Retrofit auto dimming side mirrors?

[jsosic]

Hi.

I was wondering what's neccesary to retrofit the auto dimming external (side) mirrors? I have 8P 2009, and I can get the mirror glasses preaty cheaply of a crashed one, but I don't know what else is necessary for this option to work?

 

[NHN]

Autodim rear view mirror for a start, you could run the wires into your mirrors, but you have to take the mirrors of the car, but you need to remove your glass & see if you have the wires in place already, are they folding?

 

[Ash187]

As Nigel says you need to have the connector behind the mirror glass, you will recognise the connector as it has a green and black wire coming out the back of it.
You will firstly need to have an auto dimming rear view mirror in the car which is part of the auto lights pack
you will then need to check your door modules (door card off job) and look on the 20 pin connector and look to see if there is a wire in pins 1 and 10, if its there then the chance is that its already to be fitted in... if not you will need to wire in the pins and take them up to the auto dimming mirror, which you will need to do on the passenger side as well... you then connect it to the rear view mirror connector on pins 4 and 5 and hey presto when the rear view mirror dims the door mirrors will too.

 

[jsosic]

No, I don't have folding mirrors, and I don't have the lights pack. But I've seen that it's possible to install the mirror from A4 that doesn't have the light detector. So it's one heck of a job to do it....

What puzzles me is can I buy the mirror glasses, and put them instead of the current ones which are heated? Just for the time being, and then rewire everything when I buy the interior mirror too? Can they be installed with heated function only?

 

[Ash187]

yh you can fit the mirror glasses for the time being.
there is an adapter you can get from ebay to fit an auto dimming mirror onto a normal smaller mirror bracket so that you can fit the A3 mirror but since you still need to wire it all up you may as well just spend the extra £150 odd and just fit auto lights.

 

[NHN]

Joey you should of just rang or msn me & would have advised matey

 

[necolove]

As Nigel says you need to have the connector behind the mirror glass, you will recognise the connector as it has a green and black wire coming out the back of it.
You will firstly need to have an auto dimming rear view mirror in the car which is part of the auto lights pack
you will then need to check your door modules (door card off job) and look on the 20 pin connector and look to see if there is a wire in pins 1 and 10, if its there then the chance is that its already to be fitted in... if not you will need to wire in the pins and take them up to the auto dimming mirror, which you will need to do on the passenger side as well... you then connect it to the rear view mirror connector on pins 4 and 5 and hey presto when the rear view mirror dims the door mirrors will too.

This is gonna be of big help, thank you.

Could you please be more detailed?

Pins 4 and 5 from the inner mirror connector are the outputs for left and right side mirror, right? Which one is for left and right?

The wire coming from the inner mirror (4 of 5), goes to what pin in the door module (you said Pins 1 and 10, but just one cable comes from the internal mirror)

And last; in its way from the inner mirror to the door module, the wire has to pass the door, what's the pin number of the door connector for this cable?

Thank you.

 

[Ash187]

no you understood it wrong...

you would need two wires running from pin 4 and two from pin 5...
one of the wires from pin 4 go to the passenger side and the other to the drivers side, you do this again on pin 5. then connect it to the mirror pins in the door module. cant remember off the top of my head which pins are the plus and minus though and without looking i cant tell you which pins it uses in the door connector.

best to get yourself a copy of elsawin to figure that out

 

[necolove]

no you understood it wrong...

you would need two wires running from pin 4 and two from pin 5...
one of the wires from pin 4 go to the passenger side and the other to the drivers side, you do this again on pin 5. then connect it to the mirror pins in the door module. cant remember off the top of my head which pins are the plus and minus though and without looking i cant tell you which pins it uses in the door connector.

best to get yourself a copy of elsawin to figure that out

Yes, sorry, after asking I found that pin 4 is ec+ signal and pin 5 is ec- signal for mirrors, so both should be used for every side mirror.

After a quick view of elsawin I found also the pins of door module to be used (1 and 10 as you said), I just need to find some time and check the pins of the door connector to start wiring.

I Bought the harness from kufatec and it is completely useless, as no wires for side mirrors are present...

 

[Ash187]

yh those kufa wires are just for the auto dimming mirror and rain sensor which is more than sufficient for most peoples use. not many people retrofit the dimming side mirrors.
making up the loom is straight forward, its the getting the wiring to the door thats the pain. good luck mate

 

[necolove]

Yep, looking at the harness picture seemed right, but the harness they send is different, and in my case with auto lights and humidity sensor already fitted from stock this has no use, as 12v are already there even without autodimming mirror... Wrong move, well, these things happen.

I'll try to figure out how to bring the wires to the door, and post the information here, for those coming after me.

Once all pinout is clear, is shouldn't be that difficult, as I've just done the rear camera retrofit and I'm removing this TERRIBLE Audi Sound System audio and upgrading to something serious, so half the car is trimmed out now XD

Thanks mate.

 

[Ash187]

well i ran the wires through the headlining, down the A pillar and behind the plastic trims (where the bonnet release handle is) and there is a hole there where the other cables go to the door connector. then its a case of passing through the door connector and wiring the new wires in the grommets and door skin (not fun) and to the door module

 

[necolove]

Headlining and A pilars won´t be an issue, as well as glovebox or cover under the wheel, as these have been removed already.

Side trim, and that other plastic cover where the bonnet lever is aren´t there anymore too, car is almost naked now for the new audio system wiring and sound deadening, so it can´t be a better moment for this mirrors retrofit.

My only doubt is the door connector, what pins should I use (I could just drill a small hole and pass then straight, or use any that is free, but I like OEM, just don´t want to remember anything in the future, or just in case any repair has to be made in the dealer or whatever).

I still didn´t have time to check in the elsawin, I´ll do it tomorrow if not today (well... maybe weekend... )

 

[Ash187]

just looked on Elsawin... its pins 9 and 19.

so basically its pin 4 centre mirror to pin 19 in door connector that goes onto pin 1 on door module.... and then pin 5 to pin 9 which leads onto pin 10 on door module.

 

[necolove]

Oh dude, now I owe you a beer, more than deserved for the time you saved me.

Thanks mate, you've been of big help.