Gentex Mirror

[lex]

Can this Gentex Mirror I saw on EBAY be installed in my 92 ES300?

[lex]

Oops forgot the link, here it is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=2420221881

[bbsal]

sure why wouldnt it?the guy says he will include the button at no extra cost so even if your button is different he is willing to give you one so yes it will work fine.dame i might order one too.i been wanting one so maybe i will invest also.

[lex]

so i take it you just have to wire it up to the overhead light/sunroof control panel?

[lex]

also is it hard to take off the old mirror? Seems stuck on the windshield pretty good.

[steviej]

call around to a few windshield installation shops, some will remove the old mount and afix the new mount to you windshield for about $20.00. However, they probably won't toucht he wiring.

I have heard of people running it behind the support pillar to get it under the dashboard to power. Others have wired it into the lights and sunroof power cords in the overhead panel.

steviej

[lex]

OK, I bought the Gentex mirror, can anyone tell me how to remove the ceiling insulation and the vinyl around the support pillar to run the wires to the fuse box? Thanks.

[SKperformance]

it all depends on the new mirros attachments

if it comes with a new neck and mount or not

the old mirror should come off

by poping of the litle plastic shround where it attaces to the glass

and then removed with a screw

[squarehat]

I've got a Gentex mirror on my '96 ES (same mount). The factory mirror is held on by some very stubborn adhesive, and there's a rubber damper between the glass and the metal mount. It took me a dozen glass shops to find one willing to do the job (most howled that the windshield would break). Finally, I found a shop willing to do it. The tech there had seen the Lexus mirrors before, and knew that the trick was to attack the rubber vibration damper. He took a putty knife and ball peen hammer, and started tapping away, while another tech pushed down on the windshield from the outside to keep it from flexing to the breaking point. They got it off in about 30 seconds, and the tech cleaned the residue off with solvent, and mounted the American-style mirror button for me. Didn't charge me a cent :) I slipped the tech a crisp $20, and told him that he had absolutely made my day for helping me pull of a mod they said couldn't be done :)

Once I had the mirror mounted, it was time to wire. Pulled off the A-pillar trim (snaps off, starts above driver's window, goes down into dash. Slipped the wire behind the edge of the headliner (remove the screws for the driver's side sun visor and center sun visor to pull the headliner back). Removed a piece of weatherstripping at the bottom of the A-pillar, to run the wires down into the dash. Pulled lower dash panel out (4 bolts, two of which were hidden). Run the wires into the fuse panel to something switched with ignition, such as the cig lighter) using fuse taps. Secure the wires to the A-pillar wire bundle with zip ties. Replace headliner, A-pillar trim, and weatherstripping.

My mirror was a bit more complicated to wire, as it had a separate power feed for the dimmer and compass (switched with ignition) and the HomeLink garage opener (always on). I had a stereo shop wire the "always on" portion for me. Unfortunately, they didn't replace that weatherstrip by the dash, and I had to buy a new one for $23 at the dealer.

[squarehat]

I just noticed your sig said Gentex EC/Compass/HomeLink mirror. Is it the one for Nissan/Infiniti? That's the one I've got. Good luck with it, let me know if I can help.

Just clicked the link, it appears it is. $185 is a good deal, I paid $260 at the parts counter of my local Nissan dealer for mine.

[lex]

Thanks squarehat, btw, how much did the stereo shop charge you to do the always on wiring? I talked to a local stereo shop and they estimated that it would cost about $100 to do the entire wiring job. Is that a good price?

[squarehat]

I ran the wires down into the fuse box and left them hanging there, so all the shop had to do was figure out the right wires (and make the actual connections). Since they didn't have to do anything to too time consuming (I did the pulling the wires under the headliner, down the A-pillar, and into the kick panel ahead of time), it was just a half hour of labor--something like $38 with tax. I had it done at a local chain audio shop that's in the Cleveland metro area. Out in CA, I'm sure there are even more shops to call.

[lex]

how did you access the drivers side sunvisor screw? Theres a cover, does it just pop off using a screwdriver? Just wanna make sure, cuz I don't wanna break anything. Also where are the screws for the lower dash panel? Thanks.

[lex]

Also where did you mount the new button on the windshield? in the same spot as the old mirror? or closer to the headliner so there would be less wire showing?

[squarehat]

Same exact spot. There's a black painted square on the glass to hide the button from the outside. The glass guy just centered the new button horizontally in the square, with the top edge of the button on the top edge of the masking square. As for the cord, the mirror comes with a telescoping piece of wiremold that hides the wire between the mirror and the headliner. I've been in cars without the wiremold (friend's Grand Cherokee) where the cord just hangs, and it looks messy. But our mirrors have the nice wiremold to keep things neat.

As for both sunvisors, use a small flathead screwdriver to pop the screw cover. Lexus does a great job of covering up screwheads.

The four bolts to pull the panel under the steering wheel are 10mm and are in the following locations (doing this from memory at quarter to 2AM, having trouble sleeping): top left is inside the fuse door (pop the panel off), top right is behind the cover for the climate control sensor (pry this off carefully, like the visor covers), bottom left is near the hood release, doesn't have any cover, and bottom right can be traced on a line from the other two, and shouldn't have a cover, either.

[lex]

Cool thanx, maybe i'll use the fuse reserved for the seat heaters, since I don't have those. Also I think I'll try using a razor blade, and work it under the edges of the old mirror mount after heating it under the sun for awhile. Think that will work?

[lex]

Another thing, do you have to calibrate the compass after its installed?

[squarehat]

I was told by the tech who had experience with Lexus mirrors that heat doesn't affect the Lexus adhesive, that only mechanical force would. Try the putty knife trick (go very light, and have a buddy push in on the window where it's bowing out). Otherwise, keeping calling shops until you find one as cooperative as the one that did mine.

Compass is easy to calibrate. It comes with instructions to set region code (based on longitude, the deviation between magnetic north and geographic north widens). The mirror is set by default to the region for Michigan, where Gentex is located. Once you've set the region code for your location, the display will read "C" to indicate calibration is needed. Drive around the block in a circle a couple of times, and the display will shift from "C" to displaying a heading. The compass automatically recalibrates every time you drive a circular route (don't worry, you only see the "C" during the initial calibration)

[lex]

Ok i finally received the mirror this morning, got the old button off with the putty knife and a rubber hammer, works great! I did it myself without having anyone push down on the outside of the windshield. yay! Alright so now the new button is on and I'm letting it settle till tomorrow. I took off the bottom dash panel just to check out what to do ahead of time. How did you access the wires in back of the fuse box? Did you take it out or did you just stick your head all the way back there. Looks cramped.

[lex]

i just remembered that you said you used a fused tap, for the switched on. Which way does the current flow, do you tap the fuse on the bottom contact or the top contact in order to still get the fuse protection? Also did you see where your autoshop connected the "always on" wire?

[squarehat]

Glad to hear the putty knife technique worked. I'll run out to the garage in a bit, and see if I can give you some specifics on the wiring.

[lex]

Crap, I was almost done, and was trying to put on the telescoping trim that hides the wire, it was a really tight fit and the windshield cracked! The crack goes across the black part and protrudess about a half centimeter on the left and right. I guess the pounding from the putty knife weakened that area? Dammit, now I need to save up for a friggin windshield. Argh!!

[squarehat]

Oh no! My telescope wasn't too tight of a fit, in fact I had to extend the telescope about 1 cm to fill the gap. Perhaps you can put some epoxy filler on the crack to keep it from extending. I'll check on the fuses in a bit, I've been doing some painting around the house.

[lex]

btw, the headliner in the center didn't give way very much. I took out the 2 screws from the driver side visor hinge, the screw for the visor hook, and the 2 screws in the center mini visor and also the screw from the passenger visor hook. The headliner in the vicinity of the driverside visor hinge came off fine, and I was able to tuck the wire in easily but near visor hook all the way to the center it was really tough, I had to really force the wire under the headliner in that area. Did you have any problems like that?

[steviej]

see if your insurance company will cover the cost of the windshield.

tell them a rock hit it. DON'T tell them you were messin with a putty knife and a mallet.

When you have the new one put on, see if the installer will reattach the mount.

steviej