[percep]

I (and my new 2017 440i) are new to the forum and I’m looking for tips about hard-wiring my Valentine V1. I’ve found lots of good information here, but nothing yet that is specific to my 2017 440i.

I want to mount the V1 just above the mirror and tap into the power from the wipers or overhead lights so that the unit receives power only when the ignition is on. I’ve done this successfully on a 2001 X5 and a 2012 Grand Cherokee. I have a remote unit between the speedo and the tach in the jeep but I’m not sure I want put a remote unit in the new 440.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Here are the best links I’ve found so far:
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...1167114&page=2
http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...etector&page=4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1026319

[gunther]

Happy Holiday's and congratulations on your new Bimmer! I just picked mine up tonight (2017 440 MSport convertible, Mineral Grey/Oyster Leather) and one of the techs was to install my V1, but the flat cord was too short so I've got to order a new one. We had a conversation regarding where he was going to tap for power which would be activated by the start button. I asked about tapping into the mirror, but since I've got the camera features he indicated it could be risky and would tap into somewhere else. In my previous vehicle (2014 435) the audio shop I used couldn't figure the install out and I had to turn it on and off every time which sucked, but I just didn't take the time to go back and let them try again. When I have mine completed by the service tech, I will ask for specifics and share it with you if you still need the solution. I will order a longer cord tonight and return it to BMW Service next week.

[insanecoder]

Since you have a newer model you main need to tap into the rain sensor.. worked for me.

[percep]

Thanks Gunther. Looking forward to hearing from you again. Meanwhile, upload some photos of your new ride!

[percep]

Just finished hardwiring a Valentine V1 in my 2017 BMW 440i. Although I've learned a lot from previous posts nothing matched my configuration so I thought I'd repay the favor.

My car has the driver assistance package, lighting package, luxury package and technology package along with Apple CarPlay and wireless charging.

I decided to install the V1 above and to the right of the rearview mirror where it would be out of my field of view but still accessible. The passenger visor still works fine, though when it is down it blocks the V1's rear-looking sensor.

Even my thickest credit cards weren't up to the job so I opened the clamshell cover under the rearview mirror with a putty knife.

My car has two multi-connector plugs, a smaller red plug at the top and a larger black plug just underneath. I used a multimeter to find the ground, which turned out to be a brown wire with a black stripe in the small red plug at the top.

The multimeter found +12 volts on the green wire with a brown stripe in the large black plug, and the power on that wire went off when the ignition was off.

I bought a 15-inch Mirrortap from J28 and it arrived with multiple taps of various sizes. I think the 15-inch length would be fine whether you preferred to mount the V1 on the driver's side or the passenger's side of the rearview mirror.

The wires in the car's small red plug were smaller, maybe 18 gauge, and I found that the small black tap worked perfectly. The wires in the black plug were larger, maybe 16 gauge, and the longest red tap seemed to be the best fit.

Closeup of Mirrortap wiring:
https://goo.gl/KNOymm

My preferred placement:
https://goo.gl/dngnCI

An alternative on the passenger side:
https://goo.gl/zDbqI3

[F31Bimmerman]

You may want to repost this into the DIY/Coding subforum.

[ClevelandBeemer]

Blendmount is a great solution. I looks very clean and really flies below the radar.

[Rick4345]

Originally Posted by ClevelandBeemer

Blendmount is a great solution. I looks very clean and really flies below the radar.Attachment 1569490

I have a Blendmount on my F30 and E46.

I love them. I'm using an Escort 9500ix in both of them.

[goj]

This looks great however it would just hinder my vision in this location. I have the same radar detector and prefer it lower below my line of sight in the windshield