Autodim mirror upgrade

[Spectre]

"Does your mirror vibrate badly or flop around because the mount is worn? Has the dimming switch broken? Does it have a bad case of Ford Mirror Mange where the center looks like someone peeled off some old duct tape and left the residue? Well, upgrade to the NEW Gentex Autodim mirror!"



OK, hucksterism aside, this is a really easy, really cheap upgrade. My mirror had the first stages of Mirror Mange, and it was really annoying. That, and the long reach up to flip the switch (which eventually broke) really annoyed me. I was in the junkyard snagging parts for other beasts I own and decided to do some experimentation. Yup, you CAN install one in the FSJ, and it's easy.

1. Go to a junkyard and find a post-93 Chrysler LH car that has an autodimming mirror like that pictured above.
2. Look underneath the windshield mount. You'll find a single Phillips screw. Remove it.
3. Carefully slide the mirror up and back so that it slides off the windshield mount button. Disconnect the cable that leads from the car's headliner to the mirror.
4. Pull down the leading edge of the headliner and cut that same cable as far back as you can or disconnect it if the connector is within reach.
5. Buy the cable and mirror and go to your SJ.
6. Drop your front headliner.
7. Remove your mirror - it mounts up the same way with a similar screw.
8. Put the Gentex mirror on. You may need a longer screw to secure it, you may not. I didn't.
9. Wire up the mirror - dark blue/white wire goes to a switched ignition source, violet/black goes to the reverse switch (optional, not required), and black/light green goes to ground. What you could do is wire it in to the vanity mirror circuit and just remember to turn the mirror off when you get out of the car at night, or you could run wires appropriately.

That's it!

[ October 16, 2005, 07:16 PM: Message edited by: Spectre ]

[Walt]

or get one witht he compass too!

[Spectre]

Yes, though if you get one with the compass *and* temp readout, you have to find the temp sensor and take it too, and get to have all the customary wiring fun.

They also make one with map lights built into the mirror. That unit hooks up the same.

Also, you do not want to use the GM versions of these mirrors - the mount is notably different.

[MGrimm]

Where can this post be put permantly? It is great upgrade and will be lost if not put some permanent.

Do you have more pictures?

[River Beast]

Take the post and submit it for a tech article ... never get lost that way...

[crispyboy]

any idea of what chrylser automobiles had the autodim with map reading lights?
I've got my headliner down right now - good time to run some wires for future.

[Spectre]

I have a few more pictures, but they're not all that great. Its really just a mirror, not a whole lot to see there... It's how the mirror works that makes the difference.

If you would like some specific pictures, just ask.

[Spectre]

13: Try any second-gen minivan that doesn't have the overhead console. They're rare, but they're out there. Also, try the Avenger/Sebring and the last LeBarons.

If you're willing to try to remove the factory mounting button from the windshield, you could try the autodim/reading lamp units from later Buicks; you'd have to use their windshield mount button, though.

[ October 17, 2005, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Spectre ]

[Spectre]

Originally posted by River Beast:
Take the post and submit it for a tech article ... never get lost that way...

Who do you have to harass to do that? [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Hud]

MGrimm, at the top of the page you can e-mail it to yourself and keep it that way!

[yipcanjo]

So you'll end up with a wire traveling from your mirror to the headliner? Why don't I see a wire in your pic?

[Spectre]

Yup, you will have that wire. However, I don't have it in the pic because I don't have it permanently wired up yet - I'm still working on the headliner.

[pb]

How wide is the mirror compared to the Wagoneer's original mirror?

[Spectre]

It's about 2/3rds of an inch narrower and about 3/8" taller.

However, you don't lose anything by the unit being that size because most of the "missing" area on the original mirror showed either the rear pillar or the operator's face. You have just as much usable area as before - and the glass is much clearer than the original, too.

[LRRH]

Who do you have to harass to do that?

Any of the Mods can do it, but then it gets moved to the archive forum and no one can respond to tell you what a good job you did. =)

email me in a week and I will move it there.