Signal Mirror Shortcuts

[f5fstop]

These hints and shortcuts will not make sense unless you are in the process of installing the Muth Signal Mirrors.

I’m not going to go over a complete install, just add a few hints that make the install easier.
Removal of the door trim panels is easy and directions from Muth are great.
Make sure windows are down to have access to the four bolts retaining the mirror.

Directions for removing the pivot ring from the mirror are not good at all. I have written Muth, they make changes, and they may not; they have made some changes, but in my opinion, are still not clear. If they don’t there will be a ton of broken mirrors.
(This is an example of what happens if you have installed these mirrors many times, and the instructions did not note the requirement of the pivot mirror. At least they make a mention of the requirement of the pivot ring to be taken off the original mirror and installed on the Muth mirror. I just went ahead and attempted to install, and the mirror shattered instantly. Muth sent me a FREE mirror, so they do stand behind their instructions and their product. This is one reason why they revised their procedures to make note of the pivot ring.)



Once the factory mirror is removed, you have to slightly pry up on the points indicated. YOU WILL BREAK THE FACTORY MIRROR. Once the noted bottom clip is free or broken (it is not used on the new mirror), the ring will slide downward. The Muth mirror slides into these four points and snaps in place. DO NOT pry hard, DO NOT break the four clips in each corner that are designed to slide into the Muth mirror. ADVISE you to wear leather gloves since the factory mirror will shatter.



When installing the mirror assemblies to the vehicle; make sure the grommet is seated in the doors. Some soapy water helps to lubricate the grommet. It is tight, but if not installed, water can enter the inside of the door. There is NO seal on the mirror; the grommet is the only protection from water intrusion into the door.

Mirror bolt torque is 10 N.m (89 in-lbs).

Also, make sure to run the wires on the outside of the window run channel, or the window will not go up. With the window down, it is hard not to run the wires on the outside, but not impossible. Do as Muth recommends, route the mirror wires exactly the same way the power mirror wires are routed.

The Molex connector is a pain, but it can be done. Recommend removing the one bolt holding the door check link to allow for about one-inch more room to work.
With the door open, you will see a gray lever; push that lever up until it is completely to the top of the connector. The pull straight back to remove the male end of the connector.



The female end of the connector inside the door requires some small hands and arms to reach. Reach inside the door, and there is a small metal clip on the top of the connector, push down and pull, then pull the entire connector outside the door.



Drill the required hole, route the signal mirror wires through the hole and the wire outside the hole where the connector sits. Then re-install the female end of the connector to the door. Position the connector to the inside of the door with the bottom in, the snap in the top to lock the metal clip on top.

Route the wires through the male end, now this is where it gets tricky. You will have pulled up the rubber insulator from around the connector. This is molded to the rubber tube that goes through the grommet at the door. Well, I found it impossible to fish theses two wires through this rubber tube and then into the vehicle on the driver’s side (the passenger side is even worse, due to the location of the heater blower motor). So, I routed the wire partially through the rubber tube, make small cut in the tube, and then routed the wire outside the tube. Then cut a small hole in the grommet where it goes into the vehicle, and routed the wires through the small slit, into the vehicle.



Once these wires are routed, you can then pull on the wires to take up any slack, and then seat the male end of the connector back into the female end locked on the inside of the door. Push the male end of the connector straight in, and once in place, pull the gray lever down. It will help to draw the connector in, and then lock it in place.

Place some silicone sealant on the two holes cut on the rubber tube to make it watertight. I used Kent Industries Leak Chek, but any waterproof silicone should work.

The passenger door is a bit harder for pulling the wires into the vehicle, since the heater blower motor only gives you about one-inch clearance between the motor housing and the vehicle, but it can be done.

Both sides of the vehicle offer great ground locations, which are very obvious.

You do not have to remove the bottom panel from the driver’s side. You can route both wires without removing this panel and it will save time. This panel requires the brake handle and hood handle to be remove in order to remove the panel. This is a major pain, so I didn’t remove this panel.


Mirrors installed:

[f5fstop]

These hints and shortcuts will not make sense unless you are in the process of installing the Muth Signal Mirrors.

I’m not going to go over a complete install, just add a few hints that make the install easier.
Removal of the door trim panels is easy and directions from Muth are great.
Make sure windows are down to have access to the four bolts retaining the mirror.

Directions for removing the pivot ring from the mirror are not good at all. I have written Muth, they make changes, and they may not; they have made some changes, but in my opinion, are still not clear. If they don’t there will be a ton of broken mirrors.
(This is an example of what happens if you have installed these mirrors many times, and the instructions did not note the requirement of the pivot mirror. At least they make a mention of the requirement of the pivot ring to be taken off the original mirror and installed on the Muth mirror. I just went ahead and attempted to install, and the mirror shattered instantly. Muth sent me a FREE mirror, so they do stand behind their instructions and their product. This is one reason why they revised their procedures to make note of the pivot ring.)



Once the factory mirror is removed, you have to slightly pry up on the points indicated. YOU WILL BREAK THE FACTORY MIRROR. Once the noted bottom clip is free or broken (it is not used on the new mirror), the ring will slide downward. The Muth mirror slides into these four points and snaps in place. DO NOT pry hard, DO NOT break the four clips in each corner that are designed to slide into the Muth mirror. ADVISE you to wear leather gloves since the factory mirror will shatter.



When installing the mirror assemblies to the vehicle; make sure the grommet is seated in the doors. Some soapy water helps to lubricate the grommet. It is tight, but if not installed, water can enter the inside of the door. There is NO seal on the mirror; the grommet is the only protection from water intrusion into the door.

Mirror bolt torque is 10 N.m (89 in-lbs).

Also, make sure to run the wires on the outside of the window run channel, or the window will not go up. With the window down, it is hard not to run the wires on the outside, but not impossible. Do as Muth recommends, route the mirror wires exactly the same way the power mirror wires are routed.

The Molex connector is a pain, but it can be done. Recommend removing the one bolt holding the door check link to allow for about one-inch more room to work.
With the door open, you will see a gray lever; push that lever up until it is completely to the top of the connector. The pull straight back to remove the male end of the connector.



The female end of the connector inside the door requires some small hands and arms to reach. Reach inside the door, and there is a small metal clip on the top of the connector, push down and pull, then pull the entire connector outside the door.



Drill the required hole, route the signal mirror wires through the hole and the wire outside the hole where the connector sits. Then re-install the female end of the connector to the door. Position the connector to the inside of the door with the bottom in, the snap in the top to lock the metal clip on top.

Route the wires through the male end, now this is where it gets tricky. You will have pulled up the rubber insulator from around the connector. This is molded to the rubber tube that goes through the grommet at the door. Well, I found it impossible to fish theses two wires through this rubber tube and then into the vehicle on the driver’s side (the passenger side is even worse, due to the location of the heater blower motor). So, I routed the wire partially through the rubber tube, make small cut in the tube, and then routed the wire outside the tube. Then cut a small hole in the grommet where it goes into the vehicle, and routed the wires through the small slit, into the vehicle.



Once these wires are routed, you can then pull on the wires to take up any slack, and then seat the male end of the connector back into the female end locked on the inside of the door. Push the male end of the connector straight in, and once in place, pull the gray lever down. It will help to draw the connector in, and then lock it in place.

Place some silicone sealant on the two holes cut on the rubber tube to make it watertight. I used Kent Industries Leak Chek, but any waterproof silicone should work.

The passenger door is a bit harder for pulling the wires into the vehicle, since the heater blower motor only gives you about one-inch clearance between the motor housing and the vehicle, but it can be done.

Both sides of the vehicle offer great ground locations, which are very obvious.

You do not have to remove the bottom panel from the driver’s side. You can route both wires without removing this panel and it will save time. This panel requires the brake handle and hood handle to be remove in order to remove the panel. This is a major pain, so I didn’t remove this panel.


Mirrors installed:

[Nick Danger]

Are you at City Hummer (photos)?

[f5fstop]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nick Danger:
Are you at City Hummer (photos)? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, that's my Hummer and it is not at City Hummer...never heard of City Hummer.

[FLYINGBADGER2006]

Awesome mod F5. Im glad to see there is a heated mirror option. I don't know why H3 did'nt come with them in the first place. As always good post and good gouge.

F5fstop,

Nice mirrors and heated too. I think we can all use a set of these.

1. How do you turn on the heating element? (My last Toyota had heated mirrors controlled by the rear window defroster button)

2. Do you think the Hummer dealers will start selling and installing these mirrors eventually?

3. How do you like them in daily use? The signal light doesn't compromise the use of the mirror itself? Must be great for getting attention of cars in the blindspots.

S.

[f5fstop]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve-SanJose-H3:
F5fstop,

Nice mirrors and heated too. I think we can all use a set of these.

1. How do you turn on the heating element? (My last Toyota had heated mirrors controlled by the rear window defroster button)Mine aren't heated. However, looking at their site, you wire the mirrors to one of their modules, and install a separate switch, that turns the heater circuits on, and off. Probably with a built in timer.
I briefly looked at the mirrors and at the H3 rear window circuit, and believe you could do without the module, and wire them into the existing rear window heater circuit. Using the turn on signal from the switch to the BCM to energize a relay, which would allow B+ to go directly to the mirrors (with a fuse or circuit breaker in-line of course). Not sure if heated mirrors are needed that much in MI. My big question is how in hell would you pull those two extra wires (large gauge too), through the grommets in the mirror housings?

2. Do you think the Hummer dealers will start selling and installing these mirrors eventually? Muth has had these add on signal mirrors for years on a lot of vehicle. I have installed at least seven sets on Grand Prixs for myself and friends, but I have never seen them offered by a dealer. They do have some local installation sites throughout the US, and some dealers might ship vehicles to an off-site install shop. I would call the dealer. Many dealers may not be aware of Muth.

3. How do you like them in daily use? The signal light doesn't compromise the use of the mirror itself? Must be great for getting attention of cars in the blindspots. They stand out considerably. From the driver's point of view, normally they are not bright. They are installed in the mirror at a 45 degree angle toward the outside, with some laser etching where the nine LEDs shine through to help block the LEDs from shining in the driver or passenger's eyes. You can still see them operating, but a dull red light from the driver's and passenger's viewpoint.
If you stand behind the car, right at the edge of the bumper and outward for about ten to fifteen feet, they are bright and definitely let the world know you are turning. I have noticed one problem with the chrome mirrors, since the outside of the mirror it tilted inward, the LEDs reflect off the inner edge of the mirrors. Not a blinding light, but noticeable (strange for fake chrome plastic, how much they reflect light). This could be easily fixed if it bugs me too much, just by painting that inner edge with some flat black paint, but right now I'll leave 'em alone.
You do get to meet other H3 owners. Had one on Sunday pull into a Kroger parking lot behind me to ask if they were included in the lux package (he had base model). Another one yesterday morning pulled up next to me on the way to work and yelled over asking about the mirrors. Gave both of them the website, not sure about the guy who pulled next to me, but I think he heard the name of the manufacturer.

S. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

F5fstop,

Thanks for the mirror information. I'll check later with our local Silicon Valley dealer that does a lot of customization.

S.

[mountainbiker]

Originally Posted by f5fstop

hints and shortcuts

Did these get added into the Muth installation procedures?

[f5fstop]

Some changes made it, some didn't. Still working and going strong.