Installing escort max ci 360! :)

[2rare2die]

HELLO! as the title says I will be installing a escort max ci 360 on, which I do believe a 2012 S
sadly I don't own a tesla but I install accessories and mainly Mopar. GM, Jeep, and Chrysler vehicles.

I coming to the fourm because ive never even touched a tesla yet!! so I thought I would research and possibly share my progress with this radar kit. If this kit hasn't been covered yet.? like almost all of my installs I will be taking front and rear bumpers off and little bit of the interior out. I don't mind sharing pictures of how ill install and mount.

I appreciate any feed back and recommended threads to look at.
As I will be off and on here because im very busy

 

[appleguru]

I have a pretty good thread with instructions for removing the front bumper here: Have my MS AP2 bumper fascia off...

 

[2rare2die]

I have a pretty good thread with instructions for removing the front bumper here: Have my MS AP2 bumper fascia off...

thanks appleguru. I did see and read through a thread on the bumper removal. I don't know it was yours or not. but great info none the less make the process easier. so I don't brake any clips lol.

 

[2rare2die]

set back update. car is coming next week do to weather conditions, but good for me to research more

 

[2rare2die]

UPDATE!!!!!!!!! The car showed up Monday, I've only had the car one day so far. (day off Tuesday).

This is what I have done so far.
I have to remove the previous passport first. so its a good thing and bad (regarding more work for me)

 

[2rare2die]

I guess you cant go back and edit your posts?

the first two picture's are just the previous radar.

now the third picture inside the car. I'm personally had so trouble with because I think "what a crap installation"

I will say if you install that at your home, its fine. no big deal.
but to have that "professionally" installed, NO! just no


I've done a little so far so ill try and upload pictures soon as I can.

 

[2rare2die]

first I want to say, im just installing a radar this thread is not a step by step thread. just a bunch of pictures of what and how I took this "car apart to install. I will add many clips and scratches were there from the previous installer.

but this is what I did for my first tesla. Enjoy. any questions please ask!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(ill try and caption as many photos as I can)


removed drivers and passngers kick panal. they just pop up and out. Next are two T20 bolts

side panel pulls out held on by clips

air bag cover .. pry out

remove T20 bolt

this was tricky to remove. the circled part was the attached "clips" hard to remove! I probably could get away with not removing it. but I was curios probably not going to be fun putting back. BE careful!!

pop cover .. remove T20

remove T20

this is the visor. have to curl/turn it to remove. (hook)

 

[2rare2die]

pry down with your plastic tools to remove

to pull the headliner down. pull down gently on the support. clips holding it

now here, I already have both pillars out (driver and passengers, kick panel and side piece)
this is the entire dash. prying up on the dash all the way across held on by clips. I used a long pry tools and short. the entire dash pulls up that way, EXCEPT!!!!!!!!!! the passenger side in the middle is probably a air bag. I DID NOT PULL UP OR OUT!
just most of the dash. I did this because I was curious and I didn't know how much I need to remove to get to the side I need open. (driver side) NOT necessary to remove

T20's the one on the left is for the wood trim/air duct and the one on the left is for the "cluster trim" (I removed)

t20 for the middle pill... side note. you need to pull that gold clip out and put back on the piece taken out. other installer did not do that. only way to get that clip to work again

 

[whitex]

Oh, that takes me back to when I installed the Stinger VIP on my car. It was fun, but I don't have any desires to to do it again (though I'm sure I could do it in way less than half the time it took the first time since I now know where everything is, how to take it apart, and I already have all the designs for 3d printed brackets and holders I ended up making for this install so I could just print them again).

 

[2rare2die]

Oh, that takes me back to when I installed the Stinger VIP on my car. It was fun, but I don't have any desires to to do it again (though I'm sure I could do it in way less than half the time it took the first time since I now know where everything is, how to take it apart, and I already have all the designs for 3d printed brackets and holders I ended up making for this install so I could just print them again).

that's awesome. its such a difference doing it a second time for sure! making it up as you go is very fun (for me) but time consuming

 

[2rare2die]

remover two T20's to remove the air duct piece

two T20's to remove "cluster" trim. and two bolts at the top of it. which I need to take out to install the LED for the radar. (you will see later in the post

 

[whitex]

that's awesome. its such a difference doing it a second time for sure! making it up as you go is very fun (for me) but time consuming

Let me know how long it takes you. I didn't keep track, but it took me probably 80+hrs, but I had to do it in the evenings and had the car in drive-able shape during the day so if I took it apart I had to put it back together the same day. I am an OCD perfectionist so all wiring has to be well insulated, mounted in tubing, on its own fuse (no tapping nearest wires with voltage), etc, etc. I also didn't make any new holes in the car except for trimming the front venting flaps slightly. That and I re-did my front laser twice to improve laser jammer performance (I installed it once, did some testing, moved the lasers around a bit, tested again, moved them again, finally got good laser protection). Oh, I even had prototyped a nice fully retractable motorized display, but then realized I overestimated the amount of space under the big screen and run out of steam to go re-do it again, so it's just a fixed screen now. I was hoping to integrate it to display on the big screen or even in the middle of the cluster (takes some hacking since the App SDK Elon promised 5 years ago is never coming), but haven't found time to do it.

 

[2rare2die]

ill try and keep it updated. I would like to hide the display more. kind of what you are saying. but this is a customers car and I have to try and get it done in a orderly fashion while maintaining a professional grade :/ (as much as I would love to do in a perfect way)
I guess they used to (here at the shop/dealer) hide the display behind the rear view mirror. kind of cool. but I guess tech caught up and they couldn't do that any more.

 

[2rare2die]

so now I started taking the front trunk apart. remove these!!

you have here 10mm and 13mm bolts

circled in red is the pervious radar wire.. I removed and will be installing the same way

first!!!!!!!!!!!
horrible picture...
second. this is were the pervious wire was routed and went through the fire wall.
now. I don't know if this was a factory hole or not. but doesn't matter.
I will be routing my wire through the same opening. and re-sealing

awww better pic

 

[2rare2die]

DAY 3 of me having the car. ive done a lot more. I just need to get time to upload pictures.

 

[2rare2die]

so... in this picture is the tapped power source of the old radar.
GREAT for me, because I don't have to source out a power.
BAD! because I think they could have done a better job. (you'll see in the next few pictures)
I wont go into details simply because of time. :/ if you want to know more feel free to ask on like "I don't like it" lol

now! when I got to this the other day I wasn't happy. I wanted to rant about it, but to save my self time I wont get into it lol
but WHY!!!!!!!!!!!! why why why why why ???? lol THERES A GROUND RIGHT NEXT TO THE GROUND THEY TAPPED INTO!

 

[2rare2die]

a little jump here.. but started taking the back apart

pop and pry down.

remove the 4 plugs

the side panels have a t20 on each side

this pillar side, pry and pop out

two light plugs on each side for the back side carpet

removing side carpet next to the back seat

 

[2rare2die]

removing floor carpet

I took the pic after I removed it. but to push pins on the passengers side

headliner is held up.

no removing this was a little tricky. mainly because it didn't want to budge.

its held back by this bigger "clip" you can push the "tabs" on the top and bottom to pull it out

and the whole piece will come out

oh! a t20 in the front lol

T20 on each side of the lower pillar piece.... move the seat all the way forward to pull out

 

[2rare2die]

now at this point. because my pics jump to the trunk.
now I have everything removed. now pulling the old jammer out of the trunk
remove these 4 t20's

theres two light plugs. and the left circled piece is what going to be coming out. may need to pry on them. they hold the "chrome TESLA trim" but this is just showing you, because you will see why.

the chrome tesla piece IS ATTACHED TO THE LIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!! BECAREFUL REMOVING THIS. its attached just by double back tape. but when you remove this get a firm hand on it. the weight is in the lights and you don't want to snap that trim.
the trim you pry up and pop out when your ready. after you removed the taillight nuts 8MM

you can now remove the black trim

 

[2rare2die]

4 nuts for the lights (GREEN circle is just the other nut you cant see in the pic