Installed my Valentine 1 Easily for 958 2011 and On
#1
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Installed my Valentine 1 Easily for 958 2011 and On
I wanted to share a very easy way to install your Valentine 1 (or any radar detector) if you have an automatic dimming mirror on your 958 Cayenne.
1) Simply pop off the cap piece above the mirror, by pulling gently on the piece. It is held in place by simple clips.
2) There are 2 sets of wiring running down to the mirror.
3) Find the set of wires with a blue and brown wire in the set.
4) Blue is 12V switched power, Brown is ground.
Since the Valentine 1 uses much less than 2A (V1 fuse is rated at 2A), you can easily take power from the mirror. Take it from an electrical engineer, no need to run wiring all the way to the fuse box.
1) Simply pop off the cap piece above the mirror, by pulling gently on the piece. It is held in place by simple clips.
2) There are 2 sets of wiring running down to the mirror.
3) Find the set of wires with a blue and brown wire in the set.
4) Blue is 12V switched power, Brown is ground.
Since the Valentine 1 uses much less than 2A (V1 fuse is rated at 2A), you can easily take power from the mirror. Take it from an electrical engineer, no need to run wiring all the way to the fuse box.
#3
What you suggest can be done correctly and work fine, but due to my experience of inheriting trashed wiring harnesses I personally think encouraging people to tap into the harness itself is a bad idea.
Why risk damage to your wiring harness? Running the line up the a-pillar (against the windscreen, not the door side please as that would end up crossing your air bag) is a simple task and in this car you even have the option to put it on either side depending on where you want to mount the unit. I will admit finding a switched fuse was a bit of a PITA (I ended up using my headlight fuse as the recommendation I found in another thread wasn't wired in my fuse box), but patience and a multimeter do the trick.
Regardless of if it is caused by your changes or not if something happens with the mirror you'll have a fight with the dealer to get it fixed under warranty (technically they are responsible for proving that it's the fault of your modification, but it will still be an argument and possibly drawn out).
Using a fuse tap also make it easy to remove the system (the one in the Cayenne is on it's 5th car now) without leaving any bits behind.
Why risk damage to your wiring harness? Running the line up the a-pillar (against the windscreen, not the door side please as that would end up crossing your air bag) is a simple task and in this car you even have the option to put it on either side depending on where you want to mount the unit. I will admit finding a switched fuse was a bit of a PITA (I ended up using my headlight fuse as the recommendation I found in another thread wasn't wired in my fuse box), but patience and a multimeter do the trick.
Regardless of if it is caused by your changes or not if something happens with the mirror you'll have a fight with the dealer to get it fixed under warranty (technically they are responsible for proving that it's the fault of your modification, but it will still be an argument and possibly drawn out).
Using a fuse tap also make it easy to remove the system (the one in the Cayenne is on it's 5th car now) without leaving any bits behind.
#4
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gnat like you mentioned, it is very difficult to find switched power on a late model Porsche. Personally, I find it much less risk to take power at the end of a simple circuit like the mirror. Very low probability that the mirror circuit will fail and there is a fight with a dealer, thats funny. Worse case is that the miror does not autodim, and anyone that wires a radar detector or any circuit should install a separate fuse. In my case, I installed a 2A fuse. All of the wiring I did is fully reversable and hidden.
BTW, you took power from your headlight circuit. Now if your headlight fails, say your Xenon fails, are you not worried about your dealer? Also, during a minor service, would your dealer not be concerned about extra wiring in your fuse box? With doing many cars over 25 years, I personally have never had any issue. As with everything, to each his own.
BTW, you took power from your headlight circuit. Now if your headlight fails, say your Xenon fails, are you not worried about your dealer? Also, during a minor service, would your dealer not be concerned about extra wiring in your fuse box? With doing many cars over 25 years, I personally have never had any issue. As with everything, to each his own.
#5
I have seen dealers argue simple modifications like this. They don't win if you know the law about warranty coverage (and it is not directly related to your modifications), but most people don't know and many dealers will get out of warranty work if they can (because they get more money when you have to pay for the repairs).
As far as the fuse tap (I use the carrier type rather than the clip that slides over the end of a fuse), if something did go wrong with my head light (which is honestly why it was my last choice) it is simply a matter of removing the tap and putting the original fuse directly back in its socket. If it still has issues, its not related to the radar detector. Furthermore if I then have concerns about the dealer blaming it, then there is no trace that it was ever there in the first place.
As I said, what you did works and shouldn't have issues. I've just seen too much work like that done by lazy/incompetent people that I will always speak out against it when there is an easier/safer way to do it.
Not commentary on your particular skill at all.
Speaking of the fuses, I ha no idea any new cars weren't using the mini style. Saved me the price of the tap since I had recovered it from my old 80s BMW, but was a surprise.
As far as the fuse tap (I use the carrier type rather than the clip that slides over the end of a fuse), if something did go wrong with my head light (which is honestly why it was my last choice) it is simply a matter of removing the tap and putting the original fuse directly back in its socket. If it still has issues, its not related to the radar detector. Furthermore if I then have concerns about the dealer blaming it, then there is no trace that it was ever there in the first place.
As I said, what you did works and shouldn't have issues. I've just seen too much work like that done by lazy/incompetent people that I will always speak out against it when there is an easier/safer way to do it.
Not commentary on your particular skill at all.
Speaking of the fuses, I ha no idea any new cars weren't using the mini style. Saved me the price of the tap since I had recovered it from my old 80s BMW, but was a surprise.
#6
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What you suggest can be done correctly and work fine, but due to my experience of inheriting trashed wiring harnesses I personally think encouraging people to tap into the harness itself is a bad idea.
Why risk damage to your wiring harness? Running the line up the a-pillar (against the windscreen, not the door side please as that would end up crossing your air bag) is a simple task and in this car you even have the option to put it on either side depending on where you want to mount the unit. I will admit finding a switched fuse was a bit of a PITA (I ended up using my headlight fuse as the recommendation I found in another thread wasn't wired in my fuse box), but patience and a multimeter do the trick.
Regardless of if it is caused by your changes or not if something happens with the mirror you'll have a fight with the dealer to get it fixed under warranty (technically they are responsible for proving that it's the fault of your modification, but it will still be an argument and possibly drawn out).
Using a fuse tap also make it easy to remove the system (the one in the Cayenne is on it's 5th car now) without leaving any bits behind.
Why risk damage to your wiring harness? Running the line up the a-pillar (against the windscreen, not the door side please as that would end up crossing your air bag) is a simple task and in this car you even have the option to put it on either side depending on where you want to mount the unit. I will admit finding a switched fuse was a bit of a PITA (I ended up using my headlight fuse as the recommendation I found in another thread wasn't wired in my fuse box), but patience and a multimeter do the trick.
Regardless of if it is caused by your changes or not if something happens with the mirror you'll have a fight with the dealer to get it fixed under warranty (technically they are responsible for proving that it's the fault of your modification, but it will still be an argument and possibly drawn out).
Using a fuse tap also make it easy to remove the system (the one in the Cayenne is on it's 5th car now) without leaving any bits behind.
#7
Mike, I believe it was your thread I tried to follow. In my diesel, however, the unused slots are not connected to anything. Only the bottom receiver is in any of the slots. Really annoying
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#8
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gnat, sorry if my thread misled you. Must be a difference between models and/or model years. Glad you found a solution, though.
#9
Your thread was great, just Porsche changed something. Our 996 is like that too (only wired for the options it has) so I was kinda surprised to see in your thread that they joined the rest of the car world just ran a standard wiring harness regardless of options.
In the spirit of Forest Gump, "Life is like owning a Porsche, you never know exactly what you'll get".
In the spirit of Forest Gump, "Life is like owning a Porsche, you never know exactly what you'll get".
#10
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It great there are many ways to get this done. In my humble opinion, I just don't like opening a fuse box and seeing a wire popping out of a fuse in that manner. But again, that is just my taste for a more stealth installation. No hacking in a stealth installation as you use wire taps that do not cut wires.
I wanted to allow others on the forums to have choices for their installations. It is great that we can share all of these ideas! Good luck to all!
I wanted to allow others on the forums to have choices for their installations. It is great that we can share all of these ideas! Good luck to all!
#11
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OCNY, how and where do you attach/place the V1? Thanks for the info!!
#12
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I placed the V1 to the right of my rear view mirror using the suction cup mount. The wire is easily run from the side of the V1 into the plastic trim piece that I mention above in DIY. The plastic piece has a perfect rubber "flap" that allows for the V1 wire to easily pass in.
#13
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It great there are many ways to get this done. In my humble opinion, I just don't like opening a fuse box and seeing a wire popping out of a fuse in that manner. But again, that is just my taste for a more stealth installation. No hacking in a stealth installation as you use wire taps that do not cut wires.
I wanted to allow others on the forums to have choices for their installations. It is great that we can share all of these ideas! Good luck to all!
I wanted to allow others on the forums to have choices for their installations. It is great that we can share all of these ideas! Good luck to all!
#14
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I wanted to share a very easy way to install your Valentine 1 (or any radar detector) if you have an automatic dimming mirror on your 958 Cayenne.
1) Simply pop off the cap piece above the mirror, by pulling gently on the piece. It is held in place by simple clips.
2) There are 2 sets of wiring running down to the mirror.
3) Find the set of wires with a blue and brown wire in the set.
4) Blue is 12V switched power, Brown is ground.
Since the Valentine 1 uses much less than 2A (V1 fuse is rated at 2A), you can easily take power from the mirror. Take it from an electrical engineer, no need to run wiring all the way to the fuse box.
1) Simply pop off the cap piece above the mirror, by pulling gently on the piece. It is held in place by simple clips.
2) There are 2 sets of wiring running down to the mirror.
3) Find the set of wires with a blue and brown wire in the set.
4) Blue is 12V switched power, Brown is ground.
Since the Valentine 1 uses much less than 2A (V1 fuse is rated at 2A), you can easily take power from the mirror. Take it from an electrical engineer, no need to run wiring all the way to the fuse box.
Possibly BlendMount:
Amazon.com: BlendMount Your Valentine One Radar Detector. Custom Mount for Your V1 (NOT COMPATIBLE WITH EUROPEAN VEHICLES AND C6 CORVETTES): Automotive
And the MirrorTap for the wiring (has a fuse):
MirrorTap, 1000/2000 Series, Radar Detector, Power Cord With Inline Fuse, RJ11 : Amazon.com : Automotive
Installing as OCNYPORSCHE suggests above.
Looks like it would be a clean looking installation with minimal effort. Is this a good idea? Anyone done anything like this? Any suggestions?
Last edited by philg3; 07-20-2013 at 07:36 PM.
#15
Personally I'm against splicing/tapping wires.
I ran mine from the passenger side fuse panel and used a fuse tap to get power of the passenger (Xenon) headlight fuse.
With a little bit of work (would have been easier if I could have gotten the trim off) I ran it up the A pillar between the trim and the windshield (so it doesn't cross the airbag). Then along the front of the headliner to where the unit itself is mounted.
Using the fuse tap method doesn't give a lazy tech an easy out if you need to have weird electrical gremlins addressed.
I ran mine from the passenger side fuse panel and used a fuse tap to get power of the passenger (Xenon) headlight fuse.
With a little bit of work (would have been easier if I could have gotten the trim off) I ran it up the A pillar between the trim and the windshield (so it doesn't cross the airbag). Then along the front of the headliner to where the unit itself is mounted.
Using the fuse tap method doesn't give a lazy tech an easy out if you need to have weird electrical gremlins addressed.