Fuse tap for a radar detector

[NavM3/5]

What fuse do I tap into for an E90 09?
Thanks for your help guys...

[Subw00er]

not sure but on 08 e93 its #8 - cigarette lighter. Look at the little sheet by the fuse box for the cig lighter.

[NavM3/5]

Originally Posted by Subw00er

not sure but on 08 e93 its #8 - cigarette lighter. Look at the little sheet by the fuse box for the cig lighter.

Thanks Subw00er I'll take a look at the card in the fuse box.
So I just tap into the cig lighter fuse?

[Subw00er]

Well the cig lighter makes the most sense because thats the circuit you'd normally plug it into, right? Get a fuse tap that has a place for your new accessory and a fuse. Auto parts stores sell them. NOTE, you need a MINI blade fuse type, and get a small fuse, 3 or 5 amp.

[RL in Florida]

Make sure you pick a fuse that turns on and off with ignition....Homelink is usually a good one.
Not sure if the cigarette lighter turns off when ignition off.

[Subw00er]

it does.

[NavM3/5]

Where's the fuse box index card?

[Subw00er]

Mine was attached behind the panel you remove to get to the fuse box.

[ebohon]

I bought a new external fuse adapter and tapped into an empty slot. It was only like $3 at pepboys and now my detector is in its own bridge. My car is at the dealer for service but it you wait (and i get it back this weekend) I'll take a pic of the fuse box and you can see how i set it up. I didn't want to tap into any existing line such as the cigarrete lighter or anything else.)

[NavM3/5]

Originally Posted by Subw00er

Well the cig lighter makes the most sense because thats the circuit you'd normally plug it into, right? Get a fuse tap that has a place for your new accessory and a fuse. Auto parts stores sell them. NOTE, you need a MINI blade fuse type, and get a small fuse, 3 or 5 amp.

Subw00er,
The cig lighter fuse is #8 on my 09 E90 as well. Only thing is that the fuse is a 20A fuse and the fuse tap I bought is rated at a max of 10A.
I'm thinking of just using the Homelink fuse (#63 I think - rated at 5A).

Make sense...?

[ebohon]

If you use an empty slot, then you can use the exact rating of the fuse required for your detector and it becomes an isolated line ... and if it were to go out, you would know exactly where to check or where the problem may be. I tapped into the cig lighter years ago on another car and kept blowing the fuse...drove me INSANE because i could not figure out the problem... until i found a dime on the lighter in the arm rest that had slipped in there...where i normally throw my change.

[Subw00er]

Nav, you leave the 20amp one in there. If you buy the right kind of tap, it will make you ADD a fuse. This is where the smaller 3 or 5amp fuse will go. You leave the 20 amp one in place to control the cig lighter.

It will look kind of like this (note this one that is pictured is not for the MINI type ATM fuses):


and when the fuses are in.. make sure that you are putting the right spot - plug one in and see if your lighter still works - if it does, then you know thats where the 20 amp one goes.


Note there are two kinds.. you want the mini type (on the bottom)


ebohon, I suppose you can find an empty slot and plug it in, but I dont like doing that because you don't really know what its for sometimes. I figure that if I use the cigarette lighter, its technically no different than plugging in the cigarette lighter plug that comes with the radar detector.

Nav, btw, for the ground, there is a large (1/2" or so) bolt there that you can use for the ground.

[legal disclaimer]
BTW, do this at your own risk.

[NavM3/5]

Thanks bro...

[aelalfy1989]

Originally Posted by NavM3/5

What fuse do I tap into for an E90 09?
Thanks for your help guys...

Why do people want to tape into a fuse why can't you just power it using the cig lighter? do you smoke? i don't see a differen between running a wire that goes from the windshield down t the dashboard and disappears or goes to the cig lighter at least with the cig lighter connection, if you don't like how it looks or don't want family or anyone else to see it you can just hide it instead of having a random wire sticking out from your dash. what's your thoughts I'm curious to know. OH BTW I'm not trying to make you look stupid or act smart. It's just a question I have.

[roofone]

I know this thread is old, but for any one looking, I used a mini tap with fuse #7 (switched home link power) on my 09 E90.

[roofone]

Originally Posted by aelalfy1989

Why do people want to tape into a fuse why can't you just power it using the cig lighter? do you smoke? i don't see a differen between running a wire that goes from the windshield down t the dashboard and disappears or goes to the cig lighter

I hardwired my radar detector so that I wouldn't have a wire always hanging down in the middle of my windshield, and I could use the power for other things if I wanted.

If I don't want anyone to see the hard wired cable, I just tuck it back up behind the rear view mirror. Easy.

[moto_noob]

if the cigarette lighter fuse is on/off by ignition, in theory can i use a it as my ignition signal with a fuse tap?

[ersin]

Way to bring an old thread back to life. Yes, you can use the lighter fuse. I used fuse number 5 though, which was open on my car. But, FWIW, I have a coupe. GL

Cheers.

[Subw00er]

been using my method ever since this thread and its been great. Those taps are nice to use.

[Kenny@VS]

I would use this method less wiring.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97545

[Subw00er]

Thats definitely not easier though..