Swap standard rearview for homelink mirror

I ordered one off ebay for $150 + $10 shipping. I brought my car into the dealer this morning for some other fixes (dash brake light out, some rattles) and since I was there and have more money than time lately I had the tech install it (1 hr labor = $105). But, I can add some observations for people who are wanting to do it themselves.

The factory mirror that I ordered comes with excellent instructions. The wiring harness runs up under the headliner, across the driver side, and down the A-pillar under the finisher, into the dash. The general process is this (summarized from the instructions):

1) Using a panel tool, remove the cap on the driver side of the dash along with the fuse panel door.

2) Using the panel tool, remove the scuff plate on the rocker panel. Then carefully remove the rubber welt around the door opening from the upper left corner (A-pillar) down to the rocker as well as to the B-pillar. Wrap it or somehow keep the glue away from the interior components.

3) Remove the A-pillar finisher by popping the two post fasteners at the top using the panel tool, then pushing down and out. Remove the driver side cowl cover (“kick panel”) by grasping and pulling toward passenger side.

4) Remove the original mirror. You actually might want to do this for step 1 because of: NOTE: it removes by sliding a screwdriver into a notch and releasing a catch. If you are not careful, you could CRACK YOUR WINDSHIELD. The tech said this is the hardest part of the task.

5) Install the new mirror (thankfully it uses a SCREW to clamp on). Run the harness up through the included harness finisher, and push it up under the headliner using the panel tool. The kit includes sticky foam tape to wrap around the wire with instructions about where to put this tape, in order to keep it from rattling.

6) Run the harness down the A-pillar, attaching with included zip ties.

7) Run ground wire of the harness in through the opening on side of dash. Run down the side of car where kick panel is. There is a 10 mm grounding screw for the ground wire inside under some sound deadener, attach to that.

8) There is a 16-pin connector at the base of the A-pillar. Unplug the connector. The “male” side has side tabs that must be pried up with a screwdriver to release a lock tab. The mirror harness comes with a pin designed to be inserted into this connector in slot “KD02” which, if you are looking at it from the rear where wires enter into connector is the lower-left corner. Once inserted, reclose the lock tab to keep the pin in place. Rejoin connector.

9) Reinstall body panels in reverse order, taking care to keep welt glue off A-pillar finisher.

Anyway, there’s the synopsis. It seems like it would be easy enough to do oneself if one has the time, you don’t have to drop the headliner as I feared.

I am now the proud owner of a $280 garage door remote, with the added bonus of if I’m ever driving around with my hood up so I can’t see out the windshield I at least know what compass direction I’m pointing.

Article by: tsigoloeg