Help wiring a V1 radar detector in my 8?
 

Hey guys, use to have my V1 in my previous car and that had a light in the glove box... so was pretty straight forward to find a power source and run the wiring for a "hard wire" setup up the side of the window.

Which would be the best or at least some wiring tap options on the RX-8? Thanks.

-Rob

Tap the cigarette lighter, run the wire behind the dash and either up the driver or passenger A pillar. I have my x50 run that way and the remote display mounted in the ash tray.

Thanks I will take a look at that next time I go out to my car, sounds like it would work pretty good. Do you or anyone else know if there are any tappable wires on the passanger side under the dash?

Its not the passenger side, but its to the fuse box direct which, IMO looks clean as hell and also keeps you from messing with any lights by your glove box or whatever you are trying to do.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-radar-detector-hard-wired-installation-8242/

Mine's wired from the fusebox up the weather lining to the ceiling and finally comes out directly on top of my rear view mirror.. from the outside you can't even tell i own a radar detector.

Are you guys just stripping the coiled cable that comes with it and just using the power and ground wire?

Cause IIRC, theres 4 wires in that cord.

Or which one should i use?

https://store.valentine1.com/store/d...gory=partsdept

Check the DIY section. It's real easy to use one of the power wires for the map lights with the hardware in the V1 kit.

I misplaced the hardware kit from my V1.

And i dont seem to find it on the website, thats why i added the link so someone can point it out for me.

Im blind, sorry lol

get this:

That's how I have mine hardwired. Works like a dream. And you can get the hardwire kits on eBay crazy cheap.

Yeah get that hardwire kit on the V1 website. It comes with the wires already snipped if I remember correctly. For the fuse hardwire all you have to do is go to autozone and buy one of those cheapo 5 buck add a circuits to connect to your radar to the fuse box and somewhere else on your car.

i thought the maplight wire was only possible if your rear view was electric... maybe not i dont remember. but in any case i couldn't do it to the maplights b/c i have a standard rear view mirror. whatever you choose it will look good i'm sure haha. good luck

I have a base manual, so no homelink mirror. You can still tap into the maplight power but it is not switched like the powersource described in the DIY. In other words, you'll hafta turn the V1 on and off every time you get in and leave the car or it will run constantly. Not a big deal IMO, and over time, something that becomes as second nature as pressing the clutch pedal to start the car

how / where are you mounting the radar?

Thanks for the info, ill get that.

I bought my V1 4 years ago brand new, came with the concealed display but i sold that concealed display a while ago and i misplaced the original box that had all the instructions and extra wires etc etc,.

I dont have an 8 but i have an FD where the dome light is right by the rearview mirror so i can get my 12V source from there. Its pretty easy to do, i just needed that wire kit.

Thanks

Thanks for all the advice guys, I was planning on mounting in on the pass side right under my strip of tint (same way I had in my other cars).

Do ya'll have a link for the DIY from the light/mirror area.. can't find it for some reason hehe. Thanks!

http://www.hi-impact.org/ryang/modif...valentine.html

I ended up ripping apart the cig lighter plug and doing my own soldering. Saved money on the hardwire kit and probably saved space. The hardwire kit for the Beltronics came with 6 miles of wire that could not be cut into. Cramming that all up in the lights wasn't any easier than craming the cig lighter adapter. Mise well save the money.

countryjoycraft mount is the cleanest looking. right under the mirror.

They are awesome
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/360/dsc00237aq3.jpg
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2051/dsc00240dd6.jpg

*sorry for the large pic. Get a bigger monitor and run at a higher res. LOL *

Looks like a very good job.

+1 for the countryjoy mount, love where it holds the radar.

haha huge picture! i probably do need a larger monitor after that.

gotta love that mount.

dude resize that pic, its freakin huge

Step by step on how to do it:

http://69.108.208.137/ryang/modify/r...valentine.html

^shoulda been a diy on how to resize, lol

firebirdude posted a link to that hardwire diy already up above.

Thanks for the DIY link fellas. Think I might do that since that seems pretty clean and simple enough. I don't have the V1 remote that he soldered in... so might just run the wire through the liner and suction cup the V1 right below my tint strip as planned. I think the V1 would probably work better suctioned on the glass/have better reception then on the sunblocker... but either way hehe.

Just out of curiosity where do you even by that mirror bracket ya'll posted a pic of. Saw the company, but not finding where to buy it. Thanks.

Hey, thanks for the link on the bracket! Somemore quick Q's... how come your mount looks different? I see I would buy the plain mount, but it doesn't have the 2 screws at the bottom like yours does... did you do something different on your install? Also how does the V1 actually go on the bracket... does it just snap in place/slide through on the underneath... just wondering how secure it is (I know your detector is different just trying to see from the site)?

Also, I looked and they have user comments saying the stem size for the 8 is the 3/4 size. Unless I measured wrong I just went out and mine was about 2.75inches/3.14 to get the diameter. That being .875=23mm size stem. I have a touring model so not sure with the autodim and electronic type mirror if that makes a difference or not... which size was yours? Thanks.