I always thought the Audi was missing the simple function of an
electric compass. Every other car out there has one, but for some reason
Audi decided that every Audi driver has a perfect sense of direction. Or
maybe they just expected us all to purchase their overpriced NAV system?
Yet they refused to give us the NAV screen that our European counterparts
get! Fortunately enough for me, and everyone else out there in Audi land,
the 2002 Audis come with compass rearview mirrors! These mirrors will fit
most newer Audis perfectly! This new mirror will also still retain the
auto dimming features of your original one. Before you do this I feel the
need to relate my standard disclaimer. If you break your mirror, glass,
fingers, front door of your house, or any other related or non-related
items I hereby remove any personal responsibility of myself or anyone else
on this forum.
What you will need:
- AUDI OEM mirror with compass, part
number 4Z7-857-511-01C
- Small standard screw driver
- Slip joint
pliers
- Towel or something soft and thick
- About 30 minutes of your
time
Lets get started with this simple mod:
Remove the wire cover that covers
the wiring harness that powers the mirror. It's the piece that covers the
wires up to the headliner. Just pull rearward on the cover. It snaps right
off. Use the a small screw driver if necessary to remove it.
Here you can see the cover
removed and the wires exposed. Simply pull the plug out of the harness.
Again you can use the small screw driver to pry them apart.
Now comes the hardest part of the
install, removing the mirror assembly from the window. Please be very
patient with this and do not simply try to pry the mirror from the glass.
Put the towel around the pliers and turn the assembly counter clockwise.
It will move around 15 degrees really easily. Keep turning it to 90
degrees. You'll feel it when it comes free and the assembly will fall off
the glass. Remember only turn it. Do not try to pull it off. It will fall
off at about 90 degrees.
You've now removed the stock
assembly and are ready to put your new compass mirror on. Push the new
assembly onto the glass in the same fashion that you took the old one off
(at 90 degrees). It may take some pressure but it should go on. Next,
slowly turn it clockwise until it's back into position.
Now simply plug the new mirror
into the stock plug and pop the wire cover back into place.
Turn the
power on your car and the compass should display a "C" for calibrate.
Follow the instructions below to calibrate the compass.
When reading these instructions
keep in mind that ours only has one button that the screw driver in this
picture is pushing. Our model does not have a temperature display as we
already have that on our dash.
That's it. Hopefully this
will help the directionally deficient like myself. Here's a picture of the
color of the display in action.
