Has anyone installed a radar detector in their R57 yet? I was looking around at mine today and couldn't find a place to secure it, without using windshield suction cups. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Edit:
Alright, I went out and starting playing with stuff. You can pop the top panel with all the electronics clear out. Exposing lots of wires. The harness looks a lot like the one shown in the Valentine One install thread in Gen2->Modifications->Electronical. I ordered the stuff I need (the direct power thing) from V1 and it should be here by the weekend. I'll take photos for us cabrio owners when I do the install.

 

Did you ever figure out how to hardwire the V1 in your R57? I took a peek, but there seems to be no room under the top panel to place the power junction box supplied by Valentine 1.

If anyone else could please give me any DIY's for this.

Thanks!!

 

I'm planning on doing it all tonight, I'll be taking lots of pictures throughout the process.

 

Alright folks. Spent about 40 minutes tonight making this thing work. Below is a write up. Although everything went great with my install, no guarantees for your install, and I'm not to be held liable for any damages caused.

1. Pull down your upper toggle bank. To do this just grab a nice hold above the center light and pull straight down with moderate force. There are about a half dozen tabs, 3 in the front, 3 in the back. It feels like, and sounds like you are breaking it, but you don't. You'll see something like this:


2. Your V1 Direct-Wire Power Adapter will not fit in this space in its standard form. You will have to do some work to make it fit. This thing has a lot of extra hollow space. I use a hack saw to take off both sides and the top part with the velcro. Now it will fit snugly in the hole shown in the 1st picture.
3. I then took my phone cord and ran it through the upper trim and out the windshield side. To do this just pull down a bit on the windshield side, to make room and thread it through.


4. Next thing we will have to do is make a place for our ground. To do this I drilled a small hole in the painted area, put a screw in and attached the ground wire to it.


5. We then tapped our 12v line, which is the purple/blue wire in the larger cluster.


6. Tuck in all the wires. To do this I put as much of them as I could in the area above the passenger side visor.

7. Put your toggle bank back in and you are ready to motor worry free.

 

Nicely done! Would u post a picture of the setup taken from the front of the car?

 

Sure, I'm heading out shortly, I'll snap a picture or two then.

Edit: It is really overcast today, so the pictures didn't come out well. When the sun comes out I'll snap off a few more.

 

Thanks Jeremy for the instructions and the pics. I just got done installing my V1 and you made it that much easier to do!!

 

Awesome! I'm glad it went smoothly for you.

 

Jeremy,

I have the V1 and using Velcro, stick it on the speedo hump in front of the 4-way flasher button. I would like to do it like you did, but before I buy the "direct wire power connector" I thought I would take a look. I pulled off the upper toggle bank. It doesn't look like there is much room in that hole to stick the V1 power connector. The antenna bolt is also very close. On the upper toggle bank, there is a circuit board that looks like it would be very close.

I am assuming you have that antenna bolt (nut?) also. Tell me there is enough room and I'll go ahead...or am I missing something?

 

If you take a peak at the 2nd and 3rd photos, you have to cut the V1 Direct Power Adaptor to make it fit into the hole (which provides access to the antenna bolt. Without cutting down the V1PA you won't be able to make it fit in the upper area.

 

Thanks Jeremy. I saw the pix and how you cut it down, it just didn't "look" like there was enough room for it. I guess there is since you and PhillyMCS did it, so I think I'll go for it.

Two other questions though...how do you hold it in place, Velcro? I was thinking scotch lock would be good since it is much stronger.
And how long a cord do you need...or should I ask, how short a cord could you use. Valentine sells a 3" cord.

Since yours in the pix is gray, are you using a standard phone cord?

 

Hold what in place? The V1PA or the V1 itself? The V1PA is wedged in pretty tight, and the V1 it using the visor clip, but wedged in under the 'headliner'

 

Boy, you are right on top of things. I was editing to ask a second question and you were already answering my first.

How long a cord do you need...or should I ask, how short a cord could you use. Valentine sells a 3" cord.

Since yours in the pix is gray, are you using a standard phone cord?

As to attaching, I was asking about the V1 itself. I can't find the box my V1 came in so I don't have a visor clip.

I am taking my Mini in for the door rubbers and software upgrade tomorrow and I will be going by Valentine, so I will drop in and pick up what I need. Valentine is only seven miles from Cincinnati Mini.

 

I have a 15ft cord in there . You could probably get away with a 1ft cord. The 3ft cord would be perfect. Since you don't have the visor clip anymore...you could probably velcro it to the 'headliner.'

 

I bought the visor clip and found a 6' cord and did it this afternoon. It looks nice and from the inside almost unnoticeable but you can see it from the front...if you are looking right at it. The only thing I kinda wish is that I had tapped into a wire that is hot only when the ignition is on...if there even is one. But it's OK the way it is.

Now about the "worry free" motoring, that's another subject.

 

i woudl pay u to do mine IF ur closer to me...i wan it

 

I'll be in North Adams, MA 2nd weekend in November . Meet me there and I'll do it.

 

Just an FYI.

I didn't really care for the placement of the V1 on the passenger side of the mirror as it was difficult to work the off/on/volume ****.

So I moved it to the left side. Now it is much easier to use.


But it was hard to adjust the mirror, so using a dremel tool and flat file I took about 1/16" off the top frame of the mirror. The photo doesn't show it too well but it fits well.


Also I want to mention something you all may have known but I didn't. Yesterday I forgot to turn off the V1. This morning when I opened the driver's door, I heard the V1 sound off like it does when you turn it on. What I discovered was that apparently the wire I tapped into - per Jeremy's instructions - loses power after 30 minutes. This is cool as I was kinda concerned about forgetting and leaving the V1 on. Now I don't have to worry about it.

There seem to be more quirks about the Mini than you can count. Every now and then when I open the door in the morning, I hear something...a whir or hum or some sound...like a small servo motor actuating. My MA and service advisor have no idea what it could be. Maybe it's just the Mini waking up and getting ready to go.

 

Correct, that wire is very quirky. Sometimes it will cut out as soon as you remove the key and open the door. Sometimes it will hold a trickle charge for a few minutes or a few hours. Other times it will continue to power the V1 for a day or two. I have yet to figure out the rhyme or reason to it. I have left mine on for almost 2 full days before though, and my MINI started right up with no problems. So, unless you leave it on at the airport before a long vacation, you won't have to really worry about coming out to a dead battery in the morning.

 

I read in one of the other forums that the sound you hear is the fuel pump. I have the same thing as well. I open the doors, or the boot, it kicks in for a second or two. Normal and nothing to worry about.

 

Thank you! I've really wanted to figure out what was making that noise.

 

I'm going to need one of you guys to live a little closer to me so that I can have you install this for me!!

 

Where do you live doc?

 

Portland, OR

 

Hmm...I won't be visiting that area for another 2-3 years . Soooo...road trip to me and I'll install it and even buy you a nice meal .