Dashcam installation with Dongar Pro (Update: Now Fixed & Working)

[Kokorone]

New Notes:
Dongar sent me a brand new Dongar Pro adapter which has resolved both the vehicle wake issues and the high pitch whine. No wiring changes were made and the only change was plugging in the new unit.

Original Content:

I just installed my old Viofo A119 V3 into my 4Runner using the new Dongar Pro roof cavity harness.​

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Couple things to talk about here. First off the removal of the ceiling pod is significantly more difficult than expected so you’ll be wrestling with it for a while. I recommend actually pulling on a front corner rather than the center to get the most leverage​

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Once it’s removed it’s very straightforward to just pull the headliner aside slightly to shove the harness through to the windshield and the plug in the ceiling is hidden on the left inner edge.​

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I have a SR5 and yes it is prewired for this.​

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Once you wire up the Dongar Pro it’s as simple as using one of their short wires and connecting it to your dashcam of choice. Seems simple enough but here’s the issue​

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The Dongar Pro keeps your vehicle perpetually awake. Yes you read that right. The display, audio system, and central computer are all still awake even if you manually turn off the display, lock your car, and step away. Once disconnected the car immediately goes to sleep properly with no issues. Until this is resolved, this completely ruins the installation since your car would quite literally drain its battery and need a jump start after just a few hours of leaving this installed.​

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As a side note the Dongar Pro module also has a constant high pitch coil while when powered which is extremely annoying. Would probably return for this reason alone if not for the larger set of issues.​

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It’s a real shame this is the case since it seems to really be the only option for those of us who don’t have an auto dimming mirror and can’t tap that power. (SR5 does not have a prewired harness for that either.)​

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I plan on removing this whole setup tomorrow when the sun comes up since it’s overall kind of garbage and I’ll wire it using fuse taps instead.​

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Here’s some pics from my installation​

 

[Kokorone]

@Gastan here’s your write up but unfortunately it’s not actually functional

 

[Kokorone]

Here’s a Reddit post I found regarding current draw forcing a Toyota system to remain active. Seems like this same issue is occurring here

 

[Kokorone]

Uploaded a quick video to YouTube to better describe the issue here.

 

[Kokorone]

Update for everyone here! Dongar did send me a brand new Dongar Pro (they also let me know their latest version resolves the high pitch whine issues) and I’m happy to report it fixed the weird wake issue with the car and works absolutely perfectly with my dashcam now!

 

[Trailhunter4R]

Update for everyone here! Dongar did send me a brand new Dongar Pro (they also let me know their latest version resolves the high pitch whine issues) and I’m happy to report it fixed the weird wake issue with the car and works absolutely perfectly with my dashcam now!

Nice customer service from Dongar. Did the whining noise and wake issue not happen for the 2024+ Tacoma? Or was it your particular unit that had the issue?

 

[Kokorone]

Nice customer service from Dongar. Did the whining noise and wake issue not happen for the 2024+ Tacoma? Or was it your particular unit that had the issue?

The whining noise did occur on the Tacoma but the wake issues did not. I’m currently getting confirmation from Dongar if my unit was just faulty or if there’s an actual hardware revision required.

 

[Dead Horse]

That's awesome! I've got their adapters in both my wife's car and my truck. They're pretty supportive and responsive from my experience.

 

[Hacksaw]

Here’s a Reddit post I found regarding current draw forcing a Toyota system to remain active. Seems like this same issue is occurring here

I bought a Dongar Pro adapter and a Vantrue 3-camera dashcam last black friday and installed it in my Gen-3 Tacoma but the adapter said it would also work in the gen-6 4runner and gen-4 tacoma. I didn't have to dismantle anything (just unplug the connector from the back of my Tacoma's mirror and insert the dongar harness in-line). I haven't heard any high pitch noise and no issues with it shutting off with the ignition.

Would the issue you describe not exist on a 4runner with the digital rear view mirror and you would only need to unplug the mirror connector, insert the dongar in-line, and not have to disassemble the ceiling console?