Installing a Gentek mirror?
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
Installing a Gentek mirror? I just bought a GENTEK GENK-60 with self dimming mirror, HomeLink, temp, compass and map lights. It comes with a wide flat connector that is supposed to get stuffed up above the headliner. I have a convertible so there is only a small headliner-like piece under the windshield. Has anyone wired up one of these before? I think I can get access to things if I remove the visors and the roof clamp brackets. It looks like the stock mirror wires go down the driver side pillar but I am not sure. Just looking for advice from anyone who has already tried putting one in.
Did the same install with same mirror on my T/A - but it's not a vert so things may be different. I was able to tie into the wires under the headliner that fed the stock mirror - but the temp. sensor wire obviously had to be run seperate. I don't know where the wires originally came from that ended up under the headliner by the mirror, but I ran the temp. sensor wire across and down the PS pillar, then out thru the PCM grommet on PS.
Make sure you mount the temp. sensor itself in FRONT of the radiator and lower air dam. I mounted mine to the rad core support. That way it gets un-obstructed air flow and a more accurate reading. I had it too far under the engine bay the first time and it gave flase readings due to underhood heat...
-Jay-
Make sure you mount the temp. sensor itself in FRONT of the radiator and lower air dam. I mounted mine to the rad core support. That way it gets un-obstructed air flow and a more accurate reading. I had it too far under the engine bay the first time and it gave flase readings due to underhood heat...
-Jay-
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
Did yours have the wide but flat connector too? I figured I would tap into the wires that are already there and run the new ones as you say. Did you have enough wire for the temperature sensor? Just looking at it, it seems too short. What exactly did you clip the sensor onto? Also just wondering how you liked the map light brightness, I have no other dome light without them, I hope they are reasonably bright.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,328
Likes: 345
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
On mine, I ran the wires down the right A pillar, put the little box under the glovebox, and made all my connections there. I ran the temp sensor out through the PCM grommet and mounted it to the horn bracket so it would be away from engine heat.
I don't know how you could hook up properly to the factory wiring at the mirror because the connector has only battery power, ground, and courtesy light control wires. There's no ignition controlled power so the mirror display would be on all the time connected to the dark blue with white (battery) wire.
I don't know how you could hook up properly to the factory wiring at the mirror because the connector has only battery power, ground, and courtesy light control wires. There's no ignition controlled power so the mirror display would be on all the time connected to the dark blue with white (battery) wire.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I bench tested the mirror last night. That is one inert temperature sensor, I tried to warm it up with my hands and it took forever to move up one tick, but the displayed was around room temperature at least. I unplugged the sensor and plugged it in again and that made it mad, it read some temperature like 5 F. The manual says to leave it off for 2.5 hours to correct that, which I did, and its back to room temperature again.
I was just surprised at how slow the response was.
I was just surprised at how slow the response was.
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
I did that same mirror on my convertible.
I needed to replace the flat connector with a small square connector to get it to fit under our little "headliner".
You're not supposed to cut the sensor wires, and I think mine is off a few degrees now. I mounted the sensor under the bumper (under the turn light).
The original wires run down the driver's side. I but the box behind the panel under the steering column.
My big booboo was accidently splicing into a light wire instead of ignition. It took me a couple weeks to figure out why it only worked in my garage and at night.
I actually wrote up some instructions... if I can find it back. The pictures I took were pretty bad.
I needed to replace the flat connector with a small square connector to get it to fit under our little "headliner".
You're not supposed to cut the sensor wires, and I think mine is off a few degrees now. I mounted the sensor under the bumper (under the turn light).
The original wires run down the driver's side. I but the box behind the panel under the steering column.
My big booboo was accidently splicing into a light wire instead of ignition. It took me a couple weeks to figure out why it only worked in my garage and at night.
I actually wrote up some instructions... if I can find it back. The pictures I took were pretty bad.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I needed to replace the flat connector with a small square connector to get it to fit under our little "headliner".
You're not supposed to cut the sensor wires, and I think mine is off a few degrees now.
Trending Topics
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
Here's a picture of my kit
I got the connector from: www.allelectronics.com Look under "connectors (multi pin)"
Here's a picture of the huge flat connector and the square one I used...
You may be right, I think I added roughly the length of the connector wire (X2). My sensor wire was plenty long enough to reach the bumper.
Originally Posted by BJM
I was wondering about getting it to fit. What kid of connector did you use?
Here's a picture of the huge flat connector and the square one I used...
Originally Posted by BJM
.... You should be able to remove the extra wire and get your accuracy back.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
Originally Posted by BJM
How bright are the map lights? Same as factory mirror? Also, does it still do the theatre dimming thing or do they just snap off?
(Since convertibles don't have a real dome light, we tend to be sensitive about possibly making a bad situation worst. I added lights under the dash and in the trunk some time ago, and yes they dim also)
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I just finished the install of the mirror. So far so good. I wired the constant +12V, the switched 12V and the ground into the radio circuit. I went down the right hand pillar. I also ran a wire from the white wire that runs to the stock mirror to trigger the map light at the same time the interior lights go on. I ran that wire down to the little lighting relay box that is at the far end of the mirror harness (now next to the radio).
The only thing that isn't perfect is the theatre dimming doesn't work. The other lights dim out, but the mirror lights basically stay on until the other are 3/4 dimmed and then they snap off. I can also hear the mirror's light relay buzz a little from the theatre dimming power provided by the BCM. It a minor thing but I am assuming it cannot easily be fixed. The map lights seem a little better than the factory mirror lights so that is good. I finally noticed that Camaros don't have footwell lights (duh).
I placed the temperature probe up front just slightly above the bottom of the bumper so it would not get scraped on anything. Its on the right hand side just to the side of the air stream going into the radiator. I think its reading slightly warmer than actual so far but I have to drive it some more.
The only thing that isn't perfect is the theatre dimming doesn't work. The other lights dim out, but the mirror lights basically stay on until the other are 3/4 dimmed and then they snap off. I can also hear the mirror's light relay buzz a little from the theatre dimming power provided by the BCM. It a minor thing but I am assuming it cannot easily be fixed. The map lights seem a little better than the factory mirror lights so that is good. I finally noticed that Camaros don't have footwell lights (duh).
I placed the temperature probe up front just slightly above the bottom of the bumper so it would not get scraped on anything. Its on the right hand side just to the side of the air stream going into the radiator. I think its reading slightly warmer than actual so far but I have to drive it some more.
I don't understand why your theater dimming doesn't work? If you hooked up the mirror lights to the original wire that powered the original lights they should be the same.
My map lights dim as before and are actually brighter as they are LED's and the factory bulbs were not...
-Jay-
My map lights dim as before and are actually brighter as they are LED's and the factory bulbs were not...
-Jay-
