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      11-17-2018, 04:35 PM   #1
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Radar Detector Mirror Tap Hardwire Instructions

I was at the dealership today for my break-in service and had the technician help me figure out how to open the mirror housing. He referred to his service manual for removal of the plastic cover, and also printed me a wire schematic to find the right wires to tap into.

1. The plastic mirror housing is in three pieces (see picture B). One large piece at the top, a narrow center "collar" section, and the bottom "cup" section. In picture A below the green lines are next to the seams where the three pieces come together.

2. First remove the large top section by squeezing in on both sides at the top front of the piece where I marked with the red circle. While pushing in on both sides, slide the section backwards towards the rear of the car.

3. Once you have the top section off you'll see the mirror wire harness (see picture C). You may be able to unplug the mirror harness without removing the two other pieces. If you need to remove the collar section you'll need a trim removal tool or something with a thin blade that will not scratch or mar the plastic housing. The technician used his trim tool to pry open the seam between the collar piece and the cup piece to separate them then he pulled out on both sides to disengage the collar section from the mirror. Note in picture B the tabs on either side of the collar section. I took picture C after I had installed the blendmount and wrapped the wire bundle and blendmount wires with electrical tape to hold the blendmount in place.

4. Unplug the mirror wire harness to gain access to the rear of the connector to insert the blendmount wire taps. You could also peel back the wire tape to create enough room to use a tap connector on the appropriate wires.

5. You want to use the red wire with the black stripe (pin 3) for the power and the brown wire (pin 10) for the ground (see picture D and the wire schematic below). The red/black wire is 12 volt power that will switch off 6 - 8 minutes after you turn the car off. It does not power down immediately.
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Last edited by AGS; 11-24-2018 at 03:58 PM..
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      11-17-2018, 06:03 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AGS View Post
I was at the dealership today for my break-in service and had the technician help me figure out how to open the mirror housing. He referred to his service manual for removal of the plastic cover, and also printed me a wire schematic to find the right wires to tap into.

1. The plastic mirror housing is in three pieces (see picture B). One large piece at the top, a narrow center "collar" section, and the bottom "cup" section. In picture A below the green lines are next to the seams where the three pieces come together.

2. First remove the large top section by squeezing in on both sides at the top front of the piece where I marked with the red circle. While pushing in on both sides, slide the section backwards towards the rear of the car.

3. Once you have the top section off you'll see the mirror wire harness (see picture C). You may be able to unplug the mirror harness without removing the two other pieces. If you need to remove the collar section you'll need a trim removal tool or something with a thin blade that will not scratch or mar the plastic housing. The technician used his trim tool to pry open the seam between the collar piece and the cup piece to separate them then he pulled out on both sides to disengage the collar section from the mirror. Note in picture B the tabs on either side of the collar section. I took picture C after I had installed the blendmount and wrapped the wire bundle and blendmount wires with electrical tape to hold the blendmount in place.

4. Unplug the mirror wire harness to gain access to the rear of the connector to insert the blendmount wire taps. You could also peel back the wire tape to create enough room to use a tap connector on the appropriate wires.

5. You want to use the red wire with the black strip (pin 3) for the power and the brown wire (pin 10) for the ground (see picture D and the wire schematic below). The red/black wire is 12 volt power that will switch off 6 - 8 minutes after you turn the car off. It does not power down immediately.
Nice! If i didn't pay ACM to do it i would have asked you to come by.
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      11-17-2018, 06:54 PM   #3
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I have an Escort 360, currently hardwired to the mirror of my 550. What Blendmount stuff do I need to move it to the M5?

Thanks for any help!
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      11-17-2018, 09:39 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AGS View Post
I was at the dealership today for my break-in service and had the technician help me figure out how to open the mirror housing. He referred to his service manual for removal of the plastic cover, and also printed me a wire schematic to find the right wires to tap into.

1. The plastic mirror housing is in three pieces (see picture B). One large piece at the top, a narrow center "collar" section, and the bottom "cup" section. In picture A below the green lines are next to the seams where the three pieces come together.

2. First remove the large top section by squeezing in on both sides at the top front of the piece where I marked with the red circle. While pushing in on both sides, slide the section backwards towards the rear of the car.

3. Once you have the top section off you'll see the mirror wire harness (see picture C). You may be able to unplug the mirror harness without removing the two other pieces. If you need to remove the collar section you'll need a trim removal tool or something with a thin blade that will not scratch or mar the plastic housing. The technician used his trim tool to pry open the seam between the collar piece and the cup piece to separate them then he pulled out on both sides to disengage the collar section from the mirror. Note in picture B the tabs on either side of the collar section. I took picture C after I had installed the blendmount and wrapped the wire bundle and blendmount wires with electrical tape to hold the blendmount in place.

4. Unplug the mirror wire harness to gain access to the rear of the connector to insert the blendmount wire taps. You could also peel back the wire tape to create enough room to use a tap connector on the appropriate wires.

5. You want to use the red wire with the black strip (pin 3) for the power and the brown wire (pin 10) for the ground (see picture D and the wire schematic below). The red/black wire is 12 volt power that will switch off 6 - 8 minutes after you turn the car off. It does not power down immediately.
AGS, thank you for taking the time to clearly and intelligibly explain these steps. Finally someone has made it obvious what needs to happen here!
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      11-18-2018, 06:17 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pimpsy View Post
I have an Escort 360, currently hardwired to the mirror of my 550. What Blendmount stuff do I need to move it to the M5?

Thanks for any help!
Here's a link to the Blendmount website mirrortap page:
https://www.blendmount.com/mirrortap.html

Select:
2018
BMW
M5
Select the MirrorTap for the mirror type drop box
Last select the connector type you need for the Escort

Here's the one I bought for my V1:
https://store.blendmount.com/mirrort...ong-p2738.aspx
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      11-18-2018, 04:38 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AGS View Post
Here's a link to the Blendmount website mirrortap page:
https://www.blendmount.com/mirrortap.html

Select:
2018
BMW
M5
Select the MirrorTap for the mirror type drop box
Last select the connector type you need for the Escort

Here's the one I bought for my V1:
https://store.blendmount.com/mirrort...ong-p2738.aspx
Thank you!

The problem was I was selecting 2019 as the model year and M5 isn't an option.
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      11-18-2018, 05:15 PM   #7
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Thanks for the nice write up. Do you think 8" is enough to mount on driver side top next to mirror?
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      11-19-2018, 06:58 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MWcoupe View Post
Thanks for the nice write up. Do you think 8" is enough to mount on driver side top next to mirror?
Plenty. I have my V1 high on the glass about 4" - 5" from the mirror housing and there's still extra cord length available.
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      11-19-2018, 06:52 PM   #9
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Great stuff! Thx AGS.
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      11-20-2018, 11:11 AM   #10
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Thank you for this awesome DIY. Now just waiting on the tap to be delivered. Also considering ditching the older V1 and trying a newer Uniden R3, Radenso or Max 360. The R3 seems to have rave reviews.
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      11-20-2018, 02:10 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shellbmb View Post
Thank you for this awesome DIY. Now just waiting on the tap to be delivered. Also considering ditching the older V1 and trying a newer Uniden R3, Radenso or Max 360. The R3 seems to have rave reviews.
Also looking to see if there issues with the laser that comes with the driver assistance plus. I know there's a fix on the v1 by placing a piece of tape over the rear of the radar. On video it seems like the uniden is a bit better than escort. Also a few people selling a used 360 for $350.
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      11-20-2018, 03:02 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MWcoupe View Post
Also looking to see if there issues with the laser that comes with the driver assistance plus. I know there's a fix on the v1 by placing a piece of tape over the rear of the radar. On video it seems like the uniden is a bit better than escort. Also a few people selling a used 360 for $350.
Max 360 is $399 at Amazon. Uniden R3 is $399 at Best Buy. Most reviews I've read give the R3 the best rating. But I'm intrigued by the Radenso since they say it has the best false alarm settings against other cars' active cruise control and blind spot monitoring.
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      11-24-2018, 08:32 PM   #13
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Received my mirror tap in the mail and had it installed in less than 10 minutes. I only had to remove the top mirror cover and didn't have to un-plug the wire harness. I just used my left finger to tilt the wire harness towards me and a pair of needle nose pliers to wedge the tap into the two wires. They don't fit super tight, but the connection is fine.

I ended up picking up a Uniden R3 from Best Buy and used it on a trip this weekend. Seemed very sensitive with a lot of false alarms, but did pick up some bogeys with great range. Now that I have the tap installed, I'm going to use it and my V1 simultaneously on a trip to Dallas. Curious to compare them.

Thanks again for this awesome DIY.
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      11-24-2018, 08:49 PM   #14
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Thank you for this. Just did mine with a radenso pro m and the inside pictures of the trim were invaluable.
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      11-24-2018, 08:57 PM   #15
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Quote:
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Thank you for this. Just did mine with a radenso pro m and the inside pictures of the trim were invaluable.
I'm considering the Radenso Pro and wanted to know your thoughts.

Thx in advance.
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      11-24-2018, 09:17 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by josec70 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stav View Post
Thank you for this. Just did mine with a radenso pro m and the inside pictures of the trim were invaluable.
I'm considering the Radenso Pro and wanted to know your thoughts.

Thx in advance.
Just got it today so no experience with it yet. Main reason was the reduction of false alerts that reviews report. That was the main reason I never wanted to have a detector in the car - the constant beeping for no reason - so I am hoping for better. Plus the size is so small in comparison to others and that was also a major deciding factor.
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      11-24-2018, 09:19 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stav View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by josec70 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stav View Post
Thank you for this. Just did mine with a radenso pro m and the inside pictures of the trim were invaluable.
I'm considering the Radenso Pro and wanted to know your thoughts.

Thx in advance.
Just got it today so no experience with it yet. Main reason was the reduction of false alerts that reviews report. That was the main reason I never wanted to have a detector in the car - the constant beeping for no reason - so I am hoping for better. Plus the size is so small in comparison to others and that was also a major deciding factor.
Thanks brother; same here regarding the greatly reduced false alerts (BSM).

Did you use a Blendmount or suction cups?
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GONE: 15' F10 M5|BSM|BLACK|VELOS VSS-S2|KW|AKRA|IND|CF |ESCORT 360|VELOS PIGGY
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      11-24-2018, 10:41 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by josec70 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stav View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by josec70 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stav View Post
Thank you for this. Just did mine with a radenso pro m and the inside pictures of the trim were invaluable.
I'm considering the Radenso Pro and wanted to know your thoughts.

Thx in advance.
Just got it today so no experience with it yet. Main reason was the reduction of false alerts that reviews report. That was the main reason I never wanted to have a detector in the car - the constant beeping for no reason - so I am hoping for better. Plus the size is so small in comparison to others and that was also a major deciding factor.
Thanks brother; same here regarding the greatly reduced false alerts (BSM).

Did you use a Blendmount or suction cups?
Just the suction cups that come with it. Mounted pretty high and close to mirror, completely out of the way. The blendmount mounts under the mirror and for me it makes the detector the focal point of the cabin.
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      12-01-2018, 12:41 PM   #19
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Some personal notes after my own installation: First, thanks to AGS for the original post. Without his mirror housing and wiring harness pin identification information, this would have been something I wouldn't have tackled myself.

Second, despite what another member said earlier, go ahead and remove all three mirror housing pieces. While you may be able to separate and remove the mirror wiring harness by only removing the largest and first piece, re-mounting the harness with your newly attached cord for your radar detector without having access to the back of the car's harness for support is nearly impossible without removing pieces 2 and 3.

Third, when the Blendmount harness leads are inserted into the car's mirror power harness, they don't fit snugly, so use electrical tape to firmly attach the braided Blendmount radar power wire to the car's existing mirror wiring bunch. Also, I found it useful to feed the end of the Blendmount harness through the vent slats in piece 1 of the mirror housing before making electrical connections. The slats provide a perfect opening to feed the wire to your radar detector without having to drill into the mirror pieces.

Reassembly of the three plastic pieces was easy for the two small pieces but more difficult for the first and largest piece removed; there are two tabs on the side that must be aligned perfectly to make it close back up.

The whole installation took me about 45 minutes, but that's including futzing with the wiring harness connector before I said fugit and removed the other two trim pieces. Save yourself some time and take all three pieces off. It looks great- no meandering wires across the windshield top, and no fuse box patching.
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      12-03-2018, 12:03 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gassy View Post
Some personal notes after my own installation: First, thanks to AGS for the original post. Without his mirror housing and wiring harness pin identification information, this would have been something I wouldn't have tackled myself.

Second, despite what another member said earlier, go ahead and remove all three mirror housing pieces. While you may be able to separate and remove the mirror wiring harness by only removing the largest and first piece, re-mounting the harness with your newly attached cord for your radar detector without having access to the back of the car's harness for support is nearly impossible without removing pieces 2 and 3.

Third, when the Blendmount harness leads are inserted into the car's mirror power harness, they don't fit snugly, so use electrical tape to firmly attach the braided Blendmount radar power wire to the car's existing mirror wiring bunch. Also, I found it useful to feed the end of the Blendmount harness through the vent slats in piece 1 of the mirror housing before making electrical connections. The slats provide a perfect opening to feed the wire to your radar detector without having to drill into the mirror pieces.

Reassembly of the three plastic pieces was easy for the two small pieces but more difficult for the first and largest piece removed; there are two tabs on the side that must be aligned perfectly to make it close back up.

The whole installation took me about 45 minutes, but that's including futzing with the wiring harness connector before I said fugit and removed the other two trim pieces. Save yourself some time and take all three pieces off. It looks great- no meandering wires across the windshield top, and no fuse box patching.
Just a follow up as I think you were referencing my post of just removing the top cover. I did not remove or unplug the harness and I don't think that would be possible with just removing the top cover. I just inserted the mirror tap into the harness while it was still plugged in.
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      12-03-2018, 02:30 PM   #21
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Quote:
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Just a follow up as I think you were referencing my post of just removing the top cover. I did not remove or unplug the harness and I don't think that would be possible with just removing the top cover. I just inserted the mirror tap into the harness while it was still plugged in.
How the heck could you see the back of the harness, read those tiny numbers and bend the prongs into the harness in such a restricted, tiny space? You must have small, dexterous fingers, man!
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      12-03-2018, 03:07 PM   #22
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Dig the cable deep u til you can see any metal from the hardwire rap, learned it the hard way had to do everything all over again.
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