Dimmable rearview mirror with built in backup LCD screen

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Ron C

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On the existing rear view mirror connector you will find a blue wire (video -) and a white wire (video +). Those wires are located in pins 7 and 6 of the mirror connector respectively.

Purchase a 10' RCA cable and cut one end off. Strip the casing and you will find two wires inside that represent video + and video - but use an ohm meter to test continuity to ensure you know which one corresponds to the right signal. The outer shell of an RCA is negative while the center pin is going to be positive. Typically the video positive wire inside the RCA coax is an insulated wire while the negative is just bare.

Splice the positive wire into the white wire on the mirror and the negative wire of the RCA into the blue wire on the mirror. You can either cut them off from the mirror harness to move the signal or tap them in if you want to split the signal.

Route the RCA to the back of your navigation radio and connect into the RCA input for rear camera. You can tuck it between the headliner and glass, then route it behind the driver's a-pillar cover and down through the side of the dash so the cable is hidden.

Hope this helps.


I think that's the best way to do it too, if you already have a camera. Because you know there's a signal there.

Oh and here is the pinout for these "gentex" style mirrors.

Ron

mirror-pinout.jpg
 

63Blackseries

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@kbuskill Thanks for the instructions really appreciate it, I will start doing it this week been driving for 2 yrs without back up footage on the NAVI screen everytime i shift in reverse its just a blank screen.
 
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63Blackseries

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it's pretty easy to do. This is the cable I used to hook up the mirror wit, you can splice it into the video wires and run the NAV screen with it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Video-Cable-for-GM-Backup-Camera-Rearview-Mirror-2009-2014-Silverado-Sierra/151795774432?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Ron
was going to order this but looks like this is for the gm OEM nav? I noticed it has a female connecter I have an alpine navi and it has female rca connectors coming out of it
 
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was going to order this but looks like this is for the gm OEM nav? I noticed it has a female connecter I have an alpine navi and it has female rca connectors coming out of it


well if you look at the image of the cable, it has a femalemale RCA plug, which would fit into your radio's female connector with a barrel. The other end has two leads, one for ground and one for signal (pin 6 and 7).. So I think that would work for you? (on the gentex connector, if you look at the female end (the other side of where the wires go) with the retainer clip to the right.... pin 8 is on the lower right (there should be a black wire in it). This is how the gentex style mirrors are hooked up (but double check) on GM vehicles. You'd have to splice the two leads into the two wires (video, white/blue) (you can access them through the front overhead console).

You can ask the seller if he has one with a male end, or use a "barrel", there are male and female "barrels" to connect RCA cables together.


I used that cable to splice the signal at the radio, and hook the mirror up, you are "going into the other direction"

Ron
 
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was going to order this but looks like this is for the gm OEM nav? I noticed it has a female connecter I have an alpine navi and it has female rca connectors coming out of it

Oh and don't forget to disconnect the battery 15 mins or so before you take the A-pillar and driver side visor off, there is/are airbag "curtains" in the top of the pillar and in the roof next to the door. Also, you want to route the coax over the top of the airbag, along hat harness there (I wrapped it a few turns around the harness going down the pillar. You can fish the coax out the fusebox on the driver side, and route it behind the kick panel to the radio

Ron
 

jmm121783

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Hi Joe,

I'll look up the exact part numbers (although there's also a write up in a thread or two that I started on here.

......................

Ron

1 - Radio (prices really range a it, depending on what's available and what you want)
(HDDs are approx $600-$800 used, new it's like $2,500)
2 - radio-label part numbers etc
3 - conversion harness (approx $60)
4 - amp with plug and play harness (the radio needs a Bose style amp, (appox $250)
5 - backup camera. (approx $250)

View attachment 203117 View attachment 203118 View attachment 203119 View attachment 203120 View attachment 203121


Thanks guys!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283039302781
Ok yay I finally think I got the right part, was refunded for the $18 mix up....found this to be a steal! GNTX657 so I scooped it.

Ron, the head units, for our trucks has to be in one of two revisions correct. Seems like the first was 2007-09 and then it was 10+? I noticed they had different part numbers and everyone stating very clearly that "IT NEEDS TO BE THE EXACT MODEL REPLACEMENT OR THE HEAD UNIT WILL NOT WORK." I assume I can get an 2008 (and with my guy in the dealership) not have an issue getting it to work? Looks like I need to buy the "Bose" amp, which I am now guessing I might have to upgrade all the speakers to the stock Bose or better?

Theoretically do I need the headunit to get the mirror to function? Whats the point, since the rearview mirror has a RCD built in, I'm hoping the head unit doesn't somehow activate it and in general I should probably get in contact with the seller you mentioned on eBay. I still need to get a few harnesses it looks like and the camera. Did we ever get a part # on that bad boy or is that not a GM part?

If all this info was posted, please scald me and tell me to re-read the thread, I admittedly have been coming and going from it, haven't devouring the thread in its entirety.
Again thank you guys, I need to spend more time on here and get versed and participate more, I feel bad.
 
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Thanks guys!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283039302781
Ok yay I finally think I got the right part, was refunded for the $18 mix up....found this to be a steal! GNTX657 so I scooped it.

Ron, the head units, for our trucks has to be in one of two revisions correct. Seems like the first was 2007-09 and then it was 10+? I noticed they had different part numbers and everyone stating very clearly that "IT NEEDS TO BE THE EXACT MODEL REPLACEMENT OR THE HEAD UNIT WILL NOT WORK." I assume I can get an 2008 (and with my guy in the dealership) not have an issue getting it to work? Looks like I need to buy the "Bose" amp, which I am now guessing I might have to upgrade all the speakers to the stock Bose or better?

Theoretically do I need the headunit to get the mirror to function? Whats the point, since the rearview mirror has a RCD built in, I'm hoping the head unit doesn't somehow activate it and in general I should probably get in contact with the seller you mentioned on eBay. I still need to get a few harnesses it looks like and the camera. Did we ever get a part # on that bad boy or is that not a GM part?

If all this info was posted, please scald me and tell me to re-read the thread, I admittedly have been coming and going from it, haven't devouring the thread in its entirety.
Again thank you guys, I need to spend more time on here and get versed and participate more, I feel bad.

Hello Joe,
The mirror I got was a gentex 657 too. Yeah, dealerships. The closest dealership here is an hour away, and they told me the same thing. I had my radio re-programmed at a place, internet, called OEM radios (I can find the exact info). I don't think it needs to be the exact model and year, mine was from a Yukon and as a year off.
Once I have the info for you, talk to the guy Matt there, he knows what he is doing.

The amp I have (plus plug and play harness) is not a Bose, but a Bose style amp. I bought that at MVI, that guy is very knowledgeable about this stuff. You don't have to replace speaker, it just works, and actually the sound is better than before i did the conversion, The MVI amp-harness plugs right in, no splicing etc, it goes between the car and the head unit.

You don't need a NAV head unit to run the backup camera in the mirror. What I did is, I installed a camera, is that where the coax of the camera comes to where the radio is, use a Y splitter, one end goes to the radio, other end goes to the mirror. The mirror works independently from the radio. The cable you need for hooking the mirror up to the rest of the coax I posted a while ago, up here somewhere. basically you need a coax with two lead that go in the plug that goes into the mirror (it's not a GM part). Some of the stuff was posted, but the questions seem to differ from time to time.

Ron
 

jmm121783

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No I was saying I got a guy on the inside of a dealership that get me everything for free, obviously not parts but any labor, info, print offs, tsbs anything. He is a really cool guy doing all my labor for me free of charge. I help him with a ton of other stuff and always make sure I tip him no matter what. He had to deal with my Bilstein 5100 install/issue with the spring perches...luckily my man, Kenny who posted a few above us came thru with an extra set, after I was at my wits end....Did I mention he GAVE them too me, expected nothing, I don't even know if he wanted me to pay shipping but I sure as hell wasnt gonna let him get away with that empty handed :D B) Thanks Kenny!!!

Anyway kool, gonna contact those people. glad I got the right mirror and I should have this done before the fall. Appreciate ya ron
 

kbuskill

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Thanks guys!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283039302781
Ok yay I finally think I got the right part, was refunded for the $18 mix up....found this to be a steal! GNTX657 so I scooped it.

Ron, the head units, for our trucks has to be in one of two revisions correct. Seems like the first was 2007-09 and then it was 10+? I noticed they had different part numbers and everyone stating very clearly that "IT NEEDS TO BE THE EXACT MODEL REPLACEMENT OR THE HEAD UNIT WILL NOT WORK." I assume I can get an 2008 (and with my guy in the dealership) not have an issue getting it to work? Looks like I need to buy the "Bose" amp, which I am now guessing I might have to upgrade all the speakers to the stock Bose or better?

Theoretically do I need the headunit to get the mirror to function? Whats the point, since the rearview mirror has a RCD built in, I'm hoping the head unit doesn't somehow activate it and in general I should probably get in contact with the seller you mentioned on eBay. I still need to get a few harnesses it looks like and the camera. Did we ever get a part # on that bad boy or is that not a GM part?

If all this info was posted, please scald me and tell me to re-read the thread, I admittedly have been coming and going from it, haven't devouring the thread in its entirety.
Again thank you guys, I need to spend more time on here and get versed and participate more, I feel bad.

I am still not certain what the fascination is with the factory Navi.... it is atrocious... especially the early year models.

By the time you spend all the money to...
*Buy a stock head unit
*Pay to have it programmed
*Buy a Bose style amp
*Buy a wiring harness to make said amp work... etc.

You would be much further ahead to buy the Rosen GM1210 which has a much better Navi interface not to mention the sound is head and shoulders above the stock unit when hooked to the Bose amp. From the factory the stereo cuts the bass as you go up in volume making the factory sub pointless. After the Rosen you can actually tell there is a sub there.

I realize that non of that applies to you guys with PPVs/SSVs because you don't have the Bose amp and sub.... BUT

The Rosen comes with a different wiring harness for NON-Bose trucks and it will put out 50W per channel in this configuration which is more than enough for factory speaker and quite good even for aftermarket speakers. With this setup you wouldn't need to rewire the whole truck to use a Bose amp or aftermarket, you would just wire it up in the dash and your good to go. Plus the Rosen has Front, Rear, and Sub RCA outputs in case you did want to upgrade in the future to use amps, which the factory HU does not.

All plug and play with no extra modules to buy and all for about $600... seems like a no brainer to me, but what do I know?
 
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