Rear View Mirrors

[pwmin]

I have a couple questions about rear view mirrors and I'm trying to dig through they recent posts in the whatever thread and find the post with all the mirrors, but I'm having a hard time finding that and wading through the posts.  I put a mirror in the 95 Z34 that had map lights, but it's too loose to live with my subs plus I had it wired incorrectly so the lights were controlled by the interior lighting and not the swtiches on the mirror.  Anyway, I'm just interested in map lights and auto-dim and having a set screw, not the stupid press-fit crap.  I will probably just go to the local U-Pull-and-Pay.  What vehicles can I use and how should I have it wired?  I have some terrible pictures to share.  Right now I have one with auto-dim just so I didn't have to deal with a falling mirror, but I don't have it wired correctly for that either.  I think the one that's in it is an 051330 and the one I had in it is a 3C1215, but neither are the ones I really want.  The first 3 pictures are of the one I had in there with map lights only, the second 2 are what's in there now and the last 3 are of one that came out of my Grand Prix for wiring reference, I suppose.

[pwmin]

https://rearviewmirrorstore.com/products/gentex-auto-dimming-mirror-with-led-map-lights

I think this is the one. Anyone know what cars these come from and how to wire them? I guess I could just buy from here, but it would be a lot cheaper at the junkyard.

Looks like a bunch of GM and Chrysler products, but I can't find an actual list.

pinout: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=138415

maybe why mine didn't work correctly: https://ls1tech.com/forums/wiring-stereo-electronics/1927323-gentex-221-a.html

Edited 6 hours ago by pwmin

[RareGMFan]

rearviewmirrorstore.com is actually my site.  I was just checking on visitors for the day, and I saw someone was directed there from w-body.com. I was like.....what?! Then I came here and found this.

That's a pretty rare mirror you linked to. As far as I know, they were an exclusive option in the Dodge Stratus, and as you can imagine, there's not a lot of those in the junkyards anymore. It's what I call my "grand daddy of them all" mirror, as it has pretty much every feature other than a back up screen, thus the price.

You're actually pretty limited on choices if you want auto-dimming with map lights. Donnelly made them, which were even found in 2nd gen Regals, but Donnelly mirrors are garbage. The auto-dimming gel is pretty much guaranteed to break/leak at some point, and I'm guessing the gel must be acidic or something, because eventually, they start deforming/eating through the plastic housing of the mirror. I have seen this time and time again in the junkyards and in the w-body community. Have helped several GTP owners switch from their Donnelly (no map lights) to that mirror in your last pic. Very easy swap.

Another option is the optional 1st gen Sebring convertible mirror. Same mirror was available in the mid-'00s Lincoln Continental and Olds Intrigue GLS, except those had a compass as well. The problem with any of those, as me and Sean have talked about numerous times on this site, is that they require a BCM to kill power to the mirror after X amount of minutes. Otherwise, those mirrors will have a continuous draw on the battery. Enough so that they could kill the battery if you don't start the car after a few days. These are the mirrors I'm talking about:

https://rearviewmirrorstore.com/products/gentex-auto-dimming-mirror-with-led-map-lights

https://rearviewmirrorstore.com/products/gentex-auto-dimming-mirror-with-led-map-lights-compass

There IS another older option that many don't know about for auto-dimming and map lights. They were an exclusive option for the '90s Chevy Caprice and Buick Roadmaster, so they'd be period correct for your Z34. Only downfall is I believe they use the tension spring mounting instead of a torx screw. I have a few that are still sitting around. This is what they look like:

 

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by RareGMFan

[pwmin]

So, the one I linked to (from your store?) is that the one you have to kill power to?  If I can use that one, I might just buy it from you, then.  I hate removing the tension ones from the junkyard, but I do have the tool.  Yeah, the Donnolly ones from Regals always fall down.  The one from my GP was falling down, but they are easy to find.  I guess it doesn't matter too much if it has the compass and/or temp, I just don't need to have them.  Since the Monte didn't have an OHC, I pretty much need one with the MAP lights and the auto-dim is a nice bonus for sure.

[RareGMFan]

The one YOU linked to from my store (the "fully loaded" mirror), I'm not sure about to be honest. I know the 2nd gen Stratus had a BCM that controlled the courtesy lights, but I don't know if they killed power to them after the car is off.

The 2 that I linked to in MY post we know definitely need a BCM to kill power to them, and ever since discovering this, I've been hesitant on suggesting any LED map light mirrors to people with older cars that might not have a BCM that controls the courtesy lights. I suppose a work around for any of the map light mirrors would be to not power the one wire that's supposed to run to your courtesy lights, and just run the other wire to a power source that only comes on with ignition or accessories (your old mirror should already be wired for that; just have to figure out which wire it is). But that would mean the map lights won't come on when you open your doors or turn on the courtesy lights. They would only come on independently when you press the map light buttons on and off. If that doesn't bother you, then you can make those mirrors work.

Also, just a heads up that the "fully loaded" mirror you linked to has outside temperature which will require a temp sensor to be installed somewhere by your front bumper and then running 2 wires back to the mirror. This is true for any mirror with the outside temp feature.

I know you don't like the tension ones, but if you want to maintain the courtesy light function of the map lights, then the one in my pics is probably your safest bet to avoid any constant draw issues. I'm not even 100% positive on those because I just looked it up and Gemini says even the mid-'90s Caprices/Roadmasters did have a BCM and they controlled the courtesy lights, but given their age, I doubt those mirrors have a constant draw on them that's controlled by the BCM.