[laluks]

It was a disappointment that Toyota Fortuner did not come with an Auto Dimming Inner Rear View Mirror (IRVM). I had that idea to install one always in my 2015 Fortuner Type 2, Kungfu Panda (Sr.), but never got myself to it.

My 2017 S-cross Alpha, Kungfu Panda (Jr.) has auto dimming IRVM. Since most of my city drives were in the Jr., and mostly the night usage, getting one for the Sr. almost always got delayed.

Then it happened one day, that Toyota and Suzuki started to collaborate for synergies in Indian market. This also gave me the thought to cross pollinate the two in my garage .

I had a look at Kungfu Panda (Jr.)'s IRVM setup, and also at Kungfu Panda (Sr.)'s setup. To my surprise the locking mechanism on the windscreen for both the setup was similar, which meant I could just plug and play (except for wiring) Suzuki S-Cross IRVM on Toyota Fortuner's windscreen. I must say Toyota and Suzuki saw the synergies much in advance

Well that was the start for this DIY!!

While I started researching about the wiring part, I also thought to make the Outer Rear View Mirrors (ORVM) auto fold unfold with door lock unlock, just for fun and bling!!

So let us get on to the details.

[laluks]

Let us take a look at S-cross's IRVM setup.


After removing the first cover (longer one), you can see the wiring. You could see Red, Green and Black wires in the harness.


After removing the second cover (shorter one), you can see the connector


With harness removed for IRVM


You can also see in order the harness is not visible from outside, there is a black channel where the two covers are fit

Let us take a look from outside


This channel prevents the harness from being visible from outside


Now let us take a look at all of these components separately to understand.

The two covers, longer and shorter, outer view


The two covers, longer and shorter, inner view


S-Cross auto dimming IRVM removed


Back side view


You can see the connector (top) and the locking mechanism (below)


The connector



It's a 5 pin connector, but we have only three wires in the harness

[laluks]

Let us take a look at Fortuner's IRVM


Back side, It's just a manually adjustable flip for dimming


Back side showing Locking Mechanism


Locking Mechanism, the two metal pieces clicks fit to the piece on windscreen


The piece on the windscreen


This piece is placed very much to the top of the windscreen and not too low in the windscreen as in S-Cross


Let us study S-Cross's IRVM locking mechanism

S-Cross's IRVM locking mechanism


There is a screw to tighten the IRVM to the piece on the windscreen


Sliding the IRVM to the piece on the windscreen, it just fits perfectly


Tighten the screw to keep the IRVM in place

[laluks]

In order that the harness is not visible from outside, we need to make some arrangements for the channel in Fortuner. Fortuner's windscreen doesn't have that by default since there was no need. Well this led me in search of a sturdy material for the same. My research ended with a small metallic plate with adhesive, that is used to set up magnetic car mounts for various needs.

Metal plate


Metal plate back side


Channel cut to shape from the metal plate


Channel cut out, back side, with tape removed


Channel made from the metal plate installed to the IRVM


The other side after the covering channel is implemented


Now it's time to install the covers

Short cover installed


Long Cover installed


It's too long, Fortuner has the setup up higher in the windscreen than in S-Cross. We need to cut this long cover to size


The long cover, we need it to be cut to size


Long cover cut to size, inside view


Long cover cut to size, outside view


Cover cut to size installed


Channel Ready, Covers Ready, Just that it needs to be fitted on to Fortuner's windscreen now

[laluks]

Well now we need to sort out the wiring for the IRVM. For that we need to study the wiring details of S-Cross. A quick call to DBhpian Shashi Uncle and I am provided with the required details.

Electrical wiring diagram of the IRVM


This explains the three wires in the harness, Black is Ground, Green is IGN2 or Accessory position (IRVM is only powered on when the key is IGN2 or Accessories position, to prevent battery drain), and interestingly Red is Reverse signal. The setup is such that on reverse, the dimming is switched off. S-Cross's Auto dimming IRVM only works if key is in IGN2, it is dark and reverse gear is not engaged.

To make the harness, I had two possibilities. Get an automotive 5 pin connector, and some wires and make the harness. This would have been cheap, but I did not like this idea, since we introduce something new. Our idea is to cross pollinate Suzuki and Toyota . So I ended up finding the harness part number in S-Cross and ordering one for my DIY.

The wiring harness in use in S-Cross


Stripped the harness of its insulation and clips


Left it like that overnight, and went to take a nap dreaming about many possibilities


Next morning, took the stripped harness and figured out our connector


The color coded trio, Red, Green and Black




The connector




Removed all the unnecessary wires and connectors from the harness


Using the insulation removed from the original harness, made a cool new harness for our needs

Our custom built wiring harness

[laluks]

Time to fit to Fortuner's windscreen


Small cover installed


The cut to size long cover installed


The wiring harness was routed through the roof material, A Pillar all the way to the fuse box below the steering. Using a fuse tap, ACC/IGN2 was tapped, placed a 5A fuse in the line. Reverse signal was tapped using a splice wire tap from the reverse camera harness connected to the multimedia system.
Switched on IGN2, Voila, the IRVM is powered on


Looks neat


Now to make the bill of materials

1. Auto Dimming IRVM S-Cross - 84703M54P00 - Rs 3615
2. Wiring Harness S-Cross - 36820M65M20 - Rs 900
3. Smaller cover S-Cross - 84781M61M00 - Rs 100
4. Longer Cover S-Cross - 84782M61M00 - Rs 120
5. Splice Wire Tap - Rs 25
6. Fuse Tap - Rs 135
7. Metal plate magnetic car mount for channel - Rs 50

Total Cost of making auto dimming IRVM for Fortuner, by cross pollinating Toyota with Suzuki parts ended up at Rs 4945.

At approximately 5K, seems a well finished DIY

[laluks]

Auto Folding ORVM

Now let us look at a bling installation, I really do not know why I did this . While researching on IRVM harness and connectors, I stumbled upon many manufactures offering auto folding ORVM modules, and I found one at Rs 1000 on a sale in amazon. Thought of giving it a try.

This is the auto folding ORVM unit and harness


The small black box is the logical unit, there is a 5A fuse in the Red line, to power. It has a blue and green line which needs to be connected to door lock and unlock signals respectively. I have marked two connectors in the picture. Connectors 2 and 3. 3Male from the harness connects to 3Female on the logical unit.

This part of the harness with connector 2 gets tapped to the ORVM control switch on the dashboard.


Let us take a look


ORVM Control Switch - 1


After opening up the panel in the dash, you can see the rear of the ORVM control Switch - 1


The original wiring harness connected to 1


Original Harness 1Male unplugged from ORVM Control Switch 1Female


Wiring harness of the auto folding unit 2Male plugged to ORVM control Switch 1Female


Then Original Harness 1Male connected to 2Female of the wiring harness of auto folding unit


Now that all the harness is connected to the ORVM control switch, its time to rout Green and Blue wire and tap the door lock unlock signals


Next to drivers foot well, we remove the cover to show the door wiring and connectors


The connector with lock unlock signal for the doors amongst others


Connector removed, Open, Close signals identified


Using splice wire tap tapped the door lock unlock signals to the wiring harness


The red wire of the harness is tapped to a power line from the fuse box.



That's it installation done. Total of 30 minutes.

Now to make the Bill of Materials

1. Auto folding ORVM unit - Rs 1000
2. Splice wire Tap - Rs 75
Total cost of auto folding ORVM Rs 1075

Let us see a video of it working

https://youtu.be/Pd_j-TfUAwE

That's it guys. Thanks for reading

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[auto_enthusiast]

Originally Posted by laluks

1. Auto folding ORVM unit - Rs 1000
2. Splice wire Tap - Rs 75
Total cost of auto folding ORVM Rs 1075

The happiness after this DIY..... Priceless

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by laluks

While I started researching about the wiring part, I also thought to make the Outer Rear View Mirrors (ORVM) auto fold unfold with door lock unlock, just for fun and bling!!

A well executed DIY there. I had long ago contemplated getting a Ciaz IRVM for my Abarth Punto (the one with the backup camera), but it was just too expensive and gave up on it. But it seems the auto dimming IRVM is still a 'worth it' endeavour considering the high beam menace on our roads.

The folding ORVM is just the bonus for your car.

[Reinhard]

Excellent DIY - and extremely useful features both of them. I installed the auto-dimming IRVM in my Nexon on Saturday in a total of 15 minutes! Sourced it from AliExpress of course for approx 3.5K INR. Its working nice. Totally worth the money.

After doing these things DIY - we really wonder what makes the car makers skimp on such features. The items are really cheap and installations are also simple enough to be absorbed into the assembly line. I can understand product segmentation & feature separation, but these items missing on a car costing 20+ lakhs OTR is really atrocious. Even the Harrier only just received it on the top most trim. Crazy!

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Excellent DIY - and extremely useful features both of them. I installed the auto-dimming IRVM in my Nexon on Saturday in a total of 15 minutes! Sourced it from AliExpress of course for approx 3.5K INR. Its working nice. Totally worth the money.

After doing these things DIY - we really wonder what makes the car makers skimp on such features. The items are really cheap and installations are also simple enough to be absorbed into the assembly line. I can understand product segmentation & feature separation, but these items missing on a car costing 20+ lakhs OTR is really atrocious. Even the Harrier only just received it on the top most trim. Crazy!

Please post a DIY thread soon. Will be useful to other owners

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by laluks

Total Cost of making auto dimming IRVM for Fortuner, by cross pollinating Toyota with Suzuki parts ended up at Rs 4945.
At approximately 5K, seems a well finished DIY

Originally Posted by laluks

Total cost of auto folding ORVM Rs 1075

Now we know back in 2015, Toyota has saved close to ₹ 6 K on a vehicle which retailed at least ₹ 26 lacs! We must say they had already adopted Maruti's cost-cutting way before their mutual agreement!
On a serious note, thank you very much for a very neat and perfect DIY! Please keep us posted if any issues or upgrades happen in future.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

I had long ago contemplated getting a Ciaz IRVM for my Abarth Punto (the one with the backup camera), but it was just too expensive and gave up on it. But it seems the auto dimming IRVM is still a 'worth it' endeavour considering the high beam menace on our roads.

I also had given a lot of thought to this for my SX4 but ₹ 18K for just a Ciaz mirror with built-in display didn't seem worth it. Surprisingly, I saw a Zest some weeks back while traveling in Pune, where the driver had fitted a similar auto-dimming and display setup, which looked close to OEM. Upon asking, he said it cost around ₹ 5K including installation. This seems a reasonable option for us to explore.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

After doing these things DIY - we really wonder what makes the car makers skimp on such features.

Exactly my thoughts! But then again nowadays finance department is having an upper hand over engineering or sales.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Please post a DIY thread soon. Will be useful to other owners

Yes - its in the assembly line oven in-fact. Should hear the "Ding" this week mostly. Sorry, .

[Mr.RaghavDhir]

This is so satisfying to read. I can totally imagine how satisfying DIY is.
Congrats.