HOW TO: Heated Mirror Install

xX StitcH

Member
This is a how-to for installing heated glass on the 2010 Mazda3 s Sport trim. This will only work with the s trim. The i trim does not have the wires for the defrost or blinker on the car side connector. If you guys with the i trim want to do it, you can follow the same steps up to where I spliced into the car wiring. You guys would just have to run wires into the cabin, find where the +12V is carried back to the rear defroster, and tap into it.

Disclaimer: This how-to is for informational purposes only. I take no responsibility for any damage caused to your vehicle while you attempt this install.

Thanks to icspots from M3F for the motivation to do this. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

Supplies:
  • Driver side heated glass (product number BBM5-69-1G7)*
  • Passenger side heated glass (product number BBM5-69-1G1)*
  • Wire (I used 16 gauge, 18 would have been easier to work with)
  • 7/64" female spade connector
  • Lithium grease
  • Quick splice connectors
  • Zip ties
*The glass was ordered from Online Mazda Parts. Scroll down and search by part number since the 2010 catalog is not up yet.

Tools:
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • T-25 torx driver/bit
  • 8mm socket/wrench
  • Mini flathead screwdriver
  • Wire cutters/strippers/crimpers


  1. Start by removing the mirror from the car. With the door open, grab the sail panel and pull it off. There are 2 pins that hold it on, along with a plastic clip like thing. I was unaware of the latter, so it broke on my driver side. The panel still holds just fine with the two pins though. You can see the pins and the broken clip and the square hole it goes in to in the picture with the sail panel off.

    vg3ngy.jpg


    Once the sail panel is removed, you can unplug the harness from the mirror. Once this is done, remove the three 8mm bolts (while being sure the mirror does not fall to the ground) and pull the mirror off of the car. If you have the BOSE system (not sure if non-BOSE has a tweeter or not?), unplug the harness from the tweeter and set the sail panel off to the side.

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    Here is the mirror off of the car. It's pretty filthy, I know :(

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  2. Next, we will remove the glass. Note: If you live in a cold area, be sure to let the mirror/glass warm up before attempting to remove the glass. Also, I removed the glass opposite the way I should have. I'll make notes in the following steps so you don't do the same. The glass has 3 ball and socket joints, one in the center, one on the outside, and one below the center one.

    First, push the outside of the glass so it is tilting all the way left (this is where i went wrong, yours should be tilting opposite of the picture).

    v5izoz.jpg


    Next, grab the inside (not the outside like in the picture) and pull towards you. This will release the big, center joint. This takes some force, so don't be afraid to pull on it a little.

    fcic83.jpg


    Now push the mirror all the way to the inside (like in the pictures above) and pull on the outside of the glass (like in the pictures above) to release the outside ball.

    Once this is done, push the top of the glass all the way in and pull from the bottom to release the final ball. The glass should now come right out.

    x5t79w.jpg


    Here is what it looks like with the glass off

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  3. Next step is to separate the two pieces of the mirror. This is done by removing the 3 T-25 torx screws.

    2mqumop.jpg


    Removed and separated

    hun62b.jpg


  4. Now for the fun part; running wire. First, run two different wires through the mirror part as shown in the pictures below. Crimp the 7/64" female spade connectors onto the end of each wire.

    omkgm.jpg


    so4d8z.jpg


    I tried a few different ways to get the wire through to where the mirror bolts to the car, and the easiest way involved using a metal coat hanger and fishing it through. This is hard to see/explain, but once you have it in front of you it will make more sense. From the car side, follow the wires to where they go into the base. They are wrapped in foam. Using one hand push the wires/foam off to the side and push the coat hanger through with the other hand (sorry for the terrible picture).

    suzyix.jpg


    View from the other side

    91jurs.jpg


    Next, tape a wire to the end of the coat hanger and pull it through.

    2agp62u.jpg


    28v3pf9.jpg


    Before you pull it all the way through, tape the other wire to it so you now have two wires running through and coming out right where the mirror bolts to the car.

    rit47c.jpg


    Now run the wires as shown in the next picture. You'll have to thread them underneath the foam below the plug.

    2hz61ki.jpg


    Once you are happy with the wire runs, put the pieces back together and replace the 3 torx screws. Make sure to leave some slack on the mirror end (you need to make sure that the glass has full range of motion, and that the break away feature doesn't bind up the wires).

  5. Now, we need to put the new glass on the mirror. First, add lithium grease to the points where the balls go into the glass holder.

    14j3vde.jpg


    Then, plug in the two spade connectors to the mirror and tuck them in the retaining clip.

    1zokyzc.jpg


    Once this is done, the glass can be put back on. Start by pushing the center of the glass onto the big ball. You are going to need to push pretty hard. Once it goes, you will know. Then tilt the glass to the outside and push it until that ball clicks in. Do the same with the bottom.

    Ready to be bolted onto the car.

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  6. Next, we need to wire the mirror into the car. First, we need to remove the door panel :( I did not want to do this, but Mazda gives you no extra wire to work with. geddyhanzo did a good write up on M3R (can't link to it, sorry), so I'm not going to repeat that (it should not be too hard to find). Once the door panel is removed, bolt the mirror back to the door being sure that you don't pinch the wires.

    x4krhi.jpg


    bevk3d.jpg


    Next, cut back some of the black felt that the wires are wrapped in. Separate the blue wire w/ red stripe and the black wire w/ white stripe from the rest of the wires. Then crimp the spice half of the splice connectors to each wire like in the picture below.

    331i1z4.jpg


    Crimp the male spade connectors onto the end of the wires coming from the heated glass and plug them into the splices. You can attach these wires a bunch of different ways, this is just the way I chose. Zip tie any loose wires and replace the door panel.

    53tgsm.jpg


  7. Turn the car on and push the rear defroster button. After a minute or so, feel the glass. It should be starting to get warm from the center out. If it is not getting warm, the glass is broken or the connections are not good. Take the glass off of the mirror and test to see if the wires are getting +12V when the defroster is on. If not, it's the connections, if so, it's the glass.

    If it is working, plug in the tweeter and replace the sail panel.

  8. Repeat all of the preceding steps for the passenger side.

  9. Enjoy your new heated mirrors! :D
If something doesn't make sense let me know, I'll try to explain better.

Sorry for such a long write up. I probably made it a little more detailed/long/wordy than necessary, but oh well. Let me know if you guys have any questions :)
 
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