hardwire radar question - a different one

[drumnjuny]

for those who have done this, this is the best write-up i could find (and really the only one)

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/elec156.shtml


quick question. does anyone know what cable he's using? Is it just a standard phone cable i can buy at home depot? Because he says "save $30 on buying escort's hardwire kit", but their 15$ hardwire cable (https://www.escortradar.com/store/direct-wire-cord.html) only has the wires for power, so no LED or Mute button...

so my next guess was to buy the $30 kit (https://www.escortradar.com/store/di...cord-blue.html) which has the button and LED an then hack up the wires an remove the directport thing? but that's obviously not what that guy did...

when i asked the escort rep, she said "I don't engineer the cords."



here's a pic of what i'm talking about. I need the cable that plugs into the detector using the phone jack but has four wires (ground/led/mute/power) coming out of it. no doubt this is a stupid question, but thanks in advance

[drumnjuny]

figured i'd add, if anyone knows where to get a FUNK button (or is selling one, please PM me)? i found two links:

1) takes 3-4 weeks to ship out apparently. uh what ha? $32 pretty pricey...
http://www.worldimpex.com/search_by_...+B+5PR&x=0&y=0

2) not sure how long it takes to ship, but for $50
http://www.oemplus.com/switch-funk-radio-p-545.html

any suggestions are welcome, thanks!

[KraZ4Riding]

Interesting write-up, I have not hard wired mine to add a mute button like this write up with the extra resistor, but for just a regular hard wire a standard phone line is just fine. Without the mute option you only use the 2 center pins of a standard phone line. (Be sure to check the polarity and be sure it matches the output of the standard cord that came with your detector before plugging it in.)

The biggest challenge is that after cutting one end off to get to the wires, the small wires are fragile and you have to be careful joining them up and soldering them to a larger wire going to the fuse box. It can be done, they are just tough to strip the coating off of without breaking the wire.

[srcrash715]

Here is a funk button from ECS
http://www.ecstuning.com/ES1251178/
29 but with shipping its 39

[drumnjuny]

Here is a funk button from ECS
http://www.ecstuning.com/ES1251178/
29 but with shipping its 39

Thanks! ECS is better known, although i think they are known for poor shipping practices ha. I didn't find that one because it has a slightly different part number than what i was looking for.

by any chance do you know why?

[srcrash715]

Thanks! ECS is better known, although i think they are known for poor shipping practices ha. I didn't find that one because it has a slightly different part number than what i was looking for.

by any chance do you know why?

To be honest I am not to sure, I was looking for one I while back and I remember ECS had a ad on their front page that they just got them in. When I saw this thread I just googled ECS and funk button and that came up for Audi. It could be because this is for the models without the chrome bit. Shoot Jason from ecs a pm he always gets back to me pretty quick with good info.

[drumnjuny]

cool thanks. ya i need a chrome one...

escort's tech service couldn't tell me what kind of cable it was either... but he did tell me something pretty intelligent that i didn't really think about hah... i could just buy the stupid module, open it up find the switch and solder my switch and light into the circuitboard. that would probably be an easy way to go about it...
the DIY still seems easier though hah and saves me a couple bucks so i'm gonna hold out and try and see if anyone here knows what's good with that cable, i'm sure its just a standard RJ hopefully someone can tell me which one lol.

[wildcat333]

For the love of god if you actually do successfully do a funk or mute button built in, please do a detailed DIY. I had seen the one you posted before but it is garbage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

[drumnjuny]

For the love of god if you actually do successfully do a funk or mute button built in, please do a detailed DIY. I had seen the one you posted before but it is garbage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

that's my plan haha, and yeah it really does suck ass! but the important part is there; which pins to connect on the back of the button haha. everything else i feel like i should be able to manage

im just surprised more people on here haven't done this mod lol

[ABreeden]

Here's some buttons... $30 USD, but they are different.

[igjoe1989]

that's my plan haha, and yeah it really does suck ass! but the important part is there; which pins to connect on the back of the button haha. everything else i feel like i should be able to manage

im just surprised more people on here haven't done this mod lol

oh you mean this little mod??

[Franco90]

I did mine but I used the same plug to used in my car I mounted mine in th left side of steeringwheel near the light switch

[wildcat333]

oh you mean this little mod??

**I NEVER QUOTE WITH ALL PICS but jesus dude. I will seriously drive to NJ if you can fucking do this mod for me. I will pay you in American dollarzzzz! >>> Not joking. Help me brosif.

Edit: I have the exact same radar too, so.... let's talk about this.

[igjoe1989]

buy the one from OEM plus, it comes in chrome and ships fast. trust me when i say the extra money is worth it. as far as the the pins go... the funk button comes with the wire harness and the pin numbers are labled on the face of the harness.

here



the pin numbers can also be found by looking into the funk button connection.

here



it is very simple. i hate phone cord so i just used the original cord that came with the radar... yes... the one that is supposed to have the power adapter on it. this cord must also be spliced and the wires inside it are color coded. i purchased wire from advanced auto that matched those colors (green, red, black, and yellow) and extened the radar wires accordingly.

here



next, the black wire from the radar (LED) need to meet up with the LED wire from the funk button. in the picture below they meet up on the top of the picture, then the resistor is connected in the middle of the picture, and finally one single power wire at the bottom of the picture that will go to the fuse box. all these wires are hidden under the steering wheel.



now in the picture below is the wiring to the fuse box and ground. There are 2 red wires pinched into a single blue connecter, one is coming from the radar and the other is coming from the LED (pin2) on the funk button. the blue connecter then connects to the fuse tap.



please note that at the bottom of the last picture i have two ground wires going into a single red connector screwed into the metal portion of the fuse area. one of those wires should actually be the green wire coming from the radar. and the other is actually wires from pins 3 and 4 consolidated into one single wire. hope this helps :)

[drumnjuny]

Here's some buttons... $30 USD, but they are different.

thanks! those are cool ha, i kind of wanted the one that said "pursuit mode" lmao. unfortunately they're 20 euros + 20 euros (when you select that its a button) = too much.





igjoe1989 - yes, that mod... you forgot to answer my question though hahaha.

what type of cord did you use? looks like you retained the stock cord given with the kit. could you give me a diagram of the wiring??

EDIT: YES! THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED. THANK YOU HA! just wondering, how hard was it to remove your rear-view to drill a hole, etc to get the wire to go through it to the headliner?

[igjoe1989]

i didnt take the whole rear view off, where i drilled into is just a plastic cover that pops off, however: with 4 larger wires going into it.. it doesnt sit completely flush but its damn close... im the only one that knew up until now also when routing the wires to the A pillar... take the oh shit handle of. dont try to avoid it... just do it. makes tucking the wire soooooo much easier.

[drumnjuny]

i didnt take the whole rear view off, where i drilled into is just a plastic cover that pops off, however: with 4 larger wires going into it.. it doesnt sit completely flush but its damn close... im the only one that knew up until now also when routing the wires to the A pillar... take the oh shit handle of. dont try to avoid it... just do it. makes tucking the wire soooooo much easier.

thanks again!! the oh shit handle i feel like is too far back? I was under the impression I could just push the wire into the gap between the a-pillar and the windshield... am i missing something? did you have to take out the headliner or something to wire it... or rather, i guess how did you route the wires to the fusebox? did you take off the trim for the a-pillar and headliner?

[igjoe1989]

you can push the wires threw, taking the oh shit handle off just gives it a little more play. the handle was the ONLY thing i took off and that was for convenience only. but i gotta go now cuz my base is having an airshow and i have to be there to look pretty and stuff. lol.. i respond to anything you post when i get back. and yes route it in the headliner, to the a pillar, and just push all the wires between all the gaps until you get to the fuse box.

[Franco90]

Here are some pictures

[drumnjuny]

ahhh good call! that makes a bunch of sense, i'll be sure to do that thanks! I'm considering taking the time to lay the wires in a flat line and taping them like that with electrical tape, just to keep them together... I can't think of any downsides except for the slight addition to the thickness?

[drumnjuny]

Here are some pictures

wow that looks great!! if i can, i'm going to try to drill a hole just because i like the look. When i drive my car back into VA or DC (the only two places radar detectors are illegal in the states) I need to put it in the glove. they'll actually confiscate it if they see it hanging from the dash... preeetty uncool. so i think it'll look a little better if its coming out of the mirror.

also I can't use the spot next to the headlight switch because I have buttons for my DRLs and "coming home" feature (i think that's what its called)

[igjoe1989]

you are correct sir, only downside is the thickness of the wires. and i also have the two buttons next to the headlight switch which is why i opted for the funk button. be sure you feed the radar wire through the mirror cap BEFORE extending the wires since the new wires will be thicker. that'll ensure a clean install. at the mirror and head liner.

[drumnjuny]

you are correct sir, only downside is the thickness of the wires. and i also have the two buttons next to the headlight switch which is why i opted for the funk button. be sure you feed the radar wire through the mirror cap BEFORE extending the wires since the new wires will be thicker. that'll ensure a clean install. at the mirror and head liner.

thanks again for the tip! what did you use for the grommet? bout to spring $50+7.50 shipping for this button ha...


edit: this grommet

[Franco90]

wow that looks great!! if i can, i'm going to try to drill a hole just because i like the look. When i drive my car back into VA or DC (the only two places radar detectors are illegal in the states) I need to put it in the glove. they'll actually confiscate it if they see it hanging from the dash... preeetty uncool. so i think it'll look a little better if its coming out of the mirror.

also I can't use the spot next to the headlight switch because I have buttons for my DRLs and "coming home" feature (i think that's what its called)

to be honest the radar is hiding from the outside view. I have been pullover and they cops never see the radar because of the location

Here is the DIY I used
http://www.diyaudi.com/Home/Entries/...r_Install.html
or
http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2773725

[igjoe1989]

Dead honest... i randomly found it in my garage and have no idea where it came from. its just a standard rubber grommet though and im sure you can pick one up from any hardware store for a couple cents. youre gonna love the button. its one of my favorite mods. i hope you enjoy yours just the same :)

[drumnjuny]

it probably will be my favorite mod haha! except that i'm sure every one will ask what the FUNK button does hahaha. i guess it'll be easier to show it off that way

sorry to be totally useless... i couldn't find a DIY for mirror removal. does that piece of trim over it just pop off, or is there a specific way to get it off? I didn't want to force it...

edit: i'm thinking now that I'd rather not splice my old wire, just because i do use the detector in other cars (when borrowing a car, road trips, etc.). i still want to sand enough of a hole to fit a RJ cable through the rearview housing, though...

[igjoe1989]

ya, everyone always ask about it and then when i tell them what its used for they are blown away and think its awesome. lol. and it just pops off, just dont be a girl about it. lol. i also thought about keeping the original wire but i also am very forgetful and dont like to leave my radar detector in other peoples car, cutting that wire keeps me from taking it from car to car.

[drumnjuny]

ya, everyone always ask about it and then when i tell them what its used for they are blown away and think its awesome. lol. and it just pops off, just dont be a girl about it. lol. i also thought about keeping the original wire but i also am very forgetful and dont like to leave my radar detector in other peoples car, cutting that wire keeps me from taking it from car to car.

nice! I really like the coiled look, but if i could just "retract" aka shove the wire into the mirror so only the plus is sticking out i'd be sooo thrilled. looks like its time to get in there! ordered my button ha, hopefully it ships soon... might be a project for this weekend :)

[drumnjuny]

okay so I got it all wired up! looks great, drilled a hole in the mirror thing and everything. I actually took off the oh shit handle haha, didn't help at all then i realized you meant the sun visor! which was very necessary to get the cord jammed in there. And i definitely did some jamming anyway, to get it up in that corner... I had a lot of trouble stripping the wires inside the RJ11 cord, holy cow those are tiny!!

but okay here's my problem(s): When I turn on the detector, it goes on for a little then says "low voltage turning off"... shitty. also, whichever fuse i tap into, (air con, esp, etc) kills the main function of that fuse (i'm thinking these problems are probably related, ha...). also the green LED on the funk button is on all the time and flickering... not cool.

i know nothing about voltage or why that would be low, so i'm thinking, where are the weak points in my wiring... i triple checked the arrangement of my connections (with the diagram here), it is all wired up correctly.

1) First thing I'm thinking is that the fuse tap I used can't handle the voltage possibly? (b/c the stock component in that fuse doesn't turn on, pic of the fuse tap below)
2) Maybe the fuses I've tried don't get enough power to power both the fuzz buster and the normal function (b/c the other function/ stock component in that fuse doesn't turn on)
3) power connection from RJ11, maybe I didn't strip enough of the power wire?
4) power going through 3 wire crimp (pic below, you guys can tell me if it was a bad idea to use this. easy fix, cut out and join the three cables with e-tape)
5) resistor connection, the way i wired it? (some people have said you need to solder it?)
6) ground wire connection, not the best for sure (pic below, tell me if i'm a dumbass but i thought it would work)
7) and this is a long shot... but, possible internal damage to the wire from me trying to shove it into the a-pillar?


any and all advice is appreciated! i'm excited to get this running properly!!



fuse tap:


shaky ground connection:


3-wire connector:


how i wired my resistor in:

[NorcalPB]

I did the Funk to my A4 when I was 17 using the original diagram. Why did you stray so far from the directions?? Seems to me like you tapped into too weak of a power source, your grounding job looks super janky (why are there three?), and your resistor job looks like it could work but butt connectors would have been much easier! Here is what my setup looks like, been running 4 years strong...

Btw it will read around 12v when in auxiliary, and over 13v when the alternator is being used.



The ground

[NorcalPB]

Also, use a butter knife to shove the cable in between the windshield and A-pillar. Just be gentle, if you manage to puncture the thick rubber than you are using too sharp of a knife.

Be careful not to scratch your shit tho! I did and it is forever unrepairable =(

[wildcat333]

ahhhhh. I need this mod. igjoe1989 - later this summer man!

[drumnjuny]

^^ wildcat its really not very difficult... just man up and do it!!

norcalpb -

i didn't stray from the wiring diagram at all haha! which fuse did you tap for power?

when i get off work today i'm gonna start by fixing the ground (two from the funk button, one from the radar detector), then trying other fuses to see which ones has enough power for the radar detector and the fuse that fits there. if that doesn't work i will check the RJ11 power wiring... next after that the resistor i guess? I didn't have any butt connectors lol so i just gave it a really tight connection on both ends. the clear stuff is just shrink tubing, i have extra resistors so i thought i'd give this a whirl i do'nt see why it shouldn't work, but it is definitely on the list

i definitely did not puncture the rJ11 cord, but i put some nasty marks on it. anyway i don't think that's the problem as it does turn on until it loses voltage. with the car off, it stays on (if the fuse has power when the car is off) but when the car is on it says low voltage


could it be because I need to tap one of the big fuses instead of the small ones? is there a voltage difference between these?

[NorcalPB]

Well it seems like you tapped the "10" fuse, use the "15" fuse that I used in my pics. Also I think 12v grounds can be shared, but you should try and spread them around I know there's some good spots under the steering wheel panel cover.

Chances are your wiring is perfectly fine! Back in 2010, my dealer turned off my radar detector but I thought for sure those dicks fucked with my wiring lmao so I reinstalled EVERYTHING just to find out only the detector was turned off...fml lol

[drumnjuny]

haha... u mean a 10A fuse? I tried a bunch of the 10A fuses... stupid fuse tap has swallowed that 10A fuse in it, i can't seem to get it out :( probably use pliers to take it out if none of the 10A fuses i picked worked, i probably tried 3 or 4...

do u know what fuse # you used by any chance? I can't exactly tell which fuse tap goes where in the pic (the inside of the fuse panel door has the numbers), the actual fuse # would help immensely!! if it powers both things connected to it, i can cut out a bunch of the possible problems

ya i almost did that last night, "why isn't it turning on AT ALL NOW lol oh wait the power button haha"... thank god i didn't pull out the wires haha.

first step is definitely to move the ground though. i need to get some sandpaper to sand the paint off from underneath a second bolt (probably use the one below the fuse box). i actually didn't know there was anything wrong with running multiple wires to the same ground... figured they're all connected to the same piece of metal in series no matter where i pin the ground right?

unfortunately i can't really work on it until i'm off work. hopefully before it gets dark haha, as i did the majority of the wiring in the dark last night which is why i questioned it... but thanks and i'll be sure to post back here if i figure it out

[drumnjuny]

i'm beginning to think that the reason its not getting enough power is that i tapped one of the smaller fuses. its raining here so idk if i'll be able to get to it today reallllly want to finish this mod haha to clean up the clutter of the coiled wire (every day, i plug it in and wonder ytf i didn't do this mod a year and a half ago when i got it ha)

[igjoe1989]

ahhhhh. I need this mod. igjoe1989 - later this summer man!

haha, word. i got you man. come to waterfest.

[igjoe1989]

oh dear god please get proper ground connectors. the resistor "should" work like that but you should really crimp it down with some butt connectors for a secure connection. Tap into a 15A fuse... not the 10A. put proper connections on the ground (im betting this is the problem seeing that not all of your wires are touching the bolt). but since youre getting power its not going to be the power wires. so start here: 1. fuse 2. grounds.

[igjoe1989]

oh and after you get it all working throw up some pics beacause you know we love a good picture book!

[drumnjuny]

definitely will take pictures, it looks great haha. just doesn't quite work yet.

I have a guess as to why the LED is on... i think the grounds are completing a circuit of their own haha and feeding power back through the wrong way up the button ground maybe connecting a circuit?

tapped fuse #5 and everything worked great for about 45 min of driving... then boom oil sensor warning in the DIS. so i put the fuse back. i'm gonna tap a 15A fuse tomorrow, and separate the grounds to two different bolts (one for the two button grounds and one for the RJ ground)

thanks for the help! if it wasn't raining all day today i'd probably fixed the ground wires by now ... anyway, hopefully tomorrow!

is there a reason i should tap a 15A fuse?