I blame my latest mod on forum member...

jdmvette (thanks mang!!!)

During a recent forum thread about radar detectors, he just happened to take a pic of his C5 interior ... and include the fancy mirror he installed (sneaky camera-man... )
ref: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...46&postcount=2

I started looking at the available rear-view mirrors with Homelink built-in, and found quite a selection available. All seem to be made by Gentex (Johnson Controls).

The very basic are all electronic dimming. Then from there you can add:

*Homelink (garage door opener)
*Compass
*outside temp
*OnStar (extra module required, very expensive)

or any combination of. I also learned that any 2006 or newer model Gentex mirror will do the rolling-code type garage door opener (which I have); and before 2006 some wouldn't

The factory mirrors wiring harness for my 2002 coupe already had the needed feeds; ground, 12v constant, 12v switched, and dome light (the dome light importance will be discussed later).

Only if I opted for the Gentex mirror with the temp display would I need to run extra wires. I decided against the temp display; just a personal preference. So, that narrowed down the search a little...

*electronic diming
*Compass
*Homelink

then I discovered that you can get the compass (and temp display) in various colors... amber, blue, red, green. I chose blue, so this further narrowed down my search.

New Gentex mirrors with electronic dim, compass, and Homelink run $300 to 350 WAY TOO MUCH for me, the "cheap bastich"

I then discovered that's there's quite a market for used mirrors. Many high end vehicles come with these mirrors from the factory. A lot fo people take them out of wrecked vehicles and sell them on eBay.

The one I purchased on eBay was out of a 2006 Toyota Tundra (if I remember the ad correctly). The seller included a new universal wiring harness (very important, as the connector is unique and you won't find then anywhere)... for $200 shipped.

here's the new and original mirrors:



closeup of the Gentex:

first three buttone are for 3 different garage door codes, and/or homelink lighting (between #2 and 3 is an indicator led). Then another indicator LED, then an autio-dim on'off button, and last a compass button.

top view comparison


bottom view:


as you can see, the factory mirror includes the interior dome lights on the bottom of the mirror (since there's no dome light mounted on the inside of the roof). I anticipated that and modified the Gentex mirror adding 4 brite-white LED's to the bottom of the case:


remember that little yellow LED on the bottom of the factory mirror that everyone discovers and then posts about ???

I added one of them too


yep; it wasn't easy taking the Gentex mirror apart, but there was plenty of room in the rear case to add the LED's and route the wires.



I connected the dome brite-white LED's to the factory mirror dome light wire, and the yellow LED to the switched 12v wire.

Looking at the bottom with the dome-LED's actiovated:


yellow LED illuminated:


Installed in my 2002 Coupe:


I calibrated the compass, and then programmed the garage door opener... all worked perfectly. Couldn't be happier.

Here's a crude video of the electronic diming feature in action. I start out wth the auto-dim forced off, then with my hand covering up the light sensor, I re-activate the auto-dim.
http://ctechradio.com/temp/mirror.mpg

I did some prelim testing with the brite-white LED's... and decided that 4 of them almost equalled the factory dome lights located in the original mirror. These were cheal 99 cent All Electronic LED's. I know there are evenbrighter ones available, but the cost would of almost trippled; and the amoungt of courtesy light from these 4 is more than adequate.

I always had my garage door opener on the floor, always fumbling around to find it.

NO MORE !!!