QUICK radar hardwire question(doing the hardwire right now)

[slakr4]

Quick question everyone...I dont have the homelink option in my car...so what fuse should I use? Will any 5 amp work?

Please help me out...I'm doing the hardwire as we speak.

TIA

-Nik

[madrussian]

Pop your sunroof cover and there's a wire in there that only turns on w/ the car...

I believe its the red wire (which I know is generic ,but it should help narrow it down)

BTW, you can also always run the wire from the V1 down to your fuse panel and pick something there to wire it to.

[slakr4]

Yea, thats what i'm doing...running it down to the fuse box.

My question is, which fuse number do i tap for power...i have seen people use the garage opener fuse, but i dont have that option on my car!

So i was wondering which number fuse i should use? or can i use any other 5 amp fuse?

TIA

-Nik

[madrussian]

Yea, thats what i'm doing...running it down to the fuse box.

My question is, which fuse number do i tap for power...i have seen people use the garage opener fuse, but i dont have that option on my car!

So i was wondering which number fuse i should use? or can i use any other 5 amp fuse?

TIA

-Nik

just test and see what shit turns on and off w/ the car... not hard to do. expose the wire, wrap around fuse, try a few diff ones.

[TSlice]

I think I used the fuel pump fuse...

[Sanjman]

I don't think your radar detector uses much current (juice), so any wire tap would do. It's most preferable to find the tap that does shut off when you turn your car off (via ignition of course) so your radar detector turns on/off with the car.

Be careful not to short anything [wrench] (connect two objects of metal or wire that should not be touching)

Invest in a DMM if you don't have it, set it to V (voltage) turn off your car (keys out of ignition) measure the tap... turn on the car... measure the tap.

[nojoda]

I don't think your radar detector uses much current (juice), so any wire tap would do. It's most preferable to find the tap that does shut off when you turn your car off (via ignition of course) so your radar detector turns on/off with the car.

Be careful not to short anything [wrench] (connect two objects of metal or wire that should not be touching)

Invest in a DMM if you don't have it, set it to V (voltage) turn off your car (keys out of ignition) measure the tap... turn on the car... measure the tap.



great advice! [up]

[exorcet]

yeah i just tried several 5amps until i found one that was key-on powered.

[pyrobecks]

I just bought a piggy back fuse thing from Pep boys... works great.

[slakr4]

Hey everyone, thanks for all the help.

I ended up using the 15amp fuse labeled number 31. Should this be fine for long-term use?

No-problems so far, turns on/off with key.

-Nik

[ataylor]

sorry to revive this, but I tried hardwiring my detector (this random cobra one I was given), I had it wired into about 10 different fuses using the piggy back method, and was never able to get the thing to turn-on when I turned the key. What am I missing? I tried using the wires I bought for a long-run wire through the headliner, and tried using the wire that came with the detector by cutting off the cigarette lighter end and wiring that into the fuses. It never turned on.

[bcramer]

sorry to revive this, but I tried hardwiring my detector (this random cobra one I was given), I had it wired into about 10 different fuses using the piggy back method, and was never able to get the thing to turn-on when I turned the key. What am I missing? I tried using the wires I bought for a long-run wire through the headliner, and tried using the wire that came with the detector by cutting off the cigarette lighter end and wiring that into the fuses. It never turned on.

Are you sure you're using the correct wires for your + & - ? They're not always red and black...

Also, as far as cutting off your cigarette adapter. You shouldn't have done that. It's very possible (and likely) that there is a fuse and regulator in the cigarette adapter. Now, even if you have the right wires, you run the very good chance of either never getting it to work or frying your detector.

p.s. RJ11 phone cords wiring reverses sequence from one end to the other. Something to keep in mind.

i.e.
Red, Yellow, Black, Blue
-->
Blue, Black, Yellow, Red

[ataylor]

i have another curly cigarette-lighter cord that I was using every few minutes to test the radar detector itself, and it's alright

I realized this didn't work because I was trying to wire this like it was for audio (which I'm used to) instead of one for power and one for ground, i was wiring them both into the fuse (moron, i know) !

[Unleaded20T]

Use fuse 33, for the cigarrette lighter and use the bolt by the fuse box for the ground cable.

You can buy a fuser adapter from advanced auto parts for 5.99.

[cstarky15]

Be careful with the piggy back fuse taps. I used one and when I took it out the fuse slot was stretched and the fuse wasn't making contact so I had to get it repaired. Warranty luckly but just throwing that out for everyone to learn from. [:)]

[A4CE1]

i used the heater fan fuse. i figured it was not as essential as most others.

[davis449]

There's already an inline fuse with the Passports, but I used 7.5 amp, in addition to it, on the add-a-fuse I picked up at Autozone for mine.