I posted this a LONG time ago but was hoping for some new alternatives...

I'm relatively tall and the rear view mirror ends up being directly in my line of vision when I look out the front... obscuring traffic coming at me from the right. I was considering going with a glass-mount mirror and mounting it up higher. Anyone tried this yet? Since there appears to be a sunscreen decal/etching on the windshield around the area where I want to mount it, I was wondering whether a glass-mount mirror would glue in properly. Other alternatives?

 

Dude. You must be REALLY tall.

I'm 6'4" and the mirror is nowhere near blocking my vision of the road.

 

Actually, I'm 6'2" but I carry a lot of my height in my upper body. I still have lots of head room but everytime I approach an intersection, I need to scrunch my head down to see UNDER the mirror so that I don't accidently hit someone.

 

Well... nobody else seems to have the same problem so I'm go'in it alone!.

In preparation to replace the current mirror with a glass-mount one I removed the existing rear-view mirror -- pretty easy since you just remove the cover around the headliner and remove 3 screws.

And what do I find? It appears that the mirror mount has a 7/16 inch plastic spacer attached. By simply removing the spacer (screw on back side) and re-fastening the mirror using some washers, I effectively raise up the mirror! And by actually wedging some rubber gasket material at the point where the rear attachment point occurs, I actually get some additional height.

The end result is reasonably satisfactory... I can now see UNDER the mirror when I'm at a stop sign and I don't have to install a glass-mount replacement.

Yeah! -- Now if I can only get a good solution to adding Daytime Running Lights :-)

 

Just FYI, if you want to buy one of those Napolex Broadway Wide mirrors, 240mm seems to be the best size which allow you to put the visors all the way forward without hitting any part of the mirror. You can use longer mirrors, but then you run the risk of hitting it with the flip down visors.

 

I removed the factory mirror that came with the car and installed an aftermarket one. I ran the wiring harness out from the spot where the factory mirror used to come out. I now have one with Temp, Compass, and auto dimming from the cars behind me. Was an easy install. Just had to get the glue to install the glass mount bracket to the windshield (which by the way came with the mirror). Running the wires was a breeze. Ran all the sensor wires down the passerger side (after pulling the rubber seal out of the way and out through the fireway behind the glove box. Then ran all the power wires down the drivers side and into the fuse box. I used one of those fused quick links to plug directly into the fuse box. The total time wise to install everything took me about 1 - 1 1/2 hour to run the wires and put the temp sensor into place on the front grill. Best part is that the led light in the mirror is blue so it matches the dash lights nicely.

 

Shave: Can you post pics of it? How much did the mirror cost you?

 

I also want to see pics and let us know which style/model/type of mirror you used... that's awesome.. I really want a mirror like that.

Time to do an eBay search.

 

My concern with placing wiring in the A pilars is reducing the effectiveness of the side curtain aribags.

 

so run the wire so that it doesnt interfere with the operation of the airbag. its not too hard to go behind/around. ive ran wires for antennas, power, video through plenty of vehicles with side/pillar mounted airbags.

just make sure the a pillar cover is not actually attatched to the airbag assembly itself.

 

I'm not Shave, but here are some prices http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...015485/c-10101 and http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...015485/c-10101. I plan on getting the one with the map light. I have one of the ones from the second link (with temp. and compass) in my Xterra, I would buy it again.

 

I got my mirror off ebay, I think cost was around $120 - $150 shipped, just depends on how lucky you are with your bids. My mirrior is just like the 1st link that spearhead posted. Just went to Ebay and did a search for "comp temp mirror" If you are careful and run your wires down in behind the airbags in the A-pillors you should not have any effect the airbag deployment in case you need them. I'll post some pic's tomorrow as it is night time here now.

 

Great... thanks!

 

Here are the Pic's I said I would post.



Pic of car, all clean!!



What you see outside looking at the front of the car.



From the inside, flash from camra blinded mirror readout. Mirror is only a small bit bigger than stock. No it does not interfere with the sun visiors. It does get very close though. Just have to be careful of placement. If put in the right spot, you will have nothing to worry about.

 

That looks REALLY nice! I would love one of those...I just don't think I could install it.

 

LOL... Now you you that you can, Very easy to do. Just take your time and everything will go smoothly.

 

So, explain how you run the wire? You run it just under the roof, to the passenger side, then down the pillar to the fuse box?

What about the temperature sensor..? Is it wireless? Do you need to cut a hole through the firewall somehow?

 

Here's how I did it! Hope this helps
Easy to do, just side out the plastic part on the exsisting mirror and undo the 3 screws hold the honda one in place. Next remove the sun visor's from both sides. Now take the wiring harness that comes with the new mirror and seperate the wires, power down one side and senser wires down the other. You have to go in the mirror opening on the orginal spot on the car and then feed the wires along the roof line out to the sides making sure that the wires are hiden beneith the roof liner. Pull the rubber moulding away from the a-piller at the top and down to the dash level of the car. While you are at it remove the glove box. (don't worry about the rubber as it just pushes right back into place when done.) When running the wires down (power on the drivers side, sensor's on the passanger side) be sure that they go on the top side of the airbags and in behind. Just lift up on the plastic A-piller and you'll see what I mean. Now once you are at the dash level it starts to get a bit tricky getting the bigger pieices (The fuse boxes from the mirror and sensors) fitted into the open spaces between the dash and the side molding, but it is doable, just take your time not to hurt anything. With that done on both sides, reinstall your sunvisors. On the glove box side you will see where allot of wires pass through the firewall through a rubber gromet. You want your sensors to through the same one.

This can be fun and a little nerver wrecking but again doable. (Worst case do offset cutting of the wires on the sensors so that you know which ones to resoder to once you get through the firewall) Run the wires however you like to get them up to your front end.
Then I put my Temp sensor on my front grill below the main part of the bumper where the lic plate would go and above the lower airdam. (hope that made sence) Now reinstall your glove box.

Now for the power! Find a grounding point for the ground wire. I used the bolt that holds the fuse panel in place. The I joined both of the power wires from the mirror to a inline fuse connector that I bought from Canadiantire. The one that taps into a circut and you can add an acc. to it. The tap part looks lik a fuse ad you have 2 places for similar fuses to go in it. Then just plug it into the open slot on the fuse panel, I used # 5 as it powers down when the key is off and has no fuse in it, so I figured it as a safe one to use.

Placement of the mirror is best done with 2 people as one is inside and the other stands outside. The inside person holds the new mirror where he wants it and check that the sunvisors are not going to hit the mirror when down and centered. Once you are happy with the placement of the mirror get the guy on the outside to put a peice of tape on the outside of the glass,(sort of an X marks the spot deal)

Yes the mirror adaptor glass mount bracket did come with my mirror. I put it into the mirror and prepared the glue that was to be used to glue the mirror to the glass. Then preped each surface (the windshield and the mirror bracket) and followed the instructions of the glue (which I also bought at canadiantire)

Then you wait Aprox. 30 minutes for the glue to set. Plug in the harness to the mirror and adjust to yourself. Then follow whatever calabrating instructions that come with the mirror and your all done. Enjoy your work!!

 

Wow, that's a wonderfully detailed explanation... Thanks!

Once I gather up the courage, I'll give it a shot myself.

 

Has anyone else put one of these in?