Vanity Mirror Light Wiring - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

haux · 12-22-2009, 04:37 AM

I'm gonna be putting in a couple new visors into my I4 Camry LE that came from a v6 Camry XLE. The difference is that the new visors have lights for the vanity mirrors while my originals did not. My car does not have the proper wiring/connectors in the roof area to make this work. So, here is what I'm thinking... I will get as much of that wiring from the other car. I will connect the connectors together, and run the wiring either down to the driver's side or passenger side. Even if I don't figure out how to get it all hooked up before I start putting my new interior together, the wiring will be there, and I won't have to tear stuff out again later on.

I don't like the idea of cutting into existing wiring. But I have my ways around that. Any ideas what COULD be spliced into to make these work safely?

Also, is it possible to setup a battery back that these lights could run on? I'm sure they will be used VERY rarely, so the batteries would last a while. I can't even remember the last time I used the driver's side vanity mirror. How would this work?

Hajoca · 12-22-2009, 10:37 AM

LED and lithium coin cells? Visor has built in switch.

carsrus · 12-22-2009, 10:59 AM

If you need a easy location for power up there, theres the dome light and/or the map lights. I used the dome ot install map lights and it worked out well. These lights barely have any draw so theres almost no chance of overloading that fuse.

haux · 12-23-2009, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carsrus

If you need a easy location for power up there, theres the dome light and/or the map lights. I used the dome ot install map lights and it worked out well. These lights barely have any draw so theres almost no chance of overloading that fuse.

Thanks! I didn't think of that. That's probably what I will do.

That XLE has all this nice stuff in it. Little things. Well, minus the sun roof and leather interior. But because of the sunroof, it has a dome light in the rear, AND a map light in the front. ...lights for the vanity mirrors. I've even noticed very stupid unimportant differences.

There are these two plastic panels behind the rear seat backs. Mine are held in with these retarded clips that are *almost* single-use. Sometimes they are a total pain to pull out and are nearly destroyed in the end. Well, in the XLE, they used these clips that have a + head, and the center of them unscrew to remove the rest of the clip.

Also, for the tweeters, there's a plastic clip with a long (couple inches) panel sort of thing that holds the wires to the door. In my car, they used regular electrical tape. On the XLE, they used fancy looking thick rubber stuff. Almost a sort of wide rubber band.

AND, for some reason, the front passenger side door lock button on the arm rest has a different connector under it. Makes no sense at all. For the XLE they also decided to use a slightly smaller lock switch? I devised a cable to resolve the issue, and have the proper connector ordered to make it even better... but still.

End rant.

carsrus · 12-23-2009, 10:00 AM

Yeah if your installing the maps lights, cut the roof liner slowly. You don't wanna cut too much and have a hole in the liner lol.

Also make sure your ground wire is attached to the ground bolt on the dome light. If you ground to the wire on the dome connector you wont have power unless one of the doors is open, or you have the dome on all the time.

Yeah I also got some goodies out of a nice LE a while back. It had a 4cyl and no leather, but still had a buncha nicer stuff than mine.

the_professional · 12-23-2009, 04:38 PM

Yeah, the LE varies like anything.

I don't know if you should be cutting into your headliner though, our Camry's have good, strong headliners, but they are old, and it could make it sag. Like carsrus said, cut slowly if you will.

I have already planned a different map light setup.

haux · 01-15-2010, 03:12 AM

Just wanted to update.

New visors with vanity mirror lights work.

I jacked the whole harness from the other car and hooked it up myself. It's plug and play. With the use of many zip ties and sound deadening rubbery sticky pads (something like that) I routed that thing to fit. I am also now the proud owner of wiring for an OEM sunroof... it was part of the same harness. Oh, I also jacked the sunroof and sunroof controls/map light. No plans on getting it installed. But it's in my thoughts.

If I hadn't gone this route, I probably would have just chopped off the connectors and spliced into the dome light wiring as suggested by a poster in this thread. It's just cleaner this way.

71Corolla · 08-23-2010, 02:27 AM

Bumping a somewhat old thread. I picked up the XLE visors myself a few weeks ago, I did the same thing as you I got the entire wiring harness which includes the sunroof connectors. Anyway, is the headliner glued on, specifically the area right in the front by the windshield? I'm nervous about putting in the harness across the front of the headliner, I don't want to damage anything. If it's glued there, did you glue it back again along the edge? BTW, I also took the time to snag the harness clips that go into the A-pillars and across the front. Pain in the ass to get them all out.

Another question, you say the harness is plug n play. Is the connector on the left side of the car, behind the instrument cluster? I saw a connector there when I was tearing my car apart looking for the short that was blowing my DOME fuse and saw what I thought was the same connector as the harness. Is that it? And how exactly is it wired, do the lights work at all times, constant battery power? Or are they ignition switched or tied into the park light or headlight system?

Thanks.

edit button - I'm a retard I see you have a Gen4, I'm trying to do this on a Gen3.