Contemplating Dashcam wiring

I have a 2013 Prius level 3 (without Homelink mirror) with sunroof. I bought a Vantrue N1 dashcam.

To start using it I've just mounted it and have the power cable hanging down to the cigarette lighter.
- of course it looks bad.
- until now I've had a dual USB port plugged into the cigarette lighter to charge two cell phones.

There's choices about how to proceed:
1a) I can run the wire from the dashcam tucked into the ceiling and watching people on youtube it seems like it shouldn't be difficult. But coming down the side where the wire needs to be tucked into the gap at the edge of the sidepost airbag panels seems at first glance a little unsafe. I've seen comments warning about that but I've also seen comments that say that the explosive force of a triggered airbag will easily overwhelm the wire if it is just in the gab. That seems to make sense.
If I run the wire on the passenger side I can continue behind the glove compartment and have it pop out above the cigarette lighter and plug it in. I will then have to use the usb socket that is in the center console box for charging the phones. Or I buy a splitter that gives me an cigarette lighter and two more USB sockets.

1b) Or I run the wire on the driver side and have it come out toward the fuse box and get power from there. I think USB is 5V and the fuses are for 12V? Is there a voltage conversion device that has to be inline to attach to the fuse box? And I figure running it to fuse box gives me a choice of whether to pick an always on fuse or one that is switched on with the ignition. I've seen some people suggest keeping the camera on 24/7 to maybe catch bumps while not driving, and others advise against it because it'll drain the battery.

OR

2) Or I could wire directly into the inside of the overhead sunroof lighting box. That seems clean and I have the sunroof version. How do I pop off the cover plate (I'm trying to find a youtube showing this)? I'd be chopping the power cable, and as mentioned, I guess I have to convert 12V in the overhead panel to 5V USB with an inline device, or is there 5V in that overhead panel?

Opinions?

 

I don't have power going to my mirror. The 2013 level 3 just has a simple mirror isolated and attached to the glass. So I will send the wire into the ceiling panel if I learn how to connect it within that panel.

 

Yesterday after I installed the Vantrue N1 and took a drive with it, I came home, took out the memory card and put it in my computer to view it. I was surprised to see that it had about 6 files from the trip when i was expecting only two. I reviewed them and it seems that dashcam had turned off a couple times while I was driving. Besides figuring out how I want to mount it (mentioned above) I also will be looking up why this happened. I don't think my battery is going bad. What makes you think that your on and off problem had to do with the battery?

 

What the heck? it changes to all caps? I'll add that to the list of things to watch out for when going through those types of can't log in problems.

 

How do you get this cover off to get to the electronics panel? I pried along the edge of the left clear plastic lens and it popped off without breaking the tangs, which is good. But I can't see access to any screws holding the cover in place. Do you push or pull the whole thing in one direction or the other?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/91rijHfU4MNqph8b9

 

I'll look for the U6 connector once I can figure out how to pop open the cover.

 

I decided to not proceed until I can figure out how to pry off the cover. I imagine it is simple but I don't want to start yanking and break a clip. I'll keep asking around and searching for a youtube. But yes, I think finding 12V and gnd on the panel under that cover is the way to go. I have a voltage meter.

 

On my 2013 Prius level 3 I've been able to pop off the forward panel and the panel with the controls on it.


There's a 24 pin connector.

I've found a few contact combinations that give me 11V and 12V but they are constantly on. For example pins 4 & 24 gives me 12V and strangely 4 &16 five me 11V. They don't shut down when I turn off the car. I have found one combo Pins 4 to 6 that gives me 3V and slowly shuts down to under .5V (didn't wait to see how low it gets to, but it doesn't drop to 0V immediately).

@Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, you mentioned a wiring schematic?

 

I see that is a $20 fee for 2 day pass, which I guess is worth it if it gets me the info I need. I might pay for that later in July.

But offhand I don't see any other connectors than the 24pin one that I show in my photo. I do see a few wires bundled going inside the roof cavity that look like they would be carrying power to the lights in the ceiling behind the visors on both sides. but I don't see access to them through connectors.

 

It helps to have a fresh battery in my Fluke VOM.
This morning I am seeing that Pin 4,7 and 9 on the single 24 pin connector are 0V, tied directly to the car's ground.
Pin 24 is an always on 13V. Pins 2 and 16 are at 12V when switched on with the Power button. And what was confusing me yesterday, besides the meter not working correctly, is that those pins 2 and 16 don't go down to 0V until 45 seconds after the Power button turns the car off.

Now its on to wiring up something. @Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, how did you make your harness? Did you chop off the cigarette lighter plug and use two of the wires in the cable coming from the dashcam, and solder those two wires to breaks in the insulation of two of the car's wire harness? Or did you do something different?