[shardul_pathak]

Hi guys, this is my first attempt at a thread on T-BHP. I have been an avid reader for over 8 years now. I live, dream, breath cars. Have always had a modest garage, but my only motivator for working hard in life is to be able to buy all the cars I have dreamt of.

This thread however, is about a land yatch, which we choose to call a car! My 2016, Toyota Camry. Since I am in the merchant navy, my cars are rarely driven. The wife has her own Polo GT TSI, which recently had gotten some work done at Viraat's Garage in Delhi. My Toyota Camry however, has only done 42,000 Kms in 7 years!

The car feels new! Given the toyota nature, the interior trimmings have faded/damaged a little but I will have that taken care of my Viraat on my next Trip to Delhi.

Coming to the Idea why I had wanted to create this thread. For all the luxury which the Camry offers, it misses out on some really basic creature comforts. Auto dimming IRVM and rear windshield plus windows sunshades. These are the two things I sorely miss. Auto dimming IRVM because of the extra bright LED lights which every one how seems to have installed on their reflector headlights and sunshades for the obvious reason of privacy+heat protection in the bright summers of Jaipur.

I had decided to take on the auto dimming project first as after reading through numerous DIY threads I figured it would be a fairly easy install. But was I in for a surprise!

I did manage to source 2 old toyota auto dimming IRVM at my local toyota workshop. Posting images of those here:

A larger irvm with a 10 pin connector


IRVM from a Corolla Altis with a 5 pin connector


Wires for the 5 pin connector


As I set about trying to figure out which wire is live and which is neutral, I had left theses mirrors at the workshop itself. Little did I know that the electrician there was also trying to solve this mystery, the only difference was that he had the practical tools to see the end results!

I was reading up on the internet, posting on various thread for DIY about auto diming IRVMs but nowhere could I find someone who had used an old toyota spare and worked out the wiring for themselves.

A week had passed and I still did not have any credible information, just then I get a call from the workshop saying that the electrician had figured it out! Out of sheer excitement, I went straight there only to see this:

A short circuited mirror


I asked the electrician how this happened, and he told me that he managed to find a male coupler for the 5 pin connector, had joint 3 wires from it and connected it to a battery's positive and the other two to the positive.

Its a no brainer, that the internal circuit shorted and the mirror went kaput.
From all the readings I did i understood that only 3 out of the 5 wires were useful; 1st for power, 2nd for neutral, 3rd for the reversing function.

I tried on a friend's Corolla altis, but the reversing function didn't seem to work on it. At night, putting the car in reverse did not clear the dim, so I figured that probably only 2 wires are useful.

It is however, extremely hard to figure out which two wires those are.

So in the beginning of this thread, I request all of you to please help me identify these wires so I don't end up blowing up another IRVM by shorting it!

[Gannu_1]

Please remove the tape over the wiring from the connector and check the colour coding of the cables. It is most likely red for the +12V and brown or black for the ground which powers the mirror.

[shardul_pathak]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Please remove the tape over the wiring from the connector and check the color coding of the cables. It is most likely red for the +12V and brown or black for the ground which powers the mirror.

Hi! I had asked the workshop to send some images by removing the white cover. Attaching them here.





Any insights with these images?

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by shardul_pathak

Any insights with these images?

None. The color coding is confusing. Will have to refer to the wiring diagram.

What mirror is this 5-pin unit from? Camry or Corolla?

[shardul_pathak]

This is from the Corolla Altis.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by shardul_pathak

This is from the Corolla Altis.

Here's the wiring diagram translated from Russian:



Pin 1 - Ground

Pin 4 - +12V

Refer these links:

https://www.drive2.ru/l/483489898423124721

https://www.drive2.ru/l/615964831773630992/

Enable translation from Russian to English.

Good luck!

[shardul_pathak]

Thank you so much!

I am in Mumbai right now, This will be my first course of action the minute I land back in Jaipur, 2 weeks from now!

[vgaquarius]

I once happened to pop off the IRVM in my 2008 Lexus ES350 and it was that 10 pin connector. It used to dim when in reverse and it also had a compass. If you want to find a cheaper and brand new solution, there was a Honda IRVM on boodmo selling under 1k.