BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Have a Radar Detector Installed

By eHow Cars Editor

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The installation of a radar detector is a complicated task best handled by an expert. Some units have many elements that are supposed to be installed in different parts of the car.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Yellow Pages
Radar Detectors

Investigate Before Visiting a Store

Step1

Consult with friends who have had radar detectors installed by a retailer.

Step2

Contact the major manufacturers of radar detectors and ask them for the names of dealers in your area.

Step3

Check the yellow pages after you have compiled a list of potential dealers. The good shops will probably have large ads in which they list the brands they carry.

Step4

Call the shop. Are the salespeople willing to talk to you? If not, they probably won't spend much time with you when you visit the shop, or provide much assistance after the sale.

Step5

Ask over the phone if the shop is an authorized dealer of a major manufacturer. Inquire how long the shop has been in business and how many years of experience its installers have.

Step6

Narrow your initial list to about three to five stores.

At the Store

Step1

See if there are any plaques from manufacturers on the walls: awards or trophies won at sound-off contests; displays of magazine or newspaper articles published about the store; testimonials from customers.

Step2

Does the shop have a photo album documenting its work? Ask the salesperson to show you the photos and explain the radar detector installation techniques exhibited by the photos.

Step3

Ask to see demonstration vehicles. Inspect the way the radar detector has been installed.

Step4

Inspect the installation area. Is it clean? A dirty, disorganized installation bay is a sign that the installer may not take good care of your vehicle when working on it.

Step5

Watch installers do their work. Are they careful when they take door or dash panels off the car?

Step6

Ask an installer how he or she would install the system.

Step7

Ask the salesperson what the shop's policy is on post-installation concerns. Ask about the shop's labor guarantees and whether it carries out manufacturers' warranties.

Step8

Evaluate your findings and choose the one store with which you are most comfortable.

Comments

Jezzamcbezza said

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on 10/26/2006 It's better to have your detector mounted low and in the centre of the windscreen to try and catch a laser signal. Due to the pencil thin beam of a laser, and because the police nearly always aim for your licence plate or headlights (good perpendicular reflective surface) there is little of the actual laser beam that spills over the hood towards yoru radar detector. The exception to this is the Valentine One which has the best optics and is best mounted up high, say next to yoru rear view mirror. The other option is to go for a hidden installation, then you're going to need a professional to install it so it looks neat and sleek. Have a look at some pictures at some Valentine One http://www.delonixradar.com.au/V1.html radar detector being professionally installed. Other units that come in a remote kit are Bel RX75 and the Escort make one too.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Since when did a radar detector need to be installed professionally, much less installed in the first place minus attaching it to your windshield? Buy a radioshack $50 radar detector, it has highway mode and city mode. It doesn't tell you but my test results with tinted *Very dark black mind you* side and rear and a very minor tint to windshield yield a forward detection of 25 seconds from it starting to allert you to when the source is on top of you when I am traveling 45 mph and the source is traveling about the same 45 mph comming directly my way (on opposite side of street) in highway mode and about 15 seconds in city, so it gives you plenty of coverage where you need it. Also it likes to detect stores with security systems usually only when your at their doorstep or on some in highway mode it will see them from the entire albertsons parking lot on your side in highway (not city).

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 When installing a windshield-mounted radar detector, make sure that the windshield is not tinted with a metallic film. Many new cars have this film which measurably lessens the ability of the detector to find radar.