I took the dash cam from my wife’s old truck and tried installing it in our new Sienna, but it doesn’t look like there’s anywhere to tuck the wire on the ceiling trim. It’s just hanging straight down from the middle of the windshield, which isn’t ideal. Before going ahead with this, I’m curious if there’s a better dash cam option out there for a cleaner install. I’d like to handle this myself if possible to avoid labor costs. Any tips or recommendations?
Try looking up the Dongar Dashcam adaptor. It lets you tap into power from the rearview mirror in certain vehicles.
Ari said:
Try looking up the Dongar Dashcam adaptor. It lets you tap into power from the rearview mirror in certain vehicles.
Here’s the link: Amazon.com
Ari said:
Try looking up the Dongar Dashcam adaptor. It lets you tap into power from the rearview mirror in certain vehicles.
Just keep in mind that the Dongar adapter might not support parking mode. If you need that, you’d probably have to wire it yourself using a 5-pin terminal.
I have a Blackvue installed in my 2022 Sienna. I managed to tuck the wire along the top of the windshield, down the passenger side A-pillar, and into the floor carpet. It then runs under the center console to the 12V plug, so it’s pretty hidden.
I can’t stick anything to my windshield because of a UV tint film, so I used a BlendMount for my Blackvue. It’s a bit pricey but solid and mounts to the rearview mirror stem, so you barely see the camera.
I recently bought and installed this dash cam. It was my first time using one, and it was easy with no visible wires. The Amazon page had a helpful install video: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PGBQP88/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
@Landry
Just so you know, this model doesn’t capture license plates well at night.
JeffPatterson said:
@Landry
Just so you know, this model doesn’t capture license plates well at night.
Got any recommendations for one that does?
JeffPatterson said:
@Landry
Just so you know, this model doesn’t capture license plates well at night.
Got any recommendations for one that does?
I’d go with anything using Sony Stavis 2 sensors; Viofo is a good choice.
@Landry
Was about to mention the same one. Works well.
@Landry
Does it drain the 12V battery at all?
Bliss said:
@Landry
Does it drain the 12V battery at all?
I haven’t noticed any drain, and it’s been in use for over 7 months.
@Landry
I’ve seen reviews where people said it didn’t save videos of accidents.
Evans said:
@Landry
I’ve seen reviews where people said it didn’t save videos of accidents.
I had a rock hit my windshield from a gravel truck, and the video saved just fine. I’m not tech-savvy but had no issues with setup. Just my experience, though.
Evans said:
@Landry
I’ve seen reviews where people said it didn’t save videos of accidents.
I have this dash cam, and it records about 5 hours of video at high resolution. I haven’t had any issues retrieving footage, so maybe those users had defective units?
@Beck
Have you tried retrieving footage after a crash?
Evans said:
@Beck
Have you tried retrieving footage after a crash?
No crashes, but it’s easy to access video. You can pop out the memory card or download it to your phone if there’s power. I saw those negative reviews too, but I think maybe they got faulty cameras or didn’t know how to use them.
@Beck
I read that some units shut down after a light impact, so there’s no footage of the actual accident. I guess it could be user error, but all those issues make it hard to invest.
On newer models (2021+), you can pull power from a dashcam connector near the sunroof buttons. There are three wires there: ground, 12V ignition switched, and 12V always-on. The 90980-12366 connector is what you need. I set mine to 12V ignition, so it powers up only when the car’s fully on.
@JACI
You could try the Subaru H501SSG010—it’s the same 90980-12366 connector but comes with pre-wired leads.