow the scope of the problem (rather that just saying the microSD card slot/reader has quit working):
- Move a known “good”/working microSD card to a problematic camera and see what happens.
- Use the SD Memory Card Formatter to do a clean/full format of some cards independent of the cameras and then try to use them in problematic cameras.
I haven’t read any indication that you’ve attempted either of those things, but I think that might help to isolate where the problems actually lie.
If my V3 are outside in the elements they last less than a year with the permanent lens fog issue being the primary failure. Not pointed up at all either. Under cover or inside they last longer.
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Are you getting an error message saying “SD card not found” when you do have an SD card in your camera? I had this problem last summer. User stanlam’s procedure got my camera to recognize my SD card. I am re-posting stanlam’s instructions below if you want to give it a try.
SOLVED: I got all my cameras to work. The fix is a bit unusual.
- Go to Cam Plus Lite and uncheck the camera that has this issue so the camera doesn’t have Cam Plus Lite anymore.
- Then, make the camera record any Event.
- Attempt to playback an Event and try the “Playback” feature. The issue will still be there.
- Reboot the camera.
- Attempt to playback an Event again and hit “Playback.” This time, it should access the memory card.
- Finally, reactivate Cam Plus Lite. The issue should now be resolved.
Out of 36 V3 cameras I lost 16 to the lens fog (Seal failure) it is very common with Wyze cams since V3’s and even happening on the OG’s too…
I quit wasting my money on Wyze cams after that and slowly swapping out V3’s for Reolink cams
07/19/2019
V2
Still going strong.
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IDK. I have approx 10 wyzecams, with 4 of those outside. I almost always upgrade them before they somehow break… which leaves me with old working cameras that I don’t use.
I would not expect any wyzecam to last more than 3 years.
The oldest wyrking cam still in operation is a V2 activated 10/28/2018.
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