Switched power in overhead panel

[HappyFunBoater]

I've wired my radar detector into the overhead panel (where the lights and sun roof switch are). But I couldn't find switched power. The lights all seem to be available unswitched. Maybe it's somewhere in the sun roof motor, but I couldn't get to any of the connectors. I can splice into a wire, but I have no clear way of determining which wires are switched power and which are ground.

Can someone give me a clue? Other folks have talked about using switched power, but where the heck did they get it from?

Thanks,
TT

[Stonewall]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

There are 3 bolts under the relay panel just remove the bottom 3 torx bolts pull out the plastic protector and you will see 2 red and 1 yellow stickers, I believe the red are switched.

[Khyron]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

I couldn't find a switched power up there so I ran another line down to my fuse box. They all seem to be constant power (the sunroof motor works when the car is off)

Khyron

[Kor]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

I was once told there is no switched power up there.

[HappyFunBoater]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

There are 3 bolts under the relay panel just remove the bottom 3 torx bolts pull out the plastic protector and you will see 2 red and 1 yellow stickers, I believe the red are switched.

Thank you.

Which relay panel?

[HappyFunBoater]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

I couldn't find a switched power up there so I ran another line down to my fuse box. They all seem to be constant power (the sunroof motor works when the car is off)

Khyron

Thanks for pointing out that the sunroof still works with the switch off. I admit I hadn't actually checked that yet. I just "assumed" it was switched. Duh.

Time to break into the fuse box. There seemed to be plenty of unused switched fuses, and I assume I can find a good ground somewhere in there.

[Khyron]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

I forget which one - it's the blank (10? 14?) 10A that every walkthrough uses for aftermarket stereos. I use mine for the stereo and then spliced the radar into the same wire. I took a multimeter to all the wires in the console and couldn't find one in the sunroof console.

Edit: Here - it's fuse 31 I guess:



Khyron

[HappyFunBoater]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

I forget which one - it's the blank (10? 14?) 10A that every walkthrough uses for aftermarket stereos. I use mine for the stereo and then spliced the radar into the same wire. I took a multimeter to all the wires in the console and couldn't find one in the sunroof console.

Edit: Here - it's fuse 31 I guess:

http://mypage.iu.edu/~chihuang/vw/radar/radar3.JPG

Khyron

Cool. It's done. Pulling off the fuse box cover was the hardest part.

Thanks for you help.

[Khyron]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

Ah there's a trick to that - just stick your key in the middle hole (so it's 90 degrees to the tab) and pull outwards, it pops out. Did you take off the apillar cover or just tuck it in?

Khyron

[HappyFunBoater]

Re: Switched power in overhead panel

Ah there's a trick to that - just stick your key in the middle hole (so it's 90 degrees to the tab) and pull outwards, it pops out. Did you take off the apillar cover or just tuck it in?

Khyron

Hmm. Yes, I was imagining something like a key or t-shaped thingy that would have worked. I ended up just using a couple of screw drivers to pry it off. I was worried about marring the plastic, but once I got it out far enough to get my fingers in it was pretty easy. No scratches.

I just tucked in the wire. I didn't have to remove the a-piller cover. It went in real easy. The only place you can see the wire is about 3 inches at the bottom of the a-piller. But the wire is black, the a-pillar and dash are black, and the wire is very straight. I doubt anyone will notice it.

TT