Dimmable rearview mirror with built in backup LCD screen

[kbuskill]

Tried to hook power to the dark blue wire and nothing happened. It did not turn the camera on. I did stick a DVD in the radio and the screen works perfectly to play the movie. I still have not found a DVD player to plug into the RCA plug to test it.

Mike--Hamilton Chevy

You had power and ground hooked up to the camera and then added power to the blue wire correct???

Perhaps your camera has something wrong with it.

 

[Ebay Mike]

You had power and ground hooked up to the camera and then added power to the blue wire correct???

Perhaps your camera has something wrong with it.

That is correct and that is what I am trying to find out. If it is the Brand New Camera or an issue with the wiring or a radio issue! I have had nothing but problems ever since I started this project and at first it turned out to be a defective conversion harness and now I can't seem to get the camera to work.

Mike--Hamilton Chevy

 

[kbuskill]

That is correct and that is what I am trying to find out. If it is the Brand New Camera or an issue with the wiring or a radio issue! I have had nothing but problems ever since I started this project and at first it turned out to be a defective conversion harness and now I can't seem to get the camera to work.

Mike--Hamilton Chevy

When testing the camera, where were you getting power and ground from?

 

[jmm121783]

Well, I have the rear view mirror with LCD installed. It's pretty easy really. The coax cable, with leads that go in the plug came with instructions on what wires to replace in the plug. The plug has a 'latch' that locks the metal lead in place in the plug. The instructions explain what leads need to be replaced (the harness that's 'dangling' near the overhead console is wired for a camera already) with the leads that come attached to the cable already. The coax was 9 feet long and that was (in my case) just enough to route it through the 'ceiling', down the driver side A-pillar, along the fuse box and kick panel to the center console, where the radio is. I used an RCA Y connector/splitter one female to two male connectors. (camera goes to the female, NAV radio and mirror connect to the two male connectors. As you can see it works too. The video on the radio comes on even when the key is in accessory position, the mirror comes on when the key is in the run position.

The mirror you can find around $100, the cable with instructions is $15 and the splitter was $4.

Ron

View attachment 202832

Hell ya Ron that looks good and doesn't sound hard at all. I gotta pick me up one of those mirrors and look for a stock NAV head-unit!

 

[jmm121783]

Hello Joe, *lol* on the beer.

Yes I am doing this mod, it's pretty easy if you already have the cam, or the cam and Nav radio. You wouldn't really need a Nav radio, because the mirror just takes an RCA cable for video input. It seems that the gentex mirrors were very common on pretty much all GM vehicles, so there are plenty of them (used) around. You can get a "grade A" one, working with warranty for approx $100. (and probably less than that, but I like it when a seller can help you with an install, which costs a few more $$$ when buying it)

My 2013 SSV actually is wired for it already, similar to the DIC panel, the "Onstar mirror" was not installed to make the vehicle less expensive (a brand new GM OEM Onstar mirror is somewhere around $500-$700).
So the wiring is there, the plug/harness is lying on the trim right next to the front overhead console. What is missing is the RCA cable, but you can get one, with the right leads that connect to the plug for about $15.

You either connect the camera RCA cable to it, or if you already have the camera hooked up to the NAV radio, use a Y splitter to hook it up.

I don't see why another camera would not work, unless it has a weird resolution. (I believe, not sure, but the mirror LCD is 800x600). I use the "stock" camera, or to be more precise, the GM OEM after factory/market camera. It is the same camera, just different wiring harness that comes with it. Factory the camera is plugged into the harness in the tail gate, after "market" the OEM camera harness (power and video) needs to be routed to the front, from the back, tailgate. (some hook power up to the backup lights, but that causes the screen to go black for a few seconds when changing to/from reverse to anything. Also, when changing gears from Park to Drive, the shifter goes through Reverse, the backuplights will flash briefly, meaning your camera gets "jolted" a bit, which is not a good thing for electronics in general)

Anyway, I think the mirror install is pretty easy if you already have a camera and NAV radio installed, that's one reason why I did it too, it's easy, not that expensive and ... just because I can. The other reason is, the "GM Onstar Mirror" also has an automatic dimming feature, which I really like, all my other cars (except the 79 CJ5) had it, and I miss it ... someone coming from behind with their brights on is annoying.

The 'stock' OEM camera indeed comes with a bracket, factory it is "sonic welded" into the rear applique, However I cut the hole in the Applique, cut of the "weld posts" and put it in with a few blobs of JB weld. (which is better than regular epoxy). The camera is held in place with two screws and a plastic shim/spacer, so it cam be removed.

The model number of the mirror is a "Gentex 657" 'style' mirror. GM had so many of them, that they used several GM part numbers. GNTX-657 GM part #: 25794381 / 20945097 / 22915244

and there are probably more part numbers for the same thing, but different revisions

So... Detroit ay? I was there many years ago a few times, What's with all the OSB there?

Ron

OSB?

 

[Ron C]

OSB?

It has been years, a very long time since I was in Detroit. A lot of places were boarded up, with OSB... these sheets of composite wood, used for roofing etc.

Ron

 

[Ron C]

Hell ya Ron that looks good and doesn't sound hard at all. I gotta pick me up one of those mirrors and look for a stock NAV head-unit!

It's nice, I like it. The head units, OEM, are not cheap. I did it that way because I wanted the "look and feel" the same as the rest of the dash. Installing it is not difficult, pretty much "plug and play" that is IF you get the right parts. I bought the parts from people that are maybe don't have the lowest prices BUT for just a few $$$ more they'll help you with directions etc, well worth the money I think.

What I did to make it all work, in that order:

- OEM NAV head unit/radio
- Amp with plug and play harness that connects everything audio
(the radio is actually designed to work with an amp, factory a Bose one)
- backup camera
- rear view mirror.

I took quite a bit of time to figure out what parts would work, and made the install the easiest, that was most of the effort actually.

Ron

 

[Ebay Mike]

When testing the camera, where were you getting power and ground from?

The camera is powered by the reverse light and the ground is screwed into the sheet metal inside the truck. To try to get the camera to turn on we used a jump box to the dark blue wire and hooked the ground to the ground stud for the cop stuff inside the truck. We got no change and we tried it with the lift gate open and also with it closed and never got any picture at all.

Mike--Hamilton Chevy

 

[jmm121783]

I got one off of eBay yesterday (a mirror) for 18.99$ shipped....basically they go for $53 shipped all day on eBay. Literally 80% of the listings for that mirror are set to $53 buy-it-now/starting bid and there is A LOT of them on there. I suggest anyone looking to do this mod, first I'd check local Craigslist and then go to eBay.

It has been years, a very long time since I was in Detroit. A lot of places were boarded up, with OSB... these sheets of composite wood, used for roofing etc.

Ron

LOL a lot has changed my friend...Detroit is a LOT different in just the last 5 years.

I def want to go with that stock head unit as well for looks and function....I do want to upgrade speakers and maybe do good components with amps but nothing crazy and aftermarket head units just don't "look good." I mean the units themselves look good but inside and installed in the car in the center of the dash is a different story. Could I bother you for that part number Ron or Mike? You guys have been huge helps thank you!

 

[Ron C]

I got one off of eBay yesterday (a mirror) for 18.99$ shipped....basically they go for $53 shipped all day on eBay. Literally 80% of the listings for that mirror are set to $53 buy-it-now/starting bid and there is A LOT of them on there. I suggest anyone looking to do this mod, first I'd check local Craigslist and then go to eBay.

LOL a lot has changed my friend...Detroit is a LOT different in just the last 5 years.

I def want to go with that stock head unit as well for looks and function....I do want to upgrade speakers and maybe do good components with amps but nothing crazy and aftermarket head units just don't "look good." I mean the units themselves look good but inside and installed in the car in the center of the dash is a different story. Could I bother you for that part number Ron or Mike? You guys have been huge helps thank you!

Hi Joe,

I'll look up the exact part numbers (although there's also a write up in a thread or two that I started on here.

I bought the GM OEM HDD Nav radio (from eBay), the conversion harness, a GPS antenna, and the plug and play amp/harness that hooks everything to the car speakers. Except for one wire (the VSS leadd) it's all plug and play, I bought that from MVI. The camera I also bought from MVI. The guy that owns MVI is VERY helpful, and knows exactly what you'd need. I can give you his contact info.

For the mirror, if it is the same one as I have you'd only need the coax cable, which you can plug into the wiring harness for the mirror (which in in the roof, next to the overhead console).

I'll add some pics for what I used to put it together. (and can find the part numbers, if needed).

I also got a USB cable for the radio, to hook up a USB-SSD, for all my music.
(I don't have a picture of the ***, but can find the seller for that too (ebay)

BTW: the sounds with that amplifier sounds pretty darn good already, I don't know if you can make it sound significantly sound better.


BTW2: The HDD unit runs the navigation of a hard disk (SSD I think), which is better than running it of a CD. If the CD scratches, Nav won't work. It's a 30Gb drive, and can hold music too (which I didn't do)

BTW3: I forgot, if you get a used head unit, it needs to be re-programmed for use with your vehicle (VIN number re-programming)

Ron

1 - Radio (prices really range a it, depending on what's available and what you want)
(HDDs are approx $600-$800 used, new it's like $2,500)
2 - radio-label part numbers etc
3 - conversion harness (approx $60)
4 - amp with plug and play harness (the radio needs a Bose style amp, (appox $250)
5 - backup camera. (approx $250)