Easy Radar Detector Install

I just finished hard-wiring my Escort 8500 and thought I would share it with those interested. I had read thru the various other posts on the forums, most of which involved tapping into the mirror/map lights, or the console somewhere for power. Here's what I did:

 

1. Attached my detector just under the mirror (where I like it) and started the power cord under the little black plastic wire cover for the mirror wires, up to the headliner.

 

2. Along the front edge of the headliner, there is enough of a gap to work the power cord into it, without it being visible. I didn't want to tap into other wires in the map light area, and I initially tried to run the wire thru the headliner (behind/above the sunshade) without success.

 

3. By gently prying up the windshield side of the A-pillar cover (the middle grommet will usually pop free 1st) you can again get enough gap to run the wire inside the cover without being seen.

 

4. From there, run the wire around to the side of the dash (you can tuck it into the crease between the pillar and dash using a trim tool), and then into the fuse box.

 

5. There is a convenient bolt just to the left of the fuse panel which is attached to the car's metal frame, so that is where I attached my ground wire. To tap the fuse box I used a Mini-ATM Add-A-Circuit fuse tap (about $12 at Autozone).

 

It all looks very clean, and is completely and easily removable, with no splicing or tapping into existing wires.

I have recently used the Mini-ATM Add-A-Circuit fuse tap for my Carputer switched line. Very handy and cleaner then using a mini-fuse tap. I bought extras just incase.

which slot did you put the tapped fuse from the radar into?

which slot did you put the tapped fuse from the radar into?

 

I used the 10 amp slot labelled "cigar" (meaning the 12V outlet next to the ashtray), since it was at the end of a row (won't block access to the other fuses) and switched power.

Attached my detector just under the mirror

you mean suction-cupped to the glass, or somehow attached to the mirror? pics?

I didn't want to tap into other wires in the map light area, and I initially tried to run the wire thru the headliner (behind/above the sunshade) without success.

 

Interesting. Why didn't you want to tap into one of the map light wires? That's where I tapped into mine, and it works great. (I'll post pictures later for anyone interested).

Interesting. Why didn't you want to tap into one of the map light wires? That's where I tapped into mine, and it works great. (I'll post pictures later for anyone interested).

 

i did the same thing, small notch in cover for power wire to X50, find a switched wire, 3M tap, grd.,done. bosco

sounds awesome, i've been looking into doing this for quite some time, PIX?

you mean suction-cupped to the glass, or somehow attached to the mirror? pics?

 

 

Just suction cups in the usual fashion - If I can find where my daughter hid the digital camera, I'll try to post some pics later.

Here ya go:

 

The photo of the A-pillar is to show that the cord is not visible. I didn't want to tap into the wiring in the map light area, because I wanted to be able to remove everything cleanly if I need to, and I was a little nervous about using one of those vampire taps, and permanently damaging an existing wire.

 

Note the fuse tap in the lower left - the grounded bolt is the lower one just barely visible in the picture to the left of the fuse tap (the upper, more visible bolt is just attached to plastic).

fabulous job. exactly what i would wnat to do

I had to wake this thread up!!

 

I have a 8500 X50 and I can't find any store (Radio Shack, etc...) who sells the cord (phone style) that will allow me to hard wire it to the fuse box. Anyone know where to get one besides Passport/Escort?

I had to wake this thread up!!

 

I have a 8500 X50 and I can't find any store (Radio Shack, etc...) who sells the cord (phone style) that will allow me to hard wire it to the fuse box. Anyone know where to get one besides Passport/Escort?

Home Depot. I used regular phone cord. Red = power, Green = ground (double check this as I did it 5 months ago), the other 2 wires aren't used.

Just did my Passport installation. Didn't take much time. Run the phone cord through the liner, and taped into the mirror power (left and right wires of what goes into mirror). Used special connectors from RadioShack. Super clean looking and quite easy to do. Don't understand why go to the troubles of running 6 feet of phone cord around the windshield to the fuse box, when 1' + mirror will do.

^ Agreed.

 

If you're using the standard power cord itself - with no mute - then there's really no reason to run the power line all they way around the windshield frame and A-pillar, the mirror or interior light power and ground sources would be the easiest and shortest taps.

 

However, if you're running the SmartCord remote, then it actually would make sense to run down to either the fuse-box (for those who prefer a left-handed location, assuming LHD, of course!) or, alternatively, all the way over to the cig. lighter assembly (for those who prefer an "off-hand" location of this control).

 

Have you guys ever heard of Invisicord?

 

http://www.invisicord.com/

 

I found these guys when I have my Infiniti G35. They provide a cable that has pins to tap into the plug on the back of the mirror. You don't have to cut any wires and it works prefectly.

 

There is also a guy that makes a mount for the detector to the mirror stalk. You can see a pic of the install at this link: http://www.g35driver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132203&highlight=invisicord

 

Just a thought.

It's a great idea to mount detector on the mirror, but this particular implementation of the mount is not very appealing. It's so bulky and unelegant and overdesigned. Can be made way simplier, smaller and better looking.

 

It's beyond my comprehention why none of the detector makers would incorporate radar into the mirror itself. Seems like a winner product which would've leave in the dust all other brands.

 

Have you guys ever heard of Invisicord?

 

http://www.invisicord.com/

 

I found these guys when I have my Infiniti G35. They provide a cable that has pins to tap into the plug on the back of the mirror. You don't have to cut any wires and it works prefectly.

 

There is also a guy that makes a mount for the detector to the mirror stalk. You can see a pic of the install at this link: http://www.g35driver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132203&highlight=invisicord

 

Just a thought.

That's very cool, Zimm ! I've honestly never heard of that before!

 

It's a great pre-prepped product for those who are timid about the electronics. I'll definitely refer more people on the countermeasures Forums to this. Thanks!

 

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Both - Those mirror mounts are nice, but they do need to be specifically designed for the vehicle and/or detector. There are various such mounts available from small/independent makers: ones for the Z, 'Vette, and Mini come to-mind readily, but if you're going to cross-adapt models, be sure not only that they'll fit our mirrors, but also that the detector will end-up in the proper "parallel-to-road" positioning, to guaranty proper performance (the one that Zimm cited here http://www.g35driver.com/forums/show...ght=invisicord unfortunately shows the detector improperly positioned - I don't know if this was just for demo purposes, for the Invisicord, but it's definitely not right).

 

There is also a secondary concern in that in our vehicles, particularly for a taller driver or those who prefer to sit up-high, the rearview mirror already cuts into a critical line-of-sight area, and a lower-than-mirror mount may make this even more of a concern (this was a problem I encountered, myself).

 

Yes, this is a good mounting position (for a variety of reasons), and yes, those are very nice mounts (typically, they're well-constructed, and offer vibration-free mounting), but be aware that they may have some shortcomings.

 

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vlad_b - That's a great idea, but my best-guess would be that there might be a limited-market situation, particularly as such an installation, if not of the generic "clip-on" format, would require re-mounting the mirror.

 

As a specialty-product, there already exists a couple of detector-display (for the V1) incorporated rearview mirrors, and you can find these under some Audi and BMW enthusiast Forums or commercial upgrade (particularly ICE) pages of the same.

 

Also as a specialty-product, but in a much more generalized-application sense - albeit also, at the same time, much, much more customized - is the Cheetah GPS Mirror:

 

http://www.speedcheetah.com/scshop/section.php?xSec=24

 

Capable of being used in just about any modern vehicle, and capable of integrating with nearly all of today's top-flight radar detectors as well as active laser jammers, this is a truly marvelous and highly powerful speed-detection countermeasure device, and well-justifies its price-tag.

http://www.speedcheetah.com/scshop/section.php?xSec=24

very cool

oh mines is similar, cept i got power from the map lights and wired a switch down to my left foot for the mute botton above the dead pedal.

http://www.speedcheetah.com/scshop/section.php?xSec=24

very cool

\

 

Yes, almoust there. Only it's not from Passport/V1, and it still is and looks like a clip on - not clean/stealth.

 

Why don't they make it looking like generic stock mirror. What's the big deal to rip off the stock mirror and glue in the new one? Most of the people who paying $300+ for a radar detector won't think too long. I've been on many car forums and lots of people hardwiring detectors. Most of them would gladly replace the whole mirror.

 

So I'd think the market is good.

Why do

Thanks, I actually kept the cord from my G and am using it now. The mount as you see it in that thread is not in it's final position. Since the mirror has two joints you can pretty easily manuver it into the proper position. The mount for the passport uses the piece it comes with and that can be bent down to hold the detector level.

 

I am going to be ordering one for my new Subi soon. The maker in that thread only needs to know the diameter of the mirror stalk and hee can make it. I know that the one for my G fit the stock mirror in my Subi perfectly. I wanted to get the homelink mirror though and its stalk is larger in diameter.

 

I will post some pics when I get the mount.

 

 

That's very cool, Zimm ! I've honestly never heard of that before!

 

It's a great pre-prepped product for those who are timid about the electronics. I'll definitely refer more people on the countermeasures Forums to this. Thanks!

 

---

 

Both - Those mirror mounts are nice, but they do need to be specifically designed for the vehicle and/or detector. There are various such mounts available from small/independent makers: ones for the Z, 'Vette, and Mini come to-mind readily, but if you're going to cross-adapt models, be sure not only that they'll fit our mirrors, but also that the detector will end-up in the proper "parallel-to-road" positioning, to guaranty proper performance (the one that Zimm cited here http://www.g35driver.com/forums/show...ght=invisicord unfortunately shows the detector improperly positioned - I don't know if this was just for demo purposes, for the Invisicord, but it's definitely not right).

 

There is also a secondary concern in that in our vehicles, particularly for a taller driver or those who prefer to sit up-high, the rearview mirror already cuts into a critical line-of-sight area, and a lower-than-mirror mount may make this even more of a concern (this was a problem I encountered, myself).

 

Yes, this is a good mounting position (for a variety of reasons), and yes, those are very nice mounts (typically, they're well-constructed, and offer vibration-free mounting), but be aware that they may have some shortcomings.

 

---

 

vlad_b - That's a great idea, but my best-guess would be that there might be a limited-market situation, particularly as such an installation, if not of the generic "clip-on" format, would require re-mounting the mirror.

 

As a specialty-product, there already exists a couple of detector-display (for the V1) incorporated rearview mirrors, and you can find these under some Audi and BMW enthusiast Forums or commercial upgrade (particularly ICE) pages of the same.

 

Also as a specialty-product, but in a much more generalized-application sense - albeit also, at the same time, much, much more customized - is the Cheetah GPS Mirror:

 

http://www.speedcheetah.com/scshop/section.php?xSec=24

 

Capable of being used in just about any modern vehicle, and capable of integrating with nearly all of today's top-flight radar detectors as well as active laser jammers, this is a truly marvelous and highly powerful speed-detection countermeasure device, and well-justifies its price-tag.

 

Yes, almoust there. Only it's not from Passport/V1, and it still is and looks like a clip on - not clean/stealth.

 

Yes, it's still a clip-on, and not from Escort/Valentine. These are both undeniable. But don't discount this product just because of that detail - the Cheetah crew, as well as their outstanding products, is *highly* respected among the speed detection countermeasures hobbyist community. They are among some of the most knowledgeable as well as most innovative (i.e. ActiveStealth) of their breed.

 

Even the complete mirror replacements that you will see are/have-been available for some of the European tuner vehicles are still boutique products, and not from Escort/Valentine.

 

Why don't they make it looking like generic stock mirror. What's the big deal to rip off the stock mirror and glue in the new one? Most of the people who paying $300+ for a radar detector won't think too long. I've been on many car forums and lots of people hardwiring detectors. Most of them would gladly replace the whole mirror.

 

So I'd think the market is good.

 

Yes, most are hardwiring, and yes, there's certainly a small percentage who would like both the stealth as well as the integration of a full replacement mirror, however, I honestly don't think that the market is as it would seem.

 

There's some statistic out there that, supposedly, only around 10% of drivers utilize radar detectors at all, and you can imagine, of those, how many - or rather, few - are equipped with the top-flight detectors. Just cruise around your local area for a little. I'd bet that you could count the number of Valentine and Escort/Bel products on your hands, and maybe even just one, at that.

 

Look also at the market for active laser jammers as well as modifications to the top-flight detectors/accessories. Again, note how limited both are. [ Aside: This particular industry is known for its rather dog-eat-dog behavior, and one can only imagine that it is because it's such a limited marketplace. You only have to hang out for just a little while in any countermeasures enthusiast community to see this kind of untoward behavior, which borders on xenophobia. ] The two Blinder GBs here took a while to complete, and the LPP GB here outright failed completely. Even in the limited countermeasures hobbyist community, the interest for such items is still rather low, due to the items' high pricing.

 

My local Scooby club does have about, probably, 25% use of high-end radar-detectors, and a significant number of these are indeed hardwired - however, aside from myself, I only know of two others who utilize active laser jammers, and probably another two who are interested in joining our ranks. Quite simply, this is a very, very limited-interest market, particularly of the more specialized accessories.

 

If the sole purpose is to cater to those who are at the upper end of this spectrum, I honestly don't think that there would be a very big profit margin to be had based on quantity alone. And if pricing is adjusted to reflect the lessened demand and the need to recoup R&D as well as marketing, and other ancillary costs, I honestly don't know how feasible this would be (see above).

 

Finally, such integrated "mirror solutions" have been on the boutique market as well as the specialized (i.e. Cheetah GPS Mirror) market for a long, long time now, 4+ years, and one would imagine that if they could (and perhaps there are certain patent issues to be resolved here, as well) the big makers would have pressed-forward with this idea.

 

This is a mystery to me as well. And I can understand your frustration.

 

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The mount as you see it in that thread is not in it's final position. Since the mirror has two joints you can pretty easily manuver it into the proper position. The mount for the passport uses the piece it comes with and that can be bent down to hold the detector level.

 

Good to know!

 

Us countermeasures hobbyists are always laughing at promo pictures and also candid shots of various installs that have such items mounted incorrectly.

 

I am going to be ordering one for my new Subi soon. The maker in that thread only needs to know the diameter of the mirror stalk and hee can make it. I know that the one for my G fit the stock mirror in my Subi perfectly. I wanted to get the homelink mirror though and its stalk is larger in diameter.

 

I will post some pics when I get the mount.

Definitely!

I know the RD market is small relative to the total number of drivers. Most of people must've just love and enjoy legalized extortion the speeding tickets are...

 

What I meant is that among people who do own expensive RDs (escort/V1) - a lot of them would step up for a better product, if it's the same name + stealth...

 

Laser jammers are whole different story - the effectivness and legality of it is very questionable. Together with very high price - that'll give you low sales... It's not fair example.

 

Yes, it's still a clip-on, and not from Escort/Valentine. These are both undeniable. But don't discount this product just because of that detail - the Cheetah crew, as well as their outstanding products, is *highly* respected among the speed detection countermeasures hobbyist community. They are among some of the most knowledgeable as well as most innovative (i.e. ActiveStealth) of their breed.

 

Even the complete mirror replacements that you will see are/have-been available for some of the European tuner vehicles are still boutique products, and not from Escort/Valentine.

 

 

 

Yes, most are hardwiring, and yes, there's certainly a small percentage who would like both the stealth as well as the integration of a full replacement mirror, however, I honestly don't think that the market is as it would seem.

 

There's some statistic out there that, supposedly, only around 10% of drivers utilize radar detectors at all, and you can imagine, of those, how many - or rather, few - are equipped with the top-flight detectors. Just cruise around your local area for a little. I'd bet that you could count the number of Valentine and Escort/Bel products on your hands, and maybe even just one, at that.

 

Look also at the market for active laser jammers as well as modifications to the top-flight detectors/accessories. Again, note how limited both are. [ Aside: This particular industry is known for its rather dog-eat-dog behavior, and one can only imagine that it is because it's such a limited marketplace. You only have to hang out for just a little while in any countermeasures enthusiast community to see this kind of untoward behavior, which borders on xenophobia. ] The two Blinder GBs here took a while to complete, and the LPP GB here outright failed completely. Even in the limited countermeasures hobbyist community, the interest for such items is still rather low, due to the items' high pricing.

 

My local Scooby club does have about, probably, 25% use of high-end radar-detectors, and a significant number of these are indeed hardwired - however, aside from myself, I only know of two others who utilize active laser jammers, and probably another two who are interested in joining our ranks. Quite simply, this is a very, very limited-interest market, particularly of the more specialized accessories.

 

If the sole purpose is to cater to those who are at the upper end of this spectrum, I honestly don't think that there would be a very big profit margin to be had based on quantity alone. And if pricing is adjusted to reflect the lessened demand and the need to recoup R&D as well as marketing, and other ancillary costs, I honestly don't know how feasible this would be (see above).

 

Finally, such integrated "mirror solutions" have been on the boutique market as well as the specialized (i.e. Cheetah GPS Mirror) market for a long, long time now, 4+ years, and one would imagine that if they could (and perhaps there are certain patent issues to be resolved here, as well) the big makers would have pressed-forward with this idea.

 

This is a mystery to me as well. And I can understand your frustration.

 

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Good to know!

 

Us countermeasures hobbyists are always laughing at promo pictures and also candid shots of various installs that have such items mounted incorrectly.

 

Definitely!