Can you upgrade to power mirrors from tow mirrors?
 

I have a guy who has tow mirrors and he is interested in switching w/my power mirrors. How hard is it to do this? Since his tow mirrors aren't power he doesn't have the defrost button or the directional toggle.

comon fellas, info would be appreciated.

it's extremely easy. I did it on my 1500 but you'll lose the power features...

On my 00, I have the new model of mirrors on. The ones that you can fold in and out. Since they are for the new model trucks, the electrical stuff is backwards. So when you move it from the inside, it will be (right is left and left is right, down is up and up is down) That is the only thing that does happen when you replace it with the new model mirrors w/ 2nd gen. of trucks. ;)

No I mean his truck has the tow mirrors, therefore he has none of the power equipment. I have the power mirrors therefore my truck has the power equipment. I know that when I put tow mirrors that they will not be power unless I do the 3rd gen. conversion. I want to know if he can go from non-power tow mirrors to power non-tow mirrors. That make sense?

He can loosen the screw at the drivers door area where his contol stickwould be. He should see an empty white wiring harness hanging there. I think there is enough give to peek in there and see. I would think they ran the same harness.

Thanks PJ. I assume that the control for the mirrors will just pop in? Same w/the defrost button? I wonder if anyone has done this.

I had the non power tow mirrors and did the conversion to the power tow mirrors.

1-When I looked inside the door I found that the harness was already in place.

2-the control for the power mirrors was an easy replacement - although had to pay retail at dodge - note the control and the knob were two separate parts.

3-The mirror defrost button is part of the heater / AC control and not a separate item - $100+ as I recall.

The difficult part of going from non power tow mirrors to powered tow mirrors is that Dodge did not offer them in the 01 and prior years. When they did offer them in 02 they also changed the bolt pattern / mirror base - which is why it is not just a bolt on.

I assume the bases of the mirrors you are considering swapping are the same.

Note to cwert87 The plugs on the electric harness in my trucks doors did not match the electrical harness plugs in the electric mirror. I had to get other connectors (and cut and splice) to mate the truck electrical harness to the mirror electrical harness. When I was done my toggle switch works as it should ie: if I move it to the left the mirror goes to the left, or if I move the toggle switch up the mirror goes up etc.

Good luck,

George

gandrews, thanks for the info. That is exactly what I was looking for.

You are switching from the regular power mirrors to the non-power tow mirrors or vise-versa right. If you go ahead and do this please reply on how easy or hard it was. I would like to do this on my 01 to my wifes 02. She has the tow mirrors and doesn't like them and I have the little mirrors and tow all the time. I just hate to dive in without knowing if there is a big snap to get hooked on. Thanks

I believe there is a difference in the mirror base between 01 and 02.

Go to this link for pictures on swapping electric tow mirrors (02 & up) onto the older base (01 and earlier).

http://www.turbodieselregister.com/u...&albumid=16271

Good luck

George