Dashcam wired to overhead console?

I have ordered a dash cam off of ebay. I am mulling wiring it to a wire up in the roof for the overhead console/cabin lights. I did this when I had a 2010 Tacoma and it worked quite well.

My questions are:

To pull out the overhead console do I pull on the back side edges and then it sort of hinges off in the front? Or do I pull on the front side edges and then it sort of hinges off in the back?

Has anyone here tapped into the overhead wiring? Does anyone know the wire color and location for a wire that has power only when the truck is on?

I might say the heck with it and do the fuse box method or even just run it to the cigarette lighter. But what I did on the 2010 was nice and clean. I just pushed the wire up above the headliner and wired it to a key switched wire that went to what would be an option of some sort that I did not have.

 

I didnt want to pull the liner, and i wasnt sure if there was a full time 12v any where up there. I ran a wire from an auxiliary fuse box, up behind the A-pillar cover and under headliner. My camera stays on 24/7. Is there a 12v source up there thats not accessorie controled?

 

it is doable and is how i have mine done. Can't recall what wire, but i think it was an orange wire up there and i grounded to a screw.

Sorry can't be more helpful, but it is easily done.

 

Thanks guys. This will get me started. I have an SR so hopefully there will be some easy to get to wires up in there.

 

I did this on mine. The hot wire is pink at pin 15 and ground is white with black stripe at pin 12. The power will stay on 20 minutes after you turn the truck off when the battery saving relay turns off. I view it as a built in park mode.

 

That is a good side benefit.

 

That's good to know however I'd like to be able to make it stay on indefinitely if I wish. I figure I can simply test each wire with the voltage meter until I find the one.

 

There is a wire up there. Mine is wired to something up there that’s on 24/7 I can’t remember the color though. I can check later this week though. Have to pull that console thing off for something else.

 

you can tap it into the rearview mirror.

 

Used this when I installed my Garmin dashcam...made it a very quick install.....

$33 Dongar Dashcam Power Adapter (12-pin for '15-'23 Toyota Tacoma. Also Compatible with Select Sienna, Honda, and More), Connects to Rearview Mirror, Built-in USB Power Source, Easy to Install

Dongar Technologies Dash Cam Power Adapter 12-pin for 3rd Generation Toyota Tacoma

 

This!! I have used it for quite some time and it works great.

 

Here's a cheaper option

$21 SimpleUSBCable 12V to MiniUSB Two-Prong Universal Dashcam Adapter

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R7JGCL1?smid=A1ZURKM38KV5LC

 

Cheaper since it doesn't look like it has the connector.....the $13 is worth the Dongar....one man's opinion.

 

OP stated he has an SR so the dongar might not work for him without a powered rear view mirror.

 

This is the one I used on, I like it because it has two USB I mount my phone up on the windshield during my longer road trips where nav is more important.

Dash Lynx Dash Camera Power Supply Plug-and-Play for 2016-2023 Toyota Tacoma

$40 Dash Lynx Dash Camera Power Supply Plug-and-Play for 2016-2023 Toyota Tacoma

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK5FRCNV


I also bought one of these for my CRV since it does not have a power mirror to tap off of, however I was very disappointed with the fuse quality. Highly recommend using a real OEM fuse, take one out of your spares, the lower the better, 10 amps through that wire will cause a fire, you only need like 2 amps max for Dash cam. There was another brand I bought that had fake fuses in it, the fuse looked like a fuse, smelled like a fuse, but I went to test it and it would not blow even at 20 amps, upon closer inspection it was actually used as a jumper/bus bar not a fuse, but it was inside of a standard fuse. Can't sue china...

$18 Dash Cam Hardwire Kit, Mini USB Hard Wire Kit Fuse for Dashcam, Plozoe 12V-24V to 5V Car Dash Camera Charger Power Cord, Gift 4 Fuse Tap Cable and Installation Tool（11.5ft

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FXJD8W1

 

I'm trying to find the wires now. Any wizards out there know which ones to use for constant power?

 

This is what I got so far. Assuming the wire with the black stripe being the ground I got got constant 12v on the two pins in red with the vehicle off. All the wires are different shades of brown so identifying them by color seems futile.

 

What year/Trim ?

 

2021 trd offroad

 

I usually put my ground alligator on the cig lighter outlet, side of the barrel, and probe for hot. Then put the meter on ohm setting and try to ohm out a black or brown wire for <1 ohm to ground. However the best way is to look for a schematic. also try to figure out the power budget, I wouldn't pull more than 1-2 amps from the wires unless you are sure what else they go to. The newer tacos do some weird stuff like run the vanity and RVM off of an ECU branch, so if you short it out you wont need to put up Xmas lights this year cause they'll all be on your gauge cluster.