My 1996 xj12 has an electrochromic rear view mirror which I find
extremely useful. At night it works like a charm, so well that I wanted
to get a electrochromic drivers side view mirror also, but unfortunately
no 1995/1996 came with such a mirror. This was first introduced in 1997
on the x308 which could be had with electrochromic side view mirrors,
driver’s and passenger’s.
I decided this is simple enough: I’ll just get a 1998 driver’s
electrochromic side view mirror and run a wire to my rear view mirror
and hook it up there so that when my rear view mirror is dimming the
side view mirror will also dim. On top of that 1996 side view mirror is
easily replaced by a 1998 one - it fits perfectly.
I handed the job to my skilled mechanic, who is very good. He is mostly
working on european cars.
After a while he called back saying that the wire/device that activates
the dimming is built into the rear view mirror and therefore cannot be
accessed without taking the mirror apart which does not sound appealing.
In addition this wire or device is activated by a current much lower
than the 12v delivered by the main battery. If I were to just hook up
the 1998 electrochromic connector on the side view mirror to power it
would just burn out.
He also told me that the side view mirrors on the 1998 are slaves of the
rear view mirror on the 1998 so that without having a 1998 rear view
mirror I would not be able to make my side view mirror work on my 1996
xj12. Caught !!! Nothing is ever simple.
Has anyone any comments to add to this? A different
experience/suggestions ? Does anyone have a 1998 electrical guide which
should show the layout for the electrochromatic rear view mirror ?
It took me 2 years to get this far - I am not giving up yet.
Jon, I have a 2002 xj8 and wanted to do the same thing. I ended up
buying xj8 powerfold mirrors that came with standard lenses, but
the assemblies and the car are pre wired for the dimming feature. I
just have to find the dimming lenses, I can’t buy them here in the
USA, so I am looking for good used at a fair price from the UK. I
may just end up buying them new. Point is, there seems to be more
to it all than just running an extra wire to the doors. The mirror
itself must cut down the voltage, and I agree, I did not want to
risk opening up my mirror to explore the innerds! I don’t know when
these cars became pre wired, but adding this the easy way was not
something my main dealer was willing to try either. Brandon–
Brandon St James X308 2002 VDP 4.0L
VENTURA CALIFORNIA, United States
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The mirrors only require 2V to dim fully.
So yes, 12V would damage them.
But as you say, you just need to get a later RVM which has the
extra wire output on pin 4, and connect it to the door mirrors.
(although these don’t have the nice slider dimmer, if yours has
that)
So the RVM should have at least 5 wires.–
The original message included these comments:
rear view mirror on the 1998 so that without having a 1998 rear view
mirror I would not be able to make my side view mirror work on my 1996
xj12. Caught !!! Nothing is ever simple.
Hi Brandon, the lenses are not cheap. I got mine on ebay.uk - ended up
costing about 100 pounds, not cheap but worth it - if only I could get
it hooked up.
Your 2002 xj8 should already be prewired.
Jon
1996 xj12On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 9:54 PM, VITO-CARLY wrote:
In reply to a message from @Jon_Muurmann1 sent Sat 26 May 2012:
Jon, I have a 2002 xj8 and wanted to do the same thing. I ended up
buying xj8 powerfold mirrors that came with standard lenses, but the
assemblies and the car are pre wired for the dimming feature. I just
have to find the dimming lenses, I can’t buy them here in the USA, so
I am looking for good used at a fair price from the UK. I may just end
up buying them new. Point is, there seems to be more to it all than
just running an extra wire to the doors. The mirror itself must cut
down the voltage, and I agree, I did not want to risk opening up my
mirror to explore the innerds! I don’t know when these cars became pre
wired, but adding this the easy way was not something my main dealer
was willing to try either. Brandon
Jon, the main dealer in Crawley wants about �90 each, so if you got
2 for 100, that was good, let me know off site if you see any more
at a good price. B–
Brandon St James X308 2002 VDP 4.0L
VENTURA CALIFORNIA, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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Hi Miguel,
Yes I am afraid you are right. This is what you did a while back, right
?
What about the mounting bracket on the windshield for the 98 dim-mirror
does that fit our 95 96 set-up ?
Jon
1996 xj12On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 5:20 PM, mikedefender wrote:
In reply to a message from @Jon_Muurmann1 sent Sat 26 May 2012:
Jon,
you have only one option, you must buy a 98 dim-mirror that
have the extra wires. The older mirror can not have the side
dim-mirrors.
The good news is that you can buy one and sell your mirror
on eBay.
Yeap, I have done that. The mirror it’s just plug & play in the
bracket, however the plugs are different, you need to made some
electrical changes, but it’s very easy. It’s a nice upgrade, but
you will not see much difference. To be honest, before this upgrade
I had no problems in the side mirrors with the rear cars lights,
because the dim side mirrors are already a little more
darker/yellow, so already reduce the light reflection.
I now have plans to fit also the rain and headlights sensor (more
tricky), but for that I must change the windscren (witch I’m also
going to upgrade for the heated one from X308).
very old thread… but SOOO precise and helpful!.. maybe one of you guys is still around?
I used to have a 99 X308 that got wrecked… which had working electrochromatic rear AND side mirrors.
now I got a beautiful 01 x308 Daimler… and the chrome rearview mirror is not working. I decided to switch them… BUT
realised the Daimler doesnt have the e-chrome side mirrors… but does have a rain sensor.
so now… could I just use ALL mirrors from the old X308 ?
will the wires work?.. because the plug of the Daimler rear view mirror has 4 wires + 3 for the rain sensor built in… the other mirror has FIVE wires in a row - probably including that brown wire that is somehow responsible to dim the sides?..
I just installed powerfolds on my 2001 VDP and they had the extra wire built in to the plug, but like the powerfolds themselves the US VDP didn’t get these Daimler features.
What trim colour code is your dead Daimler? Need some Ivory (piped Sable) [NED] trim parts.
Very interesting. I guess I will give it a try today and check the side mirrors and wiring myself.
My concern is that the plug of the rear view mirror is totally different on the 99 with echrome and the 01 without. 6 wires (extra brown) vs 01 on the daimler.
And unfortunately for you… The 01 daimler is my good car now with NED and Sable… Haha. The oatmeal cat got beaten.
The door mirror plugs are the same for manual fold, power or power&dim. I think oatmeal/ivory use same colour lambswool rugs if you have a spare left front.
My 99 Super V8 had the rear recliners but they don’t exist here either. Have you got spare rear sunblinds?
Yes – the side mirrors are all the same… BUT the rearview mirrors arent!. my old one has 6… the new one 5 wires… one brown is too much now… lets see whats gonna happen… I have a suggestion.
as the old one is a JAG… there are no lambswool rugs… sorry. I have standard oatmeal ones?..
not sure what are rear sunblinds?.. oh … the ones you pull up… nope… not installed on the old one… only on the Daimler…
The mirror it’s just plug & play in the