[motocrash]

I have decided to hard wire in my Valentine detector, as I had it in the last car. I would like to place it low on the windshield, and run the wires back behind the dash, through a vent or grommet or something back there. I need to find a power wire I can tap into for the detector. On my last vehicle I used a switched power lead (for the cig. lighter I think) so the detector turned itself on and off with the car. People have any idea where there might be a suitable wire in this car before I start pulling panels?

 

[rwood411]

I would be more worried about having the roof ripped open so someone can steal it.

 

[motocrash]

Ya, I thought about that. I have had mine in my last vehicle for years, never a problem. I realize it was not a convertable, but I just dont go to areas that it may occur all that often. When I am home, it is in the garage. I work odd shifts, in a secure lot... and the rest of the time, I just dont leave it much. It also unhooks from the power line quicky, I used to pull it at the airport or such, and stuff the whole thing in the glove box.

Life is too short to not do what I want with things. The detector itself is pretty expensive, so if they take it AND cut the roof, I am plenty above my insurance deductible. :thumbs:

 

[tweety]

I don't have the fancy Val but the measly Cobra. I wired it into the mirror.
Black-ground
Gray-dimmer lamps
blue/white-courtesy lamps

Hook up to the gray and the detector will go off in about 5 minutes.

 

[motocrash]

The grey dimmer lamp wire gets power the entire time the car is driving? I did not know that.... Where did you access the wire, just behind the mirror or open it up? I am nowhere near my car to look closely at it, but I am excited if this works!

 

[tweety]

Do NOT use the gray. I wrote that wrong. It was meant to come across that if you do use the gray that the detector will go dead along with your lights dimming.
Use the other wire.

Black-ground
blue/white-constant power

The blue/white wire is what provides power to the button lights on the mirror itself.
What I did was to pull the plug from behind the mirror. You will see 7 leads but only 3 are used. Take CAT5 cable and pull out 2 wires only.
Strip the wires on both ends.
Take the one end and place it in the phone termination end, crimp down.
Take the other end and place the proper leads into the back of the correct mirror leads. Or, if you want, strip the casing off of the mirror leads and connect them there for a more solid approach.
How your leads are on your detector will vary.
Getting the phone jack connections can be found anywhere that they sell phones or equipment.

CAT5 cable is the solid core type and not the strand type.

 

[motocrash]

I know it has been a LONG time since this thread was posted too, but I am STILL having issues. I tried the blue wire with the white stripe and it is constant power, the detector never turns off. I cant get much of anything to work with the grey wire.... I am at a lost... even the 12 volt in the dash is on all the time. Is there a wire anywhere that turns off with the car? I am sooo frustrated.

 

[Robotech]

I don't know if GM kept this wiring color with the Sky, but in our Pontiac Grand Prixs any solid pink wire was a key-on power wire.

You can always try and see if that works. You can always try and see what color the bundle of wires coming out of the fuse box is...the one on the GP looks like a big plate of pink spahgetti.