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 ....
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 ....
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