BayAreaQ7

Yes, I did inserted the two mirrortap prongs into the plug that is inside the cover. I failed to take pics of it when I took it a part, but I pulled some pics from online to show were they go. The Mirrortap comes with detailed directions, it outlines how to insert the prongs into the back side of the plug, and to try all four sides of each wire plug area, to find the best side without forcing it in.

As in the video ForesterFan posted, I tried turning the mirror and removing it, but mine had some clips and was very hard to twist/remove, so I didn't force it and just left it there (didn't remove mirror).


A couple other tips, relating to my SQ5 and maybe applicable to the Q5's:

• When removing the cover, as seen in image 1, apply pressure to push in the little clips that connect the plastic piece to the lover plastic mirror piece. On the piece you're removing, there are little hooks that latch onto the other piece, that's how it connects. So basically apply pressure where the red dots are, then slide the piece back & down and remove. This will expose the wiring harness

• Drill a hole into the plastic cover where you want to insert the wiring harness, make it JUST BIG ENOUGH to get the wire through, buy inserting ONE PRONG AT A TIME. Inserting one wire prong at a time, allows you to keep the hole small.

• Optional location: If I did it over, I’d drill the hole into the other lower plastic piece where I put one of the two green dots as seen in image two. Location would be dependent on how much room there is inside of that area. I think there was enough length in the cable, and room inside that plastic area to run the wire in one of those two locations.

• If you’re not sure what wire is hot and ground, and if you don’t know how to use a voltage meter as show in image 3. Drop buy your local Best Buy Audio Stereo installation garage and ask the guy to test the wires in the mirror for you. Mine were: brown wire was the ground, and the white with black stripe was the hot. The Best Buy guy saw my Vossen wheels, and he also had a set on his car, so we started talking etc., and he check my wires for free (took him 3 minutes). He used the ground in the cigarette lighter, and used a voltage meter as shown in pic 3. Follow the directions that come with your Mirrortap wire harness and you’ll understand how to determine what all the wires are. You need to confirm with car on and off. BTW, the Best Buy guy checked mine for free on the spot. Just pull up to the back garage at BB and knock.

• You insert Mirrotap prongs into the back side of the plugs (additional directions with the Mirrortap harness)

It’s a very easy hack job and project, but let me know if anyone has questions. It was worth the time (30 minutes) for this project so I could make it looks custom and get rid of the wire running down to the cigarettes lighter.

BayAreaQ7

Regarding alpinestaraudi comments about Radar, I understand your thoughts on them and could initially relate before I did research.

After getting a ticket in Oct ’13 on 87 via Lidar (laser pointed gun), and it was my first speeding ticket in 8 years (miraculously), I did some research on them.

I’m no expert, but here is my 2 cents:

Like I said the last radar detector I had was 15+ years ago and it went off all the damn time and was annoying. This new generation Escort Max has a super-fast processor, scans and blocks out all false signals, and can automatically store and save false locations. Plus there is other cool stuff like downloading the phone app to see where other Easort Max users have currently received live radar signals. It’s very helpful when driving on the highway for long periods of time to see where there have been recent cops/radar signals on your route.

I frequently travel the highways (2014 SQ5 and just hit 15k miles) here (85, 87, 101, 280) and this helps me find/locate the CHP. The CHP use KA Band Radar 98% of the time here in the bay area and this is the type of signal the radar works well for. So it helps locating the CHP in various ways: 1) as they drive on the highways, they seem to drive with the KA band radar on 90% of the time, 2) as they are parked checking speed of cars passing by, or park perpendicular to the highway doing speed traps, 3) as I’m approaching one from behind, or they are sneaking up on me behind, etc.

Now for Lidar, this is when you see the CHP standing outside their car pointing the laser gun at traffic, it won’t help giving you advance warning unless he’s pointed it at cars in front of you and your radar detrrector briefly catches it. With Lidar, the CHP has to pull the trigger and point it at your front hood, and relect the laser back to get a reading. But in my experience, the CHP rarely use Lidar, mostly in non-peek hours of traffic, you just need to be a little more aware.

There are Lidar/Laser jammers, but they are illegal in California, and that’s a whole other topic. 

Other benefits of the Escort Max:
• It verbally speaks (voice alerts) and notifies you of know stationary speed traps & red-light camera’s (not that I run red lights, but still helpful)
• Works on K Band, these seem to be the signs that display your speed
• Identifies real threats faster and more accurately
any other detector.
• SEMA 2013 best new product
• LED screen
• Over speed limit notification (SQ5 has this too)
• Auto learn via GPS
•

Anyway… It’s the best $500 I’ve spent in a long time and would highly recommend one.

Redd

I would mention that Cobra and Escort both offer "social networking" additions. Escort, something like $50 a year subscription. Cobra, free. Your smartphone is used (either directly or with a special button on your radar detector's cord) to send in police locations, and to display a live road map along with warnings of them.

So even if a cop is quietly enjoying a donut and not emitting any signals at all, the first person who sees them can send in a location alert, which you will get before the cop gets a chance to use anything on you.

The effectiveness of LIDAR jammers may be one reason LIDAR isn't used more. Too easy, and unlike radar jammers, they are not against federal law.

Coming back to mirrors...since Audi doesn't seem inclined to tell us where the mirror or Homelink is fused...does anyone know which fuse(s) they are connected to, and how many amps they actually draw? I'm assuming the radar detector pulls so little power it can't be a problem but I'd rather check the math than assume.

So easy to take off the mirror! Is there anything that will snap in to replaceit, that uses a conventional (not auto!) dimmer switch? I hate auto-dimming mirrors, I've never met one that performed as well as my right hand.

samps

I emailed the OP a while back to confirm the length of mirrortap he used (thanks Mike).

I installed mine yesterday (V1) as I just took delivery of the car on Friday.

Used a 12" mirror tap. I was going to drill a hole lower than the OP, as suggested, but then I noticed that there was a bit of a gap right where the two plastic trim pieces meet. See arrow in photo below. I just ran the wire through there.

Other than that, followed the OP's directions exactly.

Thanks!

MP4.2+6.0

with a V1 on both the D3 A8 and the Q5. Just enough space up there to fit it using the std windshield suction cup mount and it is more buried out of sight for both L.E.O. and thieves' eyes. Does not interfere w/ visor if you place it right. Assumes the warning light show isn't that critical to you, like if tunes blasting away.

Might hurt rear sensitivity a bit, but seems to pick up rear radar more than enough anyway, and any direct laser hit is only a courtesy tone you are about to get pulled over anyway if exceeding the limit by some margin. Rear laser quite rare here in CA, at least in built up areas, since they have to be stationary to hand point it as you move away from them.

JBDinTX

Going to order the escort this week for my SQ5. Do you have any issues with the side assist giving false alarms.

MP4.2+6.0

None; I disabled POP which is where the issue is.

ColdBrew

Turning TSR on will prevent it from detecting your own Side Assist.

You don't mention which Escort you are planning to get but I returned a Max after testing it for a couple of months. There is an issue with their mount design. It would constantly make squeaking noises from any irregularity in the road.

While I thought it was more sensitive to radar than the 9500ix (although not the Valentine One) I couldn't handle the noise. They did allow me to return it for "repair" free of charge and reset my 30 day money back guarantee, but the repair didn't fix it. I'll stick with my 9500xi and Valentine One for now.

ForesterFan

I selected the Escort Passport Max with the BlendMount hardware. It is completely silent with that mount because there is a squishy pad that the detector is pressed against. Pretty slick design.

acadapter

Which mount did you have on your Max? I have a Carbon Fiber Max and originally used it on my Genesis Coupe that rode on low profiles and I never noticed the squeaking. Perhaps the audio covered it up, but it seemed pretty rock solid.

I have a question; for those of us that have the Escort Max with the Mobile Device enabled Smartcord, is there a way to keep that functionality and still wire it up to the rear view mirror?