When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just finished installing my radar detector on my 2015 Corvette Z-51. I know this isn't the first thread on this procedure, but I had some difficulty interpreting the photos that had been posted, and I'm the kind of guy that wants a lot of detail before tearing into my new car. But I would like to thank dsliman and lachlansands for inspiring me to do this install. By the way, GM has been quoted as saying the C7 mirror is not "mirror tap friendly", but that doesn't mean it can't be done. It's just a little more complicated than with other cars. Here is my detailed guide on how to tap the C7 mirror to power a radar detector:
The cover just forward of the mirror needs to be removed. This photo shows the 5 clips that hold it in place. Cover just pries off.
The mirror mount rear cover needs to be removed straight back toward the windshield.
Best to pry it off starting at the bottom.
Inside the cover is the wiring harness. The two halves need to be separated and the half coming from the car (not the mirror) is the one to tap.
Pop the wiring harness away from the rear cover.
Push the tab on the driver side of the harness to release the rear half, and pull the two halves apart.
Tap the red wire (power) from the mirror tap to pin #2, which is the purple wire on my car. Pin #2 is ignition on, 12 v. The black wire from the mirror tap (ground wire) should be tapped to pin #5, which is also a black wire on my car.
The tapping pins are a VERY tight fit. You may need to pry the vehicle wire aside with a jeweler's screwdriver to make room for the tap. This was particularly true for the power (purple) vehicle wire on my car.
Reassemble the two halves of the harness, snap the harness back into the rear cover, then push the rear cover back on to the mirror mount with the mirror tap wire coming out the top of the rear cover.
Line up the 5 clips, and push the cover that houses the performace data recorder back on.
Install the Blendmount, the radar detector (mine is Escort 9500ix) and it works / looks great!
Wow, you broke the code. Many on here will be forever grateful. As for me, I already ran my cable to the power plug wiring under the center console and it works well, but I would have probably given your method a try at the time. Again, a job well done!
Very Nice ! Been waiting for a brave soul to find the solution.
Where did you get your wiring harness? Home made or from a prior model?
Mr Snappy,
The wiring harness is part of the car..located in the mirror housing. All I brought to the table was the mirror tap from Blendmount and the Blendmount detector mount. Love this car, but it was trickier putting in a radar detector than it was on my C6.
Mr Snappy,
The wiring harness is part of the car..located in the mirror housing. All I brought to the table was the mirror tap from Blendmount and the Blendmount detector mount. Love this car, but it was trickier putting in a radar detector than it was on my C6.
Lol...Not THAT harness, the one with the plug that goes to your radar detector...where did that come from?
Lol...Not THAT harness, the one with the plug that goes to your radar detector...where did that come from?
Sorry about that Mr Snappy! KenHorse is right, it's just a standard mirror tap with a cat5 connector on one end and nice metal pins on the other end for tapping into a harness. I used the one from Blendmount, but several vendors sell them. Blendmount integrates a 2amp fuse in their product and I've always had good luck with their stuff. They come in several lengths; I'd recommend the 9 inch one.
Sorry about that Mr Snappy! KenHorse is right, it's just a standard mirror tap with a cat5 connector on one end and nice metal pins on the other end for tapping into a harness.
Well actually.... that isn't a CAT5 connector (CAT5 connectors are RJ45). That is an RJ11
Nice work Rx. Can you tell me if your radar starts back up once the car is turned off? This is my only complaint with the way I had my radar wired up. I've had to get used to opening my door before turning off my car so it wouldn't keep turning back on.
Nice work Rx. Can you tell me if your radar starts back up once the car is turned off? This is my only complaint with the way I had my radar wired up. I've had to get used to opening my door before turning off my car so it wouldn't keep turning back on.
No, it doesn't turn back on. You probably have yours wired to accessory power. Pin #2 that I tapped into is the "ignition on" power. The radar detector turns on as soon as I start the car, and turns off as soon as the ignition is turned off.
So all you do is shove the pins from the tap in there? No cutting/striping/soldering?
That's correct, but it takes a little finesse rather than just shoving the pins in. You may need to try inserting each pin on all four sides of each vehicle wire. Like I mentioned, it's a really tight fit, and usually there's more room on one of the four sides. In my car, the ground wire went in with no problem. The power wire was so tight I had to use a jeweler's screwdriver to push the vehicle wire toward the back before there was enough room to push the tap pin in. Eventually you should be able to insert the pin using just your fingers (no needle nose pliers...that can damage the tapping pin.) But there's no cutting/stripping/soldering required.
I just finished installing my radar detector on my 2015 Corvette Z-51. I know this isn't the first thread on this procedure, but I had some difficulty interpreting the photos that had been posted, and I'm the kind of guy that wants a lot of detail before tearing into my new car. But I would like to thank dsliman and lachlansands for inspiring me to do this install. By the way, GM has been quoted as saying the C7 mirror is not "mirror tap friendly", but that doesn't mean it can't be done. It's just a little more complicated than with other cars. Here is my detailed guide on how to tap the C7 mirror to power a radar detector:
The cover just forward of the mirror needs to be removed. This photo shows the 5 clips that hold it in place. Cover just pries off.
The mirror mount rear cover needs to be removed straight back toward the windshield.
Best to pry it off starting at the bottom.
Inside the cover is the wiring harness. The two halves need to be separated and the half coming from the car (not the mirror) is the one to tap.
Pop the wiring harness away from the rear cover.
Push the tab on the driver side of the harness to release the rear half, and pull the two halves apart.
Tap the red wire (power) from the mirror tap to pin #2, which is the purple wire on my car. Pin #2 is ignition on, 12 v. The black wire from the mirror tap (ground wire) should be tapped to pin #5, which is also a black wire on my car.
The tapping pins are a VERY tight fit. You may need to pry the vehicle wire aside with a jeweler's screwdriver to make room for the tap. This was particularly true for the power (purple) vehicle wire on my car.
Reassemble the two halves of the harness, snap the harness back into the rear cover, then push the rear cover back on to the mirror mount with the mirror tap wire coming out the top of the rear cover.
Line up the 5 clips, and push the cover that houses the performace data recorder back on.
Install the Blendmount, the radar detector (mine is Escort 9500ix) and it works / looks great!
Awesome... I've held out on wiring it up hoping that a solution would come along. Love the Mirror Tap in my GS, and don't really like the alternatives for the C7.
I'm presuming that the harness and covers are the same for the 2014, with the exception of the accommodations for the PDR? Has anyone confirmed yet?
I'll have to see if I can spend a little time this afternoon looking at the wife's Stingray, then order a Mirror Tap ASAP.
Thanks for taking the time to document and post this!!!
11-01-2014, 03:20 PM
Mirror tap for Blendmount on 2015 C7
