Hardwire radar detector in 2016 Sierra

[muddkatt]

You used the supplied hardware kit or vampire taps as in the description you posted? How hard was tucking the wires? I am always weary of taking off the A piller, bad prior experience.

The supplied kit had the phone cord and a terminal block kit that I used. V1 also had the vampire tap in the kit. I have a second kit and I will take a picture of it for you.

The A pillar was not that bad, I did pull it loose at the top, which released the 1st and 2nd clips. There is a tether at the second clip that holds it in case the airbags deploy. I used the second clip and tether as a "block" so that the wires would not come out OR be in the way if the airbag deployed. Replacing the A pillar was probably the hardest part of the whole install. To get it to seat I had to palm the clip locations fairly hard.

[muddkatt]

This kit is from a V1 that is about 10 years old, newer one looks slightly different but have the same vampire connector.

 

[Havvkeye]

Oh I guess that is a vampire clip that was in my kit as well. I always called it a T clip because of how it plugs in. I always though the ones you used pliers to push the metal clips through were vampire clips, guess this is called that too.

 

That looks exactly like my kit I just ordered except for the cylindrical fuse. Mine has a block fuse that uses the plug type you also had in the picture. I can even remember what my original kit had.

[muddkatt]

The new V1 came with the fuse block and the blade fuse. The clip might have a different name that I am not aware of, I am just repeating what others have called it.

[Havvkeye]

from drivers seat

From back seat

[Rock1500]

How effective are new radar detectors? I haven't had one in over a decade.

 

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[muddkatt]

How effective are new radar detectors? I haven't had one in over a decade.

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

It depends on lots of things, but there are a couple of real good units on the market. I use to run Escorts, but swapped to Valentine 1's about 10 years ago. If you use some common sense, they are damn near perfect. You get typical false alarms in town, but any beep on the road requires your attention. About the only way to get busted would be running by yourself with no other traffic, or running fast enough to draw attention of other motorist that would call 911 and report you. Knock on wood.....10 years, total of about 700,000 miles and not pulled over once.

Its like American Express, I don't leave home without it.

[holty]

I see you guys are mounting them detectors up high, either on the windshield or under the mirror. That is the route i want to take, but are you guys using a remote mute button on them or do you have to reach up to mute it every time?

[muddkatt]

Not using a remote mute, I rarely mute mine unless parked in front of a store with door openers, or on the phone. I set the volume so that I can hear it, but its not SCREAMING at me. I could probably have the volume off and not miss 1 out of 100 initial alerts. With all the lights, arrows, and bogey counter that thing has, it gets my attention when it lights up.

[holty]

I just placed my order for the Max 360, blend mount, and the Direct Wire Smart Cord.

[Havvkeye]

Yeah what muddkatt said. I have had my V1 for 9 years and have one ticket. Speeding too much on an empty road and got lasered that was the worst cause as soon as I was hit the V1 told me but it was too late.

 

I do frequently reach up and mute it (just hit the button and my secondary setting is quiet). I am used to it and that is another reason I wanted it close to me.

[O_J_Simpson]

Remote mute button on the turn signal stalk is the bomb.

[O_J_Simpson]

Here you go. The best one I have found:

 

http://www.safe-n-sound1.com/Valentine%20DC%20Flat%20Mute.html

[Dndodd]

Yeah what muddkatt said. I have had my V1 for 9 years and have one ticket. Speeding too much on an empty road and got lasered that was the worst cause as soon as I was hit the V1 told me but it was too late.

 

I do frequently reach up and mute it (just hit the button and my secondary setting is quiet). I am used to it and that is another reason I wanted it close to me.

Thanks for your guidance on this. I mounted mine in the same place.

 

Once you pull down the switches you can remove the two screws than pull the whole assembly down. Makes routing the wire very easy.

[Havvkeye]

Thanks for your guidance on this. I mounted mine in the same place.

 

Once you pull down the switches you can remove the two screws than pull the whole assembly down. Makes routing the wire very easy.

 

I removed the two screws but couldn't pull the assembly down for some reason... might be due to being afraid of breaking something expensive and not exerting a ton of force on it.