Hardwired Radar Detector

[psychobooe]

I've been reading some threads about how to hardwire a radar detector, and I have a question. Is it possible to just pull a fuse from the fuse box, wrap the positive end around the fuse, stick the fuse back in, and ground the negative end? Obviously, the fuse has to be for something that gets power when the ignition is on. I was thinking either the airbag fuse or the ABS fuse. Someone please help me out with this.
Thanks guys.

psycho

[Ragnar]

I've been reading some threads about how to hardwire a radar detector, and I have a question. Is it possible to just pull a fuse from the fuse box, wrap the positive end around the fuse, stick the fuse back in, and ground the negative end? Obviously, the fuse has to be for something that gets power when the ignition is on. I was thinking either the airbag fuse or the ABS fuse. Someone please help me out with this.
Thanks guys.

psycho

I've done that before, but I wouldn't use the ABS or airbag fuse. I'm not comfortable adding to a circuit as sensitive as the ABS or the airbag.

Instead, I used the cigarette lighter/accessory fuze. You could also try the radio fuze or interior lights fuze. A radar detector doesn't pull much power so it shouldn't be an issue for any of the above fuzes.

As for wrapping a wire around the fuze and sticking the fuze back in, I didn't do that either. Auto Zone had "fuze taps" that allowed me to solder a wire to a bit of bent metal that went over the fuze. Much cleaner install (and easier to re-insert the fuze too).

[aznburn210]

i'd say instead of that just tap into a power wire with a wire tap.. WAY easier then havign to solder

[dtorrens]

There is a lead up in behind the front "reading lights.....," sorry cant remember what they would be called, but yeah there is a wire that is left over for if you had an auto dimming rearview that is hot only when the car is on, then you just sand away the paint around the screw hole and ground it using the screw that holds the light setup in place....that is what i did, pretty simple.

[Trailboss]

agree with dtorrens. ^^^^

[psychobooe]

I think that is what I'm going to end up doing. I'll just tuck the wire up under the headliner.
dtorrens - Is the hot wire just bare? Meaning, you don't tap into it, you just connect the two hot wires together?
Thanks.

[aspitfire]

i think, and somebody correct me if i am wrong, but the wire in the map lights that you want to use is yellow, i think that is the one i used. I just did a search on it and tons of threads popped up.

[dome]

I think that is what I'm going to end up doing. I'll just tuck the wire up under the headliner.
dtorrens - Is the hot wire just bare? Meaning, you don't tap into it, you just connect the two hot wires together?
Thanks.

The power and ground wires are connected to a harness so you would have to tap it.

It's the power for the autodimming mirror. Even if you don't have the dimming mirror, the harness should be there. I tapped both power and ground from there for my radar detector and was done in 15 minutes or so.

[REX-MANE]

Yeah i switched to a new name from dtorrens, but its exactly what dome and spitfire are describing. And yeah yellow seems like it rings a bell as the one to use...

[psychobooe]

Well, there are three wires: a black one (obviously ground) and then an orange one with a red stripe (might be the "yellow" one) and then there's a brown one with a tan stripe. You guys think I should go with the orange one with the red stripe?

[REX-MANE]

Yeah, orange with red stripe i think, may want to check it just in case though.