here i go with another question... and just to let you guys know, i really do appreciate your guy's help. so anyways, is there a place where i can hardwire in my radar detector so that it only comes on when my ignition is turned on. ive got all the equipment to do the job. i was gonna hard wire it into the cigarette lighter wire, but then it would always stay on (well, with the exception of turning it off on the detector). any ideas?? thanks guys.
dave

 

i did what you want. I ran the wire from the radar detector thru the defroster vent in the middle and under the plastic above the radio. I wired it into the rear window defroster switch. One of those wires is HOT only when the ignition is turned on. Also u can tap into the ground on that switch too. Look in the shop manual for the wiring diagram, i don't remember off the top of my head what color the wires where. Oh, i also recomend u use a fuse if your radar detector came with one.

 

You can do that. If I remember correctly, the accessory wire is orange and the ground wire is black. DEFINATELY put a fuse on there! Look on the radar detector and see what the amperage is on the input. It should say on the bottom of it or something. You'll want to get an in line fuse in there, which shouldn't be any more than 5 amps. (Radar detectors probably take less than 1 amp.) But you will want to get a fuse that is the same or just a little bit more than the amperage on the bottom of the radar detector. This will save you from melting the wiring in the radar detector if for some reason there is a surge in the electrical system or if for some reason it tries to pull in too many amps (radar malfunction or something). It'll save you from an electrical fire too.

 

thanks. i went ahead the other day and just tapped into the cigarette lighter wires. but i think i'll switch it up if i'm not always having to turn it on and off. i did put an in line fuse though. my old plug in for the detector had a 3amp fuse, so thats what i went with. thanks again guys.
dave