ActiveTuning 02-06 Nissan Altima LED Side-Mirror Covers

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Estimated Time Before Shipping:
2-3 Weeks

Installation Time: Approximately 2-3 hours
Tools Required:

• Wire Stripping/Crimping Tool
• Box Cutter
• Pliers
• Side Cutting Pliers
• #2 Phillips Screwdriver
• #1 Phillips Screwdriver
• Small Straight Blade Screwdriver
• 3/32" Drill Bit and Drill
• Ratchet with 3" extension
• 10mm Socket

Materials Provided:

• Mirror Covers
• 4 LED Boards
• 12’ 3-Conductor Wire with Shield Ribbon Cable
• 4 Small Mounting Screws for Turn Signal LED Board
• 8 Butt Connectors (only 7 are needed)
• 10 small zip ties for securing wiring
• 3 3M™ Scotchlok™ Connectors
• One Ring Terminal for Ground
• Relay Board with Terminal Strip

Materials Required:

• Some sort of hard wire such as welding wire or a metal coat hanger (for fishing wires)
• Shoe Goo, Goop, E6000, or similar adhesive
• Electrical Tape
• Sharpie or Felt Tip Marker

Recommended Tools:

• Dremel tool with 1/4" cylindrical carbide burr

If you are not performing this installation yourself, we recommend car audio installers over your Nissan dealer or local mechanic.

Telephone Technical Support is available see your invoice.

Installation Overview

First you will be removing some reinforcing ribs from the mirror housings to make room for the LED boards and then you will fish the 12 foot wire from one mirror to the other mirror making the necessary connections at both mirrors. A loop of slack will remain in the area of the drivers side kick panel where it will be cut and each end then spliced into the vehicle wiring harness.

Installation

Prior to installation please test and confirm that your 4 LED boards are working properly by connecting them directly to 12V at the battery. Warranty will not cover LED boards damaged during installation.

Step # 1 is to remove the stock mirror covers by inserting your small straight blade screwdriver into the small drain hole under the mirror cover, then angle it back at 45 degrees and insert the tip slightly deeper into a second hole in the mirror body, and then pry back to pop the mirror cover loose. The cover will separate at the outside edge first, and at the inside edge where it hooks last.

Now you will need to trim away some of the reinforcing ribs (view video for reference) to make room for the LED strips.

Please watch the video first.

You will see that the ribs are first scored to weaken them and encourage them to break where they meet the main housing. Score and remove the ribs to allow the LED strips to fit at a slight angle as shown. This is necessary so that they are centered vertically behind the lens. After breaking away the plastic, some trimming will be necessary. This can be done carefully with the box cutting knife, but a Dremel tool with a 1/4" cylindrical carbide cutter will make quicker work of cleaning things up.

Here's a picture to show you which ribs to remove:

Position the LED board as shown. Insure that the outside edge is able to fit flush against the mirror housing. The inside edge need not fit flush. It will be spaced up about 1/4" by the small silicone tubing spacers provided with the screws.

Also be SURE to note that the board is NOT installed parallel to the reinforcing ribs! The outer edge is tucked up tight to the rib above it and at the molded-in screw mounting boss, but the inside of the board angles down such that the lower edge of the board aligns with the lower edge of the rib directly below it, a portion of which is cut away in order for it to fit as described. Then the outer board is installed so that the LEDs are in line with the inner board. Failure to follow these alignment instructions will result in your LEDs being improperly aligned with the lens after the cover is installed. If necessary, remove the cover and adjust the boards so that they are properly positioned behind the lens for the optimum appearance.

You can now mark and carefully drill the holes for the mounting screws. If you use the LED board as a template to drill through please be sure not to slip and break off an LED. Warranty will not cover non-functional LED boards with broken-off LEDs! Insure that you go slowly and with minimal pressure so that the drill bit does not penetrate too deeply and damage the power mirror adjustment mechanism. Insert one screw through a spacer and into the outer hole, and the second screw into the inner hole. Then add the spacer over the inner screw from the backside of the strip. Tighten until the spacers both just barely compress (see video).

Please reread the previous two sentences and understand that the method describes positions the board such that the inner side of the strip is spaced away from the mirror body but the outer edge is flush. Both screws still use spacers so that screw penetration into the plastic is equal. Peel the backing from the double sided adhesive tape on the small marker strip, and install it so that the LEDs are in line with the LEDs on the long strip, and so that 1/3 of the strip is over the small angled inner surface, and 2/3 is over the outer surface more parallel to the long strip. Cut a small notch in the lower horizontal rib to route the wires away from the lens. Now supplement that tape adhesive with a small dab of E6000 adhesive both at the wire and at the outer end of the small strip. Note the alignment and positioning of the small strip, and the adhesive application in the picture below:

After the adhesive is set the mirror covers can be removed and the wires routed to the interior.

Remove the three 10mm nuts behind the small plastic triangular cover on the inside of the mirror. This cover pops off easily from the door, and a little less easily from the door panel at the bottom where there are two clips. Also remove the connector by depressing the small tab with the small screwdriver and pulling the connector apart.

You will now need to fish the four wires through the mirror. Peel back the gasket to access the back side of the mating surface of the mirror body, and feed the wires through. When you have all 4, make a small cut up from the rear lower stud hole in the rubber and adjacent to the plug, and slip the wires in adjacent to plug and in single file as shown:

This is how the wires should look after reinstalling the mirror cover (Driver side shown):

Do not trim the wires yet, you will need to identify them by length later. Install your new mirror cover. You may add a security screw by drilling a small hole in the underside of the cover if desired, or add some adhesive to the mounting tabs. We cannot be responsible for mirror covers which may become stolen or lost.

This is an ideal stopping point if you are going to spend two days on this project or otherwise have a limited amount of time. You are about one-half done and you can tuck in the wires and snap the triangular covers back on if needed.

Next we will fish the long 3-conductor wire across the underside of the dashboard with a length of rigid wire. A straightened wire coat hanger, welding wire, or 1/8” music wire will work. Remove the glove box by removing the small retainer hinge pins underneath:

Then remove the extension cable and set the glove box door aside. Now insert the wire through to the steering column area as shown:

Tape the long piece of wire onto the music wire and pull it through. Route it behind the glove box and out above the right kick panel. Now remove the right door sill plate and kick panel. Pull and these pop off. You will now need to remove the door panel. Start by popping off the small screw covers in the door pull recess behind the window switches, and behind the door release lever, then also remove the screws behind the covers:

Remove the clearance light by gripping the rear lower edge and pulling towards you. It should pop off. Unplug it, tuck the wire inside the door panel, and set it aside.

Now remove the switch panel inserts by prying up carefully in the back, and popping the fastener loose at the front edge. Then disconnect the wire terminals.

Remove one more screw underneath this panel:

Now grab the door panel around the bottom and sides and pop the fasteners loose. Then lift and unhook the top edge. The driver's door panel will also require you to disconnect the trunk release switch, and then set the panel aside taking care not to kink the cables as shown:

Remove the door speaker assembly with spacer by removing the three silver outermost 10mm/#3 Phillips screws:

Pop the two grommets out at the door jamb, and fish your piece of wire through from the interior to the door jamb as shown:

Tape on the wire and pull it through. Pop out the clip and the large grommet where the wires pass from the inside of the door to behind the door panel:

Now position the rubber molded wire cover that encloses the harness in the door jamb such that you can fish the wire through it. This is a challenge. Use one hand to push the wire through, and the second to guide the wire by following it as it goes, and insuring it doesn't puncture the rubber:

When the fish wire is through, tape onto it VERY WELL (not with large amounts of tape, but with a good 2" of the 3-conductor wire overlapped onto the hard wire, and then wrapped with electrical tape using as much tension as possible), and pull the wire through very carefully after spraying it with Windex for lubrication. Push on one end, and pull on the other for best results. When it's all pulled through, zip tie it loosely where the main harness is secured in back so it does not interfere with the window mechanism. The zip tie is just visible in this picture:

Make a small cut in the large grommet behind the door panel to pass the wire through, and then continue securing the wire loosely along with the factory power mirror wires with three more zip ties. Reinstall all three grommets and the door panel. Do not cut any excess from the long 3 conductor wire you just ran, but do leave a good 6" to work with above the door panel. Pull any slack back to the driver's side kick panel area, and then tighten the zip ties. Mark the longer (marker LED) red wire with a Sharpie, and only then cut both the red and black marker LED wires to the same length as the other two. Strip and twist the two grounds together and crimp one butt connector onto the grounds, and one onto each of the two red wires:

Now crimp the red wire from the wire provided to the marked LED wire for the side marker, the yellow wire from the wire provided to the other red wire, and the black wire from the wire provided to the two blacks. Tie up the excess and tuck the wires behind the plastic cover so that they are easily accessible for service if needed. Insure that the wires will not interfere with the clips on the backside of the triangular plastic mirror access cover, and reinstall door panel and cover.

Repeat the entire mirror and door wiring installation steps for driver side door, and with the other end of the wire. Again, pull the slack back to the driver's kick panel area after you have your 6" above the door panel and before pulling the zip ties tight.

You should now have a large loop of slack in the wire provided at the driver side kick panel. Cut this loop in the middle. You should have at least a foot on each end hanging below the dash. Remove the drivers side kick panel, and then remove the factory tape from the thick factory wiring harness behind the kick panel to expose more of the factory wiring in this area. Identify the three wires that you will need (red with blue stripe), the right turn signal (green with yellow stripe), and the left turn signal (green with black stripe, and ONE silver marking intermittently along its length). There is an identical green wire with a black stripe in this harness, but it has TWO silver marks evenly spaced along it length. This is NOT the correct wire. Find the correct wires.

Now cut about 6" from each of the two black grounds on the wire provided, strip and twist them together, and crimp them into the 1/4" ring terminal provided. Install the terminal under the 10mm dash mounting screw directly adjacent to the hood release lever as shown:

Cut 6" off the two red wires in the wire provided, and then splice one of those 6" pieces back on as shown:

Find the red wire with the blue stripe and tap the red wire into it with the 3M™ Scotchlok™ connector:

If you haven't used a Scotch-Lock connector, look at them closely. The wire you are tapping into doesn't get cut, and passes through on the open side. The wire that you are tapping in goes in the blind hole on the inside. Then the metal tab is squeezed closed flush with the plastic with pliers, piercing both wires to make the connection, and then the cover is snapped closed. These should be positioned as shown above when installing them.

Here are two more wires. The CORRECT green with yellow stripe, and the INCORRECT green with black stripe. Note how this one has the two silver marks on it (visible just above my finger). Make sure you have the correct one:

Splice the right mirror yellow wire from the wire provided to the green with yellow stripe wire, and the left (driver's) mirror yellow (white) wire from the wire provided to the green with black stripe (and one silver mark!) wire.

Tie up the excess, insure it is away from the holes where the kick panel snaps on, and reinstall the kick panel and door sill plate. Here are all three splices:

Make sure it all works and you're done! You can test the turn signals without the key by using the hazard switch, and the headlights can also be tested without the key.

After confirming proper operation, we can splice in the relay board.

Mirror Relay Instructions

One relay is for each mirror, and the respective wires for each mirror need to be connected to the same relay and terminal strip half (left or right). Tinning the wires makes it easier to install them into the terminal strip, but properly stripped and twisted strands will work fine.

Cut the + (yellow) and – (black) wires to the left and right turn signals, strip and twist them back together, solder if desired, and connect to the left and right terminal strip + and - terminals respectively observing polarity.

Cut and strip the two red positive wires to the mirror side marker LEDs. Connect one end of each of the red wires to the C (common) terminal and the other to the NC (normally closed) terminal. Polarity doesn’t matter here, but make sure the left side wires remain on the left side of the board and vice-versa.

Operation: When turn signals illuminate, the relay coil is energized opening the normally closed connection to the side markers lights and creating an alternating-flash effect between the marker LED board and the turn signal LED board. Mirror cover turn signals operate normally when the marker lights are off. These relays are barely audible in operation so you can confirm that they are triggering by listening.

Secure the relay board with zip ties, reassemble the car, and you’re done!

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