This ended up being talked about in another post I made but this one is specific to it. I'm hardwiring a radar detector to my car and need to know which wire to tap into. Problem is idk which wire is which. This is what I'm looking at...

So I'm probably looking for the radio deck more than likely unless suggested otherwise.

 

use the sunroof fuse....with an add-a-fuse

 

The add-a-fuse being the blue clamp? Which one is the sunroof wire?

Now would the radio deck work as well? Reason I ask is because I might have to go to get warrenty work done on the sunroof because the up position doesn't always work (vs the back position) and if they see the clamp on it then they will look at me and say bye bye lol.

 

Slot d11 in the c3 connector( the big connector) on the bcm is open ,goes to the 20 amp fuse for the amplifier.

 

Excuse me for my stupidness but I'm not quite sure what that means

 

It means that on the big pink connector there is a location that doesnt have a wire goin to it, but if you were to put a wire and terminal in that spot(D11 grid location) that wire would now get battery positive voltage from the unused 20amp amplifier circuit. I cant verify that this is true however.(according to the manual this location is unused< and no specs are given.) You can verify this by using a test light attached to ground to probe the terminal in the module at the location that was mentioned, it should light up with the key on if the info is correct, if it does light up, pull the fuse #6 "AMP" fuse and see if the light goes out, if it does, that would be a nice place to power your detector, youll need to hit the dealer to get the wire terminal that goes in that slot though(its called a MetriPack 280 termnial, and youll need one in the size that matches the wire gauge youll be using, along with the pliers to crimp it on)

If you just want to "tap" into a wire, you want to go on the other side of the console(or unbolt the fuse block from console) and tap into any one of the LARGE pink wires, all of these wires are Ignition 1(switched) power sources. Be sure to use a proper sized fuse and youll be golden.

 

Has anyone plugged it into an amp socket? I assumed u could only use another wire to tap into it.

And the pink wires at the bottom in the pic won't work?

 

Yes if you intend on trying Coblasts method your actually going to be adding a new wire into a slot on the big pink connector. Ive never used this particular slot, but I fabricate harnesses and take apart/reassemble factory connectors like this all the time(but its also my job)

They would "work" but its best to use one of the large pink wires on the other drivers side of the BCM/Fuse Block, you can either remove the screws that attach the module to the console and just pul it out to get to back, or you can take off panel on other side of console and work through there.

 

Is there a way to know which pink wire is for what?

Also I was talking to a guy that works with me at best buy in the install area and he said I could even just strip the wire a but then wrap it once around a certain fuse (he said deck). Does that sound like a good idea?

Once again, thx for all the help everyone

 

Yes, a service manual. helminc.com


LOLOLOLOLOL......Oh, I am sorry.....NO, NO I do not think wrapping a wire around a fuse is a good idea. For several reasons:

1: your jamming extra wire into a terminal designed only for the fuse legs, you will spread the terminal apart, ruin it and potentially need to replace your BCM.

2: This extra wire is just random strands and can reach out and touch other circuits either on top of or inside the fuse block, causing shorts.

3: If you put this wire around the "power in" side of the fuse, you will now have created a direct unfused power wire for your radar detector(you could damage it) you also just created a hot wire with no fuse protection, if this wire shorts out to ground you will fry your BCM.

4: if you wrap the wire around the "power out" side of the fuse, that wire and whatever is attached to is now protected by the fuse, BUT what good is a 20amp fuse for a detector that needs a 3amp fuse? Secondly on same issue, you just now forced this fuse in the BCM to supply power to everything its supposed to AND your detector,but now since youve created a nice big parallel circuit(with lower resistance/higher amperage than designed)youll potentially blow the fuse and lose the other things powered on that circuit.

5: you wrap the wire around both legs of the fuse(or it touches both legs of the fuse) now youve basically removed the fuse and the protected circuits are subject to higher than designed amperages(see above) AND theyll have no protection.

6: Lets not forget, this is totally ghetto and youve already been given two proper ways to do it correctly. Stop listening to BB Hacks and do it right..

 

Lmao, I figured as much.

So what would be the perfered choice?

-Directly plugging in.
Or
-Tapping into one of the large pink wires.

 

After looking for some more schematics and doing some testing, I can tell you that Coblasts idea of using the open spot D11 in the pink connector WILL work. This would be the best way to go, short of adding a secondary relay controlled fuse block with a direct B+ power source.

If you still feel the need to tap into a wire shown in your pic, then use one of the two large green wires to the left of the bolt. They are right over top oif each other. the top one is your drivers window feed and the bottom is the passenger window feed. These will easily support a detector, and are controlled by the retained accesory power relay, so you wont need to install a switch.

As a reference, the C3-D11 location of the open AMP terminal is on the top row, far right, in between the red/blk wire and the red/wht wire

 

Awesome! This idea is sounds amazing. This way I'm not slcing and dicing or ghetto rigging lol.

Just want to make sure this is the spot...

 

Thats the spot. either hit up a dealer for the terminal and the tool(not likely unless youve got a friend) or head to the salvage yard cut yourself a a section of wire with that terminal.

 

Whats the terminal?

 

The metal connector crimped onto the end of the wire that snaps into the pink plastic body and engages the "prong" in the BCM.

 

Ok, the piece that's on it wouldn't work right?
This is a pic of the whole product...

Hard to see so I made this amazing paint picture lol...

The wire goes into this silver, flat piece with a hole in it.

 

No, that wont work, it need to be the proper GM piece or at best youll have a poor connection, at worst youll damage your BCM

 

U think gm would have there or where else could these be picked up and wat do they look like?

 

Any GM dealer wil lhave the terminals. They look like, well termnals, they look just like most of the other metal ends in the big pink connector.

 

Ok kewl, maybe I'll stop by there tomorrow, they can't be that expensive...I hope lol.

 

i just used the wiper moter fuse pulled the fuse out wrapped the wire around one prong and stuck it back in, its been like that for 8 months now and never had a problem

 

Good thinking.

 

why thank you

 

just hook it up to the big pink wire, that is ur ign wire