sikm3

Hey all, new to the E63 but not the forum...been lurking for a while till I was able to jump all over a black '10 E63 with 13K miles.

Anyhow, I've done a search and have come up empty on any DIY V1 hardwires to the overhead sunroof console. I see a bunch of installs to the cigarette lighter 12V wire but none for the W212 overhead console. Any help is greatly appreciated.....thanks!

ucla95

Bump, +1

Hueydumps

Bump, +2. Need to do this when I get my car in a month

NorthBayMB

Anyone ever get this figured out? Dealing with the same issue on my 2015 E63 S...

Hueydumps

I ended up having my dealer do it for around $180 - it comes out by the left side of the sun visor and looks really clean. Worth the time and money to have it done right and not break anything else in the process!

ucla95

I tried this and have done this in my past 3 BMWs - the problem is there is no metal ground screw or bolt up there that's easily accessible.

PeterUbers

Even to the metal of the frame or pano roof mounts? I trust your judgement as you've actually tried this

ucla95

Nothing on the frame, unless you want to drill something new into it (I wouldnt).
Nothing on the sunroof either; there's a bolt visible but it's a ways off center so you'd have to have very small hands to try it, I couldn't.

PeterUbers

Running a ground wire along headliner down a-pillar to the lower dash area on drivers or passenger side --? Usually there is a cluster of combined ground wires bolted to a common point... What did you end up doing?

Nanook

Here's mine..
https://mbworld.org/forums/new-m-cla...tall-here.html

Vrodman

Please forgive me for eating a retard sandwich for dinner.

What are we talking about here? A hardwire for what exactly?

Radar detector?

Display?

I must be missing something.

I think if I know what the end objective is, I may be able to help.

Cheers

PeterUbers

Hardwire for radar detector

He has a good 12vdc supply but not a convenient ground.

sikm3

Since I was the OP I figured I'd chime in. At the end of the day I ended up using the 12v cigarette lighter adapter in the glove box. I just ran the RJ 45 cable up the side and tucked the wire inside the headliner where it meets the windshield. I bypassed hard wiring altogether.

chiromikey

Most indy's would have done it for $20...

Vrodman

There has to be a strong enough ground in that upper console somewhere. You know those cameras up there aiming through the windshield? For lane assist and such?

There is actually a heater in the windshield around those cameras to prevent condensation in cold weather and thus comprimised optics. If you look closely you will see its outline.

Anyway, these heating circuits draw much more current than a radar detector. So there must be access somehow to both pos and neg to power your detector.

With all that said, I just use the cig lighter in the lower console and the coiled cord lays fairly nicely around to the right of the navi display and then downward into lighter.

Just some more info that may or may not help. Lol

Cheers.

Nanook

Yes there is a reliable ground..if I recall its a heavy Brown with black tracer wire