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Im about to get a radar detector soon, but I dont know how to hardwire. Ive searched through so many threads but I cant understand anything because i dont know anything about any that electrical stuff. Awww man I dont know what to do. If i just mount it low using the cigarette lighter, the dectector wont detect radar very well. Can someone please offer me a solution where no electrical knowledge is needed?
What vehicle is this for?
:)
Many on-line support/enthusiast-community Forums/d-boards for your vehicle's specific model and even model-year can be of great benefit to you in this manner....they may even have step-by-step illustrated "walk-throughs."
Also, where are you located? You may have local/area hobbyists/enthusiasts who would be willing to help you either for no fee or for payment "in food."
i have a 97 accord LX and I live in NJ
^ A Honda! :)
Cool, you should be able to get some good on-line support, then.
Search around on Google or another such database and see if there isn't a good support-forum for your car. My bet is that there will be.
Also, since this is a very popular vehicle, you should easily be able to find DIY "service manuals" in your local library - check with the reference librarian.
I bought a power connector from Autozone called "Add A Circuit" and used it to tap into my fusebox. You just unplug a fuse from your box, place the fuse from your car into the Add a Circuit, add a smaller (2 amp) fuse into the Add a Circuit for your radar detector, and then attach your RD's cord to the Add A Circuit... stash all your wiring and your done. I know there is another thread somewhere about hardwiring too.
thats exactly what i dont understand. i dont know what a fuse is, where it is, or anything of that sort.Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyinZX-10R
Okay so you really are a rookie. But I don't know where they are for sure. But first place to look is your manual. Read it - Look in the index for "Fuses".Quote:
Originally Posted by coolkidd123
If we can - we'll get pictures and walk you through the WHOLE process.
If you aren't remotely comfortable doing any of this - just go to best buy or local car audio shop and ask them to hardwire it. Tell them you want it either on Ignition(this will turn on only when car is "on") or "Accessory"(gets power regardless of car status). They'll charge you probably 30-50 bucks. its an option.
If you don't know what a fuse is, then you have no business tapping into any part of your electrical system. Not meaning to be a jerk. It's really not that difficult, but if you don't have at least a basic understanding of a car's electrical system, with the electronics in today's cars you could really mess things up.Quote:
Originally Posted by coolkidd123
I've heard of people shorting out the wrong wires and deploying their airbags.
Funny story. When I was a young kid, my first car was an old FIAT. I installed fog lights and tapped the the power into the parking lights so that the fogs would go on when I turned on the parking lights.
I kept blowing fuses, so not knowing any better, I replaced it with a larger amp fuse. Sure enough one day I notice smoke coming out from under the dash. Turned off the fogs and figured out what I did wrong.
Doesn't end there. For the next couple of weeks, I would notice that on occasion, when I would go out to the car, the parking lights would be on, even though the switch was off. If I flick the switch, it would eventually go off. One day I decided to trace the parking light lead and found that the wire had melted and was shorting out against other wires on the main harness.
I had my whole dash torn apart as I was replacing wires that had melted together. Lessoned learned by an ignorant kid. Now this was on an old 1976 FIAT. I can't imagine what would have happened if it was a modern day car.
Maybe you should not mess with them then. You can probably get it done, but you could also possibly fry things. Either have someone do it, or just don't hardwire it.Quote:
Originally Posted by coolkidd123
Here you go, got some photos for ya...... This should help....
First buy a Smart HardWire Kit From Escort or Roy.
Then purchase an "Add a Circuit" from your local Advanced Auto.
HardWire Kit
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8...ctsmartdg8.jpg
"Add A Circuit" Choose which type your car has either the
(Big fuse or Small fuse ).
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/2...circuitea8.jpg
Now tuck the Wire into your Ceiling headboard using a small
flat Head Screw Driver. Go down the A-pillar doing the same.
Install
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6...hmountvtf0.jpg
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/117...eareditak5.jpg
After that Find the Fuse Box, connect the Power Wire part
of the HardWire to your "Add a Circuit" and Clamp it. Now Stick
your "Add a Circuit" into your ACC Fuse Slot ( Cigarette Lighter ).
As for the Ground Wire, find a bolt on your fire wall and use it to
ground the wire.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1...uiteditfa8.jpg
Now you'll need to find a nice place for your Mute button. Any place will do,
just route the wire some where convenient for you to push while driving.
I put mine right in front of my shifter.
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/7...nstall65ee.jpg
ahhh.... EASY......... if yo were in TX I could do it for ya.........Quote:
Originally Posted by coolkidd123
basically with this one you find how you want power, either from the stereo area or the fuse box.......... for a newb job id do it to the box since its straight down in relation to the A pillar
for this youd open the fuse pannel by the drivers side speaker/mick area around the dead pedal, and find the radio fuse, get an add-a-circuit in full ATO size and set it up like the others around here have said...... ground it in a good location to the chassis, then pop off the A pillar cover, real easy, but it'll make a bad noise, but itll pop right off no breaks......... run the wire up through the harnesses on there and tuck it in behind um.......... then send the wire under the roof lining and towards the RVM....... twist it around the RVM a few times as a safety for the suction cups and plug into the RD........... any excess wire should be pulled back towards the power source and hidden down ther as opposed to on top since theres no place for it
the stereo area install is a bit more difficult, i did it there and if you dont know how to pass wires through the panels it can gfet tedious, so if you wanna know more ask me and ill tell you all about it, if not stick to the fuse box
thanks a lot for the step by step instruction and information orbital75, but i dont wanna risk messing something because i dont know anything about these things. it would be awesome if someone on this board was from NJ though. do you guys think that if i mounted it low on my windshield and used the cigarette lighter, it would effect the performance of my RD by a lot? I know that mounting low is good for laser, but not radar. Do you think its a bad idea? I really have no other option besides getting it installed professionaly but thats a lot of money.
1st off youre welcome on the directions, my CL is basically the upscaled 97 Accord EX-L so I had it all in my head from my install :D .. I mean ive been running things through that car fsince i got it, i'm my own car audio installer, and I still do better than those idiot kids at Best Buy and Circuit city.......... I only go to good professionals that do car audio day in and day out if I ever need anything done..... and so far thats the alarm system and thats itQuote:
Originally Posted by coolkidd123
and as for low mounting, if you do mount it there it is hightened laser sensitivity, but if you dont have a jammer or at the very least Veil w/ Lasershield then all its telling you is bam, youve got a ticket, warning time is good, but only if you have a window to use that information........ which on an unprotected car you dont have............... so mount hight and hardwired, it looks better, its out of the way for prying eyes, and it frees up your lighter socket for other toys
how is the detection against radar if i mount it low? Is it significantly decreased or just a little? will it give me atleast some protection or is it basically useless?
do you already have the hardwire kit? If not it might not be that much money to get it professionally installed. The hardwire kit is a glorified phone cable. If the installer does these things and knows this you might save the $20 on the kit. Just take it to a shop.
It is a bit of work if you don't know how to do things. If you do try it keep in mind that the A pillar plastic ( thats the pillar that runs along the side of your windshield) pops off on Hondas. All you have to do is pry on one end and pull on it to pop it off. This will allow you to hide the wire going up.
The ground will probably be your biggest problem. Note that on the hardwire kit the red wire needs to go to a power source, such as the fuse box, and the black ground wire has to touch metal on your cars body. A screw that goes into the chassis of the car is best.
I found that higher is a bunch better for Radar, simply because now it has an easier time looking over barricades and what not, so thus off axis will definately increase and higher is away from the hood and other reflective surfaces of the car so it gets away from that stuff too, refections off signs (especially overhead ones) will be better as well, theoretically speaking.......... but it really does helpQuote:
Originally Posted by coolkidd123
as the polakatl said its not too easy if you have no idea whats goin on... go ahead and use my directions and run it through your head and ask yourself if you can/want to do it or not
I mounted mine low for a year and it worked great. You will have increased Radar Sensitivity once you move it up ( Line of Sight ). When I moved mine up to a hight mount, I've gotten an extra half mile out of mine once or twice.
From what I understand for every 6 inches you move up, you get an added half a mile of detection.
Increased Line Of Sight.
Here try Jim's "Radar Line Of Sight Calculator".
It's a program that will estimate your range by detector height.
Just Click the Photo....
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/9...loscalcva1.jpg
i think ill just mount it low for now since i dont wanna pay to get it hardwired or cant do it myself.