Thought I'd break out from the "Affordable Radar Detectors" thread to get a little more specific. I did some searching on the board for unit placement and hardwire installation tips but couldn't really find what I was looking for.

Anyway, I took delivery of my Bel 980 today and mounted it with the suction cups to the windshield just below the mirror (note: thanks to the folks on this board I found two new features on my Max tonight... 1. The rearview mirror is height-adjustable and 2. there are power chord notches in the arm rest. Not sure if I can use #2 here but it's cool to know they're there).

I'm wondering if the electronics in the power mirror on my AE will in any way interfere with the reception capabilities of the detector.

Also, I believe someone mentioned tapping into the power going to the mirror. Sounds like a "clean" option, especially given the placement I've chosen (and assuming there is no interference as mentioned above). However, when I removed the sunglasses holder to see if there was any slack before I started yanking wires, I noticed there really isn't enough slack to splice into the wiring leading to the mirror itself.

With my luck (and the fact that, at times, it seems as if I lack opposable thumbs when it comes to this sort of thing) I'll wind up screwing up the entire wiring to the mirror. I'm also hesitant to run the wire through the headliner (how the heck would you snake it anyway?) and down the pillar (would probably wreck the plastic if I did this and wouldn't be able to get it seated properly again).

Before you say it, yes, I could just let the wire dangle especially since I'm worried I'd wreck everything, but that would lead to clutter and we can't have that, can we?

I'm open to your creativity and pearls of wisdom on this subject, oh great ones that hail from maxima.org (insert sucking sound here )

 

WOW! Can you plug your guitar into it?

j/t

 

I hardwired my install in a nissan truck of mine. I just mounted the detector on the windshield, and then tapped into the wires for the overhead map lights. it worked and worked well with one exception ... it stayed on the entire time b/c it was getting a constant hot. but you can run the wire down the a pillar. you don't need to take the plastic off. you can take off the black gasket around there and run the wire that way.

 

Like Ottersmax said, take a wire and use a fuse thats only hot when the car is on, like the cigarette lighter. Run it from the fuse box, up the A-Pillar and tape/glue it in the seam for the header until you get to the mirror. Run the wire to the radar detector. I've seen it before and it works well.

 

Thanks for all the tips (a 3-Stooges poke in the eye for you, acitrano )

Ok, I've abandoned the idea of tapping into the power from the wires going to the mirror. Instead, I did some searching on the a-pillar removal as suggested in this post and was able to run the wire from the fuse box area, up the a-pillar, through the headliner and under that little wire cover for the wires leading to the power mirror.

All I had to do was remove the sunglasses holder to get access to the headliner and it was uncharacteristically easy to run the wire through there. I thought I was going to run into some problems but didn't.

Now I've got a wire hanging out by my mirror and the other end coiled inside the fuse box. That's what my problem is now. I have no idea how to attach the wires to the fuse box (I want to use the cigarette lighter fuse if at all possible). Russ had some good write ups tonight and he mentioned in one of his (rewiring fogs, I think) that he used some 3M splicers so I'll probably use them to tap into the wires leading from the cigarette lighter to that fuse. Should make it nice and clean.

One other thing... no big deal but I'm going to have to figure out a way to include the 3A fuse somewhere along the line (the one that's in the cigarette lighter adapter for the radar detector). I'm hoping they make one of those two-piece, spring loaded fuse holders for one that small.

If you guys have any suggestions about wiring to the fuse box I'd apprecitate the feedback. I've never looked behind it to see what's back there so I don't know what I'm up against. Perhaps I should get my fat @ss out of this chair and go look, eh?

Thanks in advance.

 

Stick the wire into the slot and then put the fuse back in. It will stay there all by itself.

 

Ok folks... this is it. This will not be a trilogy. It's a done deal. Thanks to my buddy who walked me through using a volt meter and teaching me the difference between the "hot" and "cold" sides of a fuse slot. Add to that medsonic's brute-force methodology and I got me one o'dem hardwired radar units (hey, would this be classified as an Ooglie Radar? ).

A super clean install including the proper running and concealment of wires, crimp connections and in-line fuse holder. Although I would have preferred to utilize a different approach than what Dr. Medsonic prescribed, I gotta admit it works like a charm.

The reason this is huge for me is that I've never attempted something along these lines while keeping it neat. Usually I would have wires and connectors sticking out all over the place.

Thanks again, guys, for the advice.

The END!

Epilogue: Hmmm... I wonder what I can mess with next?

 

SWEEEET.

 

Glad you got it done, but it would have been way easier to tap into the power of either your mirror or sunroof right at the headliner. I know for a fact that the sunroofs power is ignition dependant (it only turns on when the ignition is on, it doesn't turn on when the key is in the accessory position).

 

Splicing wires=bad. Running a replacable wire to a replacable fuse=not so bad.