Homelink on the cheap

I recently bought a 22sr5 that does not have homelink. After researching options for a permanent option finding the frameless rear view mirror option I was not sold for 2 reasons
1- cost. I could not justify spending almost $200 for a rear view mirror just to not have the garage door clicker on my sun visor.
2- the rear view mirror is battery operated so this means that if I forget to lock my doors while it’s in the driveway someone can easily open the door and have access to my home.
So I did some more research and stumbled on an alternative.
I found that the rear view mirror in the 2010 Toyota Prius is the same mirror with 1 exception. It has homelink. purchased one on eBay for $50.00. Only modification needed was to cut the factory harness and solder the new harness in.
identified the white/black wire is ground and the other 2 are for the auto dim and homelink.
Since I didn’t want the homelink to work with the ignition off I twisted the 2 wires together and soldered them to the ignition wire at the mirror.
All works perfect and it cost me $50

 

Find a donor truck with it in the over head console.

 

Can we see a picture of your overhead console?
Eg, pic like this to see what buttons you have.

 

I don’t have the premium with the sunroof so I don’t have the homelink buttons. I had considered getting a used overhead console from a premium but the sunroof buttons would be there and useless. That would bother my ocd.

 

Found a pic of base SR5. I wonder if there is any small garage opener to velcro there.

 

This is the overhead console I have. The purpose of this post was for others that are seeking the homelink on a budget and offering an alternative.

 

For my wife's Subaru I just bought a universal keychain garage door opener on Amazon. Maybe not as cool as 4Runner overhead button, but cost me $20 for 2, small, mobile (or you can glue it somewhere) and does the same thing. The only thing that I had to check my garage door opener to see which remote works with it.

 

Put blanks in where the sunroof switches are.

 

This is what I was able to achieve for $50.00. I also wired it so it does not work when the ignition off

 

OP, good find and work around on a budget.

I agree with the console panel replacement would be easier and safer not having to slice wires, but not achieving the powered only when truck on and Additional sunroof controls.

 

I like the fact that you wired it to work with only with ignition on. Same as you, I really don’t like the idea of leaving an active garage opener remote in a car that’s outside.

 

my next order of business is factory running boards and eventually replace the drivers seat foam bottom. its a 22 with only 48k but the previous owner must have slid out the seat every time compressing the left bolster so it leans a bit to the left.