DIY: JDM Reverse Tilt Mirror

[ITEM9]

Introduction
This OEM Honda Accessory will enable your passenger side mirror to tilt down to an angle of your choice when you shift the transmission into reverse. It is a JDM/EDM part and is not sold in the US by Honda dealers. The USDM door harness connections are slightly different from the JDM vehicles and the add-on harness will require a pin reconfiguration in order to work properly. Other than this slight modification to the reverse-tilt harness, this is a plug and play install.



Parts Needed
Reverse Interlocked Door Mirror (08V08-SZT-000)

I purchased my parts here:

JDM Japanese Auto Parts specialists | japanparts.com

Documentation
Installation instructions did not seem to be included with the parts, but I did find them online. They are in Japanese, but the diagrams should still be helpful with the install by showing how to remove the dash components and how to route the wiring. They are available to download here:

JDM Reverse Tilt Mirror Install Manual

I scanned the "owner's manual" that came with the parts. It's also in Japanese. So far it has proven to be useless, but here it is:

JDM Reverse Tilt Mirror Owner's Manual

Tools Needed
Small Precision Flathead Screw Driver Set (for depinning)
Small pin/needle (for depinning)
10mm Socket
8 mm Socket
Phillips Screwdriver
Pliers

Wiring Harness Reconfiguration
The door harness is different between the USDM and JDM models, so if the JDM add-on harness were connected as-is, the power windows and reverse tilt will not function. The JDM harness door connector pins will need to be reconfigured to remedy this. Depending on experience and dexterity this can be very easy or extremely frustrating. The power window pins are easy because they are big enough to manipulate; the other smaller pins were much more difficult, requiring a small needle and some patience to release the pins from the connector.

Here is a picture followed by a color diagram of the stock USDM EX door harness connector wiring. The other mating connector will be a mirror image of this diagram. No changes need to be made to the vehicle harness; this image is just for reference.

USDM Vehicle Door Harness Connector


USDM EX Configuration

• Solid colors (including white) are wire colors.
• "X" represents a vacant pin socket.
• Hatched areas represent socket-less parts of the connector.

Here is a diagram of the JDM reverse-tilt harness door connector showing the necessary pin changes that need to be made represented by different color arrows:

JDM Configuration


Depinning
The pins are locked in place and need to be unlocked before depinning. The connector consists of two parts that need to be pulled apart from each other slightly to unlock them. They are held together by little plastic claws on the sides of both the male and the female door connectors. One of the connectors will be covered in a foam material, but it still possible to disengage the claws without removing the foam. The claws just need to be lifted up with a small screwdriver and moved up to the next notch. This will unlock the connector and it will be ready for releasing the pins from it. Do this for both door connectors and be careful not to accidently push them back together while handling them for depinning.

Power Window Circuit
This is the easy part of reconfiguring the harness. You will see that there are some bigger pins on the connector and some smaller pins. The power window pins are the big ones in the diagram and the arrows for relocating the pins are represented in BLACK. Notice there are holes above the pins on the mating side of the connector; this is where you will need to insert your small precision screwdriver to lift on the release tab to free the pin from the socket. Look inside one of the vacant sockets to get an idea of how this tab works. The tab lifts AWAY from the pin. Gently pull on the appropriate wire while lifting on the tab; if you have lifted sufficiently it should pull right out. Sometimes you need to manipulate the pin in and out of the socket while releasing, so the release tab doesn't bind up on the pin. Depin and repin into the correct sockets as follows:

1. Move the large WHITE wire down one position to the vacant socket directly below it.
2. Move the large BROWN wire to the other vacant socket next to where the WHITE wire is now.
3. Move the large YELLOW wire to the socket that the BROWN wire was just in.

Repinning is easy since all you have to do is push the pin into the correct position until it clicks. Sometimes the pins might not "click in" and stay loose, even though they are pushed in all the way. If this happens, try to bend the little plastic release tab back down a little bit, so it will start catching on the pin again.

Ground Circuit
The arrow in RED on the above diagram indicates which wires need to switch places to get the reverse tilt control module grounded and thus operational.

The top-most small GRAY wire needs to switch positions with the BLACK wire.

This is where the depinning could get frustrating. The release tab holes are much smaller and it's almost impossible to see what's going on inside of them, especially while you have a needle poking around in there. You pretty much have to go by feel. Start with the female pinned connector since those are easier to get to. Insert a needle alongside the one of the corners of the square hole closest to the pin and try to catch the release tab to the side of the small metal protrusion, or "catch", of the pin. These are a little different than the previous type of pins since you can't lift on the middle of the release tab, since the "catch" on the pin is now occupying the middle. Lift the release tab AWAY from the pin, by pushing down on the needle to kind of leverage it upwards. Take your time and take breaks if it becomes frustrating. I certainly had to... Once you figure out how they release, the rest all release the same way. However, it becomes more challenging as you attempt the other set of pins on the male pinned connector since everything is now recessed inside the connector socket. It may take dozens of attempts to get it; just keep at it and take your time.

Swap Horizontal/Vertical Mirror Wires
The horizontal and vertical tilt control wires have switched positions in the JDM harness, so unless these are swapped places, your mirror will be tilting left/right in reverse gear, instead of up/down. These wires are indicated by the GREEN arrows on the diagram above. These wires will also have a stripe on them for one of the door connectors, but the main colors will be the same.

The remaining small GRAY wire [w/ stripe] needs to switch places with the small PINK wire [w/ stripe].

These can be a bit of a pain on the male pinned connector since they are in the lowest positions in the connector socket. It's difficult to get leverage on your depinning needle since you don't have much room to push down on it. The female pinned connector will be easier since the release tab holes are not recessed into the connector body.

Remember to do both door connectors and check to make sure all of the colors match up by connecting the harness back into itself. Lock the connector halves back into the locked position once you are sure you have connected everything correctly. Your modified harness should be arranged like this:

Modified Harness


Your modified harness is now ready for install onto your CR-Z...

[ITEM9]

Vehicle Install
Once you have your modified harness, this becomes all plug and play with only one wire tapping on the reverse signal wire. This part of the DIY is meant to be used in conjunction with the JDM Installation Manual. All numbers in brackets [#] reference a diagram that is associated with the step number(s) in the JDM Installation Manual. Keep in mind that the install manual was intended for right hand drive vehicles, so the diagrams should be a mirrored image of what is correct for left hand drive vehicles. The fuse box is an exception of this; it is the same between JDM and USDM models.

Dash Disassembly

Remove:

1. Passenger Side HVAC Vent Panel - (6) Clips [2-3]
2. Trim Panel Above Glovebox - (8) Clips [4]
3. Trim Panel Below Glovebox - (4) Clips, (1) Floor LED Light Connector [5]
4. Glovebox - (2) Phillips Screws, (4) 8 mm Screws, (4) Clips, (1) Glovebox Light [6-7]
5. Passenger Side Lower Pillar Garnish - (2) Clips [8-9]
6. Driver's Side Fuse Box Cover - (6) Clips [15]
7. Driver's Side Under Dash Trim Panel - (2) Clips, (1) Plastic Thumb Screw [17-18]

Fuse
Take the 20A fuse and place it into the #4 position [51] on the dash fuse box. It is the vacant fuse socket four positions down from the most upper-left fuse and is shown in a RED box in the diagram below.

20A Fuse Location on Fuse Box


Control Module Switch Configuration
The control module is configurable via a set of jumper switches inside of a recess next to the connector socket [19]. Various combinations of these switches will yield different angles to which the passenger mirror will tilt down to. Use a small precision screwdriver to manipulate these switches. The table below has the angles in degrees in the lefthand column and the various combinations of the jumper switches that correspond to the desired angle in all the other columns. I recommend the maximum angle of 6.9 degrees which is ON-OFF-ON-OFF. If this is too much and the mirror starts bottoming out for your particular viewing angles, then reduce the angle slightly until this no longer occurs. Take note that the #4 switch is OFF in every position on the table and if selected, it could possibly result in angles beyond what the mirror is capable of, making it bottom out for a few seconds. Bottoming out probably isn't that bad, but I wouldn't want to do it that much either... I haven't tried this last jumper switch, so I don't know what happens for sure.



Control Module Bracket
Install the control module bracket onto the control module [21]. It' s pretty self-explanatory how this goes on.

Mount Control Module to Firewall Stud
Remove the upper nut (10mm), shown in the RED box in the picture below, on the passenger side of the blower assembly [22] and install the assembled control module onto the stud. Replace the 10mm nut and tighten it back down while counter-torqueing the control module to keep it oriented vertically.

Control Module Mounting


Connect the JDM Mirror Tilt Harness on the Passenger Side

1. Connect the black connector (16 pin) into the control module [24]. This is shown in the GREEN box in the picture above.
2. Separate the white vehicle door harness connectors (23 pin), shown in the RED box below and connect the white door connectors on the JDM harness into the vehicle harness door connectors [25].

Door Connector


Fuse Box Connection


Harness Function Test

1. Run the other end of the harness across the center console to the fuse box and insert the gray female pinned connector (8 pin) into the slot shown in the picture above in RED [46].
2. Turn the key to the on position, but do not start.
3. Test the power windows. They should go up and down as normal.
4. Test the reverse tilt function by applying a +12V signal to the loose GREEN wire on the JDM harness. You may have to strip some insulator off to apply some voltage to it. This should tilt the passenger side mirror down; disconnect and it should go back up.
5. Try various tilt angles while seated to get a feel for which is the best one for your needs.
6. Test all other door functions if you want; no changes were made to any other circuits besides the power window and power mirror circuits on the JDM harness. The other circuits are power locks, courtesy lights, door speaker, mirror heat and mirror turn signals.
7. If everything works as normal, remove the gray connector from the fuse box and any connection you made to the GREEN wire

Route Harness Through Dash to Fuse box
The JDM Install Manual does a pretty good job of illustrating how to route the JDM harness through the dash [26-40]. Just follow along in order and loosely run the harness through the path indicated in the diagrams. Use something rigid to fish the harness through the center section. Once through the center section the gray connector can be connected again to the fuse box [46]. Now LOOSELY attach the included zip ties to all the locations indicated on the diagrams. Get the harness to fit up nicely with everything and get the foam sections to line up with areas where the harness makes contact with structural components. Once satisfied with fitment, tighten down the zip ties, except for maybe the last few close to the fuse box.

Tap Reverse Signal Circuit
There is a large green connector (49 pin) above the where the gray connector (8 pin) is now installed on the fuse box and it needs to be released by pressing a tab on the white locking mechanism [41]. There are two LIGHT GREEN wires on this harness and one of them needs to be tapped with the GREEN wire on the JDM harness [42]. The LIGHT GREEN wire on the left side of the fuse box is the correct one to tap into and is shown in a GREEN box in the diagram below. You may need some pliers to fully set the wire tap.



Once you are done with this, selecting reverse should now tilt down the mirror. Finish securing all loose zip ties and begin reassembling your dash. You are finally done with installing the JDM reverse tilt mirror on your USDM CR-Z.

A video of the mirrors in action can be found in my build thread here:

ITEM9's Build Thread: PWP EX

[ITEM9]

Reserved

[jcrhee12]

You are awesome dude. Thanks for the info. I so need this done.


Sent from Tapatalk

[lexsynergy]

this comes standard on the 04-08 tl....good job man

[Kyleseghatch]

Just fell in love with you, no homo.

[wintermute]

Great contribution - this is why I love this forum!

[Scotty001]

Originally Posted by Kyleseghatch

Just fell in love with you, no homo.

Watch out, Kyle's a sailor.. Wait - I'm a sailor.. Never mind.. But overlooking that fact - yep a great contribution to the forum.. Thanks..

[Monkey]

Thanks this is awesome,will order this next month and try it out...
Maybe the eu is wired differently,will let you know.

[k20maniac]

I think its awesome that you went through all the work to do this and its cool to see that someone is putting in the effort to figure out new tricks for our crz's. but... seems like alot of work just to have your mirror tilt downward.