Hard wire Escort 9500i and keep mute button and status/alert lights

[Ryboy98]

Ok guys and gals, I just got my M3 last Thursday and I am anxious to get started on stuff. I haven't had time to order anything so I figured I'd start with something I already had.

My Escort 9500i and since I have no 12v outlet in the front, just made it more important to me to get this done. However, I did not want to wait for the hard wire kit if I were to order one and I didn't want to loose my "mute/mark button" which I use all the time and the "status/alert" lights as well. I know that the "mute" button is a major reason as to why many people don't hard wire their 9500i's, So here is an alternative for you.

You can see in the image below to the left upper third you see a red light. That is the "Alert" red light flashing. And you will see later the mute button and the status green light.



Let me start by saying that this install is probably not for the guy who is afraid to use a dremel on some of the plastic in your $70k car, I do stuff like this all the time. Although you will see in the pics that a little slip of the dremel can make things a little annoying. It's actually kind of funny once you hear what happened.

This is a DIY at your own risk, I take no responsibility in and damage, loss or harm done should you attempt to follow these instruction. Thank you. Enjoy. And please excuse the bad pics, my digital camera is on it's last leg...it was dropped in a glass of water on a snowboarding trip last year and is still kicking...

Anyway, let's get started with the tools and things you will need:

- wire stripers/crimpers/cutters
- 10mm socket/wrench
- small amount of light gauge primary wire preferably red and black
- light gauge male and female quick disconnect terminals
- ring terminal for light gauge
- Dremel tool with carving or shaving attachment
- Soldering gun/solder/flux etc.
- Hot glue gun
- Sharp blade
- Zip ties
- Saftey goggles
- Escort 9500i with multifunction 12v plug adapter
-

Once you see or read the DIY you can of course use what ever techniques you would like in acquiring 12v and ground. I basically used the same steps as the DIY linked below for the disassembly and power ground wiring.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97545

Thank you to xRayx for that write-up. GJ!

Ok so assuming you have dismantled the console and have wired your + and - leads and terminals:

1. We are going to take apart our Escort multifunction plug by removing the two small phillips screws holding the two halves together.

2. carefully pull apart the two halves keeping your hands or fingers over the tip. It is spring loaded and can fly away along with the spring. Keep these parts incase you want to use it again at a later date.



3. once apart you can remove the circuit board from the plastic half and clip off or de-solder the + and - wires from the metal contacts (save contacts for later use if desired). Strip and crimp on the end terminals.



4. I chose to reinforce the thin wires connecting to the circuit board with a dab of solder, other wise I'm sure they would fall off or get pulled off during the install.


Next grab the removed center console and take a long look because you are about to cut it up. Not much....but you will be cutting it up.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0...D720/ry%3D480/

5. place the console face down on a towel or cloth so it won't get scratched up.

6. In the photo below you will see a slot to the right bottom that looks to be unused, the left side is the microphone.



7. look at the empty spot and you will see some raised plastic in the empty slot. You must dremel this plastic down to flat to start with.

Safety first, goggles please.


8. Dremel the two pieces shown below to flat.



Like so



9. This is where some of you may be hesitant, but it's just a tiny cut but you must be precise. I normally am very good at this but...and you are free to laugh, my cell phone started to buzz in my pocket when I was dremeling this part and startled the crap out of me, so I flinched, so you can see the crooked cut on the fin and the dimple on the adjacent fin. It's not too noticeable from seated position...but I know it's there. So I may repair the dimple someday. You cannot use a step drill here because there is nothing to pilot the hole. You will want to keep a steady hand and dremel out the fin in the middle, make the hole just large enough for the mute button of the plug and not too snug that the button will not return if it is pressed.



10. If you are using the right dremel bit you can go through the paper cloth and make the hole uniform size from front to back, or top to bottom. Use the blade to cut any excess paper cloth from around the hole's edges.

11. Test fit the button every few seconds while dremeling, you do not want to make the hole bigger than you need to.





12. More precise cutting to do still. This can be very nerve racking but a steady had will pay off big in the end. The good thing is this is on the back side so it doesn't mater how ugly the carving is but you do have to keep it deep enough to eat all the plastic but shallow enough to leave the paper cloth.

Where you shaved down the other plastic piece on the back you have to carve out the plastic so that another larger hole is above the button, from the back side. The front side should look the same, just fins with black paper cloth behind them.





13. I like to bench test everything before I start putting things back together, at least you know it still works as you go through steps of the install.



14. Hot glue the board to the wall of the slot so that the button can be pressed and returns as normal. If the button does not feel like it normally does (ie click click) the it may be pressed into the hole too far can cannot rebound. Before you glue it in there check and double check the function of the button.







15. The console should be ready to go back in. Connect the + and - leads to the 12v source terminal and the chassis ground terminal, respectively. Plug the factory plugs back into the console. Run the power cord out of the headliner toward the front where you put your hand to release the console.

16 Mount the Escort in the desired location and feed just enough cord to meet the Escort and plug it in. Turn on the ignition and check that the Escort is functional. Turn the Escort back off then on again, press the mute button during startup to see if the voice is muted. Check that the alert light and status lights work as well.

17. Once all checks are performed you are ready to reinstall the console with your hard wired control in the center console, wire tie all loose wires and tuck the excess power cord into the headliner. Snap in the console from the back first to the front. Wipe it down and enjoy your pimped out Escort!!
No Pun intended!





I'll try to get some night pics so you can see what it looks like in the dark. I just did this this afternoon. I was driving home from the kid's tae kwon do this evening and I have to say this Mod is freaking awesome! Mute button works perfectly. I can see the Red "alert" light from the corner of my eye, and the Escort is nice and high on my windshield. Couldn't be happier.

If you guys like this please let me know. And yes again, you can laugh at the cell phone thing. Every time I think about it now I have to giggle.

Peace!

Ry

[TwoSaints]

this is something I've been meaning to do. I have to hard wire kit but I like this much better. Good job!

[BimmerRob08]

Awesome! I like the idea. Thanks for showing.

[leo95se]

nice work.. clever! i just got my hardwire kit. i may be putting the mute button closer to the steering wheel. i am thinking on one of the knockout pieces surrounding the headlight switch.

[rav7ks]

Mounting the radar detector that high I've heard can result in loss of sensitivity of the device. Is that true ?

[Johnny Lin]

Nice work, I did my by the Ash Tray

[Ryboy98]

Originally Posted by rav7ks

Mounting the radar detector that high I've heard can result in loss of sensitivity of the device. Is that true ?

I have a friend/neighbor that is a deputy and after you asked this I asked him if we could do a very raw test. So over the last few days I've gone to where he was positioned along various roads including over hills and I noticed no noticeable difference (within 10-20ft) of initial alert, all were SO far away from him that i wouldn't have made a difference if the alert was 10 seconds in difference. I even tested distance from driving away from him and it was the same result as far as when the signal dropped off. So, maybe there is a loss in sensitivity if you measure by technical equipment but by just me driving back and forth at different distances and locations both detector and radar. I didn't notice a difference, I figured this was a more "real world" test. :P

I've always liked buttons over head in any car, guess it always reminds me of a cockpit or something. :P Anyway, thanks for the compliments.

Ry