[Slithering_Joe]

I like electrical gadgets so I stumbled over this and bought it. The deal is on eBay for a Mazda/Ford OEM auto dimming rear view mirror that displays both compass and ambient temperature for $60 + $10 shipping.

Search eBay for item #230334830091 - REAR VIEW MIRROR AUTO DIM TEMP COMPASS BRAND NEW OEM.

OEM quality (Made by Donnelly for Mazda) where the bluish-green LED digital display shows both compass and temperature at the same time ( N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and *F/*C ). Dimming and display features can be turned on or off. Comes with harness, temperature sensor, windshield button & operation instructions. Simple install - power, ground, windshield mount and sensor mount. Temperature sensor easily mounts behind front park lamp to get it away from the engine heat and direct sunlight.

(cell phone pic)

[linexrandy]

Thats a good idea. Any pics of how you ran the wires?

[RKBA]

Nice work.

I have one from an 04 Chevy truck in mine. I spent a lot of time stripping the OEM harness out of the truck; your new one was probably a lot easier.

[Slithering_Joe]

The windshield trim of the early model year TJs' will not hide the four wires leading to the auto-dimming mirror. What I did was I purchased CORDMATE(R) by Wiremold at Home Depot. They only carry white, it's paintable, so I painted it with black spray paint for plastics. The window gasket and window frame on my Jeep is black so it blends in just fine. Other vehicles may be OK using black since the gasket/seal/trim around the window is black too. So it probably wouldn't be too noticable. The CORDMATE also has a self-adhesive backing on it so it makes the application super easy.

CORDMATE



Orange/yellow dots follow the wiring route...

Routing the Temperature sensor... (below right hand marker lamp shown)



Through the factory hole in the fender bracket...




Up into the engine compartment...




Across the firewall...




Down into the factory grommet...
(Note the "U" shape in the wire loom so that water does not travel along the wiring into the cabin.)




Firewall pass-through to the interior...



From the firewall up to the interior fuse block...
(Also shown, power & ground wires to "always on" Power Outlet with polarized console quick-disconnects)




Power from the Jeep supplied "SWITCHED AUXILIARY POWER" wire (Light Blue, 3A max)...
Power and sensor wires exit up to the windshield frame...
(Supplied 1A in-line fuse & ground not shown in photo.)




Painted CORDMATE directing wires up & across the the windshield frame...

[gaTJgal]

I just found my next project. Thanks!!!

[Knocky]

Originally Posted by GaTJGal

I just found my next project. Thanks!!!

x2....my rear view is starting to crack up.

Nice engineering Chrysler!

[Knocky]

Got mine installed and it works just fine.

The only thing is I ran the temp sensor behind the driver's side turn signal and am apparently getting engine heat to it. Even at 70mph it is showing too high a temp.

I will have to move it at some point and try another location.

[Slithering_Joe]

Unfortunately, I'm experiencing the same thing too. I have spoken to and have read about other people's experience with the original factory dimming mirror and they complain it reads a temperature that is a bit high after driving around. That is why I chose the alternative position shown above. I thought the alternate position was going to be a really good spot for the sensor but real life is proving it otherwise. It seems to be a bit of a challenge to avoid detecting the heat from the sun, the radiator and/or the exhaust. Let us know what works for you.

[Knocky]

I moved it down so that about half of the sensor is lower then the fender and it's just barely in the flow of air as I drive.

I will see how that works out.

[Kip03TJ]

I have some sort of sensor right infront of my radiator and I believe it's the temp sensor since it looks like yours. Can anyone confirm this on the later Jeep models with compass and temp?

[Slithering_Joe]

I ran a few tests of my own using a thermocouple on my multimeter hanging out of the passenger side window. That's up high enough to get a realistic reading of the outside air temperature. I was trying to avoid as much as possible detecting heat from the road, the engine and the black (paint) body of the Jeep. I ran an intial test when the car hadn't been started for 12 hours while sitting in an enclosed parking garage. There isn't much airflow inside the garage but it is very large. I wanted to compare the two readings - the mirror vs the multimeter. Also, for the intial reading I used an infrared (IR) thermometer.

Initial test:
multimeter: 79*F
mirror: 84*F
IR: 81*F

(For the heck of it, I held the sensor tip in my hand which brought the mirror reading to 89*F.)

I let the vehicle sit in the gargage at idle for roughly 10-15 minutes while I was speaking to a neighbor. My Jeep has a mechanical fan so there is always some air being thrown around the engine compartment and below the vehicle.
multimeter: 90*F
mirror: 107*F

Drove around town, stop and go traffic, no faster than 35mph. Upon moving from the initial test, the multimeter quicky dropped to 78*F while the mirror quickly dropped from 107*F to 95*F. It took a few miles for the mirror temperature to drop to 91*F.

Once I got onto the highway, 55mph, the mirror reading slowly dropped to 88*F. The multimeter continued to read 78*F.

Proceding on the highway for about 10 miles, the temperature readings leveled off.
Multimeter: 78*F-79*F
Mirror: 83*F-84*F

After driving on the highway for a while, I had to make a stop on the road for a red light. I noticed that the multimeter temperature climb slowly from 78*F to 80*F. The mirror changed from 83*F to 84*. I figured this could be heat from the sun reflecting off black road surface, the tires, and/or the engine. When the light turned green, I drove on and the multimeter temperature dropped back down to 78*F but the mirror stayed steady at 84*F.

I entered the enclosed parking garage, speed limit is 5mph, and the multimeter temperature begain to rise to 88*F. The mirror followed and hit 89*F.

I stopped my testing as I figured there wasn't much that could be done to re-position the sensor anywhere. It seems that heat is being detected from some combination of one or all of the following heat sources - the airflow off the mechanical radiator fan (hot engine), engine heat and/or solar heat transfered to the body panel where the sensor is mounted, exhaust, hot tires, and/or hot road surface (sun). It seems to be somewhat accurate while on the highway when it hasn't been previously "baked."

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by Kip03TJ

I have some sort of sensor right infront of my radiator and I believe it's the temp sensor since it looks like yours. Can anyone confirm this on the later Jeep models with compass and temp?

The temp sensor for the overhead console on my wife's '04 WJ is mounted between the grille and radiator on the passenger side.

Pic from wjjeeps.com:


I haven't gone to any trouble testing it, but compared to average temps reported in my town, it seems to be accurate within a few degrees.

- Justin

[Slithering_Joe]

From the 2003 Jeep TJ service manual if it is helpful to anyone:

[kadetklapp]

I installed a Gentex mirror in my 99 XJ. I also have a multi-display one of these in my 95 Caprice. Very nice mirrors.



Some of you are experiencing temp reading issues- Be aware that these sensors are not well made particularly. Out of all the GM sensors I have used for temp, all of them were bad. I bought some knock-offs and they lasted a short time before putting out strange and off-the-wall readings.

[Knocky]

Finally got around to rewiring the temp probe.

I moved it to behind the grill / in front the radiator.

It now reads the temp properly, so whee!