Sumtoc

Searched the archives, know that this has been asked before but do not see a definite answer for the 993.

Have a new Passport 8500, and the manual states:

" A few vehicles (inlcuding some Porsches) have windshields with a soft anti-lacerative coating on the inside surface. Use of suction cups will permanently mar this coating."

Can anyone confirm that this is or is not an issue for my '95 993?

Thanks

Adrienne

Well, I can give you anecdotal info -- I have a Passport 8500 and it has not marred my glass in the 2+ years I have used it. The suction cups don't work very well, as the sun tends to melt them into flat circles rather than cups, but they have certainly not marred the glass.

mborkow

i have a MY 96 and the suction cups from the valentine 1 that i am using do not seem to leave any permanent marks. however, i did have my windshield replaced recently so the glass might not be the same as that which was manufactured nearly 10 years ago.

Rob 97 993c2

my suction cups from Valentine never work and often the unit falls down
Do you guys ever put clear tape inside the the suction cups?

mike cap

Sumtoc:
I remember hearing this when I first bought my car and it wasn't the 993 that the caution refers to. Can't recall the details - try a search on radar detectors and window damage.

Rob:
The standard suction cups supplied with my Escort 8500 did not hold the unit. I called Escort and they sent me a couple of sets of 'super heavy duty' ones that worked well. Valentine may have something like this. If you mount yours above the rear view mirror, like I did, a better solution is the 3M "Dual-Lock" product. Think plastic velcro - very heavy duty. It comes self-adhesive and you can use the detectors standard mount, just remove the suction cups and cut two pieces the correct size. It will NEVER come off with this stuff. I think guys have found it at Radio Shack. It comes in black. If you can't find it, let me know I have roll and can send you some.

Ray Calvo

Valentine 1 works fine on present replacement (OE manufacturer) and original windshield.

However, if I apply the cups dry, they don't stick well; have to lick the glass contact cup area before applying, then they stick fine. Try this; if it doesn't work, buy new suction cups from Valentine.

Bruce SEA 993

Rob,

I use a little saliva on the cups...eeew, sounds worse than it is when you write it! They get dry and will not hold. You can lick the cups or stick your finger in your mouth and apply a thin layer.

Arg, it still sound bad but it works!

Cheers

Sumtoc

Mike, so you mounted yours above the mirror? I thought of that but worried that the tint might interfere with reception. Guess yours works Ok there?

Re: suction cups in general, saliva/water eventually evaporates, even under the seal of the cup. Try a very small amount of cooking oil, it will not evaporate for a very long time. I mean very very small amount or the cups will slide down with any weight on them. Old trick from hanging stained glass.......

mike cap

Sumtoc,

Yes, I mounted and hard wired (see Robin's DIY page - http://p-car.com/diy/v1/) my Escort 8500 above the rear view mirror. I know what you mean about the glass coating up there for the sunblock, but the detector mounts below that area and 'looks' through clear glass. Actually it is a perfect spot, fits well and is not too bad as far as being out of the line of sight. As you know, radar being line of sight, the higher the mounting the better. One nice benefit of this location is that if a trooper is leaning in the driver's window giving you a lecture, he won't see the detector in this location.

Speedraser

The Valentine cups work fine on my original-windshield '95. I rub the cups with my fingers before I mount it (I read this suggestion somewhere, maybe in the V1 manual), but I don't moisten them. I then push against the perimeter of the cups to squeeze out any air bubbles. This seems to work well. The only time it falls off is when the weather is cold and the cups are cold and stiff. Once they're warm, they stick fine.

TYNUSKT

I've been using the Passport 8500 for the past year and no issues with the suction cups marring the glass and they seem to hold the unit w/out a problem.

993mike

suction cups on with my valentine. no problems.

PedroNole

Valentine cups on my windshield work just fine