Robert Pirsig

Carl Perkins

Before

One Done

After

This particular Maglite had the middle battery swell, leak, and corrode.  Instead of trying to smash through the switch to bang it out the clirclip holding the switch in the top needed to be removed.

The circular clip with the switch assembly removed.

To remove the clip you may need two screwdrivers.  Insert one small slotted screwdriver into the gap in the clip.  With one hand prying outward, insert the second screwdriver behind the clip and pry upward.  This may take a few tries.  The clip should pop out of its slot and be removed.

Loosen the switch by removing the rubber cover.  Insert an allen wrench (mine was a 2mm, i have read these may vary) far into the hole and turn the recessed grub screw one full turn counterclockwise.  The switch should now slide out of the top of the tube.

Using a dowel you can now bang out the stuck battery.  Cleaning is another story, but I used a mixture of lemon juice, baking soda, and warm water to neutralize and loosen the acid, and a hard brush to scrub it.  Dry everything off, give it a light coat of lubricant, and reassemble.

Well, maybe you know how to pronounce now it after spending a couple of years in & out of the Baltimore accent on HBO’s The Wire…

Needed for this install:

• Passport 8500
• Escort SMART Hardwire kit (alternatively, diagrams of the wiring can be found online and something similar can be made with standard phone cord)
• Fuse tap and female connector
• Electrical tape

Before starting it is good to figure out where you want to mount your detector.  Personally I think detectors right in the middle of the windshield look tacky, and they are completely visible to would-be thieves.  Additionally in this case, the manufacturer recommends mounting the detector as high on the windshield as possible without the front senors obstructed by the sun shading, and maintaining a line-of-sight out of the rear windshield for the rear sensor.  I mounted mine just behind the rear-view, from the driver’s perspective.  This gives the detector a good view of the road front and back, and is still perfectly visible from the driver’s POV without being obstructive.  It’s also very hard to see at first glance from the outside, making me feel more secure about leaving the mount on the windshield even when parking in the city.

Installation: Remove the lower dash panel by prying out it out under the steering wheel.  Use plastic panel poppers or a screwdriver covered with some tape to minimize damage to the panel.  The metal plate underneath is removed with 4 bolts.

If you have a spare panel like I did, carefully pop out the plate.  Thread the power wire and the controller wire from the remote through the empty slot.

Remove the A-frame panel by prying with your fingers from the headliner down to the dash.  I fed the controller wire behind the fuse box and air ducts up to the hole in the dash at the A-frame.  You will have to use something small to fish the wire up through the hole.

If you are thorough you could include the controller wire in the shrink tube heading up the A-frame. I just taped it along the frame and tucked it into the headliner at the top.  Make sure you have enough room to make it to the detector.  I left an extra 1.5″ in case I needed to move the mount some in the future.

The Escort kit includes generous lengths for both wires, you will want to figure out the placement and either shorten them or wind up the excess if you have space to tuck it somewhere.  In this photo you can see I have the in-line fuse over top of the fuse box and the excess tucked behind.

Getting a fuse tap into mini fuses like these can be a pain.  I ended up having to file the tap that I had so it would fit with the fuse.  Make sure you tap the hot side.  I chose a circuit wired with the ignition so that the detector can’t remain on with the ignition off.  Use a multimeter to test if you are unsure.

With all of the dash put back together you should have enough room to reinstall the fuse panel.  This is what it looks like with the panel off:

Mark: “Yes, it would. And I’m an idiot, and any attempt I make to escape the debt-driven rat race must be punished immediately and in the most brutal fashion. Okay? Happy now?”