I just wanted to do a quick write up on how I installed my Passport 8500 direct wire/remote display. First off, you will need a maxima with heated seats. =) No heated seats? Sorry. You can stop reading now. =P Next you will need a flathead screwdriver and a philips head screw driver, and a rachet with an extension. You will also need the Escort DirectWire with the remote smarthead. Look under the steering column. You will find two philips screws. One on each side. Remove them and pull on the plastic panel. Now, take a large flathead screwdriver, cover it with a cloth. Use the screw driver to pry off the top of the A-Pilar panel. Start from the top, work your way down. The clips come off pretty easy once you get the first two off. Now you have the underside of the steering column and the A-pilar exposed. Next, remove your cup holders. This may only apply to 4th gens. You remove the cup holders simply by opening the lid and pulling straight up. This should expose the handbrake assembly and the heated seat switches. Run the power wires from the smarthead under the driver's side of the center console. You should have enough room to push the wires up in to where the cup holder was. Now, pick a heated seat switch that you want to tap in to. I tapped the passenger side one. Tap in to the WHITE wire. That is your positive switched power. It is only on when the car is on or the key is put in ACC. Now you need the negative ground. I used one of the bolts holding down the handbrake. I cut the metal end off the negative side and stripped the coating. I used a rachet with an extension to loosen the bolt and wrapped the negative wire under it and tightened. Now you run the telephone wire that goes to the radar detector behind the pannel you removed that was under the steering column, past the fuse box. Then tuck the wire in to the side of the dash and run it up the a-pilar. When you get to the top of the A-pilar start tucking the telphone cable cross the lip of the headliner. Stop when you are at your desired location. That's it. This was done on a 97 Maxima with heated seats. This may not work if your car is different. I placed the smart head on the side of the center console around where your right knee would be. You can experiment with where you want to put it. My primary goal wasnt to have the remote head in a very visable place so I can run in dark mode. My reason for doing this was to direct power the detector and to be able to mute it without reaching for the cig lighter or up for the detector. I can still see the lights if I choose to run in dark mode. But at certain steering wheel angles, the lights are blocked.

If I made any mistakes in this post, bite me. =P Mine works. I just thought I'd share.

ZuM

 

I just got my 8500 and was going to do something similer. If you get down to where the heated seat switches are you should be able to tap into the lighter just as easily. I still have to get my hardwire cord, none of the local audio shops carry it so I will probably have to buy it online (Does anyone sell it cheaper than directly from Escort?). I was thinking of getting the regular power cord (instead of the smart one) and saving $20. With the auto mute feature I don't think I need the manual mute and I don't mind the dim setting at night. If I did get the smart cord I was thinking of dremeling a hole in front of the cupholders to permently mount it. I think the cupholders in my 98 are permenetly attached to the console, I will have to check that out.

 

I found it to be easier to tap the heated seats. I'm not sure how the 98 cup holders are though. Try pulling on them. I promise you its easier to tap the heated seats than the cig lighter if you can get the cup holder off. It's a easier location to work too. Very good chassis ground there also. I'm not sure if the smartcord is worth it. But without it, you have to reach up to mute the detector. I say eat cheap, save 20 dollars. Get the smartcord/direct wire. It will be nice to have the option to run in dark mode and to mute without reaching up. It's a safety issue too. I'd rather to reach up while driving. I've looked around for other places that sell the cord and haven't found any. I got mine straight from Escort. You'll love how clean the install looks once you have the direct wire setup.