Deluxe electronic rear mirror conversion

[MSDKLZE]

My old mirror developed a nasty stain behind the glass and kept irritating me, so I began searching for a better swap.. I came upon a 2004 Nissan Altima one day and it has a self-tinting glass, electronic Fahrenheit/Celsius thermometer, and electronic compass built into itself.

The entire unit is self-contained, so its easy to remove and install!

You will need...
1: a 10mm socket to remove the grounding bolt by the fusebox
2: a butane lighter to heat the metal mounting stub for easy removal
3: a thin strip of metal to slide between the mirror and stub for separation
4: pliers to remove the hot metal stub from the window
5: a fresh dose of rear-view mirror glue from the auto-part store
6: either some electrical connectors or solder (depending on your preference)

First unplug the pigtail from the mirror. Carefully pull the little module loose from the mirror. Then shove the makeshift metal strip/tool in the small slot under the mirror's mount and pull the mirror upward to dislodge it from the stub.
Using your lighter, hold the flame about half an inch from the stub and slowly heat it for about 20 seconds. This will melt the glue that holds it to the windshield. Grab the stub across the long end and twist firmly so that it comes off. Let it cool off somewhere safe.
Unbolt the ground wire and pull the harness from the hood that holds this little thermometer.

Go to your car and prepare to install with some fresh rear-view mirror glue.
Clean off your windshield with the supplied solvent and attach the stub. Once it is glued up, slide the mirror in place and clip the module back on. Now it is time to wire it up!

I chose to tap it into my dome lamp..

In less than 10 minutes, I had the power inputs soldered up..

You could clamp the power into something else if you choose, or you could also install an on/off switch. I preferred to have it on constant power feed, since it is a low-consumption device.

Now whenever a car comes up behind you at night, you do not have to reach up there and fumble with the lever. The mirror will automatically tint its glass and dim out their headlights.
This is before it tints..


Its a bit difficult to fool the mirror into tinting during the day, but you can see how well it cuts the glare out

If you are confused as to which direction you are traveling, look up at the VFL display screen on your mirror... Then you think, "is it hot or is it just me?" Yeah its hot cuz your rear view mirror said so!



Enjoy the new mod

If only we had self-tinting side-view mirrors ....

[steves93gt]

great job, looks great!
can you take a pic of the original mirror next to the new one for size comparison?

[ErikLotter]

nice dude, i might do this mod, how does it tell the temperature? did you wire in something else or it just uses the air arround it or something near the fron tof the windshield tells it what temp it is?

[Greg 94 PGT]

nice dude, i might do this mod, how does it tell the temperature? did you wire in something else or it just uses the air arround it or something near the fron tof the windshield tells it what temp it is?

It uses the thermometer that is in the first picture.

[MSDKLZE]

^ correct. That little thermistor is located on the end of the front bumper reinforcement bar of the Altima. You may need to snip the wire leading to it in order to easily pull the harness out. That pigtail gave me fits when I tried to drag it out in one piece. It's not hard to re-connect it.

I installed that sensor somewhere in my front bumper too. It reads a little high if I let the car sit a while running or something, but corrects after a mile of driving.

[phatgt4me]

thats pretty cool man. Great job on the install. Nice and clean. I always appreciate that. Ive debated changing my mirror... i got a wink mirror for now.

[EVILMSP]

Gorgeous!

[MSDKLZE]

I ended up taking mine off because it would not stay put..

I got my hands on a Kicker ZX1000.1 and a pair of subs and the first time I cranked it up, the mirror literally jumped off of the glass. I tried to keep gluing it back up, but it didn't like the stereo as much as I do.

It was either the mirror or the massive boom.... and I am a bass-a-holic, so the mirror had to go.

[phatgt4me]

LMAO. Thats Big boom. my plans are to run 2 zx250.1 amps off of 4 kicker comps. (600 rms) total. I dont plan on having it cranked incredibly high. Im not a bass nut but aprreicate clean sound.

I have glue at Best Buy for installing onstar mirrors. It takes forever to cure but it seems to hold well. Maybe try a glue better than the cheap autozone glue?

[MSDKLZE]

Big boom is right. Even with the Maniac 140amp alternator, gold plated terminals, 1 gauge copper cables, and a Duralast 1000amp battery, that dang amplifier still wants more! If you aren't a bass nut, DONT get a zx1000.1 !

I used the "professional strength" Permatex adhesive the last go around, but it didnt seem to hold any better than the normal grade adhesive. This particular mirror is rather heavy anyhow.

What is the name of the glue you use? I will give it a try! i really miss my mirror.

[Skillz508]

Would it be similar to try and use one from a never car that has the back up cam display in it as well? I would love that

[jasons96pgtze]

this is a very awesome mod.. I never thought of doing this but im definately going to do it now.. Thanks for the write up..

[93pgtravis]

I'll probably look into this mod in the spring

[probe-gt]

looks like I will be going to the yard soon!

[ScottD961]

This is awesome ! Don't know how I missed this !