gRunner3

I just thought I'd quickly share my experience installing a remote mute button for my Escort 8500 x50. The radar detector is actually installed behind the inspection/registration stickers, basically pushed as far down and left on the windshield as possible (the bottom is touching the dash, but the suction cups are holding it to the back of one of the stickers). I find this location to be a good compromise -- it provides adequate (although not the very best) range and I can usually pick up a cop over a mile down the road, while being relatively hidden from thiefs when I leave it in place on the windshield when I park the car.

The radar detector is hardwired using the Direct Wire Smartcord accessory, and the purpose of this post is just to demonstrate how I modified the mute button.

I removed the screw on the plastic housing for the mute button and removed the little chip inside. The picture below was made in MS Paint and should resemble the underside of the little circuit board (not quite to scale, but it should be close enough for you to tell what is where).



I soldered 1 piece of 20 guage wire to each of the little guys with the blue arrows pointing at them, so there were a total of 2 wires attached to the board. I then drilled a hole in the plastic housing big enough to run the two wires through it to the outside and then closed the plastic housing back up and reinstalled the screw.

I bought a switch from Radio Shack (actually, there were 2 per pack... a red and black). Here is a link to their website for the switches.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search
If the link doesn't work, try looking for Catalog # 275-1571. They cost $2.99.

I soldered the 1 of the wires to one pole on this switch, and the other wire to the other pole on the switch. Cover both poles with electical tape but be sure they don't come in contact with each other (I taped each pole separately). I then drilled a tiny hole between the two seat heater switches and installed my new switch there. It is very small and not so obvious to somebody riding in your car that you've torn it up making a custom switch... it works very well, too. Just press it when the radar detector is going nuts and it will mute it for you without having to reach for the detector. The plastic housing and everything is tucked under the center console trim directly under the switches in the picture.





I would like to thank this forum and 3G garage for helping me take off all the trim pieces to install this without breaking anything!

datmrman

Thanks for the writeup. Your install looks very clean!

ThrotTLup

Nice job, gRunner3! I have the remote and haven't installed it yet because I'm still undecided about the detector mount and location and the remote location. I was thinking of putting the remote in the bottom door of the center console, next to the power outlet. Did you consider that location? Any pics of your detector location? It sounds like it would be visable to passers by. I do like the idea of the lower mount location which gives better laser coverage (versus high on the windshield). Anyway, like the clean install and thanks for the diagram.

gRunner3

I'll see if I can get a picture of the radar detector location as viewed from the outside. With the tint of the glass and the inspection stickers and side pillar proximity, I don't think anybody walking by my car can see the detector without specifically looking for it in the location that it is at. But it isn't 100% hidden... it can be seen if you really want to. I'm not sure of any better place to put it, though, were it can be left as-is when you leave your car and it be any more hidden. I did the same thing in my 4Runner, and my wife liked that location and wanted me to put it in the same place on her TL.

I did consider using the bottom door of the center console to put the remote. Probably would have done it there if this hadn't worked. My wife wasn't really crazy about it there, though, because she didn't want to have to flip that door open to use it. She also wasn't crazy about me drilling a hole in the new TL, either, but she decided she would let me try after I swore that I could go buy new trim pieces if I screwed something up.

ThrotTLup

Thanks for the additional comments. (Your wife sounds a lot like mine ; - ). Appreciate any other pics. Thanks!!

weedeater

My Bel came with a remote cutoff button. (It is a remote mounted model.) I put the button down in the front cupholder, on the side. With the door closed, it's invisible.

groovyone789

how was it running the wires from the radar detector down to the switch? how long were the wires you used?