Hardwire Radar in 08 Tahoe LTZ (Escort 8500)

Any one know how to hardwire an Escort Passport 8500 into a 2008 Tahoe LTZ?

I just got one and am not sure how to do a nice clean install.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

To his credit Hof, I thought yourr response was a little off too. Anywho...

There is power at the overhead control panel for the garage door opener and the rear view mirror. A quick check with a voltmeter and you should be set.

Check this out... I think this is the cleanest install available for GM trucks. No guess work, no poking around. Pretty cool, I think.

http://invisicord.com/

If you're handy, you can do this yourself without this kit. Just match the wires with your own and tap into it.

Good luck.

p.s. I'm not going to comment about your driving habit or mine... All I'll say is that I drive 90mph+ everyday with my cars (and often 100mph+ because conditions allow me). If you can do it responsibly and with lots of respect for others... :thumbsup:

i mounted my v1 up by my rear view mirror and pushed the wiring up into the headliner along the glass then done inside the a-pillar. i then spliced into my sunroof wire that only is hot when the key is on.

I had my 8500 installed because I have the laser shifters and didn't want to run wires to the front and rear of the tahoe. Also, by having it installed Iat HiFi Buys I can have them uninstall it for free whenever I sell the tahoe.

Mine sits under the rear view mirror, I have a mount that attaches to the mirror stem so it doesn't touch the windshield. Not sure exactly where it is all ran, but looks like a wire with the fuse holder is connected to a bolt outside the fuse block in the engine bay. Come to think of it, I haven't seen the brain for the 2 systems either.

I love my 8500 and laser shifters/diffusers. Had them on my G35 and will have them on future cars as well. It is not the vehicle but the driver in my situation. My first car was a piece of crap that took forever to get from 0-60 (used to kid around that it took 4 minutes to do this) and I still got speeding tickets. I just can't keep my foot out of it.

The laser diffusers have saved us many a time around Atlanta since the cops primarily use laser for speed detection.

The laser diffusers have saved us many a time around Atlanta since the cops primarily use laser for speed detection.

Click to expand...

What brand is your laser diffuser? Can you tell me little more about it? (Constant on, size, etc.)

Thanks

The laser shifters/diffusers I bought are from Escort so it works in tandem with the 8500. I don't have to have the shifter display mounted any where because it feeds through the 8500. I bought the Shifter ZR3 (http://www.escortradar.com/zr3.htm). The site is for Escort, but I bought from HiFi Buys.

It basically jams the signal from the laser gun to give you time to slow down. We had it tested out by asking a cop at one of our car meets to try to tag our car. This is a cop that for 7 hours a day 5 days a week he lasers cars and writes tickets. He couldn't get a read on our car until he caught the very side as we were right in front of him.

Very nice... I think I'm going to get the z3 for my escort 8500.

Thanks for the info.:thumbsup:

Nice

Did you ever figure out where to run the hard wire? I found out that the extra fuse line ran to the fuse block in my engine bay is for something else. I need to figure out where the brain to my shifters are to try to figure out what is going on with my hardwire.

Thanks for all of the help~! I think I am going to go with the Invisicord. It seems like the cleanest install for a DIY Install.

Thanks again! :cool2:

punju said:

Thanks for all of the help~! I think I am going to go with the Invisicord. It seems like the cleanest install for a DIY Install.

Thanks again! :cool2:

Click to expand...

I agree... It's the best choice for a simple and clean install if you're installing just the RD. :yesnod:

I am also trying to tap into the power for the overhead console and mirror. I have been pulling down on the plastic housing for the overhead console but it won't budge. I don't want to break it. Is there some trick for pulling the console down from the headliner or do I just need to really pull hard on it to disconnect the tabs that hold it up.
Thanks much!

UPDATE: OK, Denali (and I assume Tahoe and Escalade) owners: I found out that you do indeed have to pull down REALLY hard on the overhead console in order to get the tabs with clips to pop out of their housings and give access to the wires. Problem for me is that one of the plastic tabs broke! The other 3 hold up the console well-enough, but there is a small gap to the headliner next to where the tab broke. By the way, I wired in my Valentine One using the hardwire kit they sell. No need for the excellent but unneccesary Invisicord product. I tapped into the pink wire for power and the black wire for ground. The unit now turns on and off with the ignition key.

By the way, my Denali feels extremely stable on the highway at 85-90mph. These new GM SUV's handle really well on the highway at speed. Love the brakes too.

bestbuy sells a radar detector hardwiring kit for like 10-15 bucks

punju said:

Any one know how to hardwire an Escort Passport 8500 into a 2008 Tahoe LTZ?

I just got one and am not sure how to do a nice clean install.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

1) Pull really hard on overhead console to release the clips that hold it in place.

2) Tap into pink wire for key on/ key off 12 volt power source.

3) Tap into black wire for ground.

4) Run the wire with the tip that plugs into the radar detector under the headliner to top of windshield to your radar detector. The detedctor should be mounted directly to the left of your rearview mirror for best performance and best visibility in giving you alerts.

5) Test unit: Turn on power switch or power knob on radar detector and then turn on ignition key to make sure that the wire connections are functioning properly. If they are, your radar detector will turn on and off with the ignition key.

6) Roll up any excess wire and place it inside of the headliner to the side of the overhead console.

7) Snap the overhead console back in place by placing the tabs into their recepticles in the roof and then bang them back into place with the heel of your hand.

That's it!

Happy Speeding!

GoldmistXL said:

. I have been pulling down on the plastic housing for the overhead console but it won't budge. I don't want to break it. Is there some trick for pulling the console down from the headliner or do I just need to really pull hard on it to disconnect the tabs that hold it up.
Thanks much!

.

Click to expand...

First you have to remove Front Overhead Console Lens
then 2 torx 15 screws, and then just pull it down

yes those zr3s are amazing...nothing like having a cop nail you like 5 times and have him look and his gun and look at you perplexed best feeling ever

just an opinion, but i wouldn't want my radar directly wired if i had the option to run an add-a-fuse inline with it. i would hate for the radar detector (if possible) to cause a short or some problems b/c it's directly wired into the power & ground of the rear view mirror or a side view..

that being said, i'm going outside to see how i want to install my escort 8500.
if i find another way, i'll be sure to post it up with some pics.

ok so after taking a look, i figured it would be the easiest route to add-a-fuse off of the instrument panel fuse cluster; however, there isn't (to my knowledge and i don't have a multimeter) any ignition power fuses there. since most people are running their radar detectors off of the dimming/ compass rear view mirror the fuse for that is under the hood number 49. since i don't want to run a wire from the engine bay to the interior (the instrument fuse panel would be easiest located under the driver side a pillar) i think the safest route would be to hardwire the radar detector into the power and ground wires as noted in previous posts to the dimming rear view mirror. so as long as your hardwire kit has an inline fuse wired in you should be fine. if you buy a generic one that does not, i would most definitely add one to prevent damage to the wiring/ electrical system starting (if you wire in at) the rear view mirror.

I installed a V1 in a 2008 Yukon XL. I figure it would work for Tahoes, Denalis and Acadias.

http://web.mac.com/michaelsimpson/Site/Radar_Detector_Installation.html

Michael