Auto-down side mirror for parallel parking?

[mexicanpizza]

Hey guys....

So everytime I ride in my friends Acura CL-typeS (or any BMW) I love the feature that when they throw it into reverse, the passenger side mirror automatically aims downward so you can see the curb while parallel parking. Then returns to the previous setting when shifting back to drive.

I want to figure out how to make a circuit to do this on my WRX. Obviously there is a sensor for reverse from the tranny...but how to handle interface with the mirror is beyond me.

Anyone have any ideas or tips?

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[skivvie]

I've been thinking about doing this for quite a while. There's another thread about it here somewhere, but we didn't get far.

You'd have to use the reverse sensor to trip some sort of timed relay that is attached to the wire from the mirror control that sends the down signal. Then when you go out of reverse it would trigger the up motor. The whole timing part is what i can't figure out. Most of the circuit seems easy, but how to get it to only trigger until the mirror is all the way down is beyond me. We need some electronics guru's to figure that out.

[mbeach]

Can you tap into the reverse light circuit to drive the mirror motor? That should be pretty easy to get power to, plus it'll stay on as long as you're in reverse. It's the returning it to it's original position that would be the tough part.

Good idea though, I'll tag along to see if there's a breakthrough.

[skivvie]

Problem with that is that the mirror would keep trying to go down after it's hit it's limit... i'm not sure what the mechanism is but i would immagine that woule wear the gear or motor out if it kept grinding against the limit.

I'll have to look up how the mirror is controlled exactly.

[skivvie]

Okay, so here's the pinout of the '04 mirror motor controls at the mirror harness (non heater model):

When 12V is applied across designated pins it should move in that direction.

Direction       Terminal #
UP             4(+) and 6(-)
DOWN           6(+) and 4(-)
LEFT           5(+) and 6(-)
RIGHT          6(+) and 5(-)

[skivvie]

and here Is the PDF of the wiring diagram.

Looks like i figured... two motors per mirror, one up/down one L/R.

[mexicanpizza]

Awesome start...any idea how to restore it to the previous setting when you come out of reverse?

[ronaldwrx]

ive seen a product like this advertised in japanese car magazines - like option, but i cant understand all the text .. if i can find a link to the product i will post it up ..

[CalcVictim]

I didn't think about this too much, but just wanted to throw it out there. IF you could set up a timer for how long it takes the mirror to come down and have it come up for the same amount of time(assuming same speed both ways). Maybe to use a timing chip, I know that 555 timers are used for frequency modulation but maybe something like it for this purpose. Also you would probably need some kind of a sensor so the mirror doesn't grind when it comes down.

[mexicanpizza]

^^^

[vrg3]

The hard part about this is getting the mirrors to come back up in the right place. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that cars that have this feature from the factory use stepper motors, or motors equipped with encoders, to aim the mirrors. The speed of the stock commutator-equipped motor varies depending on system load and voltage.

Maybe you should just stick on one of these and call it a day:

http://www.mclendons.com/Merchant2/g.../10355180b.jpg

[ride5000]

those mirrors probably already have built-into them the ability to "remember" settings for different drivers, thus adding a circuit to return to normal is trivial.

unfortunately, we don't have that luxury.

jm2c
ken