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Replace basic rear view mirror in XLE?

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#42 · (Edited)
My salvage yard ebay auto-dimming w/compass (no temp or homelink for me) arrived -- like new condition -- no issues. Install was simple and straight forward. There's a moon roof so I was able to tap into 12 volts there - see photos.

First step is to slide the cowling down towards the dash -- Do Not Pry -- it'll slide quite easily -- once you slide it down, it pretty much falls off by itself.

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the cowling will hang on the old mirror -- it is now easy to remove the small molding piece that is near the mirror

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This is what the cowling looks like from the bottom side



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Next step is to remove the overhead console -- this procedure requires some effort -- there are various youtube vids that show this being done.

The two plastic cards and twisting putty knife did the trick for me. It'll pull straight down -- and like I said -- it takes some effort


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Now you need to find 12 volts -- I needed a line that was switched -- no current when the car is shut down



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12 Volt Tap with Pigtail hanging off of it -- the red marker denotes the swtiched 12 volt line

Image



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The Ground is the White Wire wBlack Stripe -- The first tap w/pigtail (foto above) has been attached to 12 Volt line. Ground wire to be tapped is marked wGreen marker on the plastic.



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the next step is to attach the Ground tap w/pigtail to the white/black Ground wire.

NOTE: I used 22 gauge stranded wire which seems about the same gauge as is used on this connector -- There are various schools of thought concerning the use of bayonet taps - for me, if installed correctly with the proper wire size, they should function nicely.

Anyway, you're on your own when it comes to how you want to splice into the + and -.

BTW ----- You are going to need an extension standoff.

I thought about fabricating one; however I'm glad I got this Gentex Advent GENMM5 Extension Mount adapter. You won't be able to position your new mirror with the cowling in place if you don't use this extension adapter.

I found a halfway decent deal for it on ebay:

Gentex Mirror Standoff from ebay



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The OEM standard RAV4 mirror has a cutout on the mounting arm -- the chances are excellent that your salvage yard mirror will have a straight arm which means you'll need an extension of some sort if you plan to put the cowling back on that covers the camera.



Finished install​



Image
 

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#43 ·
FWIW, I really like the manual mirror in my XLE premium, after driving a Prius for 9 years that had an awful auto dimming mirror. Maybe the RAV4 version works better, but for now, I’ll stick with the stock one. I would like homelink, though, and I see Gentex makes one that still uses a Prism. Internal battery too! (Model “ADVPMHL1LN”)
 
#44 ·
The manual mirror I replaced was fine. I wanted a compass and also was interested in trying a mirror with auto dimming. None of my previous clunkers had that feature. The Gentex 455 I installed was from a 2006 Camry. Tonite I drove home from a happy hour gig and the auto dim feature was pretty outstanding; no complaints with that Camry mirror at all.
 
#46 ·
Yes you can tie two 12 volt lines coming from the mirror together and tie to the 12 volt switched line. If mamory serves, which it often dznt, I think the switched line is blue. However, please use a dvm and take a proper measurement with the car powered on and powered off. The 5th foto, in that series of fotos shows the eggsackt location for the switched wire I used.

One voltage measurement tip which some folks might find useful . . . . . . . .

Jam your negative DVM probe into the connector where the white wire wBlack stripe lives; this is the ground wire (fotos 5 & 6). And make sure that probe is secure. You can now use two hands to probe for voltage. I found it helpful to tape a sewing needle onto the end my positive probe.This made indentifying what I needed quite easy, precise, and pretty safe.
 
#47 ·
RufusLeakin said:
Yes you can tie two 12 volt lines coming from the mirror together and tie to the 12 volt switched line. If mamory serves, which it often dznt, I think the switched line is blue. However, please use a dvm and take a proper measurement with the car powered on and powered off. The 5th foto, in that series of fotos shows the eggsackt location for the switched wire I used.

One voltage measurement tip which some folks might find useful . . . . . . . .

Jam your negative DVM probe into the connector where the white wire wBlack stripe lives; this is the ground wire (fotos 5 & 6). And make sure that probe is secure. You can now use two hands to probe for voltage. I found it helpful to tape a sewing needle onto the end my positive probe.This made indentifying what I needed quite easy, precise, and pretty safe.
Click to expand...
Awesome! Thanks for replying.
Can't wait for my order from ebay to arrive. This will be so useful when driving at night.
 
#48 ·
It's pretty slick at night as it's a different effect than the tilt mech I've grown accustomed to. Very easy to adjust to how objects appear at night. I just read how auto dimming ..... aka: electrochromatic ..... mirrors work .... pretty cool 😎
 
#49 ·
RufusLeakin said:
It's pretty slick at night as it's a different effect than the tilt mech I've grown accustomed to. Very easy to adjust to how objects appear at night. I just read how auto dimming ..... aka: electrochromatic ..... mirrors work .... pretty cool 😎
Click to expand...
Installed mine yesterday and it worked perfectly!
Probably the best interior upgrade I've done so far. Thank you for the guide!
 
#53 ·
Cweavers220 said:
Hello,

I have a 2021 XLE premium and purchased theADVGENADLN mirror with auto dim and home link. When installed, range of motion is poor as the “mounting arm” is shorter than the basic factory mirror came with. Thos causes clearance issues with the plastic behind the mirror. Any advise?
Click to expand...
Did you ever manage to fix the interference? I'm actually planning on getting the Gentex ADVGENFLCHLN Replacement rear-view mirror with Homelink Connect™ at Crutchfield
It looks like Dubbvis didn't need an extension for this model.

It looks like there are two options for the install. Tap into the 12v / ground lines in the head unit OR run the wires into the fuse box. Is any one of the two options "better"/"safer"? It seems like as long as the current draw isn't too large either should be fine? I suppose if I end up installing a dashcam I could run both the cam and the mirror off the same lines into the same fuse?
 
#54 ·
The main advantage of using the wires under the dome light is that you don't need to run wires all the way down the A-pillar. The mirror itself takes very little power but I'm not sure about the dash cam.

Some Gentex mirrors do have longer necks. Some even come in regular or extended versions. I didn't see that option with this model but the neck does look pretty long and it might fit without an extender. It's a trivial task to add the extender later so it wouldn't hurt to try it first. If it is too short and does need an extender, you could still use the mirror without the trim installed until you get the extender installed.
 
#55 ·
Thanks for the reply. For the extension, in case I need it, is the model "GENMM5 Gentex Extension Mount" correct?


JetStream said:
The main advantage of using the wires under the dome light is that you don't need to run wires all the way down the A-pillar. The mirror itself takes very little power but I'm not sure about the dash cam.
Click to expand...
If I want to sell the car, is there any danger in leaving the taps in after disconnecting the crimp connector?
 
#56 ·
The taps I have used use a slot in a flat 'blade' that cuts through the insulation to contact the interior wire. They are designed to work with a certain gauge wire so you must use the proper ones for the wire you are tapping into. If you removed the taps, there would still be a small cut in the insulation but if properly installed and removed, the wire should be fine after the tap is removed since no insulation is removed, it is just penetrated and pushed back. When the tap is removed, I'd expect the insulation to expand to refill the gap.

Imagine taking an Xacto knife and cutting the insulation around a wire without removing any. Even though there is a break in the insulation nothing can contact the wire within.
 
#57 ·
The easiest solution for me involved tapping into the center roof console connector that distributes to the lights and moon roof -- I don't have any expertise or thoughts on an alternate switched power source

And as far as using an extension, unless the mirror articulated mounting arm looks like this, or durn close, (photo below) you'll most likely encounter range of motion issues and fitment problems if the proper extension is not used 🙄

This is what my original (non electric) standard mirror looks like -- this is the one I removed

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Image

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#58 ·
RufusLeakin said:
And as far as using an extension, unless the mirror articulated mounting arm looks like this, or durn close, (photo below) you'll most likely encounter range of motion issues and fitment problems if the proper extension is not used 🙄
​
Click to expand...
So the "GENMM5 Gentex Extension Mount" fixes this issue on mirrors that don't have an articulating mounting arm that matches the stock mirror by shimming the mirror outwards from the windshield?
 
#59 ·
Yes the GENMM5 Gentex Extension Mount is what you'll need -- check ebay -- it's worth the bread to avoid the headache.

Also -- for anyone thinking about tapping into their wires ----

I found this type of tap quite easy to use. Although there are folks who avoid these things -- not me --

I made my connections using 22 gauge stranded wire -- the only way you can seriously dork this up is if you use the wrong size tap -- it should match, or be in the range ie: "18 - 22 gauge" for the wires you are splicing.

It looks like there is no standard name for these taps -- take your pick from these online choices:-
  • wire-tap splice connector
  • bayonet tap
  • plier tap (you use pliers to set the splice)
  • pressure tap
  • snap lock tap

Image
 
#60 ·
$13.71 w/shipping -- it's gonna be tough to beat that price on a GENMM5 Gentex Extension Mount --- "normal" price is around $30 -- there are also some great ebay mirror deals usually btwn $40 - $70

www.ebay.com

Advent GENMM5 Gentex Mirror Extension Mount for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Advent GENMM5 Gentex Mirror Extension Mount at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
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