Bel Question

[passlabs]

The front face of my 995 covering the led display is scratched, does anybody know if bel will sell me a new one if i call them?

[Silverstreak98]

If its under warranty.......say something it wrong with it and send it in. Then ask them to replace the front face as well and they should do it for you.

[MEM-TEK]

The front face of my 995 covering the led display is scratched, does anybody know if bel will sell me a new one if i call them?

Belscort has a pretty strict policy of not sending out any individual parts, simply because they do not want customers going into their radar detector. Fortunately the part you need doesn't require you to open up your RD at all, so you have a chance. You could try this while talking to a CS representative:

"My V995 LED display cover is deeply scratched and I would like to replace it with a new cover so that I can clearly see the display. I've already seen pictures on radardetector.net which show that the display cover simply pulls straight off and is merely held in place with two snap tabs. I would greatly appreciate it if you would send me a replacement display cover which I simply need to snap into place after pulling off the old display cover. This would be far less expensive than both the time and return shipping costs to merely have something as simple as having the display cover replaced were I to send in my V995."

I give you roughly a 50/50 chance that they will go for it since it really is a "no brainer" to carefully pull off the original display cover and then to snap on the new display cover. Tell them that you would be happy to pay for the cost of the display cover (maybe two dollars) plus the shipping costs via regular mail (maybe five dollars including the padded envelop).

Be friendly, very briefly rave about your V995, then keep it really short and to the point as described above. Ask for Aaron, Dan or David at CS if you don't immediately get one of these three on the phone. I have found these three individuals to be very helpful in the past. Yet their supervisors do impose limits on what they can do. They may have to put you on hold in order to get approval from their CS supervisor for sending out this part.

The above is the best I can suggest. I managed to get a replacement display cover for my STi since its original cover was somewhat scratched, due to inadequate packing for return shipment, after I sent in my STi for its 33.8 bugfix flash upgrade. Note that changing out the display cover on a STi requires opening up the RD, but I explained that I used to be a computer tech who built computer systems from scratch and that I was fully aware of taking proper ESD precautions (all of which is true). In other words, Belscort trusted me with what I said (most likely on record at Escort) and my STi warranty is still valid.

[focalcivic]

In order to get the display snapped off you still have to dissemble it correct and then snap off the display?

[MEM-TEK]

In order to get the display snapped off you still have to dissemble it correct and then snap off the display?

No. The display cover pulls straight off as shown in the photo below. You can also see the two small tabs on each end of the display cover which hold the display in place. Note that the display cover holds both halves of the display end of the radar detector case together.

[focalcivic]

What is the best way to snap it off with the case together? It doesn't seem like there is much room on the sides with case together? Do you squeeze slightly and then pull?

[MEM-TEK]

What is the best way to snap it off with the case together? It doesn't seem like there is much room on the sides with case together? Do you squeeze slightly and then pull?

You actually have to remove the display cover first before you can open up the case. And you can't open up the case unless you remove the two screws on the bottom of the case. One of the screws is under the serial number sticker. There is no reason for you to open up the case anyway since all you want to do is remove the original display cover and then snap on the new one.

The easiest way is to hook one thumbnail onto the raised top edge of the display cover and at the same time to apply some backward thumb pressure with your other thumb such that you are pulling the display cover straight out from the end of the radar detector. The idea is to pull the display cover straight off the end of the radar detector case. Don't apply downward pressure or try to squeeze the display cover since this doesn't help and since you could inadvertently push the display cover downward and hit and possibly damage the LED display while trying to remove the display cover. Again, the display cover slides straight off the end of the radar detector just as shown in my photo above.

[Nuke]

In the event you CAN'T get it replaced, try jeweler's rouge to buff out the scratch. I've used it on scratched watch bezels and it works well if the scratch isn't too deep.