pshojo Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Hey all. I bought used dimming compass mirror. I'm looking for directions how to wire the new mirror. Where is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1kicker Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 What model do you have? I have the 177 and I believe that the diagram above is the same as what I used. The temp sensor is just a resistor so polarity doesn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pshojo Posted February 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Thanks. I don't know what model i have. It has Auto dimmer, with compass and Map Lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 The model number can be found on the back of the mirror, left hand side in most cases. Also, year and model of your car? We can point you in the right direction of wire colors and locations if we have that info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galaxie500XL Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 Something I've wondered...I've got a Genex I installed in my Cutlass last year...do the mirrors get "tired"? It does dim, but it doesn't seem like it dims nearly as much as I'd like...and not nearly as much as the auto dimming mirror in our '08 HHR.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 Try cleaning the photoresistors on the front and back of the mirror? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galaxie500XL Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 (edited) I thought about that too, pretty early on, but it didn't make a noticeable change. It is much nicer than the "flip" mirror I originally had, and the compass was a nice addition...I just wish it got darker at night. Edit: I suspect the front sensor picks up too much ambient light when driving around town, fooling the mirror into thinking it's brighter outside than it really is. I've though about trying a piece of window tint over the front sensor, to cut down on the amount of light it reads. Try cleaning the photoresistors on the front and back of the mirror? Edited March 1, 2013 by Galaxie500XL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 That or a small sharpie dot dead in the middle of the sensor. I would dot both. Or we could go mad scientist and put a potentiometer between the photoresistor's output and the rest of the circuit....but again...mad scientist. The more I think about it the better of an idea it sounds. That way you could adjust the sensitivity based on the driving scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pshojo Posted March 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Model/Year: I finally was able to remember to check the model. Looks like Gentex 208 is on the back of the mirror. Does this make a difference? ALso my year of cutlass is 1995. It has three wires going to the mirror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I missed you saying it has map lights. That makes it slightly different. As I recall, there are 5 wires on the mirror. The first three are the same as the diagram I posted. The last two - 1 is for the dome light switches and 1 can be tied in to the 12+ and the lights turn on and off with their respective switches. I will need to look at my 208 to see which is which. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RareGMFan Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 I thought I answered this on GPF. Didn't you say your original mirror has map lights already? If so, the wiring will be easy. You just have to find which wire is which on your original mirror (one for map lights on with interior lights/doors open, one for map lights on individually and one for ground), and then put them in the proper pinouts of the new mirror's harness once you find where they belong. The only new wire you'll need to run is one for +12v to power the compass and auto dimming features. Can you get a pic of your original mirror? Snap a pic of the original harness too if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Ok, so I assume nobody on here has actually done a how to for the W. I did this mod on my Grand Am, and I wrote a how to. Only difference is that mine has the temperature readout with the auto dimming feature. Here's the link. I'll post the how to here if anyone thinks it's useful for a W. Mine has the map lights but doesn't dim automatically, so I may not do this mod again. http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36618 Assuming your car already has Donnelly mirror with map lights, you would have an almost plug and play situation here. You have to tap into the stock harness for its' ground and 12+ to connect to pins 1 and 2. I would assume the last 2 that would give the mirror the temperature readout would end up being the positive and negative for the lights. The stock clip (if you had the map lights to begin with) will fit right into the Gentex. It will provide you with an idea to what pin powers what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Nice writeup. You're wrong about Gentex not offering a compass/temp auto-dimming mirror with map lights though. They are available and even some 2002 Camaro and Firebird convertibles got them as well as some Chrysler products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RareGMFan Posted March 16, 2013 Report Share Posted March 16, 2013 Ok, so I assume nobody on here has actually done a how to for the W. http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/53701-Everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-auto-dimming-rear-view-mirrors I have that posted on here, grandprixforums and thechicagogarage. There's no specifics on where to run all the wires to in a w-body, but if you're capable of figuring out the wiring to the harnesses, I think it's safe to say you know how to tuck and hide wiring you're running to a ground and +12v source. Nice writeup. You're wrong about Gentex not offering a compass/temp auto-dimming mirror with map lights though. They are available and even some 2002 Camaro and Firebird convertibles got them as well as some Chrysler products. Some Chrysler products got them, but I'm almost 100% positive no f-body got anything fancier than a regular map light mirror from the factory. They didn't even get OnStar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 Nice writeup. You're wrong about Gentex not offering a compass/temp auto-dimming mirror with map lights though. They are available and even some 2002 Camaro and Firebird convertibles got them as well as some Chrysler products. I could never find them when I was doing the mod, so I was going off that. As far as I know, no one really has a database of all the Gentex models. I knew the only one that DID have it was the Intrigue... or at least I was told because when I DID find one, it only had lights and the compass, but no temperature.... that or I didn't see the switch. Afterwards, I found out some FORDS did have it, but I don't like digging stuff out of Fords cuz the way the mirror is on is a bit weird. I think it was on Fords that the retention clip that Gentex and the other 2 American car companies use that it debuted on. This of course is all based on my junkyard trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 It's pretty easy to pop them apart to add the pinch screw type mount. I keep a stock of basic autodim Gentexs' just for that. I also grab broken higher end and OnStar mirrors for parts to make one good high end mirror out of two or three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDoo82 Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 Thats one thing I'd want to do if I put one of these in my car. I hate those clip-on mirrors, they're impossible to get off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 And once you pull one and put it back on or in another car, it's loose and vibrates. I used to drill a hole and put in a short self-tapping screw but didn't like that as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pshojo Posted June 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2013 (edited) Here's the wiring and Install i did on my cutlass. White wire from cutlass connects to tan wire on the mirror. This turns on the lights when doors open. orange to Orange is the 12+ always on wire Black to Black is the ground wire Blue wire connected to Brown wire for ignition. Blue wire was new. Used Pink Ignition wire and spliced new Blue and routed to mirror. Used sunroof wire, could have used brake switch wire. Careful not to wire into purple. Purple will turn off the mirrow when hitting brakes or opening sunroof. Fiinal product. Thanks for everyones help. Edited June 8, 2013 by pshojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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