How-to: Swapping out standard rearview for autodim/homelink mirror

[tsigoloeg]

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 onesself 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.
Modified by tsigoloeg at 9:42 PM 10/14/2007

[SHIFT_COUPE]

Awesome! Thank you for the write up. Should prove very useful for those looking to do the same.

I also set you an email. Check it

[SHIFT_CR]

i was wondering is the 2.5 base setup for the mirror?
Modified by SHIFT_CR at 10:18 PM 10/13/2007

[kidatheart]

I recieved my auto dim mirror on Friday and am going to tackle the task today. It does not look that difficult (we will see). I was going to take pics however as stated in this thread, the instructions are very good and come with pics as well. I may scan them into a pdf and post so people can preview them prior to deciding if they want to do this on their own or not. As for the 2.5 vs 3.5, the instructions are the same. It is also the same for the Coupe and the Sedan. Wish me luck (it will probably take me more than the 1 hour that it takes the tech).

[SHIFT_COUPE]

If you could scan them that would be great! Might give people more incentive to install this themselves if they see those instructions.

[kidatheart]

Well, I finished the install. I must say it was not that difficult. It only took me 1.5 hours to complete and I am by no means a Nissan Tech person. I started to take pics of the process and then gave up because the instructions that came with the Auto Dim Mirror kit were all that I needed to follow. I did not have the Trim Removal tool that it specifies (I used the small flathead screwdriver instead with a cloth wraped around it to protect the plastic from getting marked up). The 3 most difficult parts of the entire things were 1. stuffing the wire in the headliner, 2. making sure the pin that is inserted for the power is actually all the way in and 3. making sure that you follow all the steps listed in the directions exactly as listed.

For those of you who are not sure, I have scanned the directions and posted them to the following location... http://home.earthlink.net/~dbr...l.pdf

To me this is a no brainer to try yourself (saves you $$$). I purchased mine here http://www.mynismo.com/product...22740 (Get the one for the 2007 Altima). The total cost including shipping was $159.68.

Good Luck!

[tsigoloeg]

i was wondering is the 2.5 base setup for the mirror?

Modified by SHIFT_CR at 10:18 PM 10/13/2007

According to the people who sold me the mirror, the straight 2.5 base model is NOT set up for this mirror.

Assuming that it is related to the wiring harness, I'm sure a creative person could find a way around it.

[kidatheart]

According to the people who sold me the mirror, the straight 2.5 base model is NOT set up for this mirror.

Assuming that it is related to the wiring harness, I'm sure a creative person could find a way around it.

The 2008 Altima service manual does not appear to distinguish between the 2.5 and the 3.5 with regard to the mirror. If you want to check for sure I would look at the actual mirror to see if it can be removed per the instructions, the headliner near the mirror to see if there is a small cutout for the wire cover and then remove the A-pillar (which is very easy) to see if the 16-pin connector exists in there. If so, those are the main things that I would think are needed to make this work. The pdf of all the instructions are posted in this message chain so you can see how to check these things.

[SHIFT_COUPE]

kidatheart, thanks for taking the time to scan those into a .pdf! Very helpful!

[SHIFT_COUPE]

Turned this into a How-To that is now on our Article/How to page. Thanks for your input! Check it out.

http://www.nicoclub.com/articles.php?id=286567

tsigoloeg you still need to contact me