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12v switched power for Radar Detector
- Thread starter Madsen203
- Start date
What year is your S?
And did it switch off even with Sentry on?
I'm asking, because I am also seeking switched power even with Sentry on, for my 2018 S.
Most (all?) ICE cars when the engine is running driving its alternator, the "12V" output is at 15V or more. All 12V car electronics are designed to account for varying voltage. Nothing is going to burn up. don't worry.
Most 12v is within a range which includes 15v. Double check. The V1 is rated to 36
No, 15v is a precursor to something failing. Should be around 14.4v
I assume that, in my case, where I do have a factory mounted tow bar on my M3, that plug is most likely already occupied ?
No Tesla comes with a brake controller installed. Just a plug that is ready for it as mentioned. You can tap into that one as noted in the OP. Mine still works to this day and I’m on latest update and don’t need to activate tow mode.
Awesome, I’m gonna give it a try. I’m adding lights to the fog light housing, so probably add a relai.
And just to be sure - when the car is “off”, is that plug always of, or does it "wake up" every now and then, ex if sentry mode kicks in?
skydve1
Member
It's off unless you open one of the doors. You can also add a 12v switch to make sure it stays off when you want it to - which is what I did.
That's exactly my experience. I do not plan on towing and will use an aftermarket tow hitch receiver just for my bike rack. I decided to just tap the cigarette lighter for my dashcam 12V.
See this: Accessory Power Guide 12v/5v – TeslaTap
Can verify that the red wire on the right side of the passenger footwell works as a switched 12v on the 2023 Model Y Performance. I wasn't sure if the trailer brake controller method on the driver's side would work on mine since I don't have the tow package, so I went with this method. In retrospect, I would have ordered the adapter and tried that first since it looked easier.
There are A LOT of red wires (not just 3). I counted 9 thin ones ranging from red to blood orange to slightly fuchsia, 1 thin red wrapped in thin blue, 1 thin red wrapped in thin white, 1 thick red wire (THIS is the one you want), 1 thick red wire wrapped in thick blue wire, 1 really thick red wire shown off to the left. The correct one was buried pretty deep in the bundle and took a decent amount of tape-cutting to access.
I thought finding the correct wire would have been the toughest part, but I had trouble tapping into the wire with the t-tap connector that came with the Uniden radar detector wire kit I had ordered (link). The blue connector it came with would have been fine for the thinner wires in the bundle, but probably needed a slightly larger awg wiretapper for the middle-size wire I tapped into.
The last part I would have liked to avoid was grounding the other wire. There weren't any bolts on the frame within reach so I had to drill a new hole. Went through two drill bits that weren't sharp enough, and a self-tapping sheet metal screw failed to penetrate as well. Finally got it drilled, but a bad ground connection here made me waste a lot of time because I thought the hot wire was the issue.
Got it working at the end though. Thanks to everyone else who'd already tried it and posted their pictures.
There are A LOT of red wires (not just 3). I counted 9 thin ones ranging from red to blood orange to slightly fuchsia, 1 thin red wrapped in thin blue, 1 thin red wrapped in thin white, 1 thick red wire (THIS is the one you want), 1 thick red wire wrapped in thick blue wire, 1 really thick red wire shown off to the left. The correct one was buried pretty deep in the bundle and took a decent amount of tape-cutting to access.
I thought finding the correct wire would have been the toughest part, but I had trouble tapping into the wire with the t-tap connector that came with the Uniden radar detector wire kit I had ordered (link). The blue connector it came with would have been fine for the thinner wires in the bundle, but probably needed a slightly larger awg wiretapper for the middle-size wire I tapped into.
The last part I would have liked to avoid was grounding the other wire. There weren't any bolts on the frame within reach so I had to drill a new hole. Went through two drill bits that weren't sharp enough, and a self-tapping sheet metal screw failed to penetrate as well. Finally got it drilled, but a bad ground connection here made me waste a lot of time because I thought the hot wire was the issue.
Got it working at the end though. Thanks to everyone else who'd already tried it and posted their pictures.
Yes, it works.Can verify that the red wire on the right side of the passenger footwell works as a switched 12v on the 2023 Model Y Performance. I wasn't sure if the trailer brake controller method on the driver's side would work on mine since I don't have the tow package, so I went with this method. In retrospect, I would have ordered the adapter and tried that first since it looked easier.
There are A LOT of red wires (not just 3). I counted 9 thin ones ranging from red to blood orange to slightly fuchsia, 1 thin red wrapped in thin blue, 1 thin red wrapped in thin white, 1 thick red wire (THIS is the one you want), 1 thick red wire wrapped in thick blue wire, 1 really thick red wire shown off to the left. The correct one was buried pretty deep in the bundle and took a decent amount of tape-cutting to access.
I thought finding the correct wire would have been the toughest part, but I had trouble tapping into the wire with the t-tap connector that came with the Uniden radar detector wire kit I had ordered (link). The blue connector it came with would have been fine for the thinner wires in the bundle, but probably needed a slightly larger awg wiretapper for the middle-size wire I tapped into.
The last part I would have liked to avoid was grounding the other wire. There weren't any bolts on the frame within reach so I had to drill a new hole. Went through two drill bits that weren't sharp enough, and a self-tapping sheet metal screw failed to penetrate as well. Finally got it drilled, but a bad ground connection here made me waste a lot of time because I thought the hot wire was the issue.
Got it working at the end though. Thanks to everyone else who'd already tried it and posted their pictures.
View attachment 942129
Open a car door, the accessory powers up.
When car goes to sleep, the accessory will power down but Sentry does keep it awake.
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