Worth removing electric mirrors?

[AdamB]

Well after some opinions. I've got my dash loom out at the moment and wondering if its worth removing the electric mirrors?
How many people actually use them and how often?

The way I see it is that its not hard to stick your hand out the window to adjust the mirror if you need to as its not very often they need to be adjusted really. Although its a nice gimmick to have is it worth it?

Would like to say that I'm not looking to save weight by removing everything from the loom, I still want some things like heaters, electric windows etc, just looking to tidy it up a bit since I have it out.

Adam

 

[Jay]

Remove the mirrors or just stop them operating?

MOT states you must retain the drivers side mirror but for safetys sake I would recommend retaining both mirrors. Your awareness is vital and in some circumstances (for example a track environment or at motorway speeds) they could provide life saving information.

If you are only asking about stopping them working I don't see the sense in it. The only weight you are saving is the plastic switch and the wires. You would be carrying more weight in your pockets normally.

By all means fit a lightweight set of aftermarket mirrors (Craft style would be ideal) but when retaining the stock items it's better to keep them complete.

Jay

 

[AdamB]

Just the operating of the electric side of it Jay. Understand what your saying in terms of weight, but I'm just looking to tidy it up a little since I got the loom out.

 

[Jay]

The only thing I can add is that the passenger side mirror on my auto doesn't work off the switch and it's a pain in the hole to adjust whilst trying to drive lol.

Factory door looms are neat! :haha:

 

[AdamB]

I get what your saying :haha:

While im on the subject of dash looms, I'm using the guide as posted in the helpful section but I've find some complete gubbins located on the ignition barrel connector, its like it has a small field harness. The car did have an alarm which I removed so I'm wondering if all this rubbish has something to do with it? It also has a fuse which has been jumped from one side of the connector to the other along with a red wire that's been terminated from pin 1.

The white connector far left is the ignition barrel one.





Here's the red wire that's been terminated


And here's where it all seems to be jumped too, they are all black wires as well which makes me think it is something to do with an alarm system.


Thanks

 

[Jay]

Looks like someone has used a turbo timer harness to wire something in maybe?

 

[AdamB]

Hmm could well be a possibility. Bit confused as to why they lead to what looks like a couple of relays. I know the car had a pillar pod so might well be this position where it was tapped into for the gauges.
Think I may have to remove that second connector block and join the wires back up to the ignition barrel connector, all the colours seem to match what's on the PDF file, although they go into the harness block and not the barrel connector.

 

[Rev]

I would keep the electric mirrors for precise adjustment on the move as said above particularly if another person uses the car and moves the mirror without your knowledge or more usually adjusts the seating position.

 

[AdamB]

No one else will be driving the car but I do understand it wouldn't be possible to adjust the passenger side whilst sat in the drivers seat lol.

Im going to remove that harness connection tomorrow and re-connect back to the original ignition connector, although I think I'll be left with a few left over wires that I'll have to trace back.

 

[SupaStu]

I had keep fit mirrors on my P sport, and they are a pain in the ass, especially when you need a little adjustment on the motorway etc. Normally you notice on a busy road, after you have washed the car and they have moved slightly.

 

[weeJohn]

Unusual for an alarm system to have external relays, sort of defeats the purpose of it being tamper proof. Maybe it was for switching a power supply to an amp or other ice, loads of possibilities really, you need to trace the wires from 87 and 30 to see where they go to know what they were switching.

Its all after market wiring anyway so if you are stripping out its excess probably.

Not a lot of weight saved by getting rid of the electric mirror wiring, its a small control box with 4 wires going to each mirror. The leccy window wiring is far heavier, lots more to it and doors would weigh less with some of the switches and stuff out.

 

[AdamB]

I had keep fit mirrors on my P sport, and they are a pain in the ass, especially when you need a little adjustment on the motorway etc. Normally you notice on a busy road, after you have washed the car and they have moved slightly.

Yeah I understand now, bit of a pain especially if ypur on your own. Think I'll just keep them as its probably more hassle than its worth.

Unusual for an alarm system to have external relays, sort of defeats the purpose of it being tamper proof. Maybe it was for switching a power supply to an amp or other ice, loads of possibilities really, you need to trace the wires from 87 and 30 to see where they go to know what they were switching.

Its all after market wiring anyway so if you are stripping out its excess probably.

Not a lot of weight saved by getting rid of the electric mirror wiring, its a small control box with 4 wires going to each mirror. The leccy window wiring is far heavier, lots more to it and doors would weigh less with some of the switches and stuff out.

Exactly what I thought, although all the wiring is coloured black. When I strip back the relays tomorrow I'll get a better idea of where it goes, although Im hoping that the wiring for the ignition connector is all there and I don't have to trace too many loose wires back.

 

[sacodetoro]

Well after some opinions. I've got my dash loom out at the moment and wondering if its worth removing the electric mirrors?
How many people actually use them and how often?

The way I see it is that its not hard to stick your hand out the window to adjust the mirror if you need to as its not very often they need to be adjusted really. Although its a nice gimmick to have is it worth it?

Would like to say that I'm not looking to save weight by removing everything from the loom, I still want some things like heaters, electric windows etc, just looking to tidy it up a bit since I have it out.

Adam

Just sounds like a massive waste of time to me, read a book or something instead and make yourself a more rounded human being

 

[AdamB]

Ok I've removed these relays, and found a part number and here is what the numbers located on the relays correspond too:
85 = Ground
30 = Input/Supply
86 = Trigger
87A = Output
87 = Output

Here is where things seem to trace back too for relay #1 :
85 goes to the fuse which goes and attaches to pin 5 on the ignition connector, on this T-joint is also another wire going to a 3 pin white plug and also links back into the field connector. 85 on the relay is also bridged to 85 on #2 relay.

30 links directly to pin 2 on the ignition connector
86 goes to a yellow wire which goes to this white 3 pin plug
87 goes to 30 on #2 relay.
87A is bridged to 87 on relay #2

For relay #2 :

85 goes to 85 on relay #1
30 goes to a wire which isn't connected to anything, although I'm assuming it was at some point as the strands are out past the insulation
86 goes to a black with red stripe wire back up to the fuse box
87 bridged to 87A on relay #1
87A connects to the black with red stripe wire going into the field connector

From working this out I think that it is just used to power this white plug which is probably for a turbo timer. There's also a clear insulated crimp connection with a white wire which heads from the plug back down to pin 6 on the ignition connector.

I'm guessing I can just remove all this harness and just link the ignition connector back to its original wiring?

 

[dac69er]

rip it out.

I had some random piaa lighting setup that was on the car, but was obviously removed but left all the wiring. ripped that all out, was quite a bit in the end.
I also slimmed down the alarm wiring as there were lots of extra wires that were un-used, just in the way.

 

[weeJohn]

Its only bridging stuff round the ignition so its more than likely some sort of turbo timer. Remove all the extra wiring and those relays and you should be good.

 

[AdamB]

Thanks for confirming that Dunc & John. I started on the engine loom today so will go back to the dash loom to remove them bits and re-connect back up to the ignition connector.

 

[AdamB]

Well I finished off removing all that mess today, now looks a lot neater and something like this. Still need to fix up one wire, need some gas for my soldering iron so I'll get that tomorrow.



Now I've gone back through the pinouts on the PDF file on here, and found I'm missing one wire from this ignition connector, I'm missing the last wire which is apparently a black & white wire from pin 6. I do have a wire here but its a red wire and not of the same gauge compared to the others (much thinner gauge). This red wire goes up to the fuse box, the largest connector and pin 3, but the PDF document doesn't list the pinouts for the fuse box connectors, just wondering if this is the wire I'm missing from the ignition connector?

This one here :


And another quickie, I've got two loose wires over towards the drivers side of the loom, directly opposite the flasher relay. These are coloured red and green. I've traced them back and the green wire heads to the steering column combination switch pin 8, the problem is I have two green wires doubled up going into the same pin, so not sure if I can remove this loose wire? The red wire heads to a 16 pin connector which goes to the engine bay loom, its pin 3 on this connector.
My guess is that it is for a fog light switch, but want to make sure before I go and remove it.

Appreciate the help!