Gen III auto fold mirrors

[scythefwd]

I'm reading in several places there isn't a way to use forscan or any ways to just reprogram our gen III mirrors to auto fold.

I have found a relay.. that when it sees hot, it does a delay turn off cycle. Now it stays hot while there is power on the lead.. But I wonder if I can use it to control my mirrors.

Buttons are only temporary activated switches or shorts on an electrical circuit. Using the relay, I can configure it to temporarily short the two leads in the harness that would be connected when we hit the button to fold our mirrors (emulating a long press basically).

What this means is IF I can find something that provides a temporary connection.. like a puddle light.. I can have the relay trigger for about .5 seconds (its a real long hold of the button lol). Should be able to functionally enable auto fold mirrors pretty easily. It's a hammer, no grace at all in it.. but doable. Just got to find a correct source to trigger the relay with.. Don't want to use my flashers of course. Puddle light ONLY lights up when we hit the lock/unlock buttons? Would that work?

 

[scythefwd]

Ok, puddle lights are lit too long to be useful.. I don't want there to be an equivalent of running electricity through the circuit for 30 seconds when its really designed for about a second..

That's ok, there is a kit for Arduino that does change of state detection (it knows when you push the button, and when you stop pushing it) that might be useable with a relay , a harness, and a voltage step down converter (to drop 12v to 5 v). It would, theoretically trigger once for a short time when the switched dc (there is almost always one coming off a radio and one off the ignition) goes on, and when it goes off. So when you start the car, mirrors swing out.. when you turn car off, they swing in.. I think this is doable.. who knows how much it will cost lol

 

[Sgt Darkness]

Yes it will work that way.....just use a switch to send temporary juice to the mirrors until they fold in or out then switch it off. Not sure what voltage you need for the mirror motor but it’s probably a 12 volt system.....

 

[Trainmaster]

There are time delay relays available that can be adjusted to give you any pulse length you need.

 

[scythefwd]

The time delay relays I'm seeing activate after a time delay (or deactivate with a time delay).. but stay active while the trigger is on.. so if I hit the button and my puddle lights trigger 50 ft away.. and then I stand outside talking.. I very well could be looking at a minute long button push..

SGT - actually I'm looking at using all the in built systems.. and just using a quick short across the connections on the fold button (electronic activation of the button, using the rest of the system as designed, no mods)

 

[scythefwd]

Well, I have spoken with a company.. and am working with them. We're gonna see what we can work out...

So, it'll work like this.

It'll be triggered by the 12v switched power in the harness (key to acc or started). It'll activate the switch in the door and fold the mirrors out. Turn the 12v switched power off (ignition off), and the mirrors fold in. Should be about 4 taps into the harness. Two for the switch, one for 12v always on, one for 12v switched. There will also be a ground. It is possible I'll be able to actually do all this without having to put anything in the door.. but keep it all under the dash.

If the test works.. would anyone be interested in doing a group buy? I have about a dozen folks on fb that might be interested if things work out. I figure they'd be willing to do a production run of 25 or 50 pieces...

Just asking out of curiosity sake for now..

 

[Flexpedition]

Just for giggles, go to ebay and in the search bar enter 111016438613

If interested, the same module, right down to the dimensions, is on AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/AUT..._expid=ea77b999-c674-4f42-b070-238e5ff334ea-2

Worth buying just to mess around with IMO.

 

[Iamsam1117]

I've had folding mirrors in my '15 expy for a few months now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B077GX4W2B?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title

Is the module I used installed underneath the driver's seat the only thing I did was run a 2-wire from inside the driver door to the module for status on the doors locking and unlocking.

Been working great with no complaints

 

[scythefwd]

Flexpedition - thanks, I may get it to play with it. Looks more complicated than I need.. but cool none the less.

Iamsam1117 - do you have auto locking doors as well? If you do have it enabled, do the mirrors attempt to fold when the doors lock while in motion?

 

[Iamsam1117]

Yes I do have auto lock, there is a wire for ACC under the driver's seat that lock out the module from closing when the car is running.

However you can still use the door knob open and close switch to operate the mirrors while driving too.

In my case the install was simple the hardest part being opening the door getting the wire to the driver's seat. You technically don't even have to do that if you wire it into wires coming out from the door post but I didn't feel like removing the emergency brake to get the room to look in there.

As far as installing the module itself you remove the front trim from the driver's seat and wire directly into the harness on the left has all the wires you need minus the door switch.

 

[Neil T Casey]

Can’t you just forscan and add the auto fold unfold to the vehicle? Or are you adding this functionality (power mirrors) that wasn’t there from the factory?

 

[scythefwd]

As far as I can see, the 2010 doesnt have that ability via forscan.. at least I haven't found anything that will do it.

 

[Iamsam1117]

None of the expeditions do (maybe gen 4??) I've had an external module doing it since December and no complaints yet!