[charles charlie charles]

Installation guide for the Laser Interceptor system

PART 1 : FRONT SENSORS AND CPU

Pre install notes

This install should take around 2-3 hours depending upon your level of diy skill and requires removal of some small parts of the sensor heads which may invalidate your LI warranty. However, I have no doubt that Cliff (the US distributor) will have no issue with this modification should a warranty claim for a defective sensor be necessary as t does not interfere with the sensors function.
Remove these outer plastic pieces with a hacksaw..

I suggest not using the supplied LI fitment brackets as they over complicate the install and add bulk to the sensors and make them less stealthy.

I always mount my jammer heads using strong adhesive tape. Here in the UK I use No-Nails Exterior Tape and I highly recommend that you try and get it delivered to the US from a UK supplier as it is very durable. My other car had LI sensors fitted 2 years ago with this tape and it is still going strong.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unibond-Nails-Inte...6/dp/B000Y8OLO4

An alternative product in the US is made by 3M but I have no experience of this so cannot recommend it

It makes install much, much easier if you cut off the sensors' connectors and then once your wires are in the cabin, crimp new plugs to the ends of the wires. You can do the install without doing this but obviously it is a touch harder to pull the sensor wires thru tight areas.

If you do remove the plugs, keep hold of them as they will show you which way round to crimp the wires at the end.

http://www.idealindustries.com/prodDetail.do?prodId=30-496

RJ11 6-Conductor (3 pair) Connectors.

I also used a wire grabber to help pull the wires thru the rear bumper and from the trunk into the cabin. Something like this..

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7835_U...+-+Grabber.html

The sensors should be placed with the receiving bubbles outermost, as level with the road as possible, and at 90 degrees to the direct of travel i.e. not toe in or out.

Last but not least all of these picture are of fitment on a UK EDM GTR. Your US cars will be a mirror image of mine, so just run wires to the driver's side of your car and you'll be fine.

Okay, on with the show....

Mounting front heads

Open Bonnet and remove the front cooling panel by lifting up the retaining clips using a flat bladed screwdriver..

Once this is out, undo the clips below as we will be running the wires for the sensors under here..

Take each sensor, put the adhesive tape on the upper surface so that the bubbles are towards the outside and pass the cables thru the grill, pulling the remaining cable thru and into the engine bay..

The red ring shows the side pieces removed..

Once you have both heads stuck in place we will run the wires towards the driver's side and the BRAKE compartment at the top of the engine bay..

Pass the wires under the ringed brackets as they will keep the cable in place.

Once into the BRAKE compartment we want to push the wires thru a small grommet in the firewall. This grommet doesnt have a hole (in my UK GTR anyway) in it so simply use a small knife to pierce the rubber. Then attach the ends of the wires to a straightened coat hangar and push them thru the grommet and into the driver's footwell. Once pushed thru, go into the cabin and grab the wires. Remove them from the coat hangar and pull the slack into the cabin.

Outside..

Inside..

Now that you have the wires inside it's up to you where you mount the LI CPU, but I mounted mine behind the fuse panel on the outer side of the footwell. This is easily removed by unscrewing this plastic nut and pulling the panel towards the pedals..

At this point you yanks are on your own as our UK cars are wired differently so you will need to look at the USDM GTR tech pdfs which are around this forum. Use these to find 12v ACC and a GND to run to the LI.

I mounted my switch below the steering wheel, but you guys may have no room here as again your cars differ from my UK car..

I also added an external speaker and changed the internal jumpers inside the LI CPU so that the alerts come from this and not the internal speaker.

Ask Cliff to do this for you prior to delivery if this takes your fancy, and I would strongly recommend also asking him to turn off the Sunlight Interference Alert (SIA) as it is annoying!

My speaker is mounted behind the AV unit..

PART 2 : REAR SENSORS

The rear heads can be mounted using the same tape and placed above the licence plate..

The cables are run up thru the holes into which the licence plate lights fit into. These are easily removed by unclipping them and pulling downwards..

Now at this point you have 2 options. You can either run the wires ghetto style up and into the trunk by placing them under the boot seal, or by pulling them thru a grommet by the rear lights. Since I went all ghetto I can only describe that route.

The central plastic cover at the rear of the boot has 4 plugs with loops on them, and a smaller central one without a loop.

Picture shows red circled large plugs, yellow shows central small one.

Each plug has 2 slots on the side into which a screwdriver fits.

Use a small screwdriver and pop it into each plug and twist. This causes the top of the plug to pop up. Just pull them out one by one.

When you've got all 5 out, the top of the plastic cover is held on the metalwork with simple clips. Just pull the cover out from the bottom first then put you fingers under top part and pop the cover upwards.

Lift the cover out of your trunk.

Using the wire grabber get hold of the wires which you passed into the bumper and pull them up and out of the gap between the bumper plastic and the metal bodywork.

Lift up the rubber seal and pass the wres under it and into the trunk.

Lift up the trunk liner on the floor and run the wires towards the rear seats.

We now need to remove the rear seats on the driver's side by pulling on the catch under the lower seat, followed by undoing the bolt which holds the upper seat in position..

Now you can use the wire grabber to push the wires from the trunk and into the cabin.

Remove the plastic trim from the door kicker area by starting from the rearmost edge and gently pulling upwards and moving frowards. Run the wires along the door edge to wherever you've mounted your CPU..

Replace the trim pieces and connect your cables to your LI CPU.

I hope this guide has been helpful and feel free to ask any questions you might have.

CCC

 

[LI-USA]

BRAVO!

Removing the sensor attachment tabs will NOT VOID your Warranty.

Cliff - LI-USA

 

[James]

so how long did this take you?

 

[charles charlie charles]

so how long did this take you?

The install took around 2-3 hours tops.

I spent some time beforehand researching the trim layout in order to cut my install time but if I had this guide it would have saved me an hour or so!

The hardest part is finding the 12v and GND to be honest and I cant help you guys with that as the UK and US cars are wired differently.

It also helped that I'd already installed a Laser Pro Park then a quad LI on my M Class Merc a couple of years ago.

 

[Wicked]

Is that the standard or high power heads that you installed?

Thanks for the how to!

 

[Psalm40]

The install took around 2-3 hours tops.

I spent some time beforehand researching the trim layout in order to cut my install time but if I had this guide it would have saved me an hour or so!

The hardest part is finding the 12v and GND to be honest and I cant help you guys with that as the UK and US cars are wired differently.

It also helped that I'd already installed a Laser Pro Park then a quad LI on my M Class Merc a couple of years ago.

CCC-
Thanks for the ideas! I really didn't want to drill into the plastic of the bumper.

Can someone find the 12 volt and the ground connections and clearly show exactly where they are? I would love to do the install myself, but I can't get the tech guides on my Mac, and let's face it, I'm not that patient to read through all that anyways!

 

[rcalcaide]

CCC-
Thanks for the ideas! I really didn't want to drill into the plastic of the bumper.

Can someone find the 12 volt and the ground connections and clearly show exactly where they are? I would love to do the install myself, but I can't get the tech guides on my Mac, and let's face it, I'm not that patient to read through all that anyways!

This shoud help too on the install. The post talks about wiring the LI cpu unit.

http://www.nagtroc.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=30393

And using this to get power to the LI.

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/miatmfua.html

 

[charles charlie charles]

The add a fuse may not work as the fuses I have in my GTR are micro fuses, and very very small.

A simple option for 12v and GND is to get an auto electrician to put it in for you and should only cost a few bucks. Then you can get on with your install yourself.

I've done this before on previous cars.

 

[charles charlie charles]

Is that the standard or high power heads that you installed?

Thanks for the how to!

I have the standard heads.

The HP heads are IMHO not needed for the front, but are a very good option for the rear as the GTR's backside is big, flat, and very refective.

That said, I get JFG against a PLII, UL20/20, and UNipar SL700 and you would only be at risk of a high and wide shot from a very very good lidar operator. Most LEOs will be shooting lidar without a tripod and as such, will suck!

 

[LI-USA]

I have the standard heads.

The HP heads are IMHO not needed for the front, but are a very good option for the rear as the GTR's backside is big, flat, and very refective.

That said, I get JFG against a PLII, UL20/20, and UNipar SL700 and you would only be at risk of a high and wide shot from a very very good lidar operator. Most LEOs will be shooting lidar without a tripod and as such, will suck!

An HP Hybrid QUAD, 2 Non-HP (front) and 2 HP-Sensors (rear) is available for those wishing additional protection for the rear. $1450.00

Cliff - LI-USA

 

[philw007]

ty for the installation tips!

 

[Psalm40]

Phil-
Can you post a few pics or at least run-down of your instal? I think I am going to do mine myself. I epsecially need info about the connection to the power supply!

Thanks!

 

[philw007]

Ha...i'm no that smart! I had kaizen tuning (local shop) do my install...they said the install guide was very helpful, but I know nothing about the details. It did take them about 3-4 hrs tho, but they are perfectionists.

Good luck with ur install!

 

[xwing]

Can we "test" the Laser Interceptor heads for function (receiving a signal, activating the unit/giving voice warning, and that it is sending out laser from each of the 4 heads)?

On my truck's Blinder M40, for the first 30 seconds it will respond to an infrared source like a stereo system or TV remote control that uses IR.
I can HEAR the warning alarm go off, and "see" the jamming heads' IR LED's activate using my Sony Video Camera on "Night Shot" so I can always tell that all 4 heads are not just RECEIVING/working, but also TRANSMITTING...not one or two broken and I don't have any way to KNOW it!

Thanks!

 

[Psalm40]

You could always invest in a test laser source... I have the same question as well and was really thinking about getting one of the laser source testers just to make sure that I am always operational. Let's see what Cliff has to say.

 

[LI-USA]

Can we "test" the Laser Interceptor heads for function (receiving a signal, activating the unit/giving voice warning, and that it is sending out laser from each of the 4 heads)?

On my truck's Blinder M40, for the first 30 seconds it will respond to an infrared source like a stereo system or TV remote control that uses IR.
I can HEAR the warning alarm go off, and "see" the jamming heads' IR LED's activate using my Sony Video Camera on "Night Shot" so I can always tell that all 4 heads are not just RECEIVING/working, but also TRANSMITTING...not one or two broken and I don't have any way to KNOW it!

Thanks!

Sorry for the unusual delay in my response but I was out of town and am under the weather a bit.

Once the Parking Aid has deactivated, most IR Remotes will elicit the "Unknown Gun" Alert from the LI. You may need to press several buttons as well as be sure to hold the IR Remote within inches of the Sensor's receiver bubble! You may use any IR Camera to view the LI's Laser Diode firing.

Cliff - Laser Interceptor

 

[Psalm40]

I'll make sure I keep my old Sony digital camera with the "night-vision" mode.

Cliff-
Any thoughts on the different laser test devices out there?

 

[LI-USA]

I'll make sure I keep my old Sony digital camera with the "night-vision" mode.

Cliff-
Any thoughts on the different laser test devices out there?

Sure, we sell the most versatile Laser Jammer Tester on the market today on our website.

Cliff - LI-USA

 

[xwing]

I wanted a factory installed look AND to be able to SEE the Laser Interceptor switch and its light, so I could see its status and shut off easily including in dark...so I decided to mount it on left side of dash, next to the Mirror Controls.
It turned out pretty well! I used a Roto-Zip to cut the hole (carefully). That little panel pops out back toward you if you pull on it mildly. I had to snip OFF the left-side mounting plastic on the backside of that panel, and the reciever plastic on the dash, to give clearance for the Hole and the Switch. It still mounts nicely with the other side's mounting clip...could use some 3M doubleface stickum if you wanted, but I didn't see any need.

It is now clearly visible and looks factory. I recommend this as Standard Laser Interceptor Switch Mounting Position

FOR WIRING ROUTING: I went through the larger wiring harness boot in the brake compartment, not that tiny one, as there is plenty of room and could just stuff the 3 foot long Grabber Device from the footwell, up through the boot, into the battery compartment; then I TAPED one wire at a time to the Grabber Device (would fall off if just grabbing without tape) and simply pulled the 2 wires through, one at a time.
Used a Fuse Jumper product to add onto a 15A fuse socket for positive power, grounded to a screw by hood latch release.

FOR RECIEVER/TRANSMITTER MOUNTING: to the front grille area, on top, IF you use one layer doubleface tape, the Reciever/Transmitters WILL be pointing slightly UPWARD, as that plastic fascia is NOT perfectly parallel to the earth's surface, but has a slight ramping up from rear to front.
I therefore divided my doubleface tapes in half, and used ONE layer on the rear of the R/T devices, and TWO layers on the front edge/half, so it rather corrected that slight upward pointing more toward straight ahead and level.

I tested it with my Sony Video Cam on NightShot, and found it very picky as to which IR remote it will go off to, but it does with my Onkyo home theater reciever's "TV i/o" if I press it alot. The LI will say "Unknown Gun" and fire its lasers. The Blinder goes off more easily on startup, and stays on awhile after hit. Each Blinder module (I have 4 on the front of my GMC Sierra 2500HD truck!) has like 6 or 8 vertically oriented "lines" of LED's putting out alot of light.
The LI has 2 small laser dots, which seem slightly brighter but smaller in area by far. The NightShot camera shows them a bit brighter than the Blinder's LED's but it may be at the limit of its dynamic range of brightness on those lasers. One of the lasers appears as a horizontal line, the other as a vertical line, so this corresponds with LI saying that my HP units have 2 lasers not just one like the standard power versions. I don't yet have the rear 2 reciever/transmitters mounted.

Interestingly, it will fire its lasers sometimes WITHOUT telling me it is doing so or giving a warning of "Unknown Gun"!
Somewhat troubling is that it seems to fire its lasers ONLY while the IR remote is being shot at it...it doesn't keep going for like 5 seconds before shutting off every time, like my Blinder M40 does, which when it's hit, keeps firing its transmitters awhile after the IR remote stops...I think this is better because what if the cop is just intermittently hitting the reciever area, and other times is hitting the silver paint or headlight to the side while blanketing my car? If the LI only goes off when being hit but has no "hysteresis" or delay time before shutting off, the cop might hit a non-reciever area and get a reading.

I see that on page 14 of manual, the Jam Duration should be set to UNLIMITED time unless it is set differently by me, which I never did, as I never hooked it up to my computer to change anything. I guess I will have to retest this and also hook up to Computer and see the settings, and maybe there is a software update too.

 

[LI-USA]

Interestingly, it will fire its lasers sometimes WITHOUT telling me it is doing so or giving a warning of "Unknown Gun"!
Somewhat troubling is that it seems to fire its lasers ONLY while the IR remote is being shot at it...it doesn't keep going for like 5 seconds before shutting off every time, like my Blinder M40 does, which when it's hit, keeps firing its transmitters awhile after the IR remote stops...I think this is better because what if the cop is just intermittently hitting the reciever area, and other times is hitting the silver paint or headlight to the side while blanketing my car? If the LI only goes off when being hit but has no "hysteresis" or delay time before shutting off, the cop might hit a non-reciever area and get a reading.

This is exactly how the LI is designed to work. I cannot speak for the other Laser Countermeasures engineering. No LIDAR will get a reading if it is not targeting. When the LI stops detecting LIDAR (when the LIDAR is no longer being shot) there is no longer any reason for the LI to JAM.

As to the "Unknown Gun" Alert, the LI sees your TV remote as noise and reacts accordingly. If you use a real LIDAR or a Laser Jammer Tester, you will see an appropriate and coordinated response, as you should.

There are presently NO Firmware Updates for your CPU. Your CPU is the latest and greatest!

Cliff - LI-USA