I'm looking for a switched* power wire somewhere in the front cabin which I can tie my radar detector into.
*(When I say switched, I mean a wire that only has power to it when the key is in the ignition (the car is turned on/running), and does NOT have power to it when the car is turned off.)
Grounding the negative end of the wire is easy enough, but I am having a hard time locating a positive wire that is switched. I had my voltage meter in the front fuse box (under the steering wheel), however all those wires have constant power. So do the wires for the vanity mirrors.
Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated.
***Perhaps the moonroof wire? If so, does anyone know how I can get the overhead panel disassembled so that I can access those wires?
[[ Keep in mind this is a 2006. Some of the wiring is different. In my old 2001, I had the wire spliced into the rain sensor under the "box" on the window at the rear-view mirror, however the wiring is much different under there in the 2006 model, and when I tested those wires with my meter, they had constant power to them... unless I'm missing something obvious. ]]
I'm looking for a switched* power wire somewhere in the front cabin which I can tie my radar detector into.
*(When I say switched, I mean a wire that only has power to it when the key is in the ignition (the car is turned on/running), and does NOT have power to it when the car is turned off.)
Grounding the negative end of the wire is easy enough, but I am having a hard time locating a positive wire that is switched. I had my voltage meter in the front fuse box (under the steering wheel), however all those wires have constant power. So do the wires for the vanity mirrors.
Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated.
***Perhaps the moonroof wire? If so, does anyone know how I can get the overhead panel disassembled so that I can access those wires?
[[ Keep in mind this is a 2006. Some of the wiring is different. In my old 2001, I had the wire spliced into the rain sensor under the "box" on the window at the rear-view mirror, however the wiring is much different under there in the 2006 model, and when I tested those wires with my meter, they had constant power to them... unless I'm missing something obvious. ]]
there is a control box in the passenger footwell, I think the air bag controller. you can remove the cover under the glove box area, remove the carpet and the retaining pc's there, and behind where the feet rest, you can tap the red/white(IIRC), use a test light to make sure, then disconnect battery, tap into and a dab of solder, then add your wire. Cover with heat shrink and heat. I wired up my wifes XM from here.
Run a wire from the trunk fuse box. It's very easy to do with very little disassembly required. I did this in about 20 minutes.
I do not suggest tapping power from the controller like the previous post mentions.... You never know if a circuit is multiplexed on German vehicles.......
I got my switched power in my car from the fuse box under the hood, you can get a connector that will latch to the fuse and give you a male spade terminal to connect to. I would be very carefull what wires you even test with a test light. I was looking for the power window turn off wire in the rear driverside door and when I touched my testlight to one of the wires the onscreen display said "brake fluid level low visit workshop". Needless to say I gave up on that project real fast.
Linear Mode
