I ran the wire between the two pieces where they meet and yes, it was a pain The problem is that the inside of the mirror covers have grooves. You have to get the cord in the right groove for it to not bulk out. I started to dermal out the inside of the cover to make it easy but it finally snapped together

I went out and took a pic to give you a better idea of where the wire comes out. I hope it helps!

 

Thanks; yup, dermal would fix the problem...I also thought about shortening the hardwire kit, but I got pretty lucky on soldering it in, I have limited soldering experience and big hands...Neither help, lol...

For the record, I'm going to remove the mirror mount, way too flimsy and it causes the detector to bounce up and down...Very annoying...

 

Just remember to remove it if you have to drive in VA. Radar detectors are illegal in the state. It seems they made too much of a dent in revenue.

Mike

 

You can also pull power from the overhead console if you want.

See my DIY for swapping homelink.

Let me know if you need a diagram.


Take care,

George

 

That's what I was originally suggesting...After doing the mirror tap in, I recommend doing the overhead console to avoid the step of dremeling...Do you happen to know which wire is switched + and ground?

Update on the mirror mount...This thing sucks, whole mirror starts to vibrate...I'm removing it...I may try to put the top and bottom mirror trim together on the mirror then try to install it...

 

Wanted to post the mirror mount before I take it off...

 

I'm digging that Valentine mirror setup!

 

Excellent write up with pics, helped me out a lot to install my radar detector.

 

I saw someone bumped this old thread on how to install (hide) the power wire for a radar detector. I wanted to help anyone else thinking of doing this by saying you do NOT have to take the mirror apart at all to hide the wire inside the mirror. You simply tuck the wire under the mirror. Bada-bing, bada-boom. Easy. (The center console has to be taken apart, but I'm simply adding info about the mirror.)

You're going to need to extend (splice) the power wire, so get a small gage speaker wire, cut the radar's wire shortly after the tip of the radar detector's wire and splice your extended speaker wire on, then wrap it in black electrical tape (to make it blend in, being black wire). You'll then continue to tuck and hide the wire along the seem of the windshield and roof, then along the side airbag(!) pillar posts and windshield (be CAREFUL not to block or do anything stupid around the side airbags, 'ight?). Then, run it through your center console for power (I like leaving the ashtray's 9V free as an always available power source for guests, you should too).

Here's a thread with some images you can see my radar detector smoothly blending in with the mirror.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ck-pics-76468/

Serious, don't take apart your mirror as it's completely unessisary. JbB

 

Thanks, I'm glad it helped someone.

Thanks for showing another option of hiding the radar wire, but you have unnecessarily overcomplicated a simple install.


To "hardwire the radar", which is what the tread was about is as simple as snapping the mirror off plugging in a few wires and snapping it back. There is zero need for hand tools, no worry of touching the air bags, or running a wire around half the car.

 

Just curious when you are about to start your car does your display on your radar show "low volt" for a split second before start up?

 

I'll check in the morning but I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

 

My bad, I misunderstood the whole point was to take the mirror off to connect the radar's power into the mirror's power. Yes, the mirror of course would need to be disassembled to connect to its power source. And yes, the method I mentioned, in hindsight, DOES involve 20 minutes or so more time.

But would I buy the kit linked above and connect to the mirror's power source in my own car? No. Connecting a device intended for the 9 volt accessory power system ensures that you don't have to question if the voltage will remain clean, about unexpected power dips or any power surges. Our cars are designed that if our accessory power fuse gets blown, no other functions of the car go down. Working outside the accessory power (or not working directly off the car's battery) will take other functions of the car down. If the fuse responsible for the mirror's power gets blown, you lose mirror dimming, both front seat heated seats, your automatic windshield wipers, xenon headlight leveling and accessory chime sound. It's nice this kit includes an inline fuse, but I've experienced over the years on other people's radar detectors (including Bell South's) where the radar would blow the car's accessory fuse (such as bumping the radar with your hand, defects, re-plugging in power connector, etc) while the radar's own inline fuse (located in the cigarette plug itself) remained unblown... and this was a straight plug in, no slicing or modification to the wire at all. So this kit's inline fuse can't safeguard the line 100% any more than even my own radar's inline fuse can.

To anybody already using this method, don't worry about it, I'm sure it'll be fine... It's your car and you're call to do whatever you choose. But if someone I knew came up and asked me, I can't see ANY situation that I'd recommend this method knowing an alternative exists. JbB

 

By any chance did you get a chance to check your radar display for "low vOlt" when cranking the ignition? My beltronic radar shows it a split second before start up. I bought that kit and did exactly what you did for the install, it's just this dam error message I get right on start up.

 

I get no error message. The mirror is a 12v source. You should check to see what it says plugged into the lighter, you could possibly have a low battery or a bad connection. I used a multimeter to ensure I had 12v.

 

Need someone to put me straight on this - I got a very nice stealth Bel detector a few years ago (before the Jag STR), and during the first day just put it on top of the dash to check it out. Worked perfectly, put it away in the mid-armrest overnight for security. Next day, forgot I had it, went for a drive and began to hear all sorts of chirps from the armrest! Sure enough, the Bel seemed just as active in the armrest as it had been on the dash. So, I wired it up and left it there permanently. Never had a problem, and the car always looked totally innocent.

My question - how much detection ability did I lose by not having it mounted on the windscreen?

 

What's up Rob, I think I can answer your question, or at least give you some food for thought. Radar can penetrate glass, plastic or other like materials. Radar can't penetrate metal. But, that's for radar... most law enforcement officials use laser. Laser is defined as beams of light, so your radar detector MUST be able to see through your windshield in order to pick up laser. Many experts recommend mounting a radar detector as low as possible because cops using laser point the device to your bumper area.

Mount Detector Properly - RadarBusters.com

If you have a simplistic radar detector (most do), then this is fine enough... But, some radar detectors come with 360 degree detection. The little curvy "nipples" on radar detectors, in my experience, aren't effective. Radar detectors that have large windows, ideally angled (like a prism) are the best for offering REAL 360 detection. You can see on mine exactly what I'm talking about.



And there-in you have your dilemma. Where do you mount it? It clearly can't be mounted in the standard "expert" location of "velcro'ed to your dash", being as low as possible, as this clearly blocks all angles but the front. Thus, the only non-intrusive position to clear the rear window, sides and front is directly under your mirror. I have witnessed a cop shoot my car after I had gone past and my radar gave me a laser indicator, which was directly through the rear window.

I've taken a picture from the angle directly paralel to the rear window. You can see the radar's just high enough for the rear sensor to "see" out the back, but not so high as to block it (note how straight and level it is also).



So, now you know a little about positioning... How much detection ability are you losing by not having it mounted on the windshield? That's "up for debate", but yo... you want my honest opinion? If radar detectors aren't illegal where your at, it's stupid not to mount it on your windshield. Put that baby up. Got a 360 radar? Mount it just like mine is. Got a standard front only one? Mount it like mine or mount it to your bottom driver side windshield and ENSURE it's level and not pointing in some crazy angle. JbB

 

JbB, thanks so much for that informative reply. When I had the Bel, I also had a Blinder laser jammer which took care of that problem, so the radar was just for extra info. Never knew anything about that 360 deg setup though.

 

I've upgraded the mount after our cold/hot weeks and a few too many times of the radar mount falling off the window. The BlendMount works but the fit isn't perfect and for the price ($115.00), they could have made a better mount. The problem is when you move the mirror the thickness of the mount ears make the whole mount move. I would rank it 8 out of 10 but there isn't anyone else out there that makes a mirror mount w/good reviews.