DIY: Hardwiring your radar detector
 

This is pretty straightforward and fast thing to do.

**This was done on a BRZ with an auto dimming rear view mirror**

I am NOT responsible for any modification you do to your own car! I am just showing how I modified mine :thumbsup:

First off you need to order a product called 'Invisicord' - http://www.invisicord.com/order.html (Check the installation page to see if your radar detector is supported). I ordered a 12" cable without fuse which I thought would be long enough but it barely was. I would highly recommend ordering at least a 16" cable.

Here is what it looks like (Picture credit - Invisicord)

http://i.imgur.com/ZYiJY.gif


1 - Start off by removing the dome light fixture

http://i.imgur.com/Iyczo.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Z8OQT.jpg

2 - Unplug cord running to dome light

http://i.imgur.com/u0d3C.jpg

3 - View of what stock wiring to auto dimming mirror looks like

http://i.imgur.com/FhJx1.jpg

4 - View of stock harness for auto dimming mirror above dome light (I already have the Invisicord wired in photos)

http://i.imgur.com/7VqhW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5JkWW.jpg

5 - This is the connector you are looking for (front view)

http://i.imgur.com/6pHiL.jpg

6 - Plugin the prongs from the Invisicord as pictured (RED wire bottom right, GREEN wire bottom center) Look how I am holding the piece so you don't do the inverse of my directions -

http://i.imgur.com/kfy1T.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FtHwH.jpg

7 - Simply plug everything back in and tuck the harness the furthest away from the windshield and on the driver side -

http://i.imgur.com/xLFBL.jpg

8 - Reconnect the dome light wiring and put it back in position -

http://i.imgur.com/Efna4.jpg

9 - DONE!!

http://i.imgur.com/lRTy9.jpg




If done properly your radar detector should now turn on when the vehicle is started and power down when you turn your car off. Best of luck!

thanks

Awesome DIY. I didn't know Invisicord existed. This is quite nice, since you don't have to solder/strip/tap into the wires.

For those of us that don't have the BRZ, you can probably get the non-coiled CLA plug for your detectors and just run it along the ceiling trim, down the a-pillar and into the CLA outlet behind the glovebox. No cutting and splicing needed.

However, this DIY is terrific for BRZ owners, thank you for sharing!

so where youre tapping thats 5v?

this is how I am wired at present


FRS dont get a glove box 12v plug?

here's alternative way of installing a radar detector without splicing/soldering. it uses the aux 12v outlet in the glovebox.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i2bEoTbjpA"]Brz radar detector install - YouTube[/ame]

Yes they do but instead of me saying 12v I used the term CLA. Cigarette Lighter Adapter.

Sorry, I used to manage a Sprint store many years ago and as habit I always refer to those 12v plugs as CLAs.

Yeah but for those prices? Just take a silver satin phone cord that I'm sure everyone has laying around somewhere, and tin the damn ends, or shove a good amount of bare wire in the back of the connector and put some hot glue on it to hold it. Cost = 0.

These "custom" cables everyone buys are a friggin joke for the price.

Edit: If that's not a true RJ-11, do a bit of dremel work on it, the plug itself appears the same size so you might only have to pull the tab off. Oh and hot glue it, better than duct tape!

So this DIY is basically to get 12v power with minimal wires exposed?

I'm gonna put a dash cam infornt of the auto dimmed mirror.

just making sure I got the "purpose" of this thread right.

looks good btw.

Ohhhhh, no splicing!! I might look into a radar detector/dash cam now! Thanks! :thumbsup:

True. The prices are pretty ridiculous.

Anyone know where I can buy the connector tips just like the Invisicord?

I gotta check out radio shack and see if they have the crimp d-sub connectors. I'm gonna make my own. Now, I just need to find my damn soldering iron.

Looking good.

I made my own Invisicord. It came out pretty nice.

All you need is a Soldering Iron, Solder, Heat-Shrink Tubes/Electrical Tape, and Pin Connectors from a 9 Pin Male Crimp D-Sub Connecter, and RJ-11 Telephone Cable.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2103805
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...103_165120.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...103_152605.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...103_160657.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...103_161146.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...103_161155.jpg

How do you like the cord setup this way? Very clean and extremely easy to do :thumbsup:

Nice DIY... I've confirmed you can also tap the plug coming directly out of the mirror too.. Less sleek than this install but still not noticeable. I opted for the 12V glovebox install since this plug cant power the concealed display and RD.

I like it a lot. I'm thinking about getting a Blendmount, but it's pretty expensive. http://www.blendmount.com/

Okay, I just did this & added the V1 mirror mount I had in my GT-R (it fit perfectly). Thanks to speedracer38 for instrux.

The only thing that threw me a bit was that the Invisicord prongs went in the back of the plug--scratched my head a few times before I figured it out... lol

It really all looks OEM. Also, minimum Invisicord length for this setup is 12" Anything shorter wouldn't be long enough to run wire along windshield, where I ran it for the Homelink mirror.

Some pics:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8357/8...bf4cfc93_c.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8077/8...5b2cb75c_c.jpghttp://farm9.staticflickr.com/8216/8...6e06303b_c.jpg

This thread is awesome....keep it up guys

Invisicord wont work for my power cord...

But thanks for the idea, youve given me inspiration to fab my own. I'm going to go pick up some d-sub pins at frys and solder up my own invisicord, i never thought to just stick them in the back of the plug like that.

My old plan was just going to be to buy a cig lighter jack with a pigtail, stick it in the accessory fuse, and ziptie it out of the way. This is a way better idea. Much less messy wiring.

do we know if that mirror connector is on the frs???

Yes the mirror connector is on the FR-S. I installed the Subaru mirror on my US FR-S this weekend, plug is tapes way up in the roof but its there!

Nice! (saved for later)

Thank you so much for guide! Instead of using the invisicord, I cut a regular phone cable and used the hard wire from a coaxial TV cable. Very easy install. And idk if its bc my car was recently manufactured (December 2012) but the auto dimming rear view mirror harness was taped and tucked away and I had to pull it from the passenger side.

Thanks again!

I Should have read the whole thread before installing mine. As I stated above, I also had to tug it out and was initially unsure if it as the mirror harness but since it had the soft wrap it was obvious.

im installing an Escort Smart Radar (http://www.escortradar.com/escort-sm...130325140115:s) unit and will be tapping into this power source on my FR-S. Seems easy enough right?

ALSO, I want to add a power source for my cell phone; need to convert to USB for power, Anything that can fit up inside the roof?
Id LOVE to mount a small USB port

http://cyclebots.com/power-accessori...b-charger.html


http://12voltdesigns.com/Products/US...rt_Charger.php

Ok, after having done this, I am trying to figure out why my radar shuts off everytime I put the car in reverse??? any ideas?

Also, could I tap into the same line to add a dashcam, or would I need to look for another line to run the power from?

Check where you plugged in the prongs in reference with the pictures. If you have them plugged in the wrong spot it will turn off when you put the car in reverse (I have no idea why it does this...).

So when I reached up to get this thing I can feel it but it barely wants to budge. I tried to pull on it a bit but Im afraid of breaking the connector off with too much force.

Anyone else encounter this? is it taped back or something?

I had to yank mine before it finally gave. I didn't notice any tape so I suspect it's wedged in there or if it was taped, it came off when I pulled.

Good deal! Ill just stop being so gentle with it. :paddle:

so wait on valentine1, you dont use a power block, just direct phone wire connection?

They have a little block that comes with the new ones. You hardwire that in and use the phone wire to plug from that device to the radar detector.

Here is a picture. Its the roundish black device with the 2 phone jacks. I think the second port goes to the remote display if you have one.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...626_182506.jpg

Because on some Subaru's there was a reverse camera screen built into the Compass mirror. I'm pretty sure thats why there is a third wire.

no my question was can you just feed the valentine1 12v raw or do u need to go thru the lil box?

Yes you can hardwire it raw. If I recall though you cannot enter the programming mode.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Great writeup. Looks so simple, I'm going to make my own cord as well.

Can I ask you to confirm that of the 4 wires in the RJ-11 cable (yellow, green, black, & red), you are indeed just soldering the 2 D-Sub connectors to only the black and red wires? (so the green & yellow wires are unused)


[QUOTE=kykiee;536565]I made my own Invisicord. It came out pretty nice.

All you need is a Soldering Iron, Solder, Heat-Shrink Tubes/Electrical Tape, and Pin Connectors from a 9 Pin Male Crimp D-Sub Connecter, and RJ-11 Telephone Cable.

You want to use the middle two wires. If you look at the connector you will see two wires in the middle. For me, it was the green and red.