Compass Mirror Addition - Small overhead Mod

Hi all-

Finally tackled the job of switching out the rear view mirror in the wagon. The factory mirror was autodimming with the map lights. I love the autodimming as even with tinted windows, I found it working well to keep the glare down. The map lights in the base of a rearview mirror did nothing to help light the interior but sure lit up the change drawer if you ever needed it. Map lights in the bottom of mirrors make sense in a convertible as you cannot have overhead lighting but in a big spacious wagon, it had little effect.

I found in the wrecking yard an autodimming with compass mirror out of another Buick. I also found a small overhead console from another Buick that looked like it would fit well.

I pulled the old mirror off and then undid the two visor retainers to be able to allow some play at the front of the headliner.

For the mirror - Following the wires back from the mirror, I found a C2 type connector with 4 wires and a stray black connector. The new mirror was simple as it did not have the map lights to worry about. It is a GenteX mirror and they are fairly straight forward for the first three pins:
1 - Power
2 - Ground
3 - Reverse wire for Auto Dim clearing while backing

Now the overhead lights. 3 wires on the new one, power and ground to have the center one come on with all other interior lights and then the constant hot so the independent on/off map lights can be switched on and off.

Here is a rundown of the wiring then:

Utilizing the factory 4-pin connector (did not want to cut it off in case I do something in the future), these are labeled with numbers or letters; mine were letters:
A - Black = Ground for lamps
B - Black = Ground for Autodim/Compass
Black = Ground for lamps to power on/off individually at switch
C - Orange = Lamps (this goes to all interior lighting)
D - Pink = Power (for Auto Dim/Compass
Stray black wire not in the connector = Reverse wire for Auto dim clearing feature while in Reverse

So I tested all of this and all worked fine so now onto the install of the overhead console.

The one I found was gray, so I disassembled it and SEM painted it to match my interior. I made a paper template of the back so I knew where to cut into the headliner. This console has two pins that go into the headliner and then slide forward to lock into the headliner thickness and the rear has two screws.

I made my cuts into the headliner and found that the screws would not have a good place to safely go into without my risking I drill through the roof. I used epoxy and placed up a 1/2" piece of wood into the cutout space for a great place to screw the console into.

The project is done and looks great! It looks factory and the lighting is just great in the wagon. There is a main light that floods the front with light when the doors are open and there are two map lights that are independently switched that aim at drivers or passenger side areas and light up extremely well. You can actually read a map with the new lighting!

I am attaching some photos:

The gray-turned- into-Tan overhead console
The cut out pattern in the headliner
The finished overhead console

very nice Lance.

Lance,
That looks really clean - Kudos on a job well done

Awesome mod Lance and you are correct about the useless lights in the bottom of the rearview mirror.These RMW/OCC wagons need all the help they can get when it comes to interior lighting.
Jim

Very nice and clean mod! I love the factory look!

Great looking mod!

Very nice mod...off to the yards I go.