Radar detector hardwire - easy instructions.

Not sure if anyone is interested but I just hardwired the radar detector in my 09 Tacoma. I used the wires going to the rear view mirror. The green is the positive and the white/black is the ground. It only took a few minutes and it works perfect. It only comes on when the key is in the "on" position.

To get the clock assembly down there is only one screw in the sunglass holder compartment and then just pull down on the front of the assembly to release the two clips. It couldn't be easier.

 

I took lowcel's advice and did this today. Here's a quick little write up

1. Open Sunglass holder and locate the only screw there



2. Remove the screw



3. Remove the Maplight/Compass/Sunglass Holder assembly. this is best done by pulling down on the front of the assembly, closest to the windshield (thanks Goshawk, i did forget to say that



4. Locate the wire at the front of headliner and undo tape holding it in place and pull it through so you have better access to the wires



5. Splice your positive into the green wire and your neg/ground into the white/black wire (I recommend wire taps), then tuck your wires away



6. Put your Map light/Compass/Sunglass holder assembly back in and mount it with the screw you removed in step 2. As you can se in the pic below I also ran my radar wire underneath that black plastic wire cover for the rearview mirror

 

Very nice write up, looks great. It's nice when something is so easy isn't it?

 

Yeah bro

 

You did an outstanding job on not only your idea to hardwire this way, but you explination as how to do it. For those out there that don't have the fancy powered mirror this still can be done by using the compass power. There will be a light green wire, a bit heavier gauge then the rest, that is the postive side key operated. The negetive wire will be a white with dark purple stripe. The ONLY thing I might add to the removal of the "Holder" assy. is once the screw is removed pry down on the front, towards windshield. The back portion of the holder is held on by plastic clips that could be broken if this side is pryed down on. Don't feel like you are going to break anything when you pry down on the front as the holding clips are somewhat stout. Again, great idea and now I don't have the clutter of a wire going to my cigarette lighter plus, I think the unit will be kept cooler running it just under the top windsheild tinting.

 

yeah i did forget to mention that. I know it took me a min or two to figure it out, would have help if someone had told me.

 

Should be the same wiring on a 2010?

 

I wired my 2006 this way and had a problem that may not have been due to the wiring. Everyhting worked fine for about two days then my compass/temp display went away. I was able to open up the display and found two electrical parts that had come unsoildered. After resoildering them back into place evrything worked again on the display. Not wanting to take a chance that I was overloading the circut some how I wired my detector to the curtousy lights instead and have had no problems whatsoever. Again I don't know if it was just a coincicedence or not. The only feature that you won't have is your detector coming on automatically when you start your rig. You will have to learn to turn your detector on and off manually.

 

Just an updated FYI, the plug still exists on 2014 Base (with no autodim or compass mirror). Just wired in my Valentine.

 

Very helpful, thank you.

 

Please forgive this possible obvious question but ... hard wiring the radar to the powered mirror or compass/temp power only powers the radar on/off based on the ignition state...but I am wondering how to use the dimmer button on the mirror or the compass/temp toggle button to mute the radar, or is this possible when you piggy back off existing power?

 

Hi i hard wired my cobra to the power outlet with a fuse tap but when i turn of my truck the radar stays on

 

It stays on but when i had it pluged in with the cigarette lighter socket plug it would turn on and off with the ignition

 

Just joined this forum group because of this post on hard wiring a radar detector. Followed the exact directions and it worked perfectly! Thanks for the assistance.

 

I just hardwired my 2015 Tacoma (entune without navigation) with a radar detector. It turns on and off automatically with the ignition and I mounted it to the rear view mirror so it is no longer suction-cupped to the windshield. The main reason I did this last part is because over time the suction cups eventually fail, especially in the winter and when going off road. It also allows me to use a sun shade in the summer without the hassle of the unit interfering.

I also hardwired my TomTom GPS unit underneath the factory head unit. I wired it to the +12v ignition wire from the radio, so it also turns on and off with the ignition. Here is what the finished product looks like:


The radar detector was wired exactly as demonstrated in the previous thread. The only difference is that my truck doesn't have the fancy electronic rearview mirror. When I got into the headliner I noticed that it came pre-wired for the fancy mirror though. At the end of the wires there is a factory harness with a blank adapter that is connected to nothing. All you have to do is wire your detector into the blank wire ports as shown in my photo. As for the rearview mirror mount, I used a hose clamp, a piece of angle bracket leftover from a wood working project and the mount that came with the detector. I sprayed them black with plasti-dip to match the interior and that's all there is to it.




The TomTom GPS was hardwired using a USB cigarette adapter, a MagicMount, a little bit of wire and two wire splices. Take a standard USB cigarette adapter and solder two wires on it; one for the power and one for the ground. Once you do that, wrap the assembly in electrical tape for safety.


To install your modified USB outlet; first pop off the temperature control panel underneath your stereo. Then remove the 4 bolts with a 10mm wrench. Pull the factory deck out and locate the two wires indicated in the photo. Splice your modified USB adapter to those two wires and reinstall the stereo, running your USB outlet down below to hide behind the temp control panel.



Now plug your TomTom's power cable into the USB outlet and stow any excess inside the dash. Reinstall the temperature control panel with the end of your GPS power cable sticking out a couple of inches. Take your MagicMount base and trim it with a razor blade or scissors to fit the width of the panel as shown in the photo. This is what it should look like once trimmed and installed with the wire hanging out.
Now you just have to plug your TomTom into the power cord and stick the unit to the mount you just installed. Done.

For those who are unfamiliar with what a MagicMount is, it's a universal, magnetic mount for any device. The base has double sided tape on one side, and a powerful magnet on the other. It comes with two metal plates that self adhere to your device. Your device can be pulled on and off the mount easily for updating the GPS maps, but it stays on strong because of the magnet. The base also pivots to give you the best view angle of your screen. This is what a MagicMount looks like:


I've had my Tacoma for 1 week and love it! This mod helps keep the interior looking clean and free of any rat-nets of wires. I didn't want to pay the outrageous fee to have navigation but I still like to have the option. My TomTom works great and comes with free map updates all the time. This was my way of solving those issues for next to nothing. These mods are 100% reversible. None of the factory wires were cut and I didn't make holes in anything. I hope you enjoy pictures!

 

Very nice.

 

good info!!love my valentine.and i'm really tired of the suction cups.doesnt look clean at all

 

Old thread, I know, but...

...would the thermometer/compass wiring support enough amperage to power a dash cam?

 

Curious as well since this looks easier than running the wire up through the drivers side window frame and worrying about the air bags etc...

 

Great write-up. I plan on adding a powered USB hub up there in the space formerly reserved for the garage door opener. It will make my GPS / Dash camera less noticeable.