I installed a rear view mirror with homelink and auto dimming

joeelmex

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Location
Atlanta GA
TDI
2012 Jetta Premium
I bought 2 kits, to install on my wife's and I Jetta. The kit comes with the mirror, wiring harness, VW adapter to V mount, wire taps, cable organizer and tie wraps.
Here is a picture with what the kit included.

The original rear view mirror pops out;
Turn the knob counter clockwise and you get goose neck off;


You then clip the V adapter and install it. You will need to move in in a angle to install it. Once install, use a rubber mallet and tap it to get it to wedge between the VW mount and adapter. It should look like this when completed;

Start removing your top panel. I used a credit card to avoid scratches.

Once you have the top apart,run the cable through the headliner out though the control top unit.

Once you got the cable run completely, get a black permanent marker and paint the last 6 inches of the white stripe on the cable. (Its for a cleaner look)

Run the cable through the V mount on the mirror.


The slide it in, and tighten the screws and make sure everything is tight. You should have something like this;


Pull out the slack and clip on the cable organizer. Once you do that, it should look like the following;


Now use the power tap to the first red cable you see on the BLUE connector for the garage door portion. On the other end of the blue connector there will be a purple'ish cable, connect the dimming portion of the mirror there. The dimming portion will only turn on when you turn on your exterrior lights. ( thanks to Ibedgen for this discovery)




****NOTE The Red cable is connected to the battery, it always has power. You will be able to open and close the garage doors with your car off. There will be no power draw to your car until you push the garage door button***
Once completed put everything back in order and this should be your final outcome.

I did this on both my manual and my wife's DSG Jetta and the process is the same. Please use this as reference if you decide to do this and once again I take no responsibility if things don't work well after the change. I will say you will need 1 hour no more then 2.
Thanks for your time.
 
Last edited:

jnmarshall

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Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Location
DFW, TX
TDI
'12 Jetta, '13 JSW
SO the autodimming AND homelink are always on drawing battery power? Seems a bit unsafe as someone could break a window out, press the button and walk into your house. Might want to search the forums for the how to and wire it to your fuse block on a switched power supply.
 

joeelmex

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Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Location
Atlanta GA
TDI
2012 Jetta Premium
SO the autodimming AND homelink are always on drawing battery power? Seems a bit unsafe as someone could break a window out, press the button and walk into your house. Might want to search the forums for the how to and wire it to your fuse block on a switched power supply.
The cars are always inside the garage. If someone breaks the window they will all ready be in the garage. Just so you know usually all garage openers are wired into the battery in order for you to operate your garage door without the need to turn on your car.

No different then having your garage opener on your sun visor and someone breaks your window to open your garage.

Hope that makes sense.
 

I800C0LLECT

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Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Location
Williamsburg, VA
TDI
2012 Jetta & Passat
Why not power up the home link using one of the lights? Their power is 12v but based on the timer for on/off operation when the doors are unlocked or you use the key fob. Perfect, right?
 

joeelmex

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Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Location
Atlanta GA
TDI
2012 Jetta Premium
Why not power up the home link using one of the lights? Their power is 12v but based on the timer for on/off operation when the doors are unlocked or you use the key fob. Perfect, right?
Well I believe that first red cable is what powers the lights. I think there is circuitry before the light to power them off after 15 minutes but that cable has power still. I wish I could find a schematic on the wiring at the top. My plan is to figure out what powers the sunroof and tap from there for the dimming option.
 

jnmarshall

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Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Location
DFW, TX
TDI
'12 Jetta, '13 JSW
Well I believe that first red cable is what powers the lights. I think there is circuitry before the light to power them off after 15 minutes but that cable has power still. I wish I could find a schematic on the wiring at the top. My plan is to figure out what powers the sunroof and tap from there for the dimming option.
I beleive you are correct. When I went digging around in my overhead to wire up a power adapter I found 12v constant and gound and all the other wires were low voltage which I beleive are canbus carrying door open messages, etc... When I asked I was referred to several homelink install posts where the wire was run thru the overhead and down the a-pillar to the fuses for a switched wire:( Too much effort. The sun roof also appears to be a low voltage switch probably to a relay inside that big metal tube above the console. That would make sense to support the comfort feature where you can open and close it at anytime.
 

11JTDI

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Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Location
Ladys Island, SC
TDI
2011 Jetta TDI
Just so you know usually all garage openers are wired into the battery in order for you to operate your garage door without the need to turn on your car.

False...I have the same mirror installed in my 2012 Subaru Impreza as a factory option, and the power shuts off with the key.
 

DC-IT

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Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Location
Toronto, Canada
TDI
2013 EL350BlueTec & 2011 Jetta TDI Comfortline
False...I have the same mirror installed in my 2012 Subaru Impreza as a factory option, and the power shuts off with the key.
+1. Both my ML350BlueTec and 335d oem home link shuts off when the engine is off.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
 

joeelmex

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Oct 1, 2012
Location
Atlanta GA
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2012 Jetta Premium
False...I have the same mirror installed in my 2012 Subaru Impreza as a factory option, and the power shuts off with the key.

I never said ALL manufacturers do this. My Hyundai Santa Fe and Chrysler Pacifica worked in this manner. The instruction manual for the mirror states to connect the power of the garage opener to the 12 volt and the dimming portion to the 12 volt switch.

Please if you guys find a better way to connect please post it.

The community here is rough, and attack members that are just trying to make things easier if you try to do this.
 

mklabunde

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Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Location
Milwaukee, WI.
TDI
2015 Passat SEL Premium
Good job! Still debating this one. Got my windows tinted, so auto-dim isn't as necessary any more.
how dark did you go on your tint? I had tinted windows on my old car before I got my TDI and had an auto dimming mirror and still liked the auto dim feature. I just got my car tinted 35% all the way around but am still going to get an auto dim mirror. I like the home link idea also I don't like having a remote clipped to my visor.

Mark
 

kjake

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Joined
Aug 15, 2012
Location
West Michigan
TDI
Gone!
how dark did you go on your tint? I had tinted windows on my old car before I got my TDI and had an auto dimming mirror and still liked the auto dim feature. I just got my car tinted 35% all the way around but am still going to get an auto dim mirror. I like the home link idea also I don't like having a remote clipped to my visor.

Mark
Only went 40% all the way around. It's not legal to have our fronts tinted in Michigan and the 35% was some uber ceramic expensive stuff, so I got the more normal 40%.

Glare seems minimal now and I've had it for about a month (as of today I think).

I don't like the remote on the visor either, but I figure I can go the custom button route in the center console for under $100 if I want to hide it.
 

11JTDI

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Ladys Island, SC
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2011 Jetta TDI
Only went 40% all the way around. It's not legal to have our fronts tinted in Michigan and the 35% was some uber ceramic expensive stuff, so I got the more normal 40%.

Glare seems minimal now and I've had it for about a month (as of today I think).

I don't like the remote on the visor either, but I figure I can go the custom button route in the center console for under $100 if I want to hide it.

You're crazy if you think 40% tint is going to help! Wait until some redneck with a lifted truck gets behind you that hasn't re-aimed it's headlights or someone drives behind you with their highbeams on. I have 15% all the way around and if I didn't have the auto dim there would still be too much glare!
 

kjake

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West Michigan
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You're crazy if you think 40% tint is going to help! Wait until some redneck with a lifted truck gets behind you that hasn't re-aimed it's headlights or someone drives behind you with their highbeams on. I have 15% all the way around and if I didn't have the auto dim there would still be too much glare!

yeah...it happened this morning. a big delivery style got right behind me at a light and parked one of his headlights smack in the middle of the rear-view mirror and I almost went berserk with rage.....haha

maybe I _will_ do this mod ;) and another car thing ends up on my xmas list...
 

kjake

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West Michigan
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I guess these got popular and they're out of stock :(

You can still get the '40', which is the same model, more expensive and has a finished wiring harness (that I'm not sure is plug and play).
 

kmcferrin

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Nov 5, 2012
Location
Central Ohio
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2013 Jetta TDI Premium w/Nav
I don't like the remote on the visor either, but I figure I can go the custom button route in the center console for under $100 if I want to hide it.
OK, I'm new, but I'm not familiar with this. One of the things that I missed the most from my 2006 TL was Homelink and self-dimming mirror. This mirror setup looks pretty good, but I'm curious about a console button.
 

kjake

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Aug 15, 2012
Location
West Michigan
TDI
Gone!
OK, I'm new, but I'm not familiar with this. One of the things that I missed the most from my 2006 TL was Homelink and self-dimming mirror. This mirror setup looks pretty good, but I'm curious about a console button.
This guy sells custom back-lit, push buttons for the center console that you could wire to a remote or eBay homelink unit. Should be able to power from the accessory voltage.
http://carstyle4you.com/index.php?cPath=16_24_48

DIYs:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=285532
http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?p=896512
http://www.vwgolf.net.au/showthread.php?4216-Carstyle4you-Switch-has-arrived-Garage-Door-Mod
 

mklabunde

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Sep 13, 2012
Location
Milwaukee, WI.
TDI
2015 Passat SEL Premium
I just installed a auto dimming mirror in my 2012 jetta TDI love it. I have 35% tint all the way around in Wisconsin it 50% on the front two doors and 35% everywhere else but I went 35. Had 35 on my other car and never got yanked. I think if you drive normal and the cop's can see in they don't have an issue. I have the gentex mirror has compass temp and homelink. Got it off amazon for 275. I can remember when you couldn't touch a auto dimming mirror for less than 500 bucks, 275 is not bad. Has two power leads one for the homelink and one for the mirror.
 

ibedgen

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2011
Location
Ca
TDI
2011 Jetta TDI
I installed a plain Gentex mirror today on my 2011 Jetta that has no homelink, compass, nor temperature... just a plain dimming mirror. I ended up tapping into the headlight circuit since I wouln't need the mirror to be powered any other time except when dark. The wire I used was from the 4 wire blue plug, the color of the wire looked like a brownish purple. From the 4 wires it was the one on the end that was separated from the rest. Maybe this helps someone.
 
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