steevr

For those of you that are still using the cigarette lighter plug with your Valentine One on your RX300...time for the perfect hardwire. Total time: 20 minutes.

Valentine One Location: Using the suction cup mount, I put my V-1 just to the right of the rearview mirror and positioned it so that the front of the unit is just below the tinted section of the windshield.

Power Source: The power source is the auto dimming mirror power wire which is located behind the sunglasses holder pod. The plastic pod which houses the reading light/sunglass holder/sunroof switch is held on with three screws. The first two screws are located under the felt in the sunglass holder. Taking a small flat-bladed screwdriver, pry the two forward corners of the felt off. Remove the two phillips screws. Next take the small flat-bladed screwdriver and pry off the reading light lens. There are two tabs on the forward portion (toward the front of the car) of the lens and another two tabs on the rear portion of the lens. Put the screwdriver in the rear portion and pop the lens out. The front tabs are much longer and will break if you try and pop that side out. Once the lens is out, you see the 3rd and final phillips screw to remove. Remove the plastic pod. You will see a wiring harness tht goes to the mirror. Mine had 4 wires (I have no compass in my mirror, since I have the nav). Using the blue pastic power tap that was included with the V-1, attach it to the red wire on the mirror harness (which is live whenever the key is on). I then took the straight RJ-11 power cord that came with the V-1 and pushed it from inside the pod area through the space between the headliner and the windshield. The other end plugs into the V-1 hardware adapter which was just tapped into the mirror power wire. All that is left is the black ground wire for the V-1 hardwire adapter. I loosened the brass bolt which holds the sunroof motor in place and placed the end under the bolt and retightened it.. The extra wire from the hardwire adapter and extra RJ-11 wire I bundled together with a twist tie. You then replace the plastic pod, the 3 screws and the reading light lens and you're all set. The V-1 will come on whenever the car is running.

Hope that helps. Much better than the coiled cigarette lighter power cord running up to the top of the windshield.

toy4two

the factory tint may be reducing your V1's detection range.

steevr

The V-1 sits below the factory tint line.

jgoorn

Thank you so much! I am probably going to do this, but I was wondering if anyone can take pictures and post them?
I'd be incredibly grateful, and I'll make a video on how to do this hardwire mod for anyone else interested.

jgoorn

I see this thread:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...tallation.html

but it makes me wonder how it is done.

Do I remove the dome light and use the harness/wire in there or remove the mirror and try and tap the harness in the mirror. I think that the dome light area might be better as I would like to keep it up there.

Can you post your guide with pictures? Thanks! I don't mind donating if I get this to work!

hypervish

This thread is from 2003, and the OP hasn't posted since 2011. It's unlikely you will get a response, hopefully some other forum members can help you out.

jgoorn

YES! Anyone who can help me I will pay! But "helping" entails pictures at least for each step.

jgoorn

http://web.archive.org/web/200708241...r_detector.htm


Check that link out to hardwiring a radar detector with pictures, and the above guide shows what wires to use. You'll also be able to tuck the cable underneath the headliner and through the mirror conduit/channel area.
I'll also be posting this in a new thread with a proper write up and a video made by myself to show how also.