TomsSVX
10-17-2008, 11:08 AM
Sov13t got his hands on a pair of JDM folding mirrors along with a switch panel. We got a chance to do the install, granted it took several hours, but there was no instruction guide to do it... So here is some basic info that will help others do this install.
How-To Install JDM folding mirrors into a USDM car
OK there are a couple ways to go about this. Considering most JDM cars will not match your color, you will likely find mirrors that need a color change… Painting them can be a PITA not to mention they may not match well. The glass also needs to be changed as the passenger side mirror is convex, and passenger and driver’s side is opposite… So here is how you can put the JDM internals into your USDM housings.
- Remove USDM mirrors off doors
- Using a heat gun, carefully heat the lenses and pry the glass out of the plastic mount. There is a white glue that holds the mirrors into the mount. This needs to be heated to let it loose. Remember the mount wraps around the edges of the glass, so the glass needs to be slipped out from under the lip.
- Once glass is removed, disconnect heater element wires, remember, red wire goes on the bottom spade and black on the top
- Repeat for other 3 mirrors
- Ok, now be sure to keep the glass from the JDM and USDM mirrors separate, as they are different.
- There is a screw in the center of the mount, remove this screw and the white bushing, this will allow you to remove the glass mount.
- There are two other retainers for the mount that are threaded for the mirror adjustment motors, you can simply pull up on the glass mount and let them slip out.
- Remove all screws holding in black frame of the mirror body.
- Remove mounting base that bolts to the car (3 phillips-head bolts on bottom side)
- Pull base as far from mirror as you can without needed to remove the harness
- Remove black plastic cover off the inside edge of the mirror, there are two clips on the bottom side and a third inside the housing you can get to through where the glass used to be.
- Remove the single screw retaining the black plastic rim around the mirror housing.
- Now you should be able to remove the black plastic ring and also the mirror’s hinge and spring assembly that allows them to fold so you have just the colored shell of the mirror.
- Repeat for other 3 mirrors
- Assembly is simple reverse as removal just put the JDM hinge and motors into your USDM housings. Re-heat the USDM glass to get the glue sticky again and reassemble the glass carefully. The passenger side mirror has an alignment stud to attach the mirror to the base. The hold for this on the JDM folder is not in the right place, so the right position needs to be market and drill out another hole for it and finish assembly.
- Now for the hard part… most JDM parters will cut the harness for the mirrors, this means you are going to need to wire the mirror hinge motors into the stock harness, There are two wires for the hinge motors, so simply run them down along side of the stock wiring.
- Find a stock JDM mirror switch assembly and simply wire the mirrors to the open two terminals on your USDM harness. You are going to want to splice both mirrors together, make sure you combined the correct two wires, or else you will have one mirror opening while the other is closing.
- Before soldering the splices, plug everything in and simply test the mirrors with the wires twisted together. If all works well, soldering and shrink wrap the last of the electrical connections and button it all up.
Tom
How-To Install JDM folding mirrors into a USDM car
OK there are a couple ways to go about this. Considering most JDM cars will not match your color, you will likely find mirrors that need a color change… Painting them can be a PITA not to mention they may not match well. The glass also needs to be changed as the passenger side mirror is convex, and passenger and driver’s side is opposite… So here is how you can put the JDM internals into your USDM housings.
- Remove USDM mirrors off doors
- Using a heat gun, carefully heat the lenses and pry the glass out of the plastic mount. There is a white glue that holds the mirrors into the mount. This needs to be heated to let it loose. Remember the mount wraps around the edges of the glass, so the glass needs to be slipped out from under the lip.
- Once glass is removed, disconnect heater element wires, remember, red wire goes on the bottom spade and black on the top
- Repeat for other 3 mirrors
- Ok, now be sure to keep the glass from the JDM and USDM mirrors separate, as they are different.
- There is a screw in the center of the mount, remove this screw and the white bushing, this will allow you to remove the glass mount.
- There are two other retainers for the mount that are threaded for the mirror adjustment motors, you can simply pull up on the glass mount and let them slip out.
- Remove all screws holding in black frame of the mirror body.
- Remove mounting base that bolts to the car (3 phillips-head bolts on bottom side)
- Pull base as far from mirror as you can without needed to remove the harness
- Remove black plastic cover off the inside edge of the mirror, there are two clips on the bottom side and a third inside the housing you can get to through where the glass used to be.
- Remove the single screw retaining the black plastic rim around the mirror housing.
- Now you should be able to remove the black plastic ring and also the mirror’s hinge and spring assembly that allows them to fold so you have just the colored shell of the mirror.
- Repeat for other 3 mirrors
- Assembly is simple reverse as removal just put the JDM hinge and motors into your USDM housings. Re-heat the USDM glass to get the glue sticky again and reassemble the glass carefully. The passenger side mirror has an alignment stud to attach the mirror to the base. The hold for this on the JDM folder is not in the right place, so the right position needs to be market and drill out another hole for it and finish assembly.
- Now for the hard part… most JDM parters will cut the harness for the mirrors, this means you are going to need to wire the mirror hinge motors into the stock harness, There are two wires for the hinge motors, so simply run them down along side of the stock wiring.
- Find a stock JDM mirror switch assembly and simply wire the mirrors to the open two terminals on your USDM harness. You are going to want to splice both mirrors together, make sure you combined the correct two wires, or else you will have one mirror opening while the other is closing.
- Before soldering the splices, plug everything in and simply test the mirrors with the wires twisted together. If all works well, soldering and shrink wrap the last of the electrical connections and button it all up.
Tom