Auto Dimming Mirror with Homelink Installation Time

[clint0r]

I'm buying a 2010 3 Sport GT tomorrow, yay :)

I wanted the Homelink mirror but my dealership insists the install will take 3 hours to complete and wanted to charge me roughly $330 which brings the total cost of the mirror to 650 dollars (285+35 for the mirror/kit).

Am I being ripped off? I read another thread from 2005 where people were doing in an hour or two, but that was 4 years ago and I'm not sure if the technology has changed significantly where the installation time has dramatically increased.

From the salesman:
"The reason being that the installation takes approx 3 hrs is because of the
process of the installation. First off the A pillar molding (driverside pillar)
needs to be uncliped and removed, the door sill trim needs to be removed in order to remove the kick panel
(left panel beside feet).Then the wiring for the mirror itself needs to
feed down through the A pillar of the vehicle and down to the
wiring harness behind the kick panel and fuse
box. After these first steps out technican then needs to hard wired
the mirror into the vehicles wiring harness because it is not the same harness
as a 3 sport that comes with a homelink mirror."

Cheers
cp

[SpeedBaby]

3 hours?!?!?!??!?!?! from what i remember (mind you that I have only been watching over the installation process with the instructions in my hands) it took no more than 40 mins. the longest part was programming (because i misread those instructions) and you would have to do it probably on your own anyways.

[Chester_Lampwick]

Are there any .pdf instructions on installing Mazda accessories? For example here's a site with instructions for a Honda Civic. (http://www.handa-accessories.com/civic/06-civic-mirror.pdf)

I'd love instructions like this for Mazdas.

[JadeButterfly]

it does not take 3 hours.

i've done the installation and i say it will take around 45mins-1hr at most.

the hardest part of the installation is tapping the purple wire (located behind the hood release) because there is very limited room.

[SpeedBaby]

no, but there was a link on m3f ( here it is (http://www.supercar-engineering.com/rubberducky/Mazda3/Mods/All/HLMirror/index.html)) although i'm not sure that it applies to the 2010...

[TheMAN]

they're available but not anywhere publicly accessible

its too bad you can't post attachments here or I'd post it

[clint0r]

Thanks for the replies. I countered back with 1 hour and will do it myself if needed.

Cheers
cp

[3Remix]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but does the 04-09 Auto Dimming Mirror work on the 2010's?

In fact, The auto dimming feature does not even have to work, I only want the compass to work. :P

[crono06]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but does the 04-09 Auto Dimming Mirror work on the 2010's?

In fact, The auto dimming feature does not even have to work, I only want the compass to work. :P

Lol why!? Auto dimming is awesome! I actually find it to be quite helpful.

[Noisy Crow]

Yes, they will fit... get the version that fits the cars with rainsensors, as all of the electroinics are in the mirror itselft (the older ones had a separate module for the compass that sticks to the window).

That said... you do not have to buy the mirror from Mazda. The mirrors are available from lots of sources... hit Google for "autodim mirror" The one thing that Mazda does have is an installation kit... which basically is a replacement cover for the rain-sensor that some cars have (the cover that comes with the car gets in the way) and a plastic tube to hide the wires between the new rain-sensor cover and the roofline. Ummm no idea what the install kit for non-rain-sensor equipped cars has in it... but it can't be much.

This looks exactly like the mirror I bought from Mazda:
http://shop.autodimmingmirrors.com/products-genk5a.asp

[3Remix]

Lol why!? Auto dimming is awesome! I actually find it to be quite helpful.

Haha, really? I always thought it was gimmick. But then again, I have never tried it :blah


Yes, they will fit... get the version that fits the cars with rainsensors, as all of the electroinics are in the mirror itselft (the older ones had a separate module for the compass that sticks to the window).

That said... you do not have to buy the mirror from Mazda. The mirrors are available from lots of sources... hit Google for "autodim mirror" The one thing that Mazda does have is an installation kit... which basically is a replacement cover for the rain-sensor that some cars have (the cover that comes with the car gets in the way) and a plastic tube to hide the wires between the new rain-sensor cover and the roofline. Ummm no idea what the install kit for non-rain-sensor equipped cars has in it... but it can't be much.

This looks exactly like the mirror I bought from Mazda:
http://shop.autodimmingmirrors.com/products-genk5a.asp

Are the OEM Mazda ones plug and play? I think I might pick up a 1gen one if so

[Noisy Crow]

Are the OEM Mazda ones plug and play? I think I might pick up a 1gen one if so

Well... yes, but there isn't much plugging. As noted, I installed the one with everything built into the mirror.

Installation steps (as best as I can recall):

Remove rainsensor cover (PITA to get off :flaming)
Remove OEM mirror
Remove driver-side kickpanel
Remove driver-side A-pillar cover (another PITA to get off :flaming:flaming)
Run the provided wire from mirror location over to the A-pillar, tucking it under the headliner
Run the wire along the A-pillar and down to the ground point that is under the driver side kick panel. I took the time to feed the wire through the dash... (and yet another PITA! :flaming:flaming:flaming). You can probably cheat and tuck it under the weather stripping. I suspect that is what the dealer would do anyway... did I mention that fishing the wire through the dash was a PITA? :flaming:flaming:flaming
Connect the black (ground) wire to the ground point (it is terminated with a ring-terminal), and use a T-connector to tap the the red (+12v) to a switched +12V wire on the harness (I can't recall the colour, but I can look it up if you like)
Tie wrap the wire in place, and replace the covers.
Slide the new mirror into place and tighten the screw.
Clip the new rain-sensor cover into place
Route the new mirror wire beside the rain-sensor wire and slide the little plastic wire cover in place
Calibrate the compass
Done!
Note: I have a piece of 35% window tint film stuck over the mirror's ambient light sensor (used rubber cement). Without it I found that the mirror didn't dim enough in twighlight - I was still getting dazzled by headlights. The tint film fixed that nicely.

[McGuyver_3]

Well... yes, but there isn't much plugging. As noted, I installed the one with everything built into the mirror.

Installation steps (as best as I can recall):

Remove rainsensor cover (PITA to get off :flaming)
Remove OEM mirror
Remove driver-side kickpanel
Remove driver-side A-pillar cover (another PITA to get off :flaming:flaming)
Run the provided wire from mirror location over to the A-pillar, tucking it under the headliner
Run the wire along the A-pillar and down to the ground point that is under the driver side kick panel. I took the time to feed the wire through the dash... (and yet another PITA! :flaming:flaming:flaming). You can probably cheat and tuck it under the weather stripping. I suspect that is what the dealer would do anyway... did I mention that fishing the wire through the dash was a PITA? :flaming:flaming:flaming
Connect the black (ground) wire to the ground point (it is terminated with a ring-terminal), and use a T-connector to tap the the red (+12v) to a switched +12V wire on the harness (I can't recall the colour, but I can look it up if you like)
Tie wrap the wire in place, and replace the covers.
Slide the new mirror into place and tighten the screw.
Clip the new rain-sensor cover into place
Route the new mirror wire beside the rain-sensor wire and slide the little plastic wire cover in place
Calibrate the compass
Done!
Note: I have a piece of 35% window tint film stuck over the mirror's ambient light sensor (used rubber cement). Without it I found that the mirror didn't dim enough in twighlight - I was still getting dazzled by headlights. The tint film fixed that nicely.

Seems like you had quite the experience with this. Its not that hard and what did you have to feed wiring through the dash for?

[Noisy Crow]

Seems like you had quite the experience with this. Its not that hard and what did you have to feed wiring through the dash for?

Well.. getting things off is easy if you exactly where to press, which way to twist, etc. Not so easy when you are trying to avoid scratching/breaking your almost-new car.

As for feeding the wire through the dash... well I followed the harness down the A-pillar and that's where it went! And the instructions say that it should be run that way, so I figured, "how hard could it be"? Well, quite. But at that point it became a challenge to avoid having a stupid piece of wire win! :)

If I was going to do it again I would run it through the dash, but I would pull the lower dash cover off to make it easier on myself.

[McGuyver_3]

the wiring goes to the drivers kick panel hence my confusion on running it through the dash and you dont necesarily have to remove the a pillar. Yet again I have played with these cars so much i know what i can avoid. Thats like anything though you do things over and over and yuou learn where yuou can cut corners

[Noisy Crow]

the wiring goes to the drivers kick panel hence my confusion on running it through the dash and you dont necesarily have to remove the a pillar. Yet again I have played with these cars so much i know what i can avoid. Thats like anything though you do things over and over and yuou learn where yuou can cut corners

How do you run the wire from the mirror to the kick panel without pulling off the pillar cover? Just tuck it under?

[McGuyver_3]

pull the a pillar back but not off and pull the seal off and you will have more then enough room to tuck the wiring in behind

[Noisy Crow]

pull the a pillar back but not off and pull the seal off and you will have more then enough room to tuck the wiring in behind

Well I'm not moving it now! :chuckle