Removing rear view mirror, best way to do it?
- Thread starter Blackie
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Talk about good timing. I did this yesterday.
Removing the existing mirror is a piece of cake. Use a flat blade like a knife or broad screwdriver and pop off the plastic covering. Just work slowly along all four sides and the cover will eventually pop right off.
Once the cover is off, you'll see a plastic tab protruding out of the bottom of the part that is still attached to the glass. With your fingers, you pull that tab away from the glass and it releases the mirror from the bracket. Now just slide it up off the bracket.
The Gentex mirror slides down on the bracket and is secured with a torx screw rather than a tab. Don't overtighten the torx screw.
Which Gentex mirror did you get? I got the one with Homelink and compass, used off eBay and I'm thinking there's something missing. I'm thinking the "eye" for the autodimming should have some sort of plastic lens on it. On my mirror, there is no lens and you can see right through the hole at the sensor and mini-circuit board. Can you tell me if yours is like that?
Thanks,
Henry
Removing the existing mirror is a piece of cake. Use a flat blade like a knife or broad screwdriver and pop off the plastic covering. Just work slowly along all four sides and the cover will eventually pop right off.
Once the cover is off, you'll see a plastic tab protruding out of the bottom of the part that is still attached to the glass. With your fingers, you pull that tab away from the glass and it releases the mirror from the bracket. Now just slide it up off the bracket.
The Gentex mirror slides down on the bracket and is secured with a torx screw rather than a tab. Don't overtighten the torx screw.
Which Gentex mirror did you get? I got the one with Homelink and compass, used off eBay and I'm thinking there's something missing. I'm thinking the "eye" for the autodimming should have some sort of plastic lens on it. On my mirror, there is no lens and you can see right through the hole at the sensor and mini-circuit board. Can you tell me if yours is like that?
Thanks,
Henry
Mark86
Super Moderator
skategoat said:
Which sensor are you talking about? On my mirror, the sensor facing the front of the truck (on the back of the mirror) has no tab. You could see right thorough it. That sensor measure the outside light so the mirror knows when to dim to the glare behind you. There is another sensor to measure the glare behind you. That one has a covering.
Blackie
New member
installation
I received the mirror yesterday afternoon and installed it last night. It was a really easy install other than trying to determine which wire was the correct ignition wire to splice into. The instructions that I downloaded from this site didn't really detail where pin A9 was on the multiple connectors. I also couldn't read the really small numbers on the connectors themselves, eyes are getting too old to see some stuff (which isn't really that bad sometimes), but I got the mirror to work. The only thing that I didn't expect was the sunroof and rear window to have to be reset to function correctly. So, if you do the install check the owners manual for "normalizing" the sunroof, if you have one, and the rear window. They won't open and close automatically when you disconnect the negative battery terminal. Anyway, thanks for the help from everyone who responded.
I received the mirror yesterday afternoon and installed it last night. It was a really easy install other than trying to determine which wire was the correct ignition wire to splice into. The instructions that I downloaded from this site didn't really detail where pin A9 was on the multiple connectors. I also couldn't read the really small numbers on the connectors themselves, eyes are getting too old to see some stuff (which isn't really that bad sometimes), but I got the mirror to work. The only thing that I didn't expect was the sunroof and rear window to have to be reset to function correctly. So, if you do the install check the owners manual for "normalizing" the sunroof, if you have one, and the rear window. They won't open and close automatically when you disconnect the negative battery terminal. Anyway, thanks for the help from everyone who responded.
Blackie
New member
Wiring
On my installation, the wiring harness came with the unit. There weren't any connections to make other than to a ground and to an ignition wire. The instructions I had said to use a brown and red wire in pin position A9. I found a brown and red wire on the bottom multiple pin connector in the kickpanel. It worked on my 2004 but if I had to connect a second wire I don't know where I would have made the splice so I can't help you on that.
On my installation, the wiring harness came with the unit. There weren't any connections to make other than to a ground and to an ignition wire. The instructions I had said to use a brown and red wire in pin position A9. I found a brown and red wire on the bottom multiple pin connector in the kickpanel. It worked on my 2004 but if I had to connect a second wire I don't know where I would have made the splice so I can't help you on that.
Last edited:
Blackie
New member
Wiring
Skategoat,
I don't think the wire I tapped into is one that on all the time otherwise I would expect to see lights on the mirror on when the the key is turned off. In other words, the green LEDs only come on when the key is in the on position. Hope this helps and doesn't confuse things even more.
Skategoat,
I don't think the wire I tapped into is one that on all the time otherwise I would expect to see lights on the mirror on when the the key is turned off. In other words, the green LEDs only come on when the key is in the on position. Hope this helps and doesn't confuse things even more.
I wonder why then, I have have an "always on" lead coming out of my mirror? I have Homelink and I thought the Homelink buttons only function when the ignition is on. This is the way they worked on my Audi. Otherwise, someone could break into your car, push the button and open your garage.
I thought the always on was for the compass. I guess this is a question for Gentex.
I thought the always on was for the compass. I guess this is a question for Gentex.
