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      07-19-2008, 08:28 PM   #1
calvino
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DIY: Laser Interceptor/ Laser Jammer install

DIY difficulty scale from 1-10: 7
Time required: about 2-3 hours.
Tools: zip ties, screw driver, quick connects, trox driver, scissors, drill.
Installation was done in a e90. Installation on a e92 should be almost the same.
Please excuse me if I made any grammar errors English is not my primary language.

1) remove the kidney grills.
E90: (source http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3830)
E90: to remove the two main grill pieces, grab a hold of 2-3 slats with each hand and pull out straight towards you (as diagramed below). The attachment points for the grill is shown below.



E92: ( source: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47059 )
Remove these for hex nuts, 5/32's.



2) Mount the LI heads :
TESTING NEED TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO COMPLEATE THIS STEP TO FIGURE OUT WITH POSSITION WORKS THE BEST HORIZONTALLY BEHIND THE GRILL OR VERTICALLY BETWEEN THE GRILLS ,( I’m make the diy because everyone is annoying me when I’m going to make it. once I get the test results I will update this step )


3) Locate the small hole and using a drill make the hole bigger to so you can pass the cables. (e92: I’m not sure if you have this holes if you don’t make one ) after passing the cables use zip ties to keep them together.



4) Zip tie you head cables to an exciting cables that runs all the way to the driver side.


5) Remove this piece by pulling it up, and pass the cables under. And then put the piece back



6) remove the plastic cover, make sure you remove the grill 1st.


7) go to the inside of your car and remove this piece using a tox screw driver ( sorry I’m not user about the size)


8) under the plastic piece that you remove in the engine bay you will find the firewall access to the car using your scissors cut a hole and pass the cables.



9) pass about 1 ft of cable to the cabin and zip tie the rest on the engine bay and hide it under the plastic cover. ( the space under the steering wheel is very limited ).

10) if you car does not have the Bluetooth pack( if you do you have a speaker located there) there is going to be a place were you can put the main unit and zip tied. If you do you can put the main unit using double side tape of the outside.



11) get the power cable with the switch and pass it under the steering wheel.



TAKE A BREAK !!!

12) remove the center console ( source and instructions http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7049)
1) Remove the shift boot using your hand and carefully pulling up on the edge of the boot.
2) Move the gear shift into 2nd gear to make it easer to remove the center console trim cover. ( auto put car in D).
3) Open the console storage compartment lid.
4) Pull up with a steady firm grip on the rear part of the shift boot opening to remove center console cover.
5) Disconnect the lighter plug.
6) Pull the center console cover over the shift boot to gain access to the underside.




13) locate the cigarette lighter power cables and using the quick connects tap into them
Brown = negative
Red/Black = positive




14) try to turn the car on to test your connections.
15) put the center console back and the plastic cover under the steering wheel .
16) before closing your hood make you there is no tool on the engine compartment Especially a camera

This is what happen when you forget the camera and close the hood
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      07-19-2008, 09:10 PM   #2
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Great write up

Great write up. Windshield is gotta suck. I did my install almost like yours and want to warn the other intsallers to keep the CPU away from the OBD area or they will get an "external interference" code from the TPMS.
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      07-21-2008, 08:56 AM   #3
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THANKS!

I hope your insurance works the same as it does in MA - no deductible for windshield replacement (from any cause).

One question. Where and how did you mount the kill switch?
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      07-21-2008, 09:15 AM   #4
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Do you have any pictures of them actually mounted?
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      07-21-2008, 09:49 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TambourineMan View Post
THANKS!

I hope your insurance works the same as it does in MA - no deductible for windshield replacement (from any cause).

One question. Where and how did you mount the kill switch?

Yes in FL windshield carries no deductible they are coming to replace it tomorrow on the morning

is there


Quote:
Originally Posted by hunter399 View Post
Do you have any pictures of them actually mounted?
I do a lot of them even how to mount them horizontally behind the grill but I did not post any because I'm not sure how effective is my install up to I get it test it.
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      07-21-2008, 02:09 PM   #6
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How and to what did you attach the heads? I know you don't want to post details until you have tested.

The brackets that come with the L.I. seem to small to reach anything solid. The grill itself just pops out so it you attach just to the grill, the heads will not be very secure.

Are there attachment points to the frame around the radiator or hood? Did you buy some longer brackets. Flat or L-shaped? What material (aluminum, galvanized steel, etc.) and from whom?
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      07-21-2008, 02:21 PM   #7
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the is a plastic frame behind the grills and is extremely hard plastic is was hard to make a hold to attach the heads, I use the same brackets they are long enough, because the plastic is flat.

here is a picture however after I rotate the heads to the bubbles are on the outside
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      07-21-2008, 02:54 PM   #8
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Calvino - do you have a picture with the heads installed, and the grill's back in place? I actually have the same matte black replacement grills that you have, and I'm just trying to determine if the heads (and wires) are noticeable after everything is back in place.

BTW, thanks for the diy.
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      07-21-2008, 05:15 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by normtrum View Post
Calvino - do you have a picture with the heads installed, and the grill's back in place? I actually have the same matte black replacement grills that you have, and I'm just trying to determine if the heads (and wires) are noticeable after everything is back in place.

BTW, thanks for the diy.
I use the 1st picture from another diy

however installing the heads behind the grill is almost invisible. a person that does not know that you have a laser jammer will not even notice them. more than 10 feets and you can't see them.

only if you are close to the car and get down you will see them.

that's why I hope to get good results with the heads installed horizontally behind the grill, the location is perfect.



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      07-21-2008, 05:30 PM   #10
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Thanks for the pics ^ calvino. looks good.
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      07-21-2008, 08:02 PM   #11
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I went to pull the grills out just to look for myself to see where/how I could attach brackets. I slid my fingers through the slats and tried to pull on a few slats to pull the grill out. No joy. Is that how it's done? Or do you pry a little at a time with a soft flat bar around the edges? I don't want to break my grill slats or mar up my paint.
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      07-21-2008, 09:33 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TambourineMan View Post
I went to pull the grills out just to look for myself to see where/how I could attach brackets. I slid my fingers through the slats and tried to pull on a few slats to pull the grill out. No joy. Is that how it's done? Or do you pry a little at a time with a soft flat bar around the edges? I don't want to break my grill slats or mar up my paint.
You have to really pull hard to get them out. I went through the same thing this first time I pulled mine out. It just didn't seem right to pull so damn hard....but that's exactly what you have to do. I also suggest you wear some gloves. I sliced the back of my hand on something....also the first time I pulled them out.
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      07-25-2008, 09:45 AM   #13
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anyone with an E92 tried this? I got into the garage yesterday to look around and prepare to install tonight, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how I would get the wires through the firewall. I have bluetooth so I would prefer going through and mounting on the passenger side under the glove box, but I'll do whatever I can. Unlike the E90, my firewall access is not so easy, and I have a lot of stuff blocking the same little hole that Calvino cut. Let me know how the rest of you did it or where you fed the wires through... thanks!
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      07-25-2008, 10:54 AM   #14
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My installation is in process. I am still at the stage of attaching the heads to the gill slats and leveling them. How are you doing yours?

I installing vertical between the slats. I am going to bolt the top of the head to the bottom of the top edge of the grill using one of the supplied L brackets. I fabricated a longer L-bracket out of aluminum to bolt to the bottom on the curved grill edge and bent it at a slight angle so it will line up with the head despite the curve. I am also not bending ti the full 90 degrees.

I was hoping the next steps would be easier.

I was going to take the line of least resistance and go thru on the driver's side (assuming I can get the center console to lift up (I have an automatic non-iDrive - the gear shift has leather around it, but then panel with another smaller one the PNRD lights around that). I have bluetooth also, but I don't mind if the box sticks below the steering column.

Have you removed the cover in the pix below (I have not). I take it from your query that what's below is not the same in an E92 as in an E90?:



where and how are you going to mount your kill switch. I don't like the under the steering column position. Ideally I would like it next to my seat heaters button (with a matching button, but I think the dash button console removal is complicated and I don't know where to find a matching button switch to replace the one supplied with the L.I.
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      07-25-2008, 01:56 PM   #15
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i have the aero kit so i'm doing mine right below where my front plate would be. A lot of people have said that may be too low, but we're going to be testing with my local LEOs this weekend. I think it should be fine for installation but we'll see. and no, the firewall access in an E92 is different than in an E90
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      07-25-2008, 02:55 PM   #16
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Where did you find the instructions for the E92 firewall access?
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      07-25-2008, 03:06 PM   #17
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Awesome! Thanks for the DIY
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      07-25-2008, 07:33 PM   #18
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i just google'd BMW E92 Firewall access and read through all of the results on here and e90fanatics.. I'm gonna be doing my install tomorow morning so i'll post pics
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      07-26-2008, 07:30 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calvino View Post

that's why I hope to get good results with the heads installed horizontally behind the grill, the location is perfect.
There are a number of threads and laser tests around regarding the mounting location issue.

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/laser-jammers/

The general consensus is that mounting jammer heads behind the grill or anything badly diminishes the effectiveness. I have a head mounted inside a brake air duct on one car but I've been baffled looking for a discrete mounting location for the E91. I haven't come up with anything yet.
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      07-26-2008, 08:57 AM   #20
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X-post

Yeah, the E90 engine bay is different but the original method looks to still be doable.

The alternative for an E92 is to use the method for a USB cable for a Vishnu Procede but that involves running the wires near/thru the ECU which I seem to recall sometimes caused an interference problem and someone said it was better to keep extraneous wires away from the onboard computer.

Starting from the driver cabin I was able to punch a straightened clothes hanger wire through the little protrusion shown in Calvino's picture. It's just light weight rubber. While you can't get you hand down near this protrusion in the engine bay, I feel certain that I can attach the wires from the jammer heads to a stiff wire that has been pushed through this protrusion and up into the engine bay and pull them back through the firewall.
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      07-26-2008, 11:22 AM   #21
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I have a 2008 335xi coupe with Steptronic. My center console looks like the one in this picture.



The instructions say variously to either pull up on "it" (without defining "it") or to pull up on the "shifter" or to pull up on the "boot"

When they say to pull up on the shifter, is this just to remove the gear shift knob?

When they say to pull up on the "boot" is this to remove the leather boot around the gear shift lever? If so, how do you put it back on? There are no instructions, so is it obvious how to do it once removed?

Or is pulling up on the (leather) boot simply the method to get the black trim surrounding it to lift up from the rest of the center console?

How does the black trim surrounding the leather boot attach to the rest of the console?
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      07-26-2008, 05:40 PM   #22
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I am not a happy camper. I just finished installing my LI and out of the box have a dead sensor. Everything hooked up easily and I started the system only to get a "connection to sensor 3 is poor or bad" error, and absolutely no reactivity from the sensor plugged into that port either with my TV remote, or in parking aid mode. I spoke to someone on the phone from LI who said to leave my contact info and the situation would be handled when Cliff returns from business on Tuesday, so hopefully something good will come out of this, otherwise I will be very, very unhappy. Just got off the phone with TambourineMan too, sounds like he has some very helpful information/pictures for people with Step E92's attempting this install, as well as those interested in installing vertically in the grilles. I'll let him post about that later himself though. Goodluck to the rest of you
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