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Installing a Passport 9500ci radar detector / laser diffuser
- Thread starter dcopperfield
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- Model S User Interface Video
I thought I would post some pictures of my installation. I mounted the sensor and laser diffusers as others have done in the front.
Below I mounted the control pad to the right if the steering wheel and left of the 17" display. I mounted it here as I am right handed, and it is not directly visible from an officer that might be standing at my window.
I chose to mount the display and escort Live connection in the center console area.
I mounted the LED warning light in front of the instrument cluster.
In the rear, I chose not to use their license plate difuser as it interferes with the operation of the trunk lid release. I mounted a Blinder underneath the rear of the car. They are interchangeable.
Below I mounted the control pad to the right if the steering wheel and left of the 17" display. I mounted it here as I am right handed, and it is not directly visible from an officer that might be standing at my window.
I chose to mount the display and escort Live connection in the center console area.
I mounted the LED warning light in front of the instrument cluster.
In the rear, I chose not to use their license plate difuser as it interferes with the operation of the trunk lid release. I mounted a Blinder underneath the rear of the car. They are interchangeable.
I spent about 20 hours to do the entire install. I went slow and took my time taking things apart. Yes, to mount the front sensors, the plastic bumper cover has to come off, to run the wires inside you need to enter the cabin by going into a connector on the passenger side where the battery heater cables come inside right adjacent to the cabin air filter. All of the leather above and below the carbon fiber decor had to come off and the center cubby was removed.
artsci
Sponsor
Does anyone looking to install a radar know if the wireless solo escort will work behind the mirror? I don't plan to spend a lot to continue using radar as I always have in my Audi and thought this could be a great solution. Amazon sells for less than $300. Has anyone tried their existing radar to see if it will work behind the mirror? Thanks!
tornado
Member
Here are a few pictures from my 8500ci plus install that I did last weekend. Overall I did very little "instrusive" work on the car. I ended up routing the cables through the path near the driver's side door. I tucked the head/control unit into the driver's side cubby near the diagnostics port. It sits in there nicely and I can hear it just fine. I routed the display controller to the cubby and velcro'd it in. The LED I routed up near the visor on the driver's side, up near the airbag on the support strut. The GPS I (as others did) tucked it WAY up into the glove box port, so it could 'see' through the mesh. It works great. Overall I'm pleased, though I may move the LED light to somewhere less conspicuous. I like where Dcopperfield's LED is (in the vent), but I can't see how to do that without ripping everything apart. I'm looking to possibly get the Blinder HP-905s, but I am still not sure I'm up to attacking the rear of the car the way lr1001 did. I just don't have that confidence yet. Anyway pics below. I can post more if anyone cares for more. Also thanks to LR1001 for spending time with me on the phone discussing this install! :smile:
Nose cone removed
Get to know this little guy - these screws are found all over the car. What you do is wedge a flathead screwdriver under the flat part (to the left) and pry up. Then when it gets 1/4 of the way 'out' you can remove the whole screw. Ingenious design if I do say so myself.
It was surprisingly difficult to drill into the front bumper, even after tapping it. You have to be careful with the 'chrome' piece that goes across the front, which is not easily removable.
8500ci in place.
Top View
Front view
The detector picks up radar very well through the nose cone as others have mentioned.
Nose cone removed
Get to know this little guy - these screws are found all over the car. What you do is wedge a flathead screwdriver under the flat part (to the left) and pry up. Then when it gets 1/4 of the way 'out' you can remove the whole screw. Ingenious design if I do say so myself.
It was surprisingly difficult to drill into the front bumper, even after tapping it. You have to be careful with the 'chrome' piece that goes across the front, which is not easily removable.
8500ci in place.
Top View
Front view
The detector picks up radar very well through the nose cone as others have mentioned.
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kinddog
Banned
Very nice install. Sadly, I live in the ONE state were radar detectors are still illegal. I have a visor mount unit that I use when traveling. I wait until I cross the state border
for what it's worth... nice detectors like the Valentine One and the best Passports are UNdetectable by Virginia police's detectors. in that sense, they are radar detector detector detectors.
having a small, hidden display like what Lloyd did... no way they'll ever know.
I for one would be interested in seeing every photo you have
. I'd want to put front laser jammers in, but not too worried about the back. I'm totally undecided between doing it myself (installed plenty of detectors, but nothing that's stealthy) or paying someone to do it, who's probably never seen, yet alone worked on, a Model S.
tornado
Member
I for one would be interested in seeing every photo you have
I'll take some more and put some more up. One thing I'd say is that I have *very* little experience doing this type of stuff, but what you'll find out very quickly is that it is fairly easy to get into the nosecone area (really just those two 'screws' and the rest just pops off). I'm not sure how to get under the nosecone area, like Dcopperfield's installer did, without really taking stuff apart. That's why I'm hesitant about adding blinders - I don't know exactly how to get them mounted correctly. I guess at this point I'll wait for Artsci to get his car and figure it out :biggrin:. The RD install, however, was pretty easy overall.
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artsci
Sponsor
I'm eager to have at it, for sure. I have the mounting all figured out. I just hope the spare nosecone I've ordered arrives long enough before the car. I'm anticipating delivery of my Model S in early April -- not to far off but a lifetime away it seems.
tornado
Member
artsci
Sponsor
If you mean the sensors/jammers, I plan to mount them flush to the nose cone face, as close to the headlights as possible (the police target the headlights). As both the receiving bubble & transmitting diode on the 905 sensor have to have a clear vier of the road forward view to work properly, any obstruction, even a minor one, will reduce their effectiveness.
As the Blinder 905 sensors are very small, with a black plastic face, they will blend into the nose cone quite well -- in fact, if I do this right they will look like they were built in. This will require cutting a space/hole in the nose cone. That's why I've ordered a spare nose cone -- I want to get that work done before the car arrives. I've also devised method for aligning the sensor (also critical to reliable performance) using a laser pointer. Here's a photo of that:
I was wondering what the spare nosecone was for. Depending on the location and spacing of the sensors, it may be possible to mount them behind the plastic grill, but I have no idea how you'd get in there as it looks like the entire front fender assembly has to come off in order to get the grill off.
artsci
Sponsor
I've asked the developer of the Blinder system about that location. He strongly advised against it. Both the grille inset and the grille itself will block some of the incoming laser light -- a no-no for optimum reliability. Plus it places the sensors too far from the headlights. So I'm sticking with the nosecone plan, as I'm certain as I can make it look like the car was make that way.
Remember that the 905's need to be mounted very close to horizontal to be effective. It may be difficult to get them level with your plan.
artsci
Sponsor
I have a plan to ensure that they're perfectly level. It just takes some creative approaches using lasers and certainly not ones that rely on that dinky little level that Blinder provides.
Any luck with more photos? I'd also be interested to know where you tapped for power. I'm still 50/50 on whether to do the install myself, but I've yet to find anyone locally that I trust.
For the benefit of other on this thread, I bought my 9500ci from eBay for $1070, it's arrived fully factory sealed, so seems like a good deal.
Finally, on this video, it shows the display hidden in the rear-view mirror - way cool - how'd they do this?? I've snapped a quick screenshot below:
The installs I've seen they remove/scratch off the mirror coating on the mirror from behind. That section will no longer reflect but they can then install an LCD behind it. That video shows the mirror in the dark, had they shown in the broad daylight, you'd see that it looks "okay" but no where as stealthy as they make it out to be.
Maybe they did do it with a full mirror, this video below shows another BMW with a full reflecting mirror, not one that's been scratched out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=s3c8KpEw6XA
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