Hello, I have an issue with installing a new rear view mirror in my 91 Firebird. My original stock mirror has the two map lights and the center console illuminator on the bottom of it, and I want to swap it out for the self dimming mirror type. The problem is, my stock mirror has 4 wires coming from it in, Orange, white, black, gray. The piece of harness attached to the dimmer mirror only has 3 wires, a green, a red, and a black. I need to know which wires go together. I assume the black will go to black, and the white and orange go to the green and red wires, but which one? Is it orange to green, or orange to red? I sure dont want to burn something up by hooking it up wrong. Final question is what to do with the leftover fourth wire (I think its for the little console illuminator light.) Do I just put a cap on it, or does it need to be wired to something else? I dont know much about wiring so any help would be appreciated. I got my overhead console installed fine, but this mirror has me stumped. Thanks.

On an auto dimming mirror, the green wire "may" go to the reverse lights. Been a long time since I messed with one.

JamesC

Red is positive,Black is ground and green goes to the reverse lights

What does a green wire in a mirror, have to with Reverse?

Mine didn't work for the first 3 years I had my GTA, then just started working one night on the way home.

A week later & it stopped again. That was months ago & haven't worked again since.

Thanks for the info guys, does this mean that the mirror isnt going to work in my car without some major rewiring? My wires are the orange and white and they connect to my mirror, then the dome lamp. I have no wires for a reverse light up there.

I have read that it "un-dims" the mirror when you put the car in reverse.

i will give you the wiring diagram for a 90 - about the same - and Orange is the color used for the hot wire.
look at section e-28 for the color codes

Thanks for the diagram, that looks pretty much like what I have in my car. Problem is I dont know where the reverse light wire figures in, it doesnt appear to be in the diagram or in my car. I wonder if I can just wire the Mirror into the existing wiring and bypass the whole "auto un-dim while in reverse" feature? I really want to use the mirror, but I dont know enough about wiring to do much more than splice here and there. As long as it works while Im driving, I could live with it not turning off while in reverse, I can always use the switch on it to turn it off if I need to (though I would rather all its features work).

So I guess for now I just need to know what to attach the green, and the green/red wire to (not sure which is the hot wire), and if that gray wire for the console illuminator just needs to be capped off. I would experiment a bit, but knowing my luck, Id burn my car to the ground.

i think the reverse light wire has to do with the shift lever not the mirror. you put your can in reverse and the back up lights turn on. at least they do in mine.
nothing happens with my mirrow - although i should see if something does happen if i have the map light on and i put it in reverse but i never drive with them on. wife will turn them on once in a while but im not usually backing up. i will check later today.

Correct. Check the following link, post #5 or do a search using "wiring auto dimming mirror" and you'll find info that may be helpful:

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/in...dimming+mirror (Installed an auto dimming temp/compass mirror in the car)

JamesC

Thanks JamesC, I checked it out, unfortunately that one is referring to a new model electronic dimming mirror from a chevy truck with 7 pin connector. Mine is the old style "auto-tilt" dimming mirror with a little motor in it that tilts the mirror glass (no temp or comp). It came from a 87 GTA and has a 3 pin connector. The harness for it has a red wire, a red/green wire, and the black.

My existing car is a 91 model (mirror has map lights and console light) and it has a 4 pin connector with white, orange, black and gray. The orange and white wires from this harness power the dome light as well. Aside from the 3rd brake light, their is no other wiring in my roof, I have the entire headliner out of it.

Im kinda afraid that I simply wont be able to use this mirror because of that, but Im hoping I can wire it into my existing dome lamp wires somehow and it work. I just dont know a thing about wiring really, so I need some one to help show me what color to attach to what color. I dont think Im capable of running new wires into the fuse panel or anything, that would be a recipe for disaster with me doing it. Do I smell smoke?

The overhead console I got from the same 87 GTA had the same color wires as the harness in my car, so it was a breeze to splice in, but this bloody mirror is killing me with these green and reds in it.

UPDATE: I have looked over some more info and combined with everything here, it looks like the hot wire could be plugged into the acc fuse or a plug added if their isnt one with relative ease (I may try this but the thought scares the hell out of me). I just cant seem to find out where to put the third wire for the reverse lights. is this thing gonna need to plug into the fuse box somehow or somewhere else?

And If I do use the acc fuse, will it still use a 20 amp, or will it need a larger fuse on account of their being more drain on it? Like I said, I dont know jack about wiring.

I understand. My intention was not only to show that the green wire was connected to reverse, but also to demonstrate that it was unneeded for the mirror to function properly if you chose to eliminate it (Maybe that was another link. I can't recall).

In order to install the green wire, you'd have to remove the A-pillar, which would probably break the clips and/or the retainers on the A-pillar itself. Check the following link, near the end, for pics of the clips/retainers:

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/bo...servation.html (Window/Door Rattles--Observation and Pics)

Where to splice into the green wire? Under the dash, I'd think (note the green wire):

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/en...-function.html (The Cruise Control Will Function With Motor Swap and Deleted Computer)

JamesC

Thanks for the info, I have the A pillars already removed, in fact all interior except the carpet is now out of the car. I do a lot of interior trim work, so I have all the tools for removing those clips and such. I just dont have a bit of wiring knowledge, since its always been a big fear of mine to short something out. I absolutely killed a home stereo amp one time with my poor wiring skills.

I should be able to get the wiring harness down the pillar no problem, by running it along side the existing dome lamp and brake light harness, but I dont know where to hook the reverse wire up at once I get down there. I will bypass the whole reverse light thing if I have to, but it would be much nicer if I could get it to work.

I did this upgrade some years back.First with the older style auto dim third gens unit.Currently though Im running the auto dim with the compass.I looked up the schematic on my haynes manual, so answer the question.

Blk= grd

Red= pos(this should go to the fuse block,switch)so the mirror wont go on/off & drain your batt

Red/grn= Rev circuit, there is a light green wire in the harness that runs along the dr side rocker.I accessed it by removing the kick panel.Simply use a circuit tester to find which green wire to splice into.IIRC there was more than one, but i just put the car in rev until the tester indicated so.Thats about all there is to it

[quote=84 1LE;4168552Red/grn= Rev circuit, there is a light green wire in the harness that runs along the dr side rocker.I accessed it by removing the kick panel.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like the splice could be made at the green wire I show above--which goes to the trans or at the wire that goes to the reverse lights directly.

JamesC

When i pulled the mirror at the junkyad i traced the green/red wire to that point behind the kickpanel & just took the enitre harness.I double check the schhematic to see what color my wire would be, but i copied everything from the donor car.

Just recently pulled 2 of these distance mirrors out of junkyard cars.First one came from an 87 Z28,2nd one was pulled from a 1988 Buick Riviera.I think I currently have about 7 of them.Might have to actually get around to installing one now

Thanks so much everyone for all the help, I feel like Im really getting somewhere with this! I found the green reverse wire where it runs along the door and up into the dash, then looks like it continues on to the shifter. I plan to splice into it in the kick panel area if that will work, thats about the max length of my wire harness.

Upon checking my fuse panel, I have two acc sockets, one is a 20 amp fuse, and the other is the Pwr acc with a breaker. Should I use the Pwr acc or the regular 20 amp acc socket?

I took some pictures of the green wire and the acc wires on the fuse panel, is it ok to just splice in the area near where its arrowed or does the hot wire need to be wired directly into the fuse box somehow? There is also a pic of the front of the fuse panel in case its got a special slot just for this mirror that I dont know about. It has several empty slots.

On the red wire i plugged it into the acc circled on the fuse box.The white connector should snap right in.With the green rev i spliced into it.This is how it was set-up on the donor car.So i just copied it on mine.

Thanks a bunch!, looks like Im ready to start splicing. One last question, what size/type of fuse goes in that plug? I dont recall seeing one that size in my fuse kit.

No fuse, the white plug on the red wire goes in that spot.Actually any one of those acc should work.As long as its not "always hot".Im sure that circuit has a fuse though.

Ahh ok, thanks for the heads up. I was gonna plug it into the rear of that socket. Good thing I waited for a reply.

Thanks !

It works!!!!! My plug has a tab on back and wont fit in the inst LPS so I put it in the one next to it labeled IGN. I got it all hooked up and tested with my flashlight. The auto adjust and distance knob work, and it turns off when in reverse. And I dont smell smoke!!! Very cool indeed, and so quiet and fast when it moves. Thanks so much to everyone for all the help, no way I would have ever figured this out on my own without burning my car to the ground a few times.

I dont know if this is related or not, but I seem to now have a buzzing noise coming from the silver box in my dash, mounted behind/under where the map pocket goes on the passenger side. It does it when the key is turned on, its kinda high pitched at first when the choke/service engine/airbag lights first come on then changes to a steady buzz. I dont know if it does it while running since I wouldnt hear it over my engine. This is the first time I have hooked the battery up to the car since stripping all the interior panels and installed the new stuff, so it may have done it all along and I just couldnt hear it through all the plastic panels.

I dont know what the box is, so hard to guess at what may have caused it, or if its at all related to the addition of the mirror or overhead console. If I unhook both the mirror and console, it still buzzes, so its probably unrelated.

Any ideas to what it could be? I attached a pic of the buzz box in question.

Edit: I just noticed my battery is a bit low, strong enough to start the car, but I kinda lugs at first. Could the low battery be causing that to buzz if its some kind of relay perhaps?
Thanks again so much guys!!!

Got me on that one.I dont own a FB & my camaro doesnt have that.I thought it might be the key/headlight warning buzzer gone bad.Does it buzz if you turn on just the headlights?

It doesnt do it unless the key is in the on position so the dash lights for airbag and choke and all that come on. The headlights dont have to be on. For the first few seconds it makes a higher pitched intermittent buzz like static interferance on a radio, then it goes to a constant low tone buzz like a beard trimmer with a low battery. Its not the door is open/lights left on beeper thing, that is under the steering wheel and makes a loud high pitched constant beeeeeep noise. I removed it so I could listed better for the source of the sound, which turned out to be that silver box.

Everything seems to work fine in my car from what I can tell, and the box isnt vibrating or anything, but the sound its making kinda sounds like it would if something was vibrating inside it. It isnt hot or smelling of smoke, but its worrying me, Im very paranoid about wiring shorts and such. Im hoping its normal to do that, but I want to be sure.

My battery is now fully charged also and its still doing it, so it wasnt caused by low battery.

I dont know.Maybe a haynes manual will identify what that is.Wish i could help.

No problem and thanks anyways, its the thought that counts. I do have the hanes manual for 82-92 but it doesnt seem to show much about the 91-92 models, and I cant find anything about that silver box.

Oh well, Im confident someone will know the answer to this puzzle. I may repost this problem in the electronics section in a few days if Im still having the problem.

Thanks again !

Good luck.

Im gonna go ahead and move the silver buzzing box problem over to the electronics forum, Im fairly sure it is a seperate issue not caused by the mirror and console since I have fully isolated those items and it still makes the noise. Hopefully someone there can help resolve this problem.

The mirror and console both work great and Im very excited about that! I must give a very special thanks to JamesC, my82iroc, 84 1LE, and tony_cogliandro for the invaluable assistance with hooking up that mirror and the patience to put up with my total lack of wiring knowledge. I couldnt have done it without you guys and Im in your debt. My hats off to you!

Does anyone have the connector pinout or a picture of the harness for the auto-dimming mirror? I picked one up on eBay the other day and it didn't come with any wiring attached to give me any idea of what goes where and I don't want to risk frying anything.

EDIT: Found the pinout printed on the circuit board ([I - +]).

Now the fun part is getting the drive belts for the little motor mechanism.