Elbo's Add a Factory Compass Mirror with Homelink

[Elbo]

Elbo's Brag Bit
I'm having fun creating these how-to's. Hope you enjoy them and find them useful. I got a 05 Titan Crew Cab SE last year, and I was already reaching too far and couldn't afford the Convience Package (Power Seats, Compass, AutoDim mirror, Audio Controls on Steering Wheel, etc) So I have been adding this stuff back to my truck. So far thanks to others I have added Factory Fogs, Factory Big Tow Mirrors, Factory Tow Hitch and some other junk


Link to Nissan Mirror at Courtesy Parts $199
http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...de=999L1-A6001

Credit for this idea goes to BullWhip, who posted about his install of a different mirror on that other board that we dare not speak it's name.

He installed this mirror an Exon Science http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SELF-...temZ8033698301

Which is a pretty cool mirror..
In comparison:

Nissan Pros:
- Nissan Kit, Ready to Go, Super Easy Install. (Exon is more wiring)
- Orange LED on compass, matches truck (Exon is Blue LED)
- Has Home Link (instead of temp gauge)
- Gentex Brand (great known quality)

Exon Pros:
- Temp Gauge w/Ice Warn (instead of Homelink)
- Cheaper Price ($99 + shipping versus $199)
- UV Sensor

There is also another Nissan Mirror that has the temp gauge, but it is expensive.

Either mirror will be a great improvment over the stock non-dimming mirror

This is my fourth how to!

LED moodlight (work in progress)
ELBO's LED MOODLIGHT!

JDM HID Install
JDM HID for Titan Review

Audio Controls on the steering wheel
Adding Steering Wheel Audio Controls


About this mod:

Auto dimming mirrors are great! Homelink is great!! Compass, well this is just
sorta silly, but.. It's there. The upgraded mirror is significantly larger than the stock mirror. (See image below to see!) And it works extemely well, and is easy to use. It is made by the best mirror manufacturer, Gentex.

Well if you have a XE or SE without a auto dimming mirror and you want one well you can get it! Just to note, in 04 Models the upgraded mirror was a nice Gentex auto dim with compass and Homelink. In 05 they switched to to just a regular auto dim mirror, but with a compass, temp, display in the overhead console. I originally wanted to do this setup, but the price is prohibitive.. It's around $460 to pull that off. The mirrors are expensive as well, but Courtesy Nissan has a great price on a complete kit for $199. I think the retail on the mirror is close to $500.00 Crazy.

But $199 is a good price for a Gentex, if you look on ebay you will find that used one's go for well into $100+ range. And this is a very loaded mirror feature wise. Too bad it doesn't have temp!

If you don't use the Nissan Factory upgrade kit, you could probably get another mirror and these instructions should still help you a good deal.

Skill Level:
- Pretty Darn Easy, I'd Say 2 on scale of 1 to 5

Time:
- About an hour, if you have all your stuff together.

Tools:
- You will need a Torx T9
- Phillips Screw Driver
- Sissors
- 10mm Socket Wrench
- Thin Plastic Cooking Spatula (Or headliner tool)

- The rest of the items needed comes with the Mirror,
this includes some tie wraps, Sponge Tape, Wire Guide,
wiring & harness, some instructions. as shown below

[Elbo]

Step 1: Unhook the battery
- Use the 10mm socket to disconnect the negative terminal. Put a towel
or something around the loose cable so it doesn't short into something.

Step 2: Remove the old stock mirror
Easy to do, you will need a 4mm flat head screwdriver. If you don't
know what 4mm is, it is small, about like three quarters stacked together.
Depth wise.

You slide the flathead up and into the little open notch. It goes back about 1/2 inch as shown below, and releases a clip. Which the mirror will then slide off very easily.

[Elbo]

Step 3: Remove Weather Strip on Passenger Side.

Note the instructions are wrong here, it will tell you to
start by removing the weather stripping on the driver side!

Start by exposing the weather stripping, don't pull on just the black rubber
part but the beige and black part as shown in the picture. If you pull on
just the black, it will rip! I got a small tear in mine. So learn from my mistakes!

You only need to expose the area from the dash up to the headliner.

[Elbo]

Step 4: Remove OSB Bar :

What pretell is an OSB Bar? OSB It stands for Ohhhh SHEEEEEET Bar!
In otherwords the grab handle. I always wanted to drive crazy, and just have the OSB velcro'ed on, so when my freaked out passenger goes to grab it, it comes off in their hand!! But I digress..

It's easy to remove. You can use your nails, or the spatula to peel the corners open.. Which expose two phillips screws. Stash those into the little holders on the dash so you don't loose the. Finally a purpose for those goofy little holders!

Once you get the two screws out, you have to give it a little tug, as it also has two plastic clips.

[Elbo]

Step 5: Remove Panel :

Super easy, now that you did the prep work. Start at the top, and use
your hands to peel it back slowly, once you got the top pulled away, you
can lift the bottom part UP wards. It has two plastic wedges it rests on.

[Elbo]

Step 6: Remove Glovebox

1. Remove the Fusebox cover (pic below)

2. Open the glove box. There will be six screws, you will remove four of them,
not the top center two. (pic below)

3. Now below the glove box, there are two more screws. Fortunately for
you all of these screws are identical. So you don't have to keep them
seperated.

4. Now you can remove the whole glovebox assembly, it just pries out from the center console area outwards towards the door.

[Elbo]

Step 7 Plug Harness into Mirror and Run Wiring

1. Okay good time to have a beer!

2. Plug the harness into the mirror.

3. Now slide the mirror onto the metal plate, and mildly tighten the Torx T9 bit. You want it on there good enuff that the mirror doesn't fall off but you don't want to get crazy can break something attached to your windshield!

4. Wrap some sponge tape around the wire about eight inches from the mirror. Then stuff this wire up above the headliner. It's a little bit tricky to do.. But you will get the hang of it. I used a spatula to help.

5. Once you got the wire up, you can use the wire cover, (Included with
the mirror) to cover up the exposed wire running up to the headliner.

4. Now you can run the rest of the wire over toward the passenger side,
adding sponge tape about two, three more times, evenly spaced out. Notice we are at step 4 again.. Hmmm.. Maybe we shouldn't have had the beer?

[Elbo]

Step 8: Guiding Wire down to Fuse Box



1. You will guide the wire down from the headliner, and along the other
pre-existing wire. Add about three tie wraps and LOOSELY tighten, don't
trim them yet.

2. Guide the rest of the wire down behind the dash area and up to the fuse box, as shown in the pictures. This isn't very hard, btw.

Refer to pictures.

[Elbo]

Step 9: Wire up the Fuse Box!

This might sound like it would be a fuss, but it's easy.

The Nissan kit makes it easy!

1. Seperate the Ground wire (Ring) and the other part of the wire by a foot or so. Just peel them apart by hand.

2. Unscrew the bottom bolt on the right side of the fuse box, as shown in
picture below.

3. Reattach the Bolt with the ground wire.

4. Now unclip the lower White Clip on the left side as shown. It has a little
notch on the left side.. Push in with a screw driver to help release it.
(You did unhook the battery?, right? )

5. Once you have the white clip out. You unlock the clip, by inserting the small flat head screw driver on the end and sliding it open a bit, as shown.
(Be careful once it is in the open position, that your other existing wires don't fall out of it!)

6. Now slide the black wire from your mirror into the second slot on the top left, as shown. (This will also be shown in detail in the Nissan Instructions)

7. Re-lock the clip, and plug it back in.

[Elbo]

Step 10: Gathering the wire up!

1. Back up at the top, gather up all the excess wire and then fold it up
and fasten it down with a zip tie. Go ahead and tighten the rest of the zip ties, and cut the excess. Be sure not to block the holes indicated.

2. Use remaining sponge tape to tape the wire down, as shown.

[Elbo]

Step 11: Finishing it all up

1. Hook the battery back up, and test the mirror for LED activity.

2. Reinstall the trim in reverse order.
so..

Put the glove box back on (six screws)
Put the Plastic Pillar back in, slide it down, and then push it in.
Put the OSB bar back on. (two screws)
Put the Weatherstripping back.

3. Put your tools away!

4. Celebrate!

[mysecondnissan]

I wonder why it does not have temp? It looks just like the mirror in my fathers Armada but his has temp. Mines on order anyway. Courtesy should pay you commission!!!!

Thanks again ELBO

[gary748]

Hey Elbo-

Nice Job! You are costing me too much money with your mods. I got the JDM HID kit because of you and now this! Do you have a picture of the finished product with the LED on? Thanks!

[Elbo]

I'll post one tomorrow. It was nice coming home and hitting the homelink button tonite to open the garage door.

[gary748]

Thanks Elbo!! Look forward to doing this mod. Your how to's are awesome, very detailed and super informative. Thanks again.