New Style Towing Mirrors From Option Racing---Buyer Beware

[88gmctruck]

Alrighty. Mirror wiring is kinda complicated IMO, as the motors move relative to the direction of current: that is, the switch changes ground and power depending on direction.

Here are my mirrors. You'll have to ignore the additional wire colors since I changed connectors and added signal into them, so I'll just write down the factory to mirror colors.


Driver

Factory - Mirror
Red - White/Silver
Lt. Green - Green/White
Lt. Blue - Blue/White
Red - White/Yellow

Passenger

Factory - Mirror
Purple/White - Green
Red - White/Silver
Gray- Lt. Blue/Silver
Red - Yellow/White

System diagram from my 99.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

I believe the 8 pin started in 98 or 99 in teh BURB's as a friend of mine had a 99 with factory heated mirrors. The mirrors will fit all teh body styles, but the wiring won't if you have an early model.

 

[handcannon]

Thank You David!!!

Barry gave me some suggestions last night. I tried them and they worked. I still don't have anything coming from the door switch right button but I'm convinced that's a switch problem. Some of your wire colors and mine are the same, some different. For the benefit of others who may in the future run into this here's the wire colors as they worked for me.

GM loom / Pass side mirror
Purple/white--------------------------Green
Blue----------------------------------Blue/silver
Yellow--------------------------------Yellow/silver
Red/white----------------------------White

GM loom / Drivers side mirror
Green--------------------------------Green/white
Blue----------------------------------Blue/white
Yellow--------------------------------White/Yellow
White--------------------------------White/silver

In the wrecking yard I found the correct 8 pin connectors to match the new mirror connectors on a 02 Tahoe. When I went to the library to find the Tahoe mirror schematic those pin diagrams are something I never ran across. Those diagrams with the function connected to the wire location/color would have helped me figure out my problem. I knew I needed to switch some wires because of polarity but I was struggling with getting my head wrapped around it all. Knowing which wires were the common would have helped.

Don

 

[bk95td]

I had switch problems also:nonod:. I fixed that and then had connection problems.:nonod: Fixed that now I have a broken wire in the harness.:mad2::WTF:


Here is a update on my "case" with ebay and Option Racing. Option Racing is saying I shouldn't have bought the wrong mirrors for my truck and should return them at my cost.:rolleyes5: They said that It had the wrong connector because my truck wasn't equipped with heated mirrors originally.:rolleyes5: This was after I told them that heated mirrors were not available in the years that their application covered anyhow.:agreed: They also stated that they don't offer "tech support":???: for their mirrors and that they should be installed by a "professional":yikes::yikes:
My reply was: A professional retailer would know their product and be able to quickly deal with a minor issue like finding the wire code or a schematic. :agreed:
I also received a email through ebay from another buyer of the mirrors from option racing. His had function problems and mismatched connectors. Option racing was blowing him off also untill today when he took it to the ebay" Resolution Center". Then Option called him and refunded his money and sent prepaid shipping labels to return the modified[cut the mismatched connectors off] mirrors.:skep:
This is definitely a seller to steer clear of.:agreed::agreed:
I also received a survey from ebay this morning asking about my shopping experience with option racing:hihi: I'll let you guess what I had to say.uke::eek6::chairshot:

 

[1999gmc]

I bought from them and had no problems. I guess they should say that they fit those years, but connectors don't. I bought mine knowing I didn't have heat, and knew I would have to wire them. Got 8 pin connectors of off a 1999 or 2000 Escalade I believe it was, and transferred the pins from my 4 wire connector to the 8 pin, and then wired up the LED also to run as a running light and blinker. I hope I don't have problems with them in the future, I really like them. I have to keep them covered so the woodpeckers don't crack them like they did to my Dodge tow mirror. As far as I'm concerned they were definitely worth the money. I really like them.

 

[88gmctruck]

That was my experience with them as well, just had to do a bit of wiring to add the heat and stuff. So far mine are holding up very well.

 

[great white]

Meh, I've always bought of ebay knowing it was "taking a chance".

Kind of like buying something at a yard sale.....

 

[bk95td]

Option Racing -Racing Guys all one in the same

I just got another email from the other Option racing buyer that had problems . He received his return shipping labels from Option Racing and they were addressed to Racing Guys.. One company 2 names.


I did realize I would be doing some wiring. After all, I.m putting the whole power mirror and rear defrost wiring out of a suburban into a pick up. I was expecting the mirror functions to be plug in. and the heat and led's separate. I also expected the color coding of the mirror wires to be the same as oem.
What I didn't expect was to be blown off for 4 days when asking a simple question. Should it have taken 4 emails and 3 phone calls and hours of waiting for the calls? I don't think so. :BDH::BDH:
As I've said before, I believe the quality of the Chris Cam mirrors to be good. Just need to find a different retailer of them to buy from.

 

[88gmctruck]

I do hear you there. I really think one of the vendors here should start selling them.

 

[mangus580]

I did wonder if Option Racing and Racing Guys may be the same seller. Or is it possible this 'other buyer' was confused as to who he was dealing with? Maybe if he was really dealing with Racing Guys - thats why he is getting much better service than you?

 

[bk95td]

Meh, I've always bought of ebay knowing it was "taking a chance".

Kind of like buying something at a yard sale.....

I guess I've been spoiled by the site vendors here and summit racing. I do believe that most ebay sellers are legit. A few bad apples can spoil the whole bag. I don't think ebay does enough to weed out the bad apples. I have had many more positive buying experiences than bad ones on egay. I also believe that most of the egay sellers only have a computer. All their goods are drop shipped from a wholesaler's warehouse similar to rockauto .

 

[88gmctruck]

I've been lucky enough to not have issue with ebay yet, then again most things I buy are odd things from random people, not huge sellers.

In any case, you get everything sorted out now?

 

[bk95td]

Yep, they are working on the bench now. :thumbsup: I will probably do a install thread when I get the rest of the wiring removed from the donor harness. My install will be 94 specific since they are the oddball year I'm putting them on. Here's what it looks like right now.

 

[handcannon]

I got the mirrors working this evening. I had a bad circuit board in the switch. I did some bypass wires around the bad spots as a temporary fix and am planning on finding a replacement.

For others who may decide to do this mirror wiring add-on here's the wire colors.

New drivers mirror------------------------GM loom

Green/white------------------------------Green
Blue/white--------------------------------Blue
White/yellow-----------------------------Yellow
White/silver------------------------------White

New pass side mirror----------------------GM loom

Green------------------------------------Purple/white
Blue--------------------------------------Blue
Yellow-----------------------------------Yellow
White------------------------------------Red/white

Don

 

[88gmctruck]

Glad you guys got them working, finally.

Don, just remember that the GM wire colors are for the earlier trucks, the colors in my 99 were slightly different as I posted earlier.

 

[handcannon]

I do understand the varying colors from year to year. I noticed that on the schematics I've seen.

Just out of curiosity I took the switch panel off my 98 Astro van today. Several of the wire colors were different and in different locations. Many of the functions were in different locations also.

I'm now down to the wiring for the heat and lights and wrapping the loom.

Don

 

[bk95td]

Sneak peek

I took mine off the bench tonight so I wouldn't break them.

 

[handcannon]

Barry, you're ahead of me. I so want to get the mirrors on and in use. However, I'm holding back because I want to have a 100% complete and proven loom in hand before the install. I'm thinking about the wire loom install also. Even though it will be a lot of work I'm considering pulling the dash so I can put the loom in the stock location. Because of other responsibilities I'm only getting a few hours a day to work on it right now.

Don

 

[bk95td]

I only have the control loom made. Bolting them on only takes a hour or less. Get help to hold them untill the nuts are on.

 

[88gmctruck]

Barry, I love the blue/silver of that truck. My friends had a 93 GMC K3500 SRW with a 454 4L80E in that combo.... Brings back good memories.

Glad to see them at least bolted on. Did you really have to push them on hard to get the nut with support bracket? Mine was SUPER tight.