How To: Install an Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 2:07 am

TOPIC: Installing an Auto Dimming MirrorDIFFICULTY LEVEL: (1 hammer = easy - 5 hammers = pro)TIME REQUIRED: 25-45 minutesTOOLS REQUIRED: #15 Torx Driver, 10mm socket and driverPARTS REQUIRED: Toyota AutoDimming Mirror, P/N# PT374-0C020*As of February 2004, the mirror used in this install is no longer available on the primary market. You can instead get an auto-dimming mirror with integrated compass from BrandSport Inc. for about $239.http://www.brandsport.com/toy-pt374-120 ... ======STEP 1: REMOVE OEM MIRROR* Using a #15 Torx Bit: remove the screw securing the OEM mirror to the mirror button. The screw is directly underneath the mirror, right on the front of the mount: * With the screw loosened (no need to remove it entirely), slide the mirror off the button, towards the roof of the car. You'll now see this: STEP 2: MOUNT REPLACEMENT MIRROR * Take the replacement mirror, and slide it down, starting at the top, until it won't slide any more. Using the torx nut provided with the mirror, tighten it to the mirror button. DO NOT, however, overtighten. Tighten just enough to keep the mirror from moving when you adjust it. * Now the mirror is mounted. * That was the easy part. Now, wiring the mirror up. STEP 3: WIRING THE MIRROR * I opted to start my wire run at the mirror itself. That way, any slack could be hidden under the dash, rather than trying to shove it above the headliner. Start by plugging the harness into the rear of the mirror: * Then I used the provided clip to hold the wire against the mounting shaft of the mirror: * From there, I loosely ran the wire up into the headliner. I just tucked it under the edge of it, and ran it left over to the A-pillar.* I pulled the A-pillar trim piece off (just snaps on, snaps off!) and followed the existing wire harness running through there, and ran down into the dash. Here's a little factoid: The wire harness traveling down the driver-side A-pillar runs to the moonroof controls (if equipped), and the map light. The harness traveling down the passenger A-pillar is for the antenna.* Now that the wire is in the dash, i had to get on my back, grab a flashlight, and shake the wire (shake it like a Polaroid picture! ), find it, and pull it down.* There were several possible ways to wire this into the system. First thing to keep in mind is that an auto-dim mirror MUST be wired into a switched power source. Wiring it to an always-on source can, and will, eventually drain your battery. I considered the following: - Tap into the already over-tapped radio harnesses - Tap into another circuit using T-taps - Run a new circuit direct off the battery/fuse blockI decided to run a new circuit, but it's MUCH easier than it sound! For just $9 at Pep Boys, I picked up a gadget called "Add-A-Circuit" made by Littelfuse. Here's what it looks like: Now, here's how it works. You remove a fuse from an existing circuit, and replace it with this gadge. Note how the Add-A-Circuit (from now on I'll refer to it as AAC) has two fuses on it. One fuse protects the existing circuit, while the second fuse protects this new circuit. Now, the lead coming out of it is my new power source. The wire from the new mirror has a quick-connect male end, so I crimped another short cable into the AAC, and put a quick-connect female end on it, as you can see here: * Now that I crimped in my new connector for the AAC, I installed it in the fuse block. As already mentioned, I opted not to go with the radio circuit. Yes, it's ignition-controlled, but it's pretty tapped out, which the new radio, the XM radio, and the antenna booster. Granted, they don't draw tons of power, but still, why bother. I opted to go with the circuit for the moonroof, as I know it is ignition controlled, but also, my original plan was to just splice into the moonroof control buttons, before I realized they provide such a long cable with the mirror. The sunroof circuit is on the fuse labeled GAUGE, which includes Gauges and Meters, Back-Up Lamps, Charging System, Power Door Locks, Power Windows, Sunroof, Air Conditioning, and Cruise Control. But I'm confident there's enough power there, because this doesn't draw much, and other members have wired their radar detectors into the same circuit.So, installed, the AAC is very low profile! Very cool IMHO. A worthy investment! Notice the two sideways red 10 amp fuses. That's the AAC. And yes, it's STILL low profile enough to let me snap the cover on! Ok. Now I've got my power, I just need my ground. I considered using the same ground point I did for my turn signals, but opted not to. It was far away, and the ring that's attached to the ground wire seemed to small. So I decided to go behind the kickplate for a ground source. To remove the kickplate, just unscrew the little black plastic nut hiding behind the dead pedal: Now, behind the dead pedal, quite conveniently I might add, there was a screw I used as the ground: Also note the switched power lead right next to it. STEP 4: FINISHING TOUCHES * Reinstall the kickplate* Reinstall the A-pillar trim.* The mirror also came with a handy doodad that snaps on to the top of the mount point, to hide the wire in it: * The wire runs up the shaft of the mirror, into the channel, and up into the headliner. The channel is adjustable and slides to expand to compensate for various sized windshields, and higher or lower mount points in relation to the headliner.* And finally, my installed auto-dim mirror! Note the green LED that indicates the mirror has power and the auto-dim feature is activated (it can be turned off if it starts to dim automatically, but you don't want it to.)

ArcsVibe · Post by **ArcsVibe** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 2:21 am

Better be lots of pics or I want my money back

wicked1981 · Post by **wicked1981** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 5:32 am

This is great now all I have to do is order it and install it. Great instructions and pictures!!

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:10 am

I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but I'm eager to go night driving!

Post by **NSimkins** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:23 am

Wow, I'm impressed and almost have the feeling I did the install myself already! Nice work!

ArcsVibe · Post by **ArcsVibe** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 10:15 am

Bro you should have your own cable show!Nice job!

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 8:18 pm

Got to test it last night, and as expected, this thing is AWESOME! A recommended upgrade for a mere $60 US!

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:04 pm

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish Â»Got to test it last night, and as expected, this thing is AWESOME! A recommended upgrade for a mere $60 US!Cool, so those things actually work? I've never driven a car with one of those in it at night.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 3:41 am

Yeah, it works great! It was my first time too. Consider me a auto-dimming mirror virgin.

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:07 am

Very good info Raging. BTW, how does works this puppy???

drunkenmaxx · Post by **drunkenmaxx** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:31 am

so, tell me raging, when will you be posting the tutorial on the complete tear tear down and reassembling of the whole car?? i have never seen those, i guess they would be great for untinted windows...

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 5:04 am

Quote, originally posted by drunkenvibe Â»so, tell me raging, when will you be posting the tutorial on the complete tear tear down and reassembling of the whole car?? i have never seen those, i guess they would be great for untinted windows...I STILL have to rip out the dash -- I was working on my radio harness today and in the process of remounting the radio lost, not 1, but 2 of the screws. I thought they fell below the shifter, like they usually do, but alas, they were not there. So I want to pull out the entire dash, see if they're hiding in there. Besides, I want to clean up the wiring I've done from my various installs - mirror signals, XM radio, auto dim mirror...it's all just floating in there and needs to be cleaned up.As for tinted windows, I assume this mirror will work in any car wiht a glare problem. If you feel the need to set your mirror to "dim" mode manually, then this will work for you. Whatever you see, it sees.Quote, originally posted by Sub-Vibe-R Â»Very good info Raging. BTW, how does works this puppy??? Very simple. It has two photoelectric sensors - one on the back, facing the windshield, one on the front, facing the back of the car. The one on the back (facing the windshield) tells the mirror if it's daytime or nightime. If this sensor detects daylight, it will not autodim the mirror. If it detects darkness, it will dim. The front sensor detects headlight glare. The brighter the glare, the more it will dim it. Very simple, and VERY cool!

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 6:35 am

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish Â»IVery simple. It has two photoelectric sensors - one on the back, facing the windshield, one on the front, facing the back of the car. The one on the back (facing the windshield) tells the mirror if it's daytime or nightime. If this sensor detects daylight, it will not autodim the mirror. If it detects darkness, it will dim. The front sensor detects headlight glare. The brighter the glare, the more it will dim it. Very simple, and VERY cool!Ok, I understand this point, but is there any electric motor who turn up and down the mirror or it work another way?

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 6:50 am

No no, no up and down like a traditional mirror, the glass simply starts darkening...not sure how it works, but it's freakin cool...

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 10:51 pm

OK, now I understand, it is a little like auto tinting glasses... or something like that

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 10:59 pm

Precisely -- or those fancy privacy glass windows you can get for houses...

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 9:38 am

very nice post, mike! i'll keep this in mind if i get one!

loctus · Post by **loctus** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 2:07 pm

I installed it, but it turns off after a few minutes. It won't turn back on unless I wait for a few hours, then it wouldn't only turn on for a few minutes. I tried turning on and off the engine, but that doesn't work. The other gauges and moonroof work fine.Does anyone know?Is the mirror 12volts, as I would like to test it at home?

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 2:15 pm

Where did you tap into the power supply? Direct from the fuse block, as I did, or did you pull it off another circuit? The mirror is 12V...Might be defective?

loctus · Post by **loctus** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:56 am

yeah, at the same fuse slot. I am going to test it with batteries.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 1:32 pm

Very bizarre...

loctus · Post by **loctus** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 9:23 am

It started working since 2 weeks ago. I didn't do anything, but I noticed the weather is no longer in the single digits.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:18 pm

The mirror I bought is no longer available. It was a closeout price.The mirror now being sold in it's place is for the Sequoia only.They now only offer an auto-dim with compass for the Matrix/Corolla/Vibe.It runs $239.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:25 pm

Huh?The link I provided (which I will shortly remove) is for an item that has replaced the mirror I purchased. The mirror at that link now is listed as Sequoia only.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:38 pm

Right. That mirror (the $60 one) was a closeout price. They were trying to sell off the stock they had left... The mirror at that same link is a different model. Same but different.

bus driver · Post by **bus driver** » Thu Feb 19, 2004 12:50 am

Excellent Instuctions

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Wed May 12, 2004 3:06 pm

Anyone interested in this particular mirror, brandsport (the store I bought it from) has one on ebay.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...66702

omarq · Post by **omarq** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 4:23 am

Anyone know if there's a autodimming with light and compass?

omarq · Post by **omarq** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 4:27 am

Apparently they exist.. but VERY VERY pricey.... If we could figure out what cars came with them standard.... and if they're showing up in used parts places....http://www.jcwhitney.com/autop...10101

neptunev · Post by **neptunev** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 7:14 am

Try this link:http://www.aztrucks.com/Product.asp?Product=166I bought the one with just the compass, but they are available with the mirror to ones with temp, compass, and map lights. Prices range from $106 to $220, plus $8 shipping.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 4:52 pm

Photos repaired.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 3:03 pm

Just bought a new toy last week! Should be in soon...Auto dimMap lightsCompassTemp Readout (didn't need it, but was only 4 bucks more, so figured why not!)

cdFxer · Post by **cdFxer** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:00 pm

Schweet!

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:52 pm

The auto dim was a necessity, the map lights sold me. The compass and temp gauge were just perks.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:58 am

Nice! How much longer until you get it? The $212 I saw for that mirror isn't too shabby - the others I've found with map lights were close to $300.I think I may end up with one eventually. One idea I had about the mirror with thermometer is to mount the sensor somewhere inside the car... So, instead of having redundant outside thermometers, you could use the mirror's thermometer to keep tabs on the cabin temps...Let us know how it turns out... I may be in the market for one of these soon.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 1:35 pm

Should arrive Monday!

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 10:27 am

Ok, I'm hooked... The folks came up for a bit, and I got to drive their '04 Impala SS with the auto-dimming mirror... Now that's just a neat lil' feature!I just may buy one of those here within the next couple of days. As much as I would like to have the flashy compass and whatnot, I think I'll just get a mirror that's well, a mirror. It wouldn't be a good idea for me to spend that much money right now, but I can afford the $99 for the standard auto-dimming mirror. That's cheap enough...http://www.mitocorp.com/nvs2.htmBTW, I think this is the same one that JC Whitney is selling. This looks to be the same thing you have in yours now, right raging? So, hopefully it will mount without any problems...

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 1:46 pm

If you want to hold off on buying one for a few days, I may sell my old dimming mirror (which was nothing but a dimming mirror) as soon as I confirm the new one is working (which came today).When I sell it, it will be sold for less than the 99 you're about to pay.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 11:01 am

The install went smooth! I somehow remembered the steps you outlined in the beginning of this post. Good job! This afternoon after installing the mirror, I kept covering the forward-facing sensor with my thumb to watch the mirror dim. Only had 5 miles of driving around sunset this evening, but in that short drive it really worked well. Can't wait to get behind the wheel tomorrow morning and check it out on the way to work...

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 12:21 pm

Out of curiosity, where did you opt to get your power from?

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:29 pm

I already had an Add-A-Circuit (w/ 5A fuse) connected to the CIG fuse for my under-dash LED's. I spliced into that, and crimped on a connector that would connect to the mirror's power cable.Pretty easy!And, the drive into work this morning was NICE. Now, if someone would only make auto dimming outside mirrors for our cars!

04BlkVibe · Post by **04BlkVibe** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 10:20 am

What is the socket size for the screw located at the dead pedal? is it an imperial or metric socket?

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:21 pm

Neither. It's plastic. Unscrew it with your fingers.

04BlkVibe · Post by **04BlkVibe** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:52 am

I meant the one that you had used for your ground.

04BlkVibe · Post by **04BlkVibe** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 5:49 am

it's the one that you had to use for your ground.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 5:21 pm

Oh. I can't remember. M10 or M12...

04BlkVibe · Post by **04BlkVibe** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:12 am

Thanks!!! Appreciate it. Had a feeling it was metric. I only had imperial sockets

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 5:21 pm

It's around there somewhere. Maybe 11mm? I can't remember, although I've had that bolt out I don't know how many times.

04BlkVibe · Post by **04BlkVibe** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 2:19 am

Thanks for the instructions! I managed to install one on mine. It works great. However, I do want to add that the Add-A-Circuit that you added should really be a MINI Add-A-Circuit. The fuses in there are smaller than the regular "Add-A-Circuit".How did you ever get the a-pillar trim off w/o damaging it? I had to slowly (very carefully) force the wire between the a-pillar and the windshied since I couldn't take the a-pillar off.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 4:24 am

Grab and pull my friend.First time is tricky, but after that, it snaps on and off with ese...

How To: Install an Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror

How To: Install an Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror

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