i just got a radar detector and i wanna keep it clean so im running the power wire through the map light. I took some pics so if some one could just show me which wire to run which wire to id really appriciate it. Its a 6thgen accord SE

 

MM&Y of car?
Make and model of radar detector?
Do the map lights work with the ign. off? 94

 

so your trying to tap into your overhead light to power the radar detector, will the overhead light turn on when you turn off the vechile?

if it does you have constant power to it and the radar detector will never turn off, i would suggest using the acc. 12v instead... someone correct me if im wrong.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Do the map lights work with the ign. off? 94</TD></TR></TABLE>

yea thats what i was thinking

 

the lights go on without the car on however the radar detector has an on off switch.

 

in that case get out your multimeter, set it to 20v DC and verify if the red wire has 12v going to it (ground black probe)

turn the map light off and it should still have 12v going to it... someone else is going to have to chime in here because im not sure if theres a regulation on how much power the radar should have

 

red wire? there is a red wire passing through as you can see from the picture but the wires that go to the actual light are one black and one white.

 

ok so i have red and black on one side and white and black on the other. does it go black to black and red to white or black to white and black to red?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Yelowfever &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the lights go on without the car on however the radar detector has an on off switch. </TD></TR></TABLE> OK, now the year of the Accord and the make and model of the radar detector.
You will also need to know the "polarity" of the radar detectors plug, what is the pos.(+) and what is neg.(-), although the red may be pos.(+) and the white neg.(-)
It could just as easily be the other way around, and connecting it backwards will damage the radar detector.

In the car the white lead going to the light is the pos.(+), [it could be a white with a blue tracer] and the black is the neg.(-), although you could just use chassis ground, [one of the bolts that holds the map light housing in place]. 94

 

You seriously should check out this forum: http://www.radardetector.net

And read these reviews and tests: http://www.guysoflidar.com

Not only that.. but by looking at the connector you are putting up.. i say its time to go back to wherever you bought your detector and return it...

and then buy a v1 or a beltronics sti driver.

if you bought a cobra unit.. its basically useless..

Since you state you are in ny, and don't really need a unit that isn't detectable by an RDD (Radar Detector Detector) then a V1 is all you need. the only good thing about the Bel STI - is that it can't be detected by RDD.

you can then either turn off X band if you aren't in Soffoulk County - Troopers use Ka, and laser, and there is alot of K band and X band interference on the LIE esp near the tri-borough area

 

Regardless of make & model of radar detector, you shouldn't be tapping it into constant power... Why? Because some day, you're going to forget to turn it on, then wonder why you never saw that cop that's lighting you up from behind...

Run a thin gauge zip cord (or even speaker wire) up the a pillar and across the head liner to the visor area. Use the accessory free pin on the fuse box for power (don't forget to fuse it), and ground the other end to the chassis.

Leave the detector's switch on all the time, and it'll turn on and off with the key.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C_EJ8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Regardless of make & model of radar detector, you shouldn't be tapping it into constant power... Why? Because some day, you're going to forget to turn it on, then wonder why you never saw that cop that's lighting you up from behind...

Run a thin gauge zip cord (or even speaker wire) up the a pillar and across the head liner to the visor area. Use the accessory free pin on the fuse box for power (don't forget to fuse it), and ground the other end to the chassis.

Leave the detector's switch on all the time, and it'll turn on and off with the key.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah.. forgot to mention that... but from what i've read on radardetector.net a cobra is basically driving with an annoying thing that beeps for no reason... - apparently cobra users speed up then slow down so often because their "detector" gives off lots of so-called warnings - also the guysoflidar tests show it really has no range... so basically its like driving with it off any way... lol

he could also drain his battery too... if he forgot to turn it off...

don't forget to fuse the line also...

and most companies make hardwire ktis for their detectors, that not only allow you to hardwire, but add an accessory module like a remote display, or remote control, to it...

why not to buy a cobra

 

Hey Yellowfever -

I bought an overhead console on ebay similar to the one you were tapping into on your Accord for my Isuzu Rodeo. I'm planning on 'adapting' it.

Wondering if you were able to determine which wire was positive and which was negative?

Also, as this unit (and your's) has only 2 wires going to it I'm wondering if these lights come on when the doors are opened. Seems like that wouldn't be possible with a two wire system unless the unit is grounded through the bolts somehow. I didn't look closely enough at mine to see if that is the case.

Thanks!
rodrigotejas


update: well, i've inspected the map light console and determined that there is no grounding wire through the mounting bolts. Looks like the white wire is pos (+) and black is neg (-) as indicated in the thread. Seems odd to me that Honda didn't design this unit to come on with the doors open. I'll have to do some modification with a relay and soldering iron to get it to work the way I want by isolating the push buttons from the door switch circuit (allowing both the door switch circuit and the push buttons to operate the lamps). By the way, I paid $25 for mine which included homelink. Looks brand new. Love that ebay...


Modified by rodrigotejas at 9:44 AM 10/9/2007