mirror swap ?'s

cola8d8

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Feb 24, 2003
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Sorry for the cross post but I just realized it would fit better here..

I have an 87 LX (5.0/5 sp) coupe and want to change my outside mirrors from the manual (joystick type) to power. What do I need besides the obvious (power mirrors and "controller")? Is this an easy swap?
 
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I did it on my no option LX. You need the mirrors, interior mirror cover trim, wiring harness in the doors and under the dash to the console and the console switch. If you don't have power windows or locks in the doors, then you need the two rubber parts to cover the wires. You can hook it into power and ground at the cig. lighter. Then you will either need a new console top piece cut out for the switch or carefully drill and file a hole for the switch. Pretty easy install, just time consuming since you have to take the doors apart and the console apart to run the wires.


Good luck!
 
trbkrb said:
I did it on my no option LX. You need the mirrors, interior mirror cover trim, wiring harness in the doors and under the dash to the console and the console switch. If you don't have power windows or locks in the doors, then you need the two rubber parts to cover the wires. You can hook it into power and ground at the cig. lighter. Then you will either need a new console top piece cut out for the switch or carefully drill and file a hole for the switch. Pretty easy install, just time consuming since you have to take the doors apart and the console apart to run the wires.


Good luck!

Thanks a bunch. I do have power locks so that will be one less thing to do. Where did you find all of the parts you needed?
 
Good deal. Getting the rubber boots to fit in the dash side of the door opening was the biggest PITA of the install. I searched our Pick A Part salvage yards and pulled the parts from the many 4 cyl cars they get in. Good mirrors were the hardest to find...I had to sand and repaint the ones I did get. I think I paid about $30 for all of it. I had to pull the mirror wiring harness and separate it from the rest of the harness to avoid buying the whole thing. Do you have the wiring diagrams? If not, I can scan it in and post it for you.
 
trbkrb said:
Good deal. Getting the rubber boots to fit in the dash side of the door opening was the biggest PITA of the install. I searched our Pick A Part salvage yards and pulled the parts from the many 4 cyl cars they get in. Good mirrors were the hardest to find...I had to sand and repaint the ones I did get. I think I paid about $30 for all of it. I had to pull the mirror wiring harness and separate it from the rest of the harness to avoid buying the whole thing. Do you have the wiring diagrams? If not, I can scan it in and post it for you.

Hey, would it be possible for you to scan the wiring diagram and post it here or email it to me?
I'm trying to swap these mirrors in and I don't know which wires from the switch, go to which wires on the mirrors or which are power and ground.
Can you possibly help me out?
I would REALLY appreciate it!
 
trbkrb said:
Here is a scan of the wiring diagram:

http://statefilingsoftware.com/pictures/powermirror.jpg

It is kind of hard to read, but you can sort of make out the wire colors. My scanner was messing up a bit, but I'll see if I can scan it again. Hope this helps

Is that the Haynes manual? It looks like it, and I couldn't figure out where a few of the wires go. There are 9 wires coming off the switch and 3 on each mirror. The 3 on each mirror match 3 on the switch, so I'm assuming they get connected. The other 3 are (black, another black, and a light green w/ yellow stripe). I'm guessing the 2 black are grounds, and the light green is the switched 12V power source?
Or do these mirrors work like a wiper motor, where the ground gets interuppted by mthe switch, not the power?
Any ideas anyone?
 
Chilton's actually, but basically the same. The black wires are # 57, which is the ground wire for most of the accessories. I know the mirrors work kind of like the power windows, with a reversing polarity motor moving the mirrors side to side, and another motor up and down, but I'm not sure if it is the ground that is completed or not to work the motors.

I just got the whole mirror wiring harness from another car since mine didn't have the mirror part. I just tapped the grounds into the ground wire and the other into the lighter power wire.
 
trbkrb said:
Chilton's actually, but basically the same. The black wires are # 57, which is the ground wire for most of the accessories. I know the mirrors work kind of like the power windows, with a reversing polarity motor moving the mirrors side to side, and another motor up and down, but I'm not sure if it is the ground that is completed or not to work the motors.

I just got the whole mirror wiring harness from another car since mine didn't have the mirror part. I just tapped the grounds into the ground wire and the other into the lighter power wire.

OK, I think that's how it will have to work then. I'll guess the 2 black wires coming off the switch will go to ground, and that light green with yellow stripe will be the switched 12V power wire. I'll try that first, then work from there.
Is this what you did with those 3 wires? I'm assuming all the others from the switch (6 wires on the switch match the 3 same colors on each mirror), so I'm only down to those 3.



The main problem with not using a factory harness is I'm swapping these mirrors into a pickup truck, so the mustang harness is unusable.

Thanks again for any clarifacation!