Stavesacre21
Member
- :
- 2010 Mazdaspeed3
Well I just got done installing the auto-dimming mirror...how many of you have did this on a 2010 MS3?
Even with the instructions, it took me a good hour and 20 minutes to get past step 4 (a-pillar removal). The illustration they give you tells you almost nothing at all about removing the a-pillar, and it's hard to even tell what you're looking at in the instructions. What took the longest was realizing that you HAVE to give it a good yank more then you think you do to disengage the tabs THEN you have to remove the twist-tab. I tried for almost an hour to remove the twist tab without the primary tabs released.
The next INSANE feat that the instructions "simply" instuct you to do is to splice into a wire in one of the harnesses. Well after looking for over a minute for the harness I discovered it has about 5% visability because of all the junk under the dash. It's tucked WAAAAYYYYY on up in there. I tried for almost a half hour to splice it but had no luck. Finally I decided to just unplug the harness so you could pull it out and work with it more freely...which of course, wasn't listed in the instructions. I honestly think it would be completely impossible to do this splice without removing the harness first.
All said and done, it took me over 3 hours to do this install. Even with all the griping and scratched knuckles I still think it's better then having had port install it all sloppy like they're known for. And then there's the completely obsurd quote that the dealership game me of around $200 for the install...which is just about what I paid for the mirror itself! If you are handy with minor car interior work, save the money and do it yourself. Few bumps along the road but all-in-all a reasonably easy addition.
So who else has did this to a 2010 MS3? Anyone else struggle to understand how the #$%& the a-pillar clips attached?
Sounds like the 07-09 install isn't near as retarded.
A former how-to write up will follow soon.
Even with the instructions, it took me a good hour and 20 minutes to get past step 4 (a-pillar removal). The illustration they give you tells you almost nothing at all about removing the a-pillar, and it's hard to even tell what you're looking at in the instructions. What took the longest was realizing that you HAVE to give it a good yank more then you think you do to disengage the tabs THEN you have to remove the twist-tab. I tried for almost an hour to remove the twist tab without the primary tabs released.
The next INSANE feat that the instructions "simply" instuct you to do is to splice into a wire in one of the harnesses. Well after looking for over a minute for the harness I discovered it has about 5% visability because of all the junk under the dash. It's tucked WAAAAYYYYY on up in there. I tried for almost a half hour to splice it but had no luck. Finally I decided to just unplug the harness so you could pull it out and work with it more freely...which of course, wasn't listed in the instructions. I honestly think it would be completely impossible to do this splice without removing the harness first.
All said and done, it took me over 3 hours to do this install. Even with all the griping and scratched knuckles I still think it's better then having had port install it all sloppy like they're known for. And then there's the completely obsurd quote that the dealership game me of around $200 for the install...which is just about what I paid for the mirror itself! If you are handy with minor car interior work, save the money and do it yourself. Few bumps along the road but all-in-all a reasonably easy addition.
So who else has did this to a 2010 MS3? Anyone else struggle to understand how the #$%& the a-pillar clips attached?
Sounds like the 07-09 install isn't near as retarded.
A former how-to write up will follow soon.
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