Second Gen Mirrors on a First Gen

[J2772]

So i've looked all over and i can't find it on here, but can i put the second gen heated mirrors on my 1992 i know they look the same but are they direct bolt on and what is the deal with wiring? I already have power mirrors but they're super faded and im looking to replace them anyways. Thank you for any advice/info.

 

[CDW6212R]

They are a bolt on, even the connector matches, though the number of pins will match the features. I have the 2nd gen mirrors on my 99, which has 91 LF door, and the rest a 93 body(doors and back). Mine's a Limited, so the heated mirror wire is there from the defrost circuit. I like the puddle mirrors, those are great.

I suggest hunting a nice pair of OEM mirrors, 95-01 Limited if you do the wiring and want the heated function. Aftermarket mirrors are cheap, but often don't adjust in the same range of motion.

 

[J2772]

I

They are a bolt on, even the connector matches, though the number of pins will match the features. I have the 2nd gen mirrors on my 99, which has 91 LF door, and the rest a 93 body(doors and back). Mine's a Limited, so the heated mirror wire is there from the defrost circuit. I like the puddle mirrors, those are great.

I suggest hunting a nice pair of OEM mirrors, 95-01 Limited if you do the wiring and want the heated function. Aftermarket mirrors are cheap, but often don't adjust in the same range of motion.

View attachment 155373

Im indifferent to the puddle mirrors but I'm not sure if mine has the heater circuit. Its a xlt but it didn't come stock with it

 

[CDW6212R]

The electrical connectors are identical for all of them. The only difference is how many terminals are inside. So any mirrors will plug into your truck, all of your original functions will work. Adding the rest is up to you if you spend the time to add the wires and terminals into the connectors.

 

[J2772]

How would i go about adding those wires and terminals?

 

[CDW6212R]

The wires you'd have to access would be in the dash or kick panel. The heat function would go to the defrost circuit, which would be in the left kick panel area, but not the right. So you'd be running a wire from one side to the other to make both do what you want. The puddle light would also be the same, hunting for the one interior light wire, which is in the "A" pillar and dash, kick panel etc.

The connector terminals are all identical, male/female. To add one or more to the dash side is just getting one used dash connector from another Explorer, and splicing the new wire with terminal end, onto the added wire(s). All Ford connectors have removable terminals, and there is a tiny plastic lock holding them in, on each half. You simply remove the lock with a tiny screw driver or pick, and then use the screw driver to gently move the tang out to let the terminal pull out. Look down inside any connector, and see the very tiny tang/piece next to each terminal. The lock is the plastic contrasting colored piece going sideways along the terminals down in there. The lock keeps the tiny tangs engaged into the hole in he side of the terminals. Get a used one and take that apart, doing it once will make it easy and obvious how they work.

 

[J2772]

Thank you so much for all your help I'm going to look into it and see if I can get it done.

 

[J2772]

Could i run the heated mirror function to just a hot wire? Would it hurt them to be on anytime the vehicle was on just like add a fuse and wire it in?

 

[J2772]

They are a bolt on, even the connector matches, though the number of pins will match the features. I have the 2nd gen mirrors on my 99, which has 91 LF door, and the rest a 93 body(doors and back). Mine's a Limited, so the heated mirror wire is there from the defrost circuit. I like the puddle mirrors, those are great.

I suggest hunting a nice pair of OEM mirrors, 95-01 Limited if you do the wiring and want the heated function. Aftermarket mirrors are cheap, but often don't adjust in the same range of motion.

View attachment 155373

and as a side note are those second gen door handles on a first gen door? Do they work and bolt in well?

 

[CDW6212R]

I wouldn't run the mirror heat circuit much more than the short interval the defrost circuit runs, which I think is about ten minutes. It would eventually hurt the mirror circuit I'd bet. It could last a while, a month, six, or maybe just days. You don't have to finish the wiring with the mirrors, you can do that later. Digging into the kick panel wires to find the defrost wire will take more work than the mirror swap. I think the interior light wires will be very close to the defrost wires also.

 

[CDW6212R]

and as a side note are those second gen door handles on a first gen door? Do they work and bolt in well?

I used the 1st gen doors and door handles too.

That 93 truck I had painted about four years before that, it was in very good shape then in 2005. Swapping in the 2nd gen key cylinders was a project, the holes in the doors and hatch are larger starting in 1995. I used a 95-97 hatch key cylinder in that 93 hatch, so I use the one 1999 key for everything like normal.

In the near future, I'll find a 98-01 hatch and bumper. I'll swap a 98 LF door I have to replace the old 91 door(rust along bottom seam), fill in the sunroof, and paint it all again, with the 2nd gen dark forest green color. It's still a nice truck, I saved it all and kept rust from starting on it underneath. I know it's a reconstructed title, but it's always done what I needed it for. Have fun with your projects, you can get anything done with effort etc.