DIY: Auto Dimming Mirror Install with Homelink

DIY for 2011 GTI and the Gentex Auto-Dimming Mirror with Homelink Install – (took me 1 hour due to a little exploring in headliner. Really a 30 to 45 minute job).

I installed the Mito/Gentex GENK41 mirror which I purchased from www.brandnewauto.com

Here’s the link to the mirror I bought: http://www.brandnewauto.com/AUTO-DIMMING-MIRRORS/GENTEX/GENTEX-AUTO-DIMMING-MIRROR-p8051612.html

Use the coupon code 5OFF to get 5% off your order. My cost for the mirror and VW adapter kit shipped to me was $170.04 including shipping.

For this install it is important to ensure that you receive the “simple” install kit. This kit includes one wire with two hot plugs and a ground. There are no in-line fuses as some of the install kits have. You also need the “long” wire cover, not the short one. My kit came with the long wire cover at no extra charge.

Kit contents:


And purchased the available VW adapter kit, Pt. # 50-P7122 from them too: http://www.brandnewauto.com/Shop/Control/fp/SFV/31932/view_page/VWadapter


It comes with an allen screw and small brass insert:


I did not disconnect the battery during any of this process. I just made sure the doors were closed during the install (as if that might do any good). You may want to disconnect the battery.

Obligatory disclaimer: I am not responsible for damage to your GTI if you choose to follow this install. It worked for me. Attempt at your own risk.

First things first, here’s the mirror you will be removing. Say goodbye:


Tilt it downward and pop it off the stem holding it to the windshield. Its OK to use a bit of force. It’s not held on that strongly.

The back of the mirror looks like this, so you know what you’re dealing with:


Here’s what you are left with on the windshield:


To remove the mirror stem I used a strap wrench:


You can go either clockwise or counterclockwise to remove it. It does not matter. I went counterclockwise. ¼ turn and it will pop right off, leaving you with the mirror button:


This is what you will mount the new mirror to using the VW adaptor. I painted the horseshoe shaped piece black:



Once you have the mirror out of your way its time to go exploring for power in the headliner. Map lights seem the obvious place, so pop off the speaker looking covers with a credit card or, as I used, a plastic bondo repair tool:


It will release rather easily with very little force. Once it is loose, simiply fold it towards the mirror and it will hang on a hinge of sorts. Once hinged downward, simply pull the speaker looking cover off.


Next are two T-20 torx screws holding in the entire unit.


Remove these fully and then apply a small amount of pressure to release the two front clips on the unit:


Once these release you will be able to swing the unit down, out and off:


You will see a lot of wires connected by quick connects. The blue bundle is the one you want. The quick connect releases by a small tab in the center of the bundle:


The instructions require both hot and switched power wire. However, the map lights in the GTI gain power once a door is opened and retain their power for at least 15 minutes after the engine is shut off. The Homelink unit does not loose its memory, so there is no need for constant power to the Homelink unit. I chose to power both wires with the switched map light wires.

The wire you want is the first/last wire in the blue quick connect. It is red with a blue stripe:


Gentex includes two forms of clip-on wire connectors for wiring the mirror. Red and blue. Use the red ones and not the blue connectors for these connections. Clip both red wire connectors to the switched map light wire. It will look like this:


The wiring harness is made up of all black wires, but one of them has a white stripe. I didn’t want to see the white stripe once the unit was installed so I simply colored it in with a sharpie. Looks great and you cant tell it was just colored in:


You could shrink wrap them too, but this was free, available and easy.

Once the clip-on wire connectors are installed it is time to feed the wires. I attempted to use a coat hanger, but that didn’t work. Instead I simply used a screwdriver to pry down the headliner and shoved the wires one at a time into the head liner. I used a hemostat to grasp them and pull them to me.

Time to find a spot for the ground. You can either tap a new screw into the metal, or do what I did and use one of the two torx screws that hold the entire map light unit to the metal frame for the ground:


I used a dremmel to grind down the paint on the screw first to ensure a good connection. Once you have the ground in place, connect the two other wires. It does not matter which goes to which since they are both (in this instance) connected to the blue/red switched power wire.

Test to ensure the mirror is receiving power. The green light will glow (I was thinking of a way to change the green to red, but oddly enough, the same LED glows red when the buttons are pressed/activated, so I left it green).

If OK, go ahead and zip tie the wires together with one of the included zip ties:


And shove the bundle into one of the spaces in the headliner:


Now put the map light console back together in reverse.

Hang the painted horseshoe adaptor on the existing mirror base:


Next, tape the brass insert into the hole in the existing mirror base:




Replace the torx screw (it has a pointed end) that comes already installed on the Gentex mirror:

with the allen screw (it has a flat end) provided in the VW adapter kit. Slide the mirror over the button adapter and tighten the allen screw, hook up the power, and slide on the wire cover.


Your Done!

PM me if you need more pics or have questions!

Excellent work. Thanks for taking time to do the write-up and share with the forum.

beautiful tutorial man, thank you! i think i will be attempting this soon, since my euroswitch has the auto function AND it's just hella nice looking! if i remember correctly, did you mention at one point the mirror lights up green? i guess a quick LED swap would remedy that to fit our interior, yeah?

It lights up both green and red. Green to indicate power, red to indicate that homelink is sending a signal. An LED swap us what I originally thought to do, but due to the dual color function I decided to leave it alone.

I was looking into doing this even before I got my car.
:w00t:
It's nice to see that there is a DIY.

Great job.:thumbsup:

jbcritch said:

It lights up both green and red. Green to indicate power, red to indicate that homelink is sending a signal. An LED swap us what I originally thought to do, but due to the dual color function I decided to leave it alone.

Click to expand...

oh ok. that's cool. good to know man, thanks!

Nice, on my mod list. Thanks for the great DIY write up!

so the only point of this is auto-dimming and garage door opener? can it do anything else?

^ doesn't it also have the sensor on the back so it will automatically turn your lights on in low-light situations, if you have the auto light switch?

plac said:

so the only point of this is auto-dimming and garage door opener? can it do anything else?

Click to expand...

yes....it slices, it dices, it juiliannes potatos....:iono:

xGaspy said:

^ doesn't it also have the sensor on the back so it will automatically turn your lights on in low-light situations, if you have the auto light switch?

Click to expand...

Nope. That requires a new windshield or removal of the button by heating it up and ripping it off the glass. Many folks have cracked the windshield doing that.

I would love to have the auto headlights. The added benefit is if you have auto headlights you also get auto rain sensing windsheild wipers (it is the same sensor and no other equipment is necessary - just VAG). I opted not to go that route due to price and replacement of a perfectly good and water tight windshield.

Great detailed writeup, and good timing- I was price shopping dimming mirrors to purchase this weekend! (skipping homelink, have an RFID card)

I'm tempted to try and add auto lights/wiper... I figure I can just mount the sensor next to the black dot, no reason it needs to be integrated into the mirror housing. I'll just offset it to the passenger side so it's not visible. Time to do some research...

EDIT: Looks like it's doable, although the sensor is pretty huge so it'd be hard to hide well (looks like 1" x .75"). It's also $130... ouch!

jmblur said:

Great detailed writeup, and good timing- I was price shopping dimming mirrors to purchase this weekend! (skipping homelink, have an RFID card)

I'm tempted to try and add auto lights/wiper... I figure I can just mount the sensor next to the black dot, no reason it needs to be integrated into the mirror housing. I'll just offset it to the passenger side so it's not visible. Time to do some research...

EDIT: Looks like it's doable, although the sensor is pretty huge so it'd be hard to hide well (looks like 1" x .75"). It's also $130... ouch!

Click to expand...

Thanks!

I was thinking about just auto lights and mounting the sensor at the bottom left of the windsheild.

Please do a DIY if you get the headlight/rain sensor to work! :thumbsup:

I would like a rain sensor. I like that our wipers are at least speed sensitive but rain sensitive would be better, especially in Seattle.

Having homelink will allow me to get rid of 2 remotes that I have cluttering my cabin so I'm looking forward to this addition.

Great write up- thanks for sharing. Looking forward to doing this in the spring. I miss my auto dim mirror.