radar det
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From: San Diego, CA
My Ride: '06 530i N52
fn warning: i tapped into the green/yellow striped wire and it caused a bunch of unexpected problems. weird things just started happening to my car after connecting up my bel i940. it seemed to work for a little bit, until i started experiencing strange oddities. not to mention the clock clearing, but i also noticed last night that my car alarm would not beep confirmation when armed. i then checked the setting in the computer and it was set for beep arm confirmation so that was not the problem. then today i started getting an error that the trunk was open. i went back and checked the trunk and it was not open nor did i press the trunk release at all. i then drove off to lunch and a few miles down the road my coworker says, hey your trunk is open. i pulled over and closed the trunk and still got the stupid error that my trunk was open though. i then unplugged the bel i940 and the problem went away. so screw connecting the detector to the rain sensor power wire. i think my detector had pulled the voltage down too low and in turn was freaking out the computer. frick it. will have to find some other way to mount my detector. maybe this thread works for the V1 only. bummer deal 
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Originally Posted by donpb' post='798720' date='Feb 22 2009, 02:55 AM
i must say the hardest part was finding the dang right wire. there are a bunch of different green/yellow wires in all those dang wiring harnesses. the one to look for is up top dead center behind the sunroof motor. you have to reach up in there and pull it down a bit. unravel that silly ribbon tape they have wrapped around the bundle for easier access. like an idiot i cut the ribbon tape loose with wire cutters and accidentally cut a wire in two. i fixed it using a wire tap but was still a stupid move on my part. live and learn. ok, at first i connected hot to the wrong green yellow wire. there was a green and non-solid yellow wire. that wasn't it. while i connected to that and immediately when i plugged the radar detector in, the clown nose on the rear view mirror lit up and my clock reset. ok, so then i find another green wire with a solid yellow line and that was it. i connected hot to it and for some weird reason my clock reset again. i already had GND connected to the center screw mount of the sunroof motor. the screw takes the familiar t-20 torx bit. i hardwired a cigarette lighter receptacle to mine so that i would not have to cut any wires and can also mount practically any detector without modifying the cable or buying a hard wire kit. well here's my success photos. that's a Bel i940. thanks to this thread for all the help!
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From: Boston, MA
My Ride: 2009 535xi Platinum Gray. M sport, Premium, Cold, Logic, PDC, Sirius, and Bamboo.
I just did the install on my 09 535.
I can also confirm that the green/yellow wire going to the rear view mirror works properly. I could not get a firm connection using the blue t-tap that came with my Escort 9500ix. So I bought smaller t-taps for 18-22 gauge wire at Radio Shack. With a good squeeze it works perfectly. I'd say a much better option that the blue one.
I used one of the torx screws on the moonroof motor for the ground.
I can also confirm that the green/yellow wire going to the rear view mirror works properly. I could not get a firm connection using the blue t-tap that came with my Escort 9500ix. So I bought smaller t-taps for 18-22 gauge wire at Radio Shack. With a good squeeze it works perfectly. I'd say a much better option that the blue one.
I used one of the torx screws on the moonroof motor for the ground.
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hmm, after a week of working fine, my detector is dead. connections seem good, and it works if i plug it in thru the cig lighter. Will check my connections again, but my multimeter showed that the wire i was going for was +12v with the ignition on. Rain sensor still works, so assuming that is what the wire is for, that's not the issue. Or is the green/yellow wire for the dimming mirror?
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From: Boston, MA
My Ride: 2009 535xi Platinum Gray. M sport, Premium, Cold, Logic, PDC, Sirius, and Bamboo.
Originally Posted by mottati' post='817911' date='Mar 16 2009, 01:07 AM
hmm, after a week of working fine, my detector is dead. connections seem good, and it works if i plug it in thru the cig lighter. Will check my connections again, but my multimeter showed that the wire i was going for was +12v with the ignition on. Rain sensor still works, so assuming that is what the wire is for, that's not the issue. Or is the green/yellow wire for the dimming mirror?
I'd try tapping in again with a tap for smaller gauge wire. I couldn't get the blue tap to work consistently. When I used a tap for 18-22 gauge, it work perfectly and made a really stable connection.. You can find them online or at RadioShack
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Originally Posted by Pauken4' post='817254' date='Mar 15 2009, 10:44 AM
... I bought smaller t-taps for 18-22 gauge wire at Radio Shack. With a good squeeze it works perfectly. I'd say a much better option that the blue one.
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what's odd for me is i gave up on the tap, and spliced the actual wire, so either it's a bad ground, or something is amiss in the little connector kit that valentine one supplies. I've got 12v on my multimeter at my connection, and at my ground bolt (using the sunroof torx bolt, as i have on every other bmw i've ever had). It worked again yesterday, but no workie today.
I swapped v1's with my older unit in my e34, same story, works in the e34, old one is sporadic in the e60, so the actual v1 seems good.
I swapped v1's with my older unit in my e34, same story, works in the e34, old one is sporadic in the e60, so the actual v1 seems good.
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From: Bronx, NY
My Ride: 2007 E60 M5 Alpine White/ Indy Red 6spd
Originally Posted by mottati' post='819270' date='Mar 17 2009, 01:18 PM
what's odd for me is i gave up on the tap, and spliced the actual wire, so either it's a bad ground, or something is amiss in the little connector kit that valentine one supplies. I've got 12v on my multimeter at my connection, and at my ground bolt (using the sunroof torx bolt, as i have on every other bmw i've ever had). It worked again yesterday, but no workie today.
I swapped v1's with my older unit in my e34, same story, works in the e34, old one is sporadic in the e60, so the actual v1 seems good.
I swapped v1's with my older unit in my e34, same story, works in the e34, old one is sporadic in the e60, so the actual v1 seems good.
"hard to get to" big bolt on the cross beam. It is a "true" chassis ground and have not had any problems since.
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Originally Posted by BMWM5NYC' post='819461' date='Mar 17 2009, 02:29 PM
I had similar issues when I used the Torx screw on the sunroof motor for the ground. I ended up using the
"hard to get to" big bolt on the cross beam. It is a "true" chassis ground and have not had any problems since.
"hard to get to" big bolt on the cross beam. It is a "true" chassis ground and have not had any problems since.
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Bronx, NY
My Ride: 2007 E60 M5 Alpine White/ Indy Red 6spd
Originally Posted by mottati' post='820573' date='Mar 18 2009, 07:01 PM
thanks for the reply. i think i saw that bolt you're talking about.
No problem