DAMMIT! NO auto-dimming mirror on 2017 SV

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RRLeafEV

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2015
Messages
48
Location
PNW
I was told, and read many places "no changes on SV or SL from 2016 to 2017."

Not True! I picked up my new 2017 SV today, and after driving over 100 miles, only then did I notice that the auto-dimming mirror is GONE from the 2017 (and it's definitely on the 2016 SV).

So, now my plan to upgrade the auto-dimming mirror to an auto-dimming HomeLink mirror (from eBay or a salvage yard) has been dealt a serious blow.

The previous SV auto-dimming only and the SL HomeLink shared the same mount and same conduit/shroud covering the wires to power each mirror--my 2017 has neither. DAMMIT!

Need your pearls of wisdom, folks. How big a problem have I encountered and how do I rectify this gut punch? (HomeLink is one of the BEST SL features, imho.)

My thoughts are that I can still get the mirror & conduit/cover at salvage or eBay, but how are they attached to the windshield? I know there's a modular connector with 3-wire pigtail that connects to the HomeLink--and can I find all the necessary connections in the map light area? In the past, the upgrade only required a single extra wire go in the map area, and then only if you wanted the HomeLink to work with the ignition off.

Otherwise, you could abandon the 3rd wire and have the HomeLink operate only when the car was on, which really made the upgrade a piece of cake.

TiA.

.
 
I thought I read from this forum that the map light has a ignition 12v that has a delay on it. If that's true then connect your mirror to that. If the Homelink mirror remembers your remote's programming then you can connect both ign and batt 12v to this 12v with delay.

I think it was the dash cam install thread.
 
RRLeafEV said:
I was told, and read many places "no changes on SV or SL from 2016 to 2017."

Not True! I picked up my new 2017 SV today, and after driving over 100 miles, only then did I notice that the auto-dimming mirror is GONE from the 2017 (and it's definitely on the 2016 SV).
I didn't realize until now either. It's on my '13 SV w/premium, as it was on my '13 SV w/premium + QC & LED.

http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/presskits/us-2017-nissan-leaf-press-kit in the Specs tab confirms this.

I guess this is another way to cut costs on the SV and do forced upsell/segmentation to get people to move to SL. Rear heated seats, auto-dimming mirror and LED headlights require one choosing SL. It wasn't that way w/model year 2013.
 
Perhaps this YouTube video will help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yrNHWhj3BU

He was installing a homelink remote into his 2014 Leaf, but not one built into the rear view mirror. However, perhaps you can adapt what he did
 
alozzy said:
Perhaps this YouTube video will help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yrNHWhj3BU

He was installing a homelink remote into his 2014 Leaf, but not one built into the rear view mirror. However, perhaps you can adapt what he did

Yes, I watched that earlier today. I marked it in my favorites, as the wiring could help plenty. Now, I have to figure out:

1) There's a "wedge mount" tab that's glued to the inside of the LEAF's windshield for those models w/HomeLink or Self-Dimming mirrors). Does this new 2017 SV have that type of mount or is it different? If different, how do I swap it out? To me, it looks different, but I think I'll need to get a torx screwgie on it to loosen the set screw, slide it off and see what I've got. Has anyone else done this?

2) Removing the plastic panel that covers the map light area (there are YouTube videos on this process) to expose the necessary wiring in the headliner.

3) Getting wires from the back of the mirror up into the headliner map light area and getting the three leads connected properly.

4) Button it back up and put the wire cover from the mirror to the headliner (this comes with some of the HomeLink mirrors for sale on eBay, and since I don't have any wires currently feeding the mirror, I'm going to have to get one.
 
On my 2017 SV the mirror was on a standard wedge mount. No set screw, just a friction spring clip... stick something in the slot on the bottom to push the spring and you can slide the mirror up and off.

I swapped mine out with am autodimming Homelink mirror and tapped it into the overhead map light. Works great! It stays powered on for 10 min after the car shuts off (like a map light would) but no big deal.
 
chirpyboy said:
On my 2017 SV the mirror was on a standard wedge mount. No set screw, just a friction spring clip... stick something in the slot on the bottom to push the spring and you can slide the mirror up and off.

I swapped mine out with am autodimming Homelink mirror and tapped it into the overhead map light. Works great! It stays powered on for 10 min after the car shuts off (like a map light would) but no big deal.

That's fantastic! Can you please go into detail about...

1) your exact parts list, such as which HomeLink mirror model # (could you please photograph front & back?), clip-in wiring connector, wire cover, splicing supplies, etc.? Did it have a compass on the mirror (could be another Nissan, non-LEAF replacement)?

2) tips on removing map light cover assembly & were you able to completely disconnect it to get it out of the way while working in there?

3) which wires you connected & HOW you spliced them? Someone reminded me that if the HomeLink doesn't have constant 12v power, the programming will be lost. How many wires did you have to connect, three?

4) any other tips, tricks & traps?
 
1) I actually bought a OEM mirror kit for a Hyundai Accent 2012-13, sometimes you can find them real cheap on eBay. Compass/autodimming/Homelink. It included splices, wire cover, everything needed to install. It's Hyundai part 1R062 ADU01 but really just a Gentex ZTVHL3. Pretty much any Gentex universal mirror should work.
The only downside for that kit is the wire cover is about 1/2" too short, but it looks ok and hasn't fallen out yet.

2) the youtube vid above is how I did it, just left it dangling there while working

3) Sorry, this I don't remember. I probed with a multimeter to find power/ground. There are indeed three leads on the mirror; I tied the two 12v leads together. It remembers the programming.
I guess there are two 12v leads because the standard usage is you would have constant power for HomeLink would work while the car is off, and ACC so that the compass/dimming only happens when the car is on.
 
Great response, chirpyboy! That should help anyone working on this thread tremendously.

Still welcoming specific wire identification, gang.
 
RRLeafEV,
Have you completed the mirror change and how did it go? What did you do for the wiring? I would like to do the same to my 2017 Leaf. Thanks.
 
Surprised the auto-dimming mirror was deleted from the 2017 SV. Oh well, the stock Nissan auto-dimming mirror not all that great anyway:

I recently upgraded our 2016 SV's form the stock Nissan "Auto-Dimming" mirror to a much better grade of Gentex mirror (I believe Nissan sourced Gentex for their mirrors, but had some features deleted to keep costs down).

The new mirror features a frameless design that is less bulky/distracting during the day, and the HomeLink buttons are softly illuminated at night. As well, the auto-dimming feature is much improved over the mirrors our SV's came with (sometimes I wondered if the Nissan mirror was even working as headlights were glaring at me - it took several cars worth of headlights to trigger the stock mirror).

One thing to keep in mind is if you park your car outside your house or garage... if your HomeLink mirror receives power even while the car is off, you have a security risk. Someone could break into your car (or even reach in if the window is down) and open your garage door with the push of a button.

For that reason, I have intentionally wired my new mirror ONLY to switched power. The HomeLink buttons only work when the car is turned on. The mirror still remembers the learned remote codes even without power, so all works as expected. I especially like that I don't have to hold the button down to activate the door; the mirror not only has a long range, but keeps transmitting the code for a bit after releasing the button.

The only downside to the frameless Gentex mirror is the "upside down" shape compared to the LEAF's rear window. I'm the kind of person to notice that detail, so simple solution was to twist the mirror upside down with the HomeLink buttons on top. Now it nicely matches the rear window shape, and looks even a bit cleaner.

Here's the mirror I went with:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PXGZESO
 
My god that's a spendy mirror but I had no idea the SV models didn't come with them. I've only seen my stock one kick off to auto dim a couple of times, maybe the effect is subtle, not sure. Nice work though.
 
The dimming function on my 2015 works quickly and dims appropriately (about the same as my SUV). It may react slower or not dim much if you have dark tint on the rear window. I have an SUV assigned to me at work that has dark tint on the back window (in addition to the factory tinted glass) and the self-dimming responds much slower that the Lear or my SUV at home.
 
In Re: automatic dimming by rear-view mirror.

My LEAF came with the fancy mirror. However, I had a custom shop do 30% tint with UV spectrum attenuation all around, except for the windshield ( you have to be a member of a gang or livin' that thug life to have a completely tinted windshield). Since installation there has been no dimming capability. I initially tried various button pushes, etc., with negative results.

Now, when approached and usually tailgated by a high-beam driver, I slow down so the driver can see my bumper sticker "Vietnam Vet - PTSD!" They go around.
 
Hooking up Homelink on Ignition wire is kind of more secure and simple to wire, but of course "locks only stop a honest man". One can supply 12 V directly to the mirror connector and use HomeLink, :(
Prices seems to come down quite a lot, so I upgraded my Dimming mirror with Dimming +HomeLink ($45 from ebay with wire connector) and used old dimming mirror to upgrade my Civic 2012 plain mirror with Honda OEM wire harness kit (somebody kindly sold me for $15 on Amazon) that matched old Leaf connector plug, and the car had compatible mounting bracket with Leaf mirror(thanks Honda).
 
So I tried to do the upgrade but the map light doesn't want to come out of the ceiling.

I'm going to pick up some plastic trim removal tools tomorrow but I see YouTube videos with people just pulling the light out with their hands.

Am I doing something wrong? Is it that easy?
 
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