Power Source to Hardwire Radar Detector

21736 Views 19 Replies 13 Participants Last post by my95tsi, Dec 27, 2014

JIMBOCLASSIC

Discussion Starter · Aug 26, 2011

Just bought my CT 200h this past monday and am ready for modding....First, I would like to hardwire my Valentine One Radar and am looking for a ignition-on power source from the area in front of the sunroof....anyone know which wire I could tap into? Anyone else do this yet? I want to avoid running a wire up the pillar and across the windshield. Thanks in advance.

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jimmyc13

· #2 · Aug 26, 2011

Are you mounting it up high, near the mirror? I hardwired my Passport 9500i, but tapped directly at the fuse box. Ran the wire up the door trim, then between the dash and A pillar trim, then along the base of the windshield and the wire is completely hidden, except where it comes in & plugs into the detector. I like mine mounted low and out of sight from cops and also less obtrusive when driving.

I did read some other forums on clublexus where other lexus owners tapped into the wiring, but taking apart that stuff near the console/mirror just scares me!

Good luck!

Reactions: 1

midcow3

· #3 · Aug 26, 2011

radar detector thread ?

Hey would one of you guys mind starting a radar detector thread ? I have oft and on though about getting a radar detector. The one Jimmyc13 is using, Passport 9500i, I always thought was one of the best, but I don't know anything about them.

Thanks,

MicCow3

714ct200h

· #4 · Aug 26, 2011

i would like to install my v1 too. just don't know where to tap it neither

Bill Broderick

· #5 · Aug 26, 2011

Rather than screw around with this myself, my first stop after picking up my CT was the local car stereo shop, where they installed the wire for my Bel RX65 (the Bel equivalent to the Escort 9500ix) at the top of my windshield for $50.

JIMBOCLASSIC

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 28, 2011

jimmyc13 said:
Are you mounting it up high, near the mirror?

Yes, I have it mounted there right now....just have an ugly wire hanging to the console 12v for now until i hardwire it. I may just tap into fusebox.....anyone know if it is easy to take the pillar panel off? Haven't tried and didn't want to break anything, yet.....

jimmyc13

· #7 · Aug 28, 2011

You might want to look over on clublexus.com to see how they've done this on the IS and other models, just a suggestion on where else to look.

pghjohn

· #8 · Aug 13, 2012 (Edited)

For those still looking to hardwire a radar detector, I just did it this afternoon. Here are some photo's and how I did it. First, I used the BlendMount kit and mirror tap found here:
http://store.blendmount.com/ct-200h-c490.aspx

I placed the mount per the included directions, it just fits over the mirror post. Now, if you look at the plastic wire cover between the rearview mirror and the console, you will see it is in two pieces. I first slid the top plastic wire cover down about an inch, and them pulled it off by pulling it away from the window. I next slid the bottom cover up, and then pulled it away from the window to remove it. This reveals the wire connector as seen in the first photo. I found it easier to work with by unplugging the connector to give me a bit more wiggle room to manipulate it.

Next, I used the mirror tap, sliding the red wire in the second slot from the right which held a 12volt hot wire that was tied to the ignition. (You will note that the extreme right slot was empty.) I slid the black ground wire into the far left slot. I determined these with a volt meeter.

Plug the connector back in, then slide the bottom cover back. carefully fold the wire tap down towards the mirror, and then slide the upper cover back on. You will notice that the wire tap fits easily between the two.

Hopefully that makes it easier for anyone else wanting to mirror mount and hardwire their radar detector.

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Joe166

· #9 · Aug 13, 2012

That is a very nice installation. I have the same setup, but I found the detector too obtrusive in that location. Eventually I removed the mirror mount and just used the suction cups.

Don't you find it to stick out too much?

reade

· #10 · Aug 14, 2012

First post ... cut me some slack... All the advice on laser detection is to mount your V1 as low as possible on the windshield since they aim for your front license plate (a good reason not to have one) and will hit the V1 while fishing around for a reading. Laser is a pinpoint beam looking for a reflection back. Mounting your V1 up high just ups the chances that you won't get a laser warning, or if you do, it's too late.

I had the dealer run the wire to just in front of the nav display before I even picked the car up. I provided the V1 install kit, they didn't charge me. Love that Lexus service.

Joe166

· #11 · Aug 14, 2012

reade said:
First post ... cut me some slack... All the advice on laser detection is to mount your V1 as low as possible on the windshield since they aim for your front license plate (a good reason not to have one) and will hit the V1 while fishing around for a reading. Laser is a pinpoint beam looking for a reflection back. Mounting your V1 up high just ups the chances that you won't get a laser warning, or if you do, it's too late.

I had the dealer run the wire to just in front of the nav display before I even picked the car up. I provided the V1 install kit, they didn't charge me. Love that Lexus service.

I always thought that with Laser you were always too late unless you managed to get a missed beam from the guy in front. Laser is very, very hard to detect. I think it is almost impossible. What I meant, though, was that it is so obvious there that someone might decide they need it more than I do, and it does block a little of my view. I have had a hard wired Valentine in my two seat TBird for years and I never take it out because it is virtually invisible from the outside as it is above the mirror. I don't speed all that much anymore, especially when the mileage goes down so drastically, so I prefer to be in a stealth mode.

pghjohn

· #12 · Aug 14, 2012

Well, to be honest, I put this in for my partner, not myself. The nice thing (for me) about the mirror mount is that you unplug the cord and then the detector simply slides off. At that point, you don't even notice the mount. So for me, I will probably leave it in the glovebox and when parked, we'll pull it off anyway.

As to position, if you really wanted to have it low on the dask, you could with suction cup mount they sell, and use the longer hardwire kit that would route down to the fusebox. I actually got both kits, and if there was interest, can show my pics of how to put the other hardwire kit in. I was slightly more involved, but still pretty easy.

Reactions: 1

Joe166

· #13 · Aug 14, 2012

You did a great job, thanks for the information.

hdave

· #14 · Aug 14, 2012

How much does a typical laser/radar detector cost?

Joe166

· #15 · Aug 14, 2012

hdave said:
How much does a typical laser/radar detector cost?

The two "best" ones (IMO) are the Valentine V1 which costs about $400 and the Passport 9500ix which costs about $500. The guy who builds and sells Valentines used to work at Cincinnati Microwave, which makes the Passport. I like it better. It has front and back receptors and is quite reliable. The Passport has a built in GPS and can learn and warns you about stop light cameras and speed traps, but I find the voice warnings annoying. I have one of each, but haven't used either one in months. I took one with me in my wife's car for a 500 mile each way trip and I forgot to get it out of the glove compartment. I find that I don't speed very much anymore, but I like to be kept informed as to what is going on around me.

A cheap radar detector will have so many false alarms because of door openers that it is virtually useless.

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hvdcman

· #16 · Dec 20, 2012

Quick question. I found several wires in my plug. Seems like the white/black tracer is the ground (black wire from tap). There are a blue and a orange colored wires in the right 2 slots. Do you remember the color of the wire you got the power from (red wire from tap)?

KVZ

· #17 · May 7, 2014

Read the Valentine 1 Manual. Higher is better - you can detect out of the back seat.

swongskw

· #18 · Sep 2, 2014

The red wire goes with the orange on (2nd slot from the right)

hvdcman said:
Quick question. I found several wires in my plug. Seems like the white/black tracer is the ground (black wire from tap). There are a blue and a orange colored wires in the right 2 slots. Do you remember the color of the wire you got the power from (red wire from tap)?

swongskw

· #19 · Sep 2, 2014

Just installed the Escort SmartRadar with the instructions from this thread with great success

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Took only 10 minutes!

my95tsi

· #20 · Dec 27, 2014

I'm curious about these mirror taps. I have a whistler radar detector and unfortunately they do not make tap connectors for this brand, only passport and escort. So i'm thinking of buying one and splicing in my connector. However I see there are 2 types of taps available. .5 and .8, which one does our vehicle use?

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