I got the stealth cord yesterday, but even at 48 inches it's too short. I need a cord that is at least 7-8 feet long. I run it down teh pillar then under my dash.

Questions:
I have the direct hardwire cord from Escort taht I removed from my old car. Is tehre a way to use this? Picture included for refencence. It has 4 components:

1. Ground Loop taht needs to be attached to bolt
2. Hot wire metal prong
3. Blue snap that closes around hot wire to tap to feed
4. RJ-11 that plugs into the radar

According to the posts, the best way is to tap into the rear view mirror. How can i modify the ends of smart cord to tap into that connection?

Or do i have to go to teh fuse box? Then what mods will i need to make to the cord?

Or Is there a way to keep the StealthCord and add and additional 4 feet of phone cord? I'm not very techincal. Is there an easy way to splice a new wire to teh exisitng? Are talkign strip wire and wrap together each wore or soddering?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I'm not clear on where you're putting what here...

I made my own cable for $5. Phone cord from the shack and snipped off the leads of an LED to use to insert into the mirror.

Are you putting the radar detector on top your dash and routing the power cable across, up the A pillar, under the headliner to the mirror power?

All you really need is 12v from the ACC and a ground. You can do what i did and run it around like you want with the phone cord.

Or you can find you 12v ACC from the fuse box, use a crimp on spade connector to push in there, and a crimp on ring connector to connect to a bolt on the chassis for ground (scrape away paint). For safety, i'd put a fuse inline next to your power source that's just good enough for the radar detector draw. That way you don't have a live length of wire if you get a surge, and it protects the radar detector.

 

Sorry. let me clarify.

If i buy an 8 foot black phone cord from radioshack, how do you modify it to plug it in the homelink mirror plug in teh back of the rear view mirror? I woudl cut teh RJ-11 connector off one end, then what? Then i assume you strip the wires. how do you then get the wires to be prongs? Can you please be specific?

Background: In my 3 series, i tapped into the power for the overhead lights using the Escort direct wire kit. I snapped the blue piece over the active wire and inserted the wire into that. Then i bolted the ground to a bolt in teh ceileng. I then ran the cord along the headliner, down teh A pillar to uner teh dash. Then i ran the cord back up to my detector on teh lower left side of my dash.

Then I put velcro on the underside of my detector and the other piece under my steering column. That way, when i left the car, I could quickly release the detector from teh suction cup mount on the windsheild and stick it to teh underside of my steering wheel. This would make it not visable from teh street, less likely to get stolen, within easy reach, and i wouldnt have to keep pluggin the cord in and out when i moved it.

I'm looking to do teh same thing in my g35. However, the two ways to tap into power i've read are throuhg the fuse box and plug in teh homelink mirror. The fuse box sounds confusing and compicated.

I have in my possesion my old direct wire cord from my old car. I was trying to use that in some way.

Thanks for your input thus far.

 

You really only need to connect into the homelink mirror if your radar detector is mounted on or near the mirror. Otherwise, w better and easier idea would be to run the power wire to the fuse panel, then under the dash to your detector sitting on or near the dash.

You old Escort harness will work fine. Just connect it to the fuse panel. It's really easy if you get an add a fuse kit from the auto parts store.

 

Why would you have wasted your money on a Stealth cord? The stealth cord is only good if you're mounting the 8500 near the mirror and want to tap into the power from the mirror!

Cut the connector from a spare phone cord and just use that! Sell the Stealth cord to someone that actually needs it.

 

I can't remember if it was stealth cord or inviscord, but one of them sells custom length ones...could give that a try

 

Save your money. No need to get a stealth cord or inviscord - just use a spare phone cable, splice the wires and tap into the homelink wires. You are all set!!

 

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I got it working with my older Direct wire kit from Escort.

1. Purchased an Add a Circuit from Pep Boys. $9.

2. On the add a circuit, added a 5 amp fuse and a 10 amp fuse that came with it.

3. On the red wire coming off the add a circuit (before the blue part), shaved a little off the thick red wire and clamped the blue piece that came with my hardwire to tap into the wire without having to splice it.

4. Then plugged the metal piece on the Escort Hardwire into that blue tap

5. Removed the fuse (15 amps) for Cigarette lighter on my car.

6. Plugged the add a circuit into that space.

7. Grounded the black wire to a screw i found under the dash.

8. Pressed start on the car and radar as well as teh cigarette lighter both turn on and off with the ignition!

 

Nice work!!

 

Here are some pix to clarify for those still asking me.

Fuse from Pep Boys
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n144/glocker99/f.jpg

Fuse Box
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n144/glocker99/e.jpg

Final Install with radar on lower left of dash.
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n144/glocker99/b.jpg