One other area that won't work - from what I've heard, I have not verified this - is the center dash where the CD player is located.

My understanding is there is no room behind that panel. It's all taken up by the CD player unit. This is especially true if you have NAV - no way can you fit anything else in there.

And I know for sure that the switches for the PDC, DSC, etc. are momentary. So, you cannot purchase one of those switches and use it.

The other issue with the PDC, etc. switches is that the panel they plug into does not have blanks.

It's quite a challenge to find a good install location for the power switch and the LED. Personally, I am leaning against using the LED at all for this very reason.

I like CRRobert's idea of mounting the power switch near the hood release. The main downside is having to reach down to flip it. I'd like to find a suitable location that is within arms reach without me having to move much. If I want to turn it off during an encounter, I'd rather look as inconspicuous as possible.

I'd consider installing it near the hand brake, but the issue there is trying to make sure it's not visible, or at least not obvious.

One other idea I've had along those lines is to install a small square or round push-button switch behind the carpet strip that runs from the center console forward, which conceals one of the screws holding up the dash cover which is above the driver footwell and below the steering wheel.

My main concern there would be a) finding it when I need it, and b) that it does not get pushed and held down all the time. The switch I've looked at for this purpose is relatively stiff and hard to push down, which is good.

I welcome other ideas.

 

This sounds like a good possibility.

I can't think of any other locations, but agree, it would look suspicious if I was reaching down into the footwell to turn it off. Officer may think I am grabbing something else.

The AI Design remote remote, I tried there website, but could not get more information, I like the small remote portion.

 

I know that you don't have this option(since you have a six speed), but I just thought that I might be able to hook it up to the small portion next to my SMG shift lever, and put the switches in the black plastic. The AI design one looks like It might work, but would need something else for the Lidateck that looked similar.

 

Yeah, their website sucks IMO. It is challenging to work with at times.

Since it's mostly script driven while you navigate thru there, I couldn't send you a link. Try this. Goto their home page, click on "Shop" in the upper right corner, click on "AI Design V1 Rear View Mirror" from the left side nav window, click on "Related Products," it will be the 2nd item in the list.

 

Can you post a pic?

BTW, to change the subject slightly - one idea I've thought of for the LED is a variation on the E39 rear mirror that Beast Power sells which supports both the V1 and Lidatek displays.

I spoke with Daniel a couple of weeks ago and he can currently only get the E39 M5 version. However, his supplier is AIDesign. I've attempted contacting AIDesign via e-mail about creating a new version for the E60 mirror, but their mail servers seem to be worse than their web servers.

I need to call them on the phone and go over the concept. If they're willing and can create one with the auto-dim feature intact, I would consider volunteering a rear mirror as a guinea pig.

I'm virtually certain there would be enough demand from the E60 crowd to justify the R&D on AIDesign's part to build one (note: another good topic to split off from this discussion).

 

Post to my query on potential GB of V1/Lidatek rear view mirror.

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=...ndpost&p=104653

 

Not sure if this will help but if you're looking for some room behind the dash, isn't there some space available just below the headlight switch on US cars? On cars outside the US, there is a storage cubby there so it would make sense that on our cars, there's empty space behind there...

 

Depends on what you mean by "just below the headlight switch."

If you pop the headlight switch dash panel off, yes there is a drop downward and there is some space there. Plenty of room for wires, etc.

However, it's not on the headlight switch dash panel itself but on the curved portion of the dash below that, which decends down toward the footwell area.

I suppose it would be possible to put something there that was not very visible from outside the car, but I would think it would be very visible if the drivers door was opened.

 

To be honest, I didn't carefully read everything in this thread so forgive me if I'm missing something.

If you're looking for space to install something that doesn't need to be visible, then the space I was talking about can be seen in the following pic of Iceman's car:



If you're looking for something else, then I'm out for now...

 

Rudy,

Don't get me wrong, I think that's an excellent suggestion.

I need to ponder that location in terms of stealthiness.... I suppose if an occifer suspects something, they will find the jammers on the front of the car anyway.

And yes you are correct - there is empty space down there.