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Now that I have a new C8, and GM does not condone using power from the rear view mirror are there any suggestions on where and how to mount a an Escort 360 using the supplied power cord?
I was wondering mounting by the right front speaker with thin plastic that seems to fit between the speaker frame and the soft dash.
Maybe someone brighter then I has come up with some ideas?
I mounted my Valentine One above the infotainment screen. It doesn’t block the view like it does under the mirror. And GM doesn’t want us to tap the power supply in the mirror anyway.
I used pipe hanger strap to model the contour of the rear of the screen and took it to a local metal fabricator. In 15 minutes he bent a 2” piece of steel into that shape for only 10 bucks. After some semi-gloss spray paint and Velcro, it was done. Cheap and easy.
For power I ran the cord from the 12v plug under the glove compartment through a opening in the back of the center console. A stiff wire went straight across from the driver side to the passenger side on the first pass. I pulled the cord to the driver side, ran it under the dash toward the steering column, then using the wire pulled the cord from under the dash to the lower edge of the screen (see photo), and finally around the right side of the screen to the back. The cord is completely hidden. The bracket is unobtrusive, when the detector is removed.
There are commercial mounts available instead of making your own bracket. I also switched from nano tape to Velcro to hold my detector onto the bracket.
Now that I have a new C8, and GM does not condone using power from the rear view mirror are there any suggestions on where and how to mount a an Escort 360 using the supplied power cord?
I was wondering mounting by the right front speaker with thin plastic that seems to fit between the speaker frame and the soft dash.
Maybe someone brighter then I has come up with some ideas?
Hmm, GM did not condone using power from the C7 mirror. In fact they specifically said it would not work. Since I had an early 2014 C7 (built September 2013) I did what a number early owner's did, used fuse 37 (the one that powered the receptacle on the console) located in the rear fuse panel. I ran the positive wire under the carpet molding, under the "A" pillar molding and across the top of the windshield. (Ground was on a screw into metal frame on the the dash,) Then for my 2017 Grand Sport tapped the mirror as by then most had and it worked!
Because of the C8 TV Mirror I was not planning to take a risk and probe for +/- terminals in the mirror. As no one had done it on my car soon to be received my plan is shown below. Similar to what I did for my 2014 I'd use the power receptacle under the passenger dash and run the wires under the passenger "A" pillar. But mid July 2020, 1 1/2 months before my C8 arrived, an aftermarket company posted a video on how to tap a 2LT and 3LT mirror so that is what I did. many have done the same and there are literally thousands that have worked fine with no issues. Like many others mine has worked fine for 14 months.
What I did for my early 2014 C7 after tapping fuse 37 with an Add-A-Circuit
What I planned for my C8 until ~2 months before mine arrived someone showed how to tap the mirror. If you're really concerned (should not be IMO) use this approach.
Full details of how I tapped the mirror of my C8, like many, are in this many pic/text caption PDF : Radar_Detector_Power.pdf (netwelding.com) Note it includes the latest info obtained in a discussion with Blendmount Tech folks where I found they checked with GM and if you follow their suggestion (the same as the one in that 1st video from July 2020 and what I any thousands have used) their Red wire tap to Red wire in plug and Black wire tap to Black wire in plug, all is fine. GM told them IF the ground is placed on the Gray wire in the plug it will cause a driver's mirror issue.
I updated the PDF showing a CAUTION with pic of that connection error. There is another possible ground BUT with thousands of us using Red to Red and Black to Black, which Blendmount also recommends (and avoiding having to understand or confuse the proper terminal numbers) you'll be fine!
I think he actually is trying to avoid tapping the mirror.
It looks like the side mirror issue might be related to tapping either the wrong ground pin (blendmount instructions tell you to use a pin that is shared with the mirrors), or perhaps accidentally tapping the grey wire adjacent to the mirrors that is the + power source to the mirrors.
I moved my taps to pin 5 and pin 2 to avoid the side view mirror issue.
You can see the other thread here for pictures of how to disassemble the A pillar and dash if you want to route a wire down the +12v cigarette lighter plug in the glove box.
Now that I have a new C8, and GM does not condone using power from the rear view mirror are there any suggestions on where and how to mount a an Escort 360 using the supplied power cord?
I was wondering mounting by the right front speaker with thin plastic that seems to fit between the speaker frame and the soft dash.
Maybe someone brighter then I has come up with some ideas?
I had a K40 installed yesterday. With laser-disrupt (perfectly legal). It's the same system I had on my Ferrari F430 and was installed by the same crew. They take power from the aux power supply, never from the mirror.
I was finally able to mount and install my BlendMount & WireTap also using Pin 5 & Pin 2 after the instructions failed for me. I understand wanting to avoid the mirror issue, but I also haven't had any problems.
Originally Posted by dohabandit
I think he actually is trying to avoid tapping the mirror.
It looks like the side mirror issue might be related to tapping either the wrong ground pin (blendmount instructions tell you to use a pin that is shared with the mirrors), or perhaps accidentally tapping the grey wire adjacent to the mirrors that is the + power source to the mirrors.
I moved my taps to pin 5 and pin 2 to avoid the side view mirror issue.
You can see the other thread here for pictures of how to disassemble the A pillar and dash if you want to route a wire down the +12v cigarette lighter plug in the glove box.
i guess the blend mount is nice, but there are nicer ways if you are willing to do the work involved. But for virtually no effort and great looks, the blend mount is a wonderful but pricey option.
I had a K40 installed yesterday. With laser-disrupt (perfectly legal). It's the same system I had on my Ferrari F430 and was installed by the same crew. They take power from the aux power supply, never from the mirror.
Hmmmm. Somehow I didn’t get the memo on the prohibition of tapping into the mirror. Did it with no adverse effect on my 2014 C7 for 72,000 miles. Now I’ve done it again on my 2020 C8. It’s been one year and 24,000 miles. What kind of problems should I be having?
THERE IS NO MEMO, there is a GM Tech-Link caution from November 21 2021. I'll provide my understanding re GM statements and the recent CAUTION.
I recall when I got my early 2014 C7 (built September 2013) I had put a hold-a-spot order in Feb 2013 so had time to consider how I would wire my radar detector. GM had made comments before the first production cars were built that mirror could not be taped (which I had done simply on my C6. So thought I might tape the passenger visor mirror light for power, which I did for my 1988 and 1993.)
In fact I saw my 1st C7 in person at the vintage car races at Laguna Seca and when sitting in a preproduction IVER saw the three bolts that attached the sun visor! As soon as I got mine, removed the visor and taped the mirror light power. My new detector powered up for several seconds than no power and no mirror light. Thought blew a fuse. While looking for the fuse the light came back on! Checked all my wiring and it was fine. Plugged in the detector and again no power after a few seconds. Did not continue that approach and used the fuse on the rear fuse panel for the power receptacle on the console as others suggested. Turns out the C7 (and assume C8) has a computer monitor power to certain circuits and in the case of my visor light mirror shots down the circuit if more current than designed current is measured. There was a similar situation I found in the rear. Probably part of the "shut down all significant power after a few minutes." That was validated by a local auto shop who found the same issue with other new GM cars.
Then when Blendmount came out with their rear view mirror detector holding device they also had mirror wire tap for power suggestions. That was 6+ months after the first C7 production. GM never said that was OK and probably will never for a C8! When I bought my 2017 Grand Sport I bought the Blendmount wire kit and like many thousands of other C7 owners tapped the terminals they suggested.
Before my late August 2020 built C8 arrived had plenty of time to look for an early C8 owner to find the mirror wires to tap having placed my hold-a-spot C8 order July 2019! No one did and I asked in a number of posts. Because of the TV Mirror was not going to risk just using my VOM to find power from the mirror. Then mid July 2020 there was a short video by a Vette aftermarket company that showed how to tape the mirror power plug connecting Red Blendmount wire to the Red Plug Terminal and the Black Blendmount wire to the Black Plug Terminal for power. That is what I did as have thousands of C8 owners with no issues. I produced this detailed How Too... PDF and many have posted similar terminals to tap as is suggeted in the current Blendmount Video (mine, as usual, has many pics and text and all cannot just be pasted in a Thread:) Radar_Detector_Power.pdf (netwelding.com)
Then just recently there was a post that showed a comment in a GM Tech notice of November 21, 2021, it was not a GM Bulletin or anything sent to owner's that just said "tapping the mirror could cause a failure of the driver's side dimming mirror." No mention of which terminals etc. Someone contacted Blendmount who's instructions say tape Red to Red and Black to Black and they sent him the pic (left) below. It noted NOT to connect ground to the Gray wire. Another member looked at the wiring diagram and found what he believes to be a safer wire to tape for ground and commented he thought Blendmount mentioned the Gray wire because it was close.
I called and talked to a Blendmount tech person and found out they had been advised by a user of the issue and Contacted GM and were told connecting their ground Black wire to the Gray Plug wire would cause the driver's door mirror issue. So with thousands of us successfully tapping Red to Red and Black to Black that is still the suggestion in my How Too PDF. I just updated and added the CAUTION with the NOT Gray Wire pic. Mine has worked fine for 14 months and many others have as well. Your Car Your Choice!
Pic Left Recent From Blendmount- Pic Right From My ~14 Month Old PDF (now updated with Caution)
To be honest, so long as the +12v lead is on a wire that has sufficient AWG gauge to handle the current it is carrying to mirror+detector, and so long as you have a good ground, I have no issues whatsoever with tapping that power at the mirror. I am pretty sure that the wire is sufficient because if it wasn't the FUSE would be designed to blow first and the addition of my radar detector has cause no fuses to blow.
In fact, I would much rather tap the power there than to route another wire through the A pillar and have to remove a bunch of trim in the process. Why? Because popping trim pieces off is not always without issue. Sometimes those tabs break. Very often they get bent up and you have to use some pliers to bend them back so that once you pop the trim back on you don't end up with a loose clip and a rattle. You also need to make sure you secure that wire, or it will rattle too. That is all a bunch of risk I would rather not expose myself to if I don't need to, and I hate body rattles.
Ohh, btw, I applied the DuPont silicon+flouropolymer spray to my weather stripping around the coupe roof connection area and all my creaking and popping sounds while enduring body flexion are gone now. As I suspected, it was just the seal getting stuck to the roof panel. (applied to a used microfiber towel first)
Did I mention I hate noisy/creaky cars and rattles?
Well this is all very interesting and I thank everyone for taking the time to investigate and post however………..
I have put the mirror tap into 5 Corvettes now with no problems “that I am aware of”. Can’t say when I started using the Blendmount but it was at least on my 2011 Grand Sport. I installed the Blendmount and mirror tap on my C7 2014 Stingray and it worked without any known problems for 5 years and 72,000 miles. Since the Blendmount was not available when the C8 came out I decided to go with the suction cup mount up near the mirror on my Z51/2LT Red Beast. I had the wiretap installed by an authorized GM/Corvette dealer while getting my 1,500 mile checkup in Florida. One year and 24,000 miles later no issues that I know of. Maybe ignorance is bliss but I don’t think I’m taking it out🙂
I screwed around with mounts cheaper than Blendmount on my C7 then broke down and bought it. It is clearly the best and when coupled with the wiretap is awesome. My question to all is about the blindspot detection. Currently when I pass any car with it, my detector K band triggers being blindspot uses that band. Will my detector be constantly triggering every time the C8 blindspot detection goes off? Are there any detctors where you can bypass K band detection being few law agencies use it any longer.
I screwed around with mounts cheaper than Blendmount on my C7 then broke down and bought it. It is clearly the best and when coupled with the wiretap is awesome. My question to all is about the blindspot detection. Currently when I pass any car with it, my detector K band triggers being blindspot uses that band. Will my detector be constantly triggering every time the C8 blindspot detection goes off? Are there any detctors where you can bypass K band detection being few law agencies use it any longer.
The newer detectors are a lot better at filtering.
The Valentine 1 2nd Generation detector is good at filtering blindspot detection. I use a Gen 1 V1 along with the JBV1 app and it still works pretty good at filtering. The JBV1 app allows for a lot of customization.
V1 G2, no blindspot false positive issues.
I prefer to have my detector tucked up high, so I use the stock mount. This gives it a view of the rear of the road as well as the front for both waveguides.
I use some thin plastic coated stainless steel fishing line leader that I crimped with some fittings that I have to make a perfectly fit safety line that connects between the detector and the sun shade clip.
Cheap, and it looks very clean.
12-24-2021, 01:42 PM
C8 and radar detector
