Hardwired RD in my 02 Chevy Monte Carlo LS

I just bought a new Escort Passport 8500 X50 and hardwired it into my 2002 Monte Carlo LS. Originally my plan was to wire it into the DIC (little display for gas mileage/compass/etc. above the rear view mirror) but this proved impossible because it would require removing the entire ceiling. After some fooling around with a multimeter I found that 5 wires go to the rear view mirror via a molex connector, but only three of them are actually used since my mirror has no OnStar or automatic dimming. Here's a pinout of the wiring for the RVM:

1:Brown - (Not Used) Constant 12v when car is OFF
2:Black - Constant 12v
3:Green - (Not Used, wired to my radar detector) Constant 12v except when in Reverse OR when the headlights are on as a result of pressing one of the buttons on the Keyfob remote (With the ignition ON or OFF)
4:*Empty*
5:*Empty*
6:White - 12v for interior light override (from light control knob/alarm/keyfob/etc.)
7:Blue/White - Ground

NOTE: Pins 2 and 3 will automatically turn off 10 minutes after the car is turned off if enough current is being drawn. In my experience the radar detector DID NOT trip this but leaving the map light on did (as it is designed).

Anyways I simply stripped a piece of telephone cable I had lying around the house and used solder to wire it directly into the back of the molex connector. Being that it is telephone wire, the connection is kinda shaky (the radar will shut off if you touch the wires) but I think it's mostly a grounding issue. In the future I will likely try to insulate it with more electrical tape. Here are some pictures!

Side view of the wiring and the connector
http://s146877905.onlinehome.us/images/radar/wiring.jpg

Close-up of the molex connector
http://s146877905.onlinehome.us/images/radar/close.jpg

Side view from passenger side
http://s146877905.onlinehome.us/images/radar/side.jpg

Close-up of detector from driver side
http://s146877905.onlinehome.us/images/radar/front.jpg

Entire dashboard view from driver side
http://s146877905.onlinehome.us/imag.../dashboard.jpg

View from outside (RD is barely visible in direct sunlight due to tinting)
http://s146877905.onlinehome.us/imag...ar/outside.jpg

Welcome, and nice install.

Just so you know there are few companies that make cords that connect to the mirror they use a metal prong. Also the way you have it connected you don't have it fused at the detector, that might be a problem down the road.

That may be a better solution for the future, but until this stops working I'm likely going to leave it be. As for fuses, I'm not worried too much since the circuit is likely fused in the car's fuse box. Is there some advantage to having it fused right by the detector that I am missing?

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Originally Posted by BreakfastPirate

That may be a better solution for the future, but until this stops working I'm likely going to leave it be. As for fuses, I'm not worried too much since the circuit is likely fused in the car's fuse box. Is there some advantage to having it fused right by the detector that I am missing?

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Yes, it protects the radar detector itself from damage. The fuse at the fuse box protects the car, but that circuit is a much higher amp point, so the threshold to blow is higher. The detector itself uses like a 1 amp fuse.

Proper wiring is cheap insurance, why blow out a $250 detector. I would at least get a cheap inline fuse at auto parts store and solder it inline and then tuck in in the headliner.

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Originally Posted by focalcivic

Yes, it protects the radar detector itself from damage. The fuse at the fuse box protects the car, but that circuit is a much higher amp point, so the threshold to blow is higher. The detector itself uses like a 1 amp fuse.

Proper wiring is cheap insurance, why blow out a $250 detector. I would at least get a cheap inline fuse at auto parts store and solder it inline and then tuck in in the headliner.

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Um, I know the Pro 78 uses 2 Amps (2 amp fuse) and I think that 2 amp is the smallest fuse you can get for the car (ATM and ATC size wise). I would say most RD are about the same, but you should fuse it to be safe.

I wasn't aware that such low amperage could blow out the detector. The manual was very vague about technical specifications regarding wiring, the voltage it requires, etc. I imagine they want you to buy their wiring kit.

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Originally Posted by BreakfastPirate

I wasn't aware that such low amperage could blow out the detector. The manual was very vague about technical specifications regarding wiring, the voltage it requires, etc. I imagine they want you to buy their wiring kit.

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Well I wired mine directly to the fuse box, so i needed a fuse. Since you tapped off of your interior lights, it is already fused at the fuse box (pry a 5 or 10 amp fuse) So you should be fine! :D Nice hookup btw.

Eventhough it is wired to the mirror, the detector is not fused, look it like this the cig plug cord has a fuse in it, a bel hardware kit has a fuse in it. You can buy a fuse for like 2 bucks and put it on.

I think I may just start pulling fuses from the box until the RD turns off and then replace that one with a 2amp fuse.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BreakfastPirate

I think I may just start pulling fuses from the box until the RD turns off and then replace that one with a 2amp fuse.

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Wait don't do that! Do you mean pull fuses from the fuse box in the car? if you pull the one that is for the radar detector, I bet it is for the interior lights as well because probably the only reason you have wires going to your rear view mirror is because it has lights on the bottom of it. That is how it is on my car.

The fuse is probably a 5 or 10 amp (mine is a 10). You can't just take that out and put a 2 amp in. Then the radar detector is going to be using all of that juice, and when your interior lights try to come on, the fuse will blow.

If you want to be completely safe, either wire directly to the fuse box using a fuse tap or just put a fuse holder with a fuse in it between your RD and where you have it wired into the mirror. That is just my suggestion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BreakfastPirate

I think I may just start pulling fuses from the box until the RD turns off and then replace that one with a 2amp fuse.

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You said you know how to solder. Go to a parts store and buy an inline fuse put it on the positive lead going to the mirror and you should be fine. You can get blade style or the barrel style and put in a 2amp fuse in the holder.

Test test test

I'm quite confident that the wire I used is there specifically for some OnStar nonsense that is not equipped in my car (though it was an option on my model year). The wire was actually not connected to anything besides the molex connector. There was no pin on the mirror for that wire, which was why I used it. Assumedly, nothing else is connected to that circuit besides the RD.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BreakfastPirate

I'm quite confident that the wire I used is there specifically for some OnStar nonsense that is not equipped in my car (though it was an option on my model year). The wire was actually not connected to anything besides the molex connector. There was no pin on the mirror for that wire, which was why I used it. Assumedly, nothing else is connected to that circuit besides the RD.

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With molex connectors the whole connector is on a circuit not just 1 pin out on the connector.

Clearly they must be on different circuits because each wire is switched under a different set of conditions (car off, always on, alarm, dimmer). Unless there is one fuse for a single wire that feeds into some sort of light controller that separates each circuit and switches them independently. In the end I'm just going to have to check the fuses and see how it's set up.

Edit: I stand corrected. The entire connector is on one 10A fuse that apparently runs the dome lamp as well. The fuse box diagram says it also powers the DIC but it didn't turn off when I pulled the fuse (though the car did get very angry at me and display a "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" message, lol)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BreakfastPirate

Clearly they must be on different circuits because each wire is switched under a different set of conditions (car off, always on, alarm, dimmer). Unless there is one fuse for a single wire that feeds into some sort of light controller that separates each circuit and switches them independently. In the end I'm just going to have to check the fuses and see how it's set up.

Edit: I stand corrected. The entire connector is on one 10A fuse that apparently runs the dome lamp as well. The fuse box diagram says it also powers the DIC but it didn't turn off when I pulled the fuse (though the car did get very angry at me and display a "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" message, lol)

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I had a feeling that would be the case where it is tapped in with the interior lights, because that is how my car was wired. All cars are usually different in some ways, but yours happened to be the same as mine.

I got this from another site:

I think its good for the 2001-2005
Monte Carlo with Onstar and autodim.

For reference:
Pin 1 : Gray (on the end, top row)
Pin 8: Black (on the opposite end, top row)
Pin 9: Light green (on the end, bottom row)
Pin 16: Empty (on the opposite end, bottom row)
Ground: Pin 8 - Black
Ignition: Pin 13 - Brown (Not the Brown/White)

Well that kinda shuts the door on my mysterious-wire-that-turns-off-when-the-car-is-in-reverse being related to OnStar if they use a different connector on those mirrors. Mine is non-auto-dimming with map lights only. What the hell is that wire for!? :confused: