Any recommendations for hardwiring a radar detector?
 

I'd like to hardwire my Valentine radar detector, but am unsure about which wires are switched power and where to tap into the power.

A search of the forums didn't provide much help.

Thanks for whatever help any of you can offer.

I went up past my sunroof and cliped it to my vanity mirror light wire.
It worked for two years now. easy install.

Look Here
 

Here's a thread that might help you.

Good Luck.

Again my Valentine radar detector took ten minutes to install if you have as sunroof. That other post is way to complicated.

USAMINICOOPER, I would love to see how you did that. Any pics?

jussnb, I mounted my 8500 to the left of the inside mirror, ran the power wire under the headliner, down the left a-piller and to the fuse box. I probed the fuse box with a test light and found an unused pin that came on with the ignition. The 8500 has a inline fuse anyway - just for safety.

Can you provide any specifics and/or pics? How did you access the wire? I'm brand new to Minidom, so excuse my ignorance.

Heres how I power my detector and nav system. My detector is mounted in the corner of my dash.
http://www.jwardell.com/mini/fusetap.html

Two little screws hold your visor up. Take caps off with a sharp point tool. Remove two screws. Then visor will be free and held by two wires.
Put your wire lead of Valentine through a small space behind review mirror next to your front windshield up into headliner. Remove your plastic cover of your sunroof. Now grab the wire you fished through the back of mirror and take it. Now take a coat hanger and pass it throught the small hole of the visor and tape it to the wire you have taken.
Pull wire to and through hole of visor opening. Now connect hot usig the connector provided by Valentine. Ground connect anywhere in and above the headliner. Push both wire back through small visor opening and replace visor. Done :smile:

The reason I did this first it was easy. Second the electric in visor turns off when remote is used. Third, Valentine is (Suction cup install) the perfect place to keep it is in front and to the side of mirror....keep it hidden.
Also if you decide to unplug and remove your radar detector for protection from thieves. The wire vanishes, just by pushing up the the small piece of slack wire up into headliner.

If you have auto-dimming mirror, you can take the power from that which is controlled with ignition on/off.