How to: Install S14 power folding mirrors

[twistedsymphony]

I know this an older topic but it's a good tech topic so my question is best asked here..

... what's the reason for using the USDM bases instead of the JDM bases? The driver's side base on my car is broken, so I was considering doing this mod to fix my base and add some cool new features to my car.

I would think that you'd want to use the USDM housings to keep the mirrors in a LHD configuration but everyone here keeps saying they're using JDM housings with USDM bases which seems odd to me.

[alkemyst]

you transfer the guts basically to the new mirrors. The housings and bases you use from your current ones AFAIK.

[upSLIDEdown]

I think the base matters, but not the actual mirror housing. From what I understand, the bases are what the "bad angle" comes from. I need to do this. I have 2 mirrors, and a switch. I don't have stock power mirrors though, I have manual. I only really care about the folding function. I can adjust them just by pushing on them, so I don't see a need in running all those wires to actually move the mirrors too, but I guess I could. I dunno. I remember when I got them, I glanced at them and didn't see how the housing actually came off of the base. Anyone got a pic of that? It's been years since I even looked at them, so I may have just missed it.

[twistedsymphony]

d'oh... I just re-read the tutorial and I caught this that I missed the first time I read it:

JDM housing and triangle mount top (nice and painted body color)
USDM housing and triangle mount bottom (crappy grey plastic)
you can use the JDM ones, but you are retarded if you do. the angle is all wrong so it makes your mirrors almost useless. i tried removeing the metal bracket inside the plastic houseing to see if they are interchangeable and if that would correct the mounting angles, but they are not. The plastic is formed to each one and the metal mounts will not interchange with the mount houseings.

The mirror houseings however, are interchangeable. since i liked my paint better, i kept my USDM housing.

so apparently you can use either and even though the JDM mounts are nicer what makes the mirrors work for LHD or RHD is in the mount itself not the housing... so if you use the JDM ones the viewing angle would be screwed up...

well that sucks... that means I'd need to buy a set of power-folding mirrors AND a new driver's side housing...

[upSLIDEdown]

Originally Posted by twistedsymphony

d'oh... I just re-read the tutorial and I caught this that I missed the first time I read it:



so apparently you can use either and even though the JDM mounts are nicer what makes the mirrors work for LHD or RHD is in the mount itself not the housing... so if you use the JDM ones the viewing angle would be screwed up...

well that sucks... that means I'd need to buy a set of power-folding mirrors AND a new driver's side housing...

you mean driver's side mount?

[boostinS14]

heres my problem i cant find the right wires i have the kouki switch
USDM switch

JDM switch

wires from USDM chasis


need your help thanks. which wires connects to the JDM switch

[projectRDM]

Why'd you cut the plug off?

The JDM switch, if for the same model and year, is a direct plug in to the US harness. All the wire colors match up perfectly. You will then have two additional wires coming out of the switch, these are the folding in/out signals to the mirrors. In fact, even when using the earlier 94-96 switch, the pin out and wire colors are still the exact same, it just uses a different style plug with larger pins. The folding wires should be light green/black and green/black, everything else is the same.

What I would do is if your wiring doesn't match color to color on the new plug, put the US plug back on and reconnect all your OE wires, using solder and heatshrink of course, then depin the those extra wires not being used from the new plug, and pin them into the two empty spots on the old plug. Basically with the mirror switch left OE, not hacked off like yours is, there's two empty spots on the plug. Those are the folding outputs. You can also just wire the new plug straight matched pin to pin, even if the wire colors don't match, as that plug could be from another car.

[98s14inaz]

Originally Posted by mrmephistopheles

...Mostly superfluous in the US...

I disagree. I use them daily when parking in my garage. I usually don't have a passenger so I can park all the way to the right side of the garage and I hit the switch to fold them in so I don't hit anything with the mirrors. I usually fold them anytime I park so some dumbass doesn't hit them or break one off. I get some funny looks at the carwash though.

[98s14inaz]

Originally Posted by boostinS14

heres my problem i cant find the right wires i have the kouki switch
USDM switch

JDM switch

wires from USDM chasis


need your help thanks. which wires connects to the JDM switch

There is a write up on *cringe* NICO. You have to run 2 or 4 (I forget) extra wires from the mirrors to the JDM mirror switch. Once you do that you're golden. The hardest part is threading the wires through the rubber tube in the doors with a coat hanger.

[94_240sx]

Originally Posted by alkemyst

Someone has posted that if you swap the bases to USDM the driver side doesn't fold in flush, but sticks out a bit (compared to the passenger side and what the JDM base does).

Anyone have pics of this with USDM bases and JDM folding motors folded in?

Å

Yup!! They are not even when folded. I'll try to get some pics for you guys.

[98s14inaz]

Originally Posted by 94_240sx

Yup!! They are not even when folded. I'll try to get some pics for you guys.

There is a reason for that. The angle of the mirrors when unfolded will suck if you use the jdm bases. You won't be able to see shit and no matter how much you adjust the mirror. At the very least, on the driver's side, use the usdm base, there is a tab you need to grind off but you'll see that when you go to reassemble.

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by projectRDM

Why'd you cut the plug off?

The JDM switch, if for the same model and year, is a direct plug in to the US harness. All the wire colors match up perfectly. You will then have two additional wires coming out of the switch, these are the folding in/out signals to the mirrors.

this one isnt. im not sure what switch he has, but the US harness has only a few of the same colors. take another look at the pictures. the jdm switch that he has has 10wires. the us harness has only 7. two of the remaining wires go to the folding mechanism. but what about the other 1?

[projectRDM]

Originally Posted by Marcus

this one isnt. im not sure what switch he has, but the US harness has only a few of the same colors. take another look at the pictures. the jdm switch that he has has 10wires. the us harness has only 7. two of the remaining wires go to the folding mechanism. but what about the other 1?

I did, pics are blurry as hell on my monitor. It's probable that the extra wire is for the defrost option, some JDM cars came with both folding and defrost mirrors. That would be the only thing different but I don't know if the chassis would be prewired for it. Like I suggested though, using the OE plug and pinning the two folding wires in or just wiring straight pin to pin will work fine, the pinout for the mirror control is the same for either switch.

[Om1kron]

oh oh oh I want to do this!!! fun fun fun more electrical stuff... *slaps forehead.

[94_240sx]

Originally Posted by 98s14inaz

There is a reason for that. The angle of the mirrors when unfolded will suck if you use the jdm bases. You won't be able to see shit and no matter how much you adjust the mirror. At the very least, on the driver's side, use the usdm base, there is a tab you need to grind off but you'll see that when you go to reassemble.

I swapped both driver and passenger side bases and I can see with no problem, but this happens when folded. They are not even, but that's okay with me.

- They will be even when folded if you use JDM bases, but you can't see anything because angles screwed up.
- They won't be even when folded if you use USDM bases, but you can see rear well.



You can see difference clearly in this picture.

[boostinS14]

alright guys the 2 wires left on the mirrors are orange and pink the orange wire goes to the Green/black/silver wire and the pink wire goes to the green black wire on the JDM switch

[Asmar]

I'm having problems wiring up my JDM S14 power folding mirrors. I searched various different forums to find an answer but still no answer... I have used the following write-ups:

- S13 Power Folding Mirror Install: 240SX Technical Forum: Nissan Forums / Infiniti Forums - NICOclub
- Write-Up: JDM S14 Power Folding Mirrors - Northwest Nissans
- http://zilvia.net/f/tech-talk/130592...g-mirrors.html

The second write-up on that list is my write-up which shows how to install the mirrors, not how to write them up using the switch I have. Here are pics of what I'm talking about:

Wires from the car:


1. Blue/Black
2. Black
3. Orange
4. Blue/Red
5. Yellow/Blue
6. Purple/White
7. Yellow/Black

Also not pictured are 2 extra wires coming from the mirrors, the Orange and Pink wire which are used for the folding function of the mirrors.

Wires from the JDM switch:


1. Green/Black
2. Purple/White
3. Black
4. Light Green/Black
5. Yellow/Blue
6. Yellow/Black
7. Light Green/Red
8. Light Green
9. Blue/Black
10. Blue/Red

I wired up all the colors that matched and connected the Green/Black and Light Green/Black wires to the Orange and Pink wires (used for the folding function), but still nothing happened. The mirrors won't fold or adjust. There is nothing wrong with the mirrors ad there is nothing wrong with the wiring (by that I mean all wires are connecting the way they are supposed to be connected).

I used this to match up wires on the mirrors:


I matched the wires up the way are supposed to be by looking at this JDM adapter/connecter.

Wires from the car, wires from the JDM switch:


So I don't know I'm doing right or wrong... I can't figure this out... If anyone could help me figure this out that would be really great... Thanks!

[projectRDM]

Dammit, I hate when people don't read.

Where's your old plug? The pinout is the same. Match pin to pin, simple. The wire colors *should* match but don't always, so don't go by that. Even easier (would have been had you not got crazy with the wire cutters) is to just depin the new plug and take the two folding wires out of it, snap them into your existing plug.

[Asmar]

Originally Posted by projectRDM

Dammit, I hate when people don't read.

Where's your old plug? The pinout is the same. Match pin to pin, simple. The wire colors *should* match but don't always, so don't go by that. Even easier (would have been had you not got crazy with the wire cutters) is to just depin the new plug and take the two folding wires out of it, snap them into your existing plug.

I already read your post above about this and it didn't work. If I were to use my old USDM plug with the JDM switch the mirrors should adjust and not fold until I add the extra 2 wires needed to make the mirrors fold. They won't even adjust. Not having the 2 wires connected, the mirrors should still adject but they don't and there is nothing wrong with the wires or the mirrors. Could it be a fuse? If so, what fuse should I check? Also where exactly do I put the 2 extra wires from the JDM plug into the USDM plug?

[projectRDM]

Very easily a blown fuse. You go cut up shit, typically that happens. Check ALL the fuses, inside and out. IIRC the orange wire is the power, check it for +12V also. Make the system work correctly first, then go from there.

[Asmar]

Originally Posted by projectRDM

Very easily a blown fuse. You go cut up shit, typically that happens. Check ALL the fuses, inside and out. IIRC the orange wire is the power, check it for +12V also. Make the system work correctly first, then go from there.

If I wire up all the USDM wires and not the wires for the power folding function will the mirrors adjust function work?

[projectRDM]

Originally Posted by Asmar

If I wire up all the USDM wires and not the wires for the power folding function will the mirrors adjust function work?

If the switch and mirrors indeed work, yes. Again, the pinout is the same, the JDM switch just adds two wires. There's no other difference in the switch.

[bewst pewp]

nice jdm awesomeness

now i'm deff ordering mine

[tinys s14]

could you just install the entire mirror insted of pullin out the motor?

[holemilk00]

Nice write up, subscribed....

[ViperBiteLV]

Originally Posted by 94_240sx

I swapped both driver and passenger side bases and I can see with no problem, but this happens when folded. They are not even, but that's okay with me.

- They will be even when folded if you use JDM bases, but you can't see anything because angles screwed up.
- They won't be even when folded if you use USDM bases, but you can see rear well.



You can see difference clearly in this picture.

First of all - Thanks for the great instruction. Used it step by step to do my mirror conversion.

Second - I can also approve that if you use USDM base for mirrors, they will not fold evenly on both sides!!! At first I was shocked and thought that one motor might be faulty, but after reading that other's have the same problem, I started to understand why.

Has someboby thought of a way for both mirrors to fold evenly?

[alkemyst]

what stops the motors when turning in? If it's a physical block with a draw sensor on the motor...someone should be able to machine the 'block' so it allows it to close inward more.

[ViperBiteLV]

Originally Posted by alkemyst

what stops the motors when turning in? If it's a physical block with a draw sensor on the motor...someone should be able to machine the 'block' so it allows it to close inward more.

I think it's a physical block, due to the base angle.. as i can imagine, the JDM base angles make the mirrors fold evely, but the USDM makes one fold more closer to window than JDM and on the other side it doesn't fold as close as needed (as JDM base), because the base angles are different.

[twistedsymphony]

ok so I FINALLY got time to install these things, everything is wired up but I just have to feed the two folding wires into the connector.

The wiring section of this tutorial seems all screwed up to me
- the switch in the picture is for an S13 (you can tell because it's horizontal and not vertical)
- the connector doesn't look look like the mirror connector in my S14, differen't shape/different pin layout
- the wiring colors don't match up with the factory wiring in my S14
- the section that tells you what wire to connect to what only lists 7 wires and there is 10 on the connector (where are the other 3?)

-----------

The wires that come off of my JDM mirrors for the folding function are Pink and Orange... I've hooked them directly to a battery and folded them in and out to confirm this.

Here is a picture of my USDM mirror harness, still wired up, I haven't cut anything. pins 1 and 6 go to the folding function since those are the only pins on the JDM switch that are not used on my USDM connector.



1 - ?
2 - yellow/light blue
3 - yellow/black
4 - light blue/red
5 - light blue/black
6 - ?
7 - orange
8 - (not used)
9 - black
10- pink/white

all I want to know is which pin (1 or 6) is for pink and which pin is for orange.

I'm mid engine swap right now and and the electrical is all hacked up at the moment so I have no 12V available to test this..

I just need to know which pin is for orange and which is for pink.

EDIT:
I played around with the switch on a multi-meter, assuming that the orange wire (pin 7 above) is 12V and the black wire (pin 9 above) is ground then the mirrors should have the
pin 1 - orange folding wire
pin 6 - pink folding wire

thats how I'm going to wire it up, I welcome anyone who is able to correct the above, hopefully this will help someone else.

[wbarrett48473]

I started to take apart my jdm mirrors and noticed some extra wires attached to the mirrors that weren't in any of the other pics.

Can someone tell me if these are in fact the power folding mirrors or something different?

Looks like defrost or something to me, but not sure if they are also power folding.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks