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Escort Passport 9500ix Radar detector Hardwire Install How-to Thread

16K views 29 replies 18 participants last post by  nzdougnz 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all,
Since I've been using the resources of the forum here I decided to pay back some of the good information I've discovered in my install.

I purchased a Escort Passport 9500ix because it had great reviews and the features I really wanted (i.e. false alarm location memory, mark trap zones, etc)

The coiled wire to the cigarette lighter was not cutting it because it was so fugly and the invisicord wasn't an option because I wanted to retain the alarm and power lights and the mute/memorize button that the Passport detectors have.

Let me first say that I took all the pics with my phone because that's all I had at the time. If it's not clear enough once you start tearing into it just let me know.

Oh and if you melt your car down to a bubbling steaming pile, lose my contact info.



1. I started by purchasing the Direct Wire SmartCord Blue. It's really easy to wire since there's only a ground wire and a power wire. I just connected the ground wire to the screw that holds the OBD II connector in place under the driver side dash.




2. I had to find a switched ignition feed because apparently in 2009 they cigarette lighter wasn't. I asked around for another ignition source but all i heard back was along the driver door sill and I wasn't very interested in running a wire all the way up when I figured there had to be Ignition power in the dash. After a bit of poking around in the service manual I struck pay dirt.



Circuit 539 passes through the cabin connectors on the drivers dash panel that's exposed when the door is open.




3. The connector in the side of the dash with the circuit 539 Ignition is X200 (the bottom connector in relation to the other two). The pin on X200 is pin 1 of the 20 pins and the wire is pink. It's part of the Misc Ign circuit which is fused separately from the airbag circuit.










DO NOT INSTALL ANY DEVICE TO THIS CIRCUIT THAT DRAWS MORE THAN 1A BECAUSE THERE IS OTHER MODULES IN THE CAR THAT ARE ON THIS CIRCUIT. IF YOU NEED MORE SWITCHED POWER RUN A RELAY OF CIRCUIT 539 AND DRAW A DEDICATED POWER SOURCE FROM THE BATTERY THROUGH A FUSE. IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I JUST SAID DON'T EVEN TRY.


4. I decided to mount the Smartcord controls in the tiny storage pocket in the radio/HVAC controls panel so I could hide the LED's and button when not in use. I first dremeled a hole in the back of the pocket for the wires to route through.

Front



Back




5. Then I drilled a hole 1" fromthe front lip of the pocket and 7/8" from the left side of the pocket just large enough to fit the single screw that is in the smartcord remote.






6. I needed a bit longer screw than the single one that comes in the smartcord remote. I just found one approximately the same diameter and thread pitch and ground it to 1/8" longer than the original.




7. Then I fed the wires through the hole in the back and assembled the smartcord remote with the longer screw in the pocket.



Door closed




8. The rest is pretty simple. Just run the smartcord plug (RJ-11) along the dash and up the drivers 'A' pillar by removing the pillar cover. Neatly tuck the cord in along the head liner and down the rear view mirror harness. Plug in and go.




Easy stuff. The thing that took me the longest was climatizing to the service manual schematics. They leave a lot to be desired compared to everything else I've seen.
 
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#3 ·
I actually just used the suction cups that came with with the detector and mounted it right under the mirror. It doesn't take up much of the view. For windshield mount detectors you need to have them fairly unobstructed to be most effective.
 
#10 ·
only thing you lose using the invisicord is the mute function....the memory still works....

Problem i have with it mounted to the mirror is false Laser Alerts.....mostly cured by turning down the contrast or briteness on the nav. system... Auto brightness on the Nav system still sets off the laser detection... and sometimes the Day setting.....any other cures would be appreciated.

Keith
 
#14 ·
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forum...193299-radar-mount-escort-bel-k40s-radar.html

This thread mentions the people i got my mount from....they are a little updated now....( Some country craft place...? hahah) looks like husband needed something to manufacture.....( i ve had two now....one on my 05 and now one on the coupe.....I like them )......no falling off the windshield.....just bend the part that goes in the back of the detector so that it fits tight against mirror....or maybe a small piece of velcro....( to avoid vibration)

Keith

PS....I enjoyed the write up....Always appreciated peoples time to do these things.
 
#16 ·
Yes, Blendmount works great w/9500ix, as does Invisicord. I had the Country Crafts mount on my SRT, it's a decent mount but not as trick as the blendmount.

If the 9500 is on (and on your mirror), and the nav screen goes up for the first time, it will beep. It thinks the nav screen is a laser gun. Just hit mute and it stops after a few secs. I've never had it do it besides the first time the screen goes up when I turn the car on. Normally, it's fine with the screen up.

They are supposed to come up with a way to use Escort Live for guys that have direct wired setups; unsure on how they will do that. I also have a Blackberry, so my interest is academic at this point.
 
#17 ·
I will get the BlendMount and for the time being just use the regular coiled cord. I have heard that Escort will be coming out with a direct wire option for their Escort Live product/service any time now. Once that is available I will have the 9500IX wired directly and can still use the Escort Live service.
 
#21 ·
I have just done this install and it works pretty good. I just used Velcro to attach the mute button to the side of my steering column instead of putting it into the small tray in the center console. Other than that pretty smooth. The blend mount works ok, but the detector has to hang down a ways to be able to reach the buttons and is somewhat hard to get out of the Blendmount once it is in there. I am worried that by handing down so low it will be easily seen and become a target for a smash and grab. Anyway, a big THANKS to the OP for a very good writeup.
 
#22 ·
You guys drive Caddies! Spend some money and buy a custom-installed model. My Bel STi-R Plus display is mounted on top of my rear view mirror, and the control panel is mounted on my overhead panel by the garage door opener buttons. Everything else is invisible.

(Good job on this install, by the way!)
 
#23 ·
Man, I don't trust some 19 year old kid to install one of the intergrated models from Escort/Bel, and that is exactly who would be doing it. Plus, I change cars a lot, so I'd be doing this all the time....

It's not a money issue. I'm big blingin' over here dog.
 
#26 ·
in a 2011 auto, the wire in pin 1 is yellow, not pink... pin 2 is also yellow. does anyone know if either yellow wire will work for misc ignition, or is it a different pink wire on the X200? Any help is appreciated as I am stuck without a repair manual or a voltage tester.
 
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