Mongo

I found this hardwire kit on ebay for the passport 8500 X50. It is not fused, but uses a fuse tap. Would this be adequate and safe to tap into the cigarette lighter fuse?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ESCORT-RADAR-DET...A1%7C294%3A200

Mongo

Just bought it. Still looking for recommendations how to wire:

1) use fuse tap

2) buy LittleFuse Add-A-Circuit and combine.

SharkSkin

3) Wire it to an unused circuit that is only actve with the ignition on.

heinrich

That kit looks crappy ..... but the Escort is a great detector!! You will love its exclusion circuitry. I've used only Escort in my cars for over 10 years and I am ticket-free.

Mongo

Already bought it, but I can still make some mods to the wiring if need be.

SharkSkin

I didn't see that, went and looked after you pointed it out. I'd recommend you solder and heat-shrink the connectors, throw away the two half-assed "taps", and make the connection to the backside of the panel at one of the unused fuse locations. There should already be an empty male spade terminal just waiting for you to use it.

You don't have to remove the CE panel completely; first identify an unused fuse socket that is powered on with the ignition, then just disconnect the battery, remove the hot wires from the studs at the top of the panel, then remove the two bolts at the top of the panel and rock it back.

Bill51sdr

+1 with Dave. Those spade kits do nothing but stretch/distort the fuse terminal and render it almost useless if you ever take the terminal adapter out. Do it right.

Alan

A combination approach:

do not use the fuse taps they supplied - they will wreck your fuseholders and the are crappy electrically & physically - whoever invented them should be taken out & beaten, boiled in oil & then shot repeatedly (they are that bad..).

Use an ATC add a circuit and connect to an ignition switched fuse. For orientation the wire must come out the bottom of the add a circuit when plugged in... use an ignition or accessory switched fuse that is in the 7.5-15A range - doesn't matter which one...

Alan

Mongo

ATO Add-A-Circuit it is then!

SharkSkin

What I was suggesting is to use one of your empty fuse holders. Below is an example of how this was done on my early panel. Your later panel looks different but the same basic idea applies.



If you go with the add-a-circus idea cut off the crappy butt connector and break out the solder & heat-shrink. Crimp-style butt connectors, IMHO should ba(as Alan put it) "taken out & beaten, boiled in oil & then shot repeatedly" along with the shadetree taps. they can (and do) come loose and short to other stuff. They also can(and do) result in a poor connection that will leave you scratching your head somewhere down the road.

BTW, the butt connector and yellow terminal shown on the pic above are long gone, the connections have been re-done properly. Despite having done some stupid things, the PO (or some tech) made a decent effort to make a clean hookup for the extra circuit.

sidehatch

Its going to be nice to have that thing hardwired in there,if i get one more speed ticket my license is suspended all from this porsche.