C2Installs: 2012 Dodge Charger Police *VIDEOS ADDED*

[C2Installs]

This is a 2012 Hemi Charger I just completed for a small PD. Thought I'd post some pics...


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Equipment List:


Lightbar - SoundOff Signal (SOS) EPL9000 Pinnacle with split rear arrow


Pushbumper - SOS Ghost


Mirrors - SOS Intersector


Rear Deck - SOS XP63


Siren - SOS 380MF


Speaker - SOS 100H with Charger bracket


Console - Jotto Desk Contour


Partition - Jotto Desk / Patriot Space Saver


Gun Rack - TufLock AR15


Push Bumper - Go Rhino


Radar - Kustom Signal Raptor (customer-provided)


Camera - Kustom Signal Digital Ion Eclipse (customer-provided)


Radios - Motorola (customer-provided)


Headlight Flasher - Dodge PTIM


Taillight Flasher - Dodge PTIM


Cockpit:


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Notes...Customer provided the camera and it came with the shown monitor/controller set-up. I would have advised him differently. It works, but has a large footprint. Radar was a pain to find a home for. The Charger dash lacks a suitable flat area and on top of that, the radar is not flat either, but has a curved bottom. For something so little, it was a pain to mount. I stuck it in the dash cubby and it worked out. I would have preferred it on the dash, but once again, customer provided the equipment and the camera/radar sales guy really didn't pick the best stuff for the Charger, IMO.


Glovebox:


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Notes...here's a neat trick. The Ion camera has a separate DVD burner which has to be mounted in the passenger area, in a horizontal flat or upright position. No angles and no vertical. This obviously limits the choices in a space-starved car and Kustom suggest floor mounting or under dash mounting. I think either of those is a bad call, so I looked at the glovebox. Problem was that the DVD would only fit one way and that way would not allow access to the disk insertion/ejection slot. It took some thinking, but I came up with a way to let the unit pivot in and out for access. It is tight, but it works and looks awesome. I did have to remove the glovebox insert and then remove the shelf to do the work. I simply marked & drilled the pivot point, then used a sharpie to mark the pivot arc and stops. I then drilled the ark out using a step bit and then used a razor knife to clean it up. A few foam pads and some spacer smoothed everything out. I added a simple wire pull loop.


Deck:


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Notes...Another trick used for mounting the rear radar antenna; instead of hardware, I simply used four push fasteners (drilled 1/4" holes in the thick deck cover) and they hold solid. The rear deck cover was removed so I could mount the XP63 brackets to the upper child seat tether points. No drama, but I did have to remove the tether trim covers. The XP63 brackets must be mounted first and then fit the desk cover over, and then re-insert the tether trim bezels without the covers. 1/4 x 20 hardware was used. The lighthead then screws right on and the angle is perfect. Overall, super low-profile and clean looking.


Partition:


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Notes...The Jotto Space Saver is the way to go. Easy, quick install, even thought it was my first one. I will say that the rear seat is tight and the extra knee space provided on the passenger side makes it similar to the CVPI's knee room. On the driver side, there is no knee room. My wife is 5'7" and about 140lbs and she can barely fit. The partition provides a huge amount of space in the console area. I highly recommend this design for Chargers. Rear seat camera and mic are shown mounted as well.


Trunk:


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Notes...I had to create a mounting solution for the camera's hard drive unit due to space limitations. A Z-bracket I had saved worked great and I used rivet-nuts and 1/4 x 20 hardware to mount. The side trim formed-carpet was notched and the wires run behind it. The end result is that the DVR is easy to access, has room for air to circulate, the wires are protected, and the whole unit is suspended above the trunk floor. As you can see, the full-size spare eats up the trunk room. I didn't mount anything else in the trunk.


Grille:


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Notes...Not much to talk about. Removing the front fascia is much easier on the new Chargers. The push bumper went on easy and the Ghosts just clip over the shelf edge using their hood lip bracket. Siren speaker is behind the grille and the SOS bracket is nice.


Lightbar:


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Misc:


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Exterior Shots:


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Videos:


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Sorry, the videos were taken with my smartphone and aren't too great...not capturing flash rate of LEDs. I'll try again later if I get a chance.


Thanks for looking! This is a beautiful car.

 

[TritonBoulder47]

Great looking install bro!!! And some wicked trick work!!! That DVD-R pivot is sexy!

 

[fleetcomm]

Great work, everything looks good.

 

[firefightin6]

Wow, Nice Job!

 

[Core Public Safety]

Very nice job! Thanks for the detailed install pictures. I always enjoy seeing how people work their magic.

 

[FireEMSPolice]

Awesome install!


I am not a MOPAR guy but the '11+ Chargers look sick!

 

[triton911bj]

looks great! nice install

 

[Doug]

Ordinarily I'd say excellent work, but this sort of thing seems to be par for the course with you. I always look forward to your installs, as well as your articles in PFM. Please keep both coming!

 

[FreshDave04]

Very well done!

 

[ISU_Cyclone]

How does the push to start work? Do officers keep a fob in their pocket?

 

[lafd55]

Wicked cool install man!! The DVD Burner in the glovebox looks factory and clean and the console isn't over crowded... Five Stars for this install!

 

[Kent@MoveOverOutfitters]

Great job, just enough lighting and very practical.

 

[Flashguy]

Very nice install sir! It looks reaaaally clean.

 

[RL1]

Awesome instal! Any chance of you uploading the videos to youtube? For some reason photobucket videos won't play on my computer anymore

 

[EVT]

Very nice job! Thanks for the detailed install pictures. I always enjoy seeing how people work their magic.

x2 I too like seeing the details verses snapshots of the done product.


For the life of me I cannot figure out what Kustom was smoking when they came up with that radar (Wasn't no ditch weed that's for sure). It has to be the worst radar idea ever known to man. But your placement was good and overcame the awkwardness of the actual unit.

 

[silverunicorn]

Absolutely BRILLIANT work!!


:hail:


Just incredible.


Thank you for sharing!


Chris

 

[Boss429]

Nice install. Just enough lights, but not too many! Great job!!! :yes:

 

[C2Installs]

Thank you for all the compliments. This was my first new-style Charger and I'm kinda surprised it took so long for one to show-up. I have done a bunch of installs this past year, but all were CVPIs or Tahoes or Impalas or Pick-ups. New Dodge is not too bad, and very much like the last. The front-end is much, much easier to take off that the last model, I can drop it in about five minutes without hurrying at all, and the fasteners are re-useable, unlike before. If you need instructions, Go-Rhino's website has great pictures & instructions, just look up the install sheet for the 2011 Charger pushbumper. Trim is easier to take out as well - there are not a bunch screws like before. Only irritation for trim was the B-Pillar's upper cover, which has a torx screw tucked up behind the headliner and took some effort to find. Overall, trim is more durable (remember the previous car's A-Pillar dash side-fill piece that liked to snap in half when removed?) and holds up to install work much better. I did not care for the cloth texture/covering that is on most of the pieces because it will be easy to cause cosmetic damage to it. Putting the upper C-Pillar covers back on was a PITA also.


Taking the front door skins off is not too bad, but putting them back on can be tricky because of the push Fasteners Dodge used, which have very little margin for alignment errors. Also, the upper portion of the door skin attaches to the rain seal for the window in a way that requires you to remove the seal with the door skin, then remove it from the door skin, then put it back on the door. Hard to explain. Running wires through the mirrors was easier than on a CVPI, and easier than the last Charger model. Running the wire through the door to the cab was a learning process and the rubber boot Dodge used was a pain to figure out. You will have to drill a hole in the body-side connector for the wire. I could not get the SOS Intersectors to sit perfectly level on the Charger mirror using the 5-degree bracket (as was used on previous years) and the 10-degree might have worked better. I do see that SOS now has a curved adapter available for the new Chargers, so make sure you order it. Oh, be careful popping out the trim cover panel on the door that is near the armrest. It is tough to pry out and I had one nearly snap in half. I suggest going sloooooowwww and prying in two places, on the same side of the cover panel. I fixed my panel by "welding" the backside of it back together using a wood-burning tool. It will probably not hold up to another removal.


I like the way the trunk lid covering looks, but it adds some PITA to the install. It takes up time to remove it and the hinge arm covers. Otherwise, the trunk is nearly identical to before. Not much else that I can think of for install notes. I did unplug the factory wiring harnesses in the console area during the console install. I didn't yet have the battery disconnected (DUH) and it caused the ESC (Traction Control) error lamp to stay lit. I was concerned I screwed up big-time, but a mile or two of driving re-set it once the car had time to run an internal diagnostic (I guess).


Be aware that the PTIM wiring is screwy...I found that the PTIM output signals are crap. These include the park-kill and horn ring. I was told by Sound-Off that they have had some calls about issues and they think that you will need a "logic relay" to interface. The Dodge 2011/2012 upfitters guide, page 88/89, advises that ALL PTIM signals, in or out, are 12v 20mA signals. This is not true. I found that the horn signal was outputting about 3.5-ish volts. The brake signal was outputting about 9.5 volts. The park signal output would not trigger a standard relay or the SOS siren's park kill. 12v inputs to the head & tail light flasher worked, and 12v input to the horn mute worked, but was pointless when the horn signal wouldn't work. I ended up going to the grille and interrupting the horn circuit with a relay to there to achieve a horn-ring. I just gave up on the park-kill. In the end, Dodge did what they do best...screw up the electronics / interface. I don't get why they say it's 12v when it is not. I recommend going with a module to save time and aggravation. Give EVModules a shout.


To answer some other questions...the key fob has to be more or less inside the car to start it. I guess the officer could just have it in his pocket or on a key chain. It is more compact than the last type of"plug-in" key they used. The car also has a cool LCD screen that is the control center for the car. You can change all kinds of settings...cool. I am a bit bothered by how much stuff this car has versus the CVPI. Man was Ford behind the ball. I can tell you that this car was a bargain...customer paid $24,590.56 out the door from a LOCAL, non-fleet oriented dealership. Yep, a HEMI...that's a lot of car for the money. We paid about $23,500, IIRC, for CVPIs with the 65A package last go around.


I agree on the lighting for this car. It is just right and will be my recommended package for all future upfits. I was determined not to do HAWs in this thing, and there really is no need. If you felt like you needed more "intersection" warning, similar to front HAWs, then a set of side or angle-mounted LED3s on the push bumper would work much better. HAWs in the rear would be pointless, IMO, due to the built-in taillight flasher.


Agree as well on the Kustom Radar. Here's the thing, Kustom has a huge in-house capability for sheet metal fabrication, particularly aluminum. They actually sell their manufacturing capabilities to other manufacturers and industries. Because they have that capability, they apparently solve every engineering/design problem with a bracket. I mean, open any box and there is a plethora of tiny screws and intricate brackets for mounting. It's like a damn Erector set. And to me, it is part of their problem...they can't seem to change their methods and everything ends up being way too complex. Take the Raptor...they make a radar unit with a convex top and bottom on the counting unit which won't allow it to sit flat on a dash. That is silly. But instead of changing the design, they just make a special bracket. And it is a pain to use and mount. It doesn't have enough surface area to be velcro'd down and must be screwed down. That is stupid, cause the unit weighs nothing and is tethered by cables, so it shouldn't be a flight hazard in any survivable crash. Their cameras are the worst for installation. The one in this car had nine components to find room for and mount, and about 300 feet of cable. Of course, there are about 200 pieces of screws/nuts/bolts/washers/brackets for everything. And my damn iPod will take better video. It is time for video manufacturers to get their head out of their asses and make smaller units. I wish Kustom had taken the approach to their video system that they took with the Raptor radar and minimize the footprint.


Anyway, stay tuned. I am working on two 2012 Impalas right now that will be killer. Slicktops and they are sweet. Lots of neat install tricks to come.

 

[cpdchief]

Excellent work! We just got our first charger, and I'm getting ready to start on it next week. Are there any problems with side air bags and lightbar mounting? Any concerns on where to run the lightbar wiring? Thanks for some great info already.

 

[C2Installs]

Excellent work! We just got our first charger, and I'm getting ready to start on it next week. Are there any problems with side air bags and lightbar mounting? Any concerns on where to run the lightbar wiring? Thanks for some great info already.

Follow the upfitter's guide RE airbags and wire routing. I ran the duplex power/ground cable straight back from the bar to the rear window, then over to the C-pillar and down into the trunk. I zip-tied it to factory harnesses where available, duplicating the factory path. I used duct tape to tape in in place on the headliner. I ran the telephone-type control cable forward in a similar fashion, bringing it over at the windshield and down the A-pillar to the console.


Here are the upfitter's guides. You will need both for the new cars, the console power source and grill circuit connector info is the same as the old style car and you have to look in the old guide for the info. I think that's dumb, BTW.


2011-2012:https://www.fleet.chrysler.com/fleetcda/portal?pageid=dbbe365479fe6110VgnVCM100000e9261c35RCRD&ptitle=Charger%20Police&sectionid=fb66cce1be7f5110VgnVCM10000091f4e735RCRD#


2006-2010:https://www.fleet.chrysler.com/fleetcda/portal?pageid=dbbe365479fe6110VgnVCM100000e9261c35RCRD&ptitle=Charger%20Police&sectionid=fb66cce1be7f5110VgnVCM10000091f4e735RCRD#