S80 2001 Auto Dimming Rearview Mirror Repair How To (long)

[01_Nautic_V70]

Thanks so much to this very thorough tutorial writeup. I ordered a junkyard unit from V & S and had the swap done in about 30 minutes. Working flawlessly now.

[Pivo]

Hello there!
First post as the new owner of a 2001 V70XC. I hope I'm not too OT on this question:

I always liked having a compass in my car. I have a plain magnetic compass ball I used in my former vehicle. But it won't work in the Volvo, probably due to the magnetic interference from the center speaker. I became aware Volvo offers a rear-view mirror with compass as an option. I also read this thread, and realised that in Volvos there's usually no such thing as a simple parts swap...

So my question is: do you experts think it is possible to transplant a compass (from a donor vehicle/junkyard) in my vehicle without reprogramming the whole friggin' car?

thank you!

[mooreaction]

Does anyone have links to something like this with pictures? I recently bought a volvo with a broken mirror and need to replace it.
thanks

[vinman52]

If you're looking for some photos then go to page 9. There are some there that might help.
Or download the PDF file on the next post below.

-v-

[matthew1]

S80RearViewMirror.pdf

(2.33 MiB) Downloaded 3091 times

Use ^ that. The author I don't know who it is, so if someone has copyright on this and either wants attribution or for me to remove it, please contact me and I'll do that.

[vinman52]

Quick Tip on Mirror Replacement.
There are many articles on the mirror replacement in this terrific forum. Please refer to those articles full instructions on replacement.

This is simply a time saving tip.

Just did the wife's S80 lava lamp. Took all of one hour including un-soldering the new mirror and soldering it to the original S80 circuit board.
Picked up a used but good mirror from eBay for $40.

Tip - Leave the base of the mirror in the vehicle. You don't have to remove it. This saves lots of time.
Get 3 or 4 old credit cards or plastic of that type size and shape.

Use a small screwdriver to release the plug from the back of the mirror. To do this first pull down and away from the mirror on the plastic trim where the wire and plug go. Don't be afraid to turn the mirror 90 degrees or so to gain access to the trim plate.

When the plate is removed turn the mirror back to center and insert the small screwdriver in the square opening on the bottom of the mirror housing.
Push up with the screwdriver and pull gently on the plug in the back until it comes off the mirror.

Now the fun part. Use the tip of an old credit card and snake it under the seam of the mirror housing. Once started you can just walk the credit card around the mirror and pull gently on the glass housing side while doing so. The clips will release on by one.

On one side I need to use 2 cards. One to separate the seam and while that one was in the seam I inserted another card to swipe around the body.

The mirror came off the body and I was in the house exchanging mirror. Separating the mirror from the car took me less than 10 minutes.

Moral - Your old credit cards can be useful and save you time and money.
WOW! A credit card that saved me money without charging anything to it. AMAZING!

Hope this tip is useful.
Happy Motoring
Vince

[matthew1]

Thanks for the notes, Vince.

I updated the original head post in this topic with images from the PDF.

[Pfortier99]

Just wanted to say thanks for easy instructions.
Got lucky past weekend hunting for parts and pick up a mirror along a bunch of little items all for $50 did the exchange this evening afterwork maybe
1:50 mins and 20 was looking for the little ring for the bolt to go back in. Only thing was it came from s40 much newer and I had to use original housing looks great. Bonus was now all interior lights on dash radio and such all light up.
Again thanks
On to next little projecyt

[850TurboTurtle]

Only Volvo could manage to make it cost $750 to replace the rear view mirror...

[shschampion]

Thanks for the excellent instructions. I learned a couple of extra things in doing this, maybe they will be of help to other users.

1) This worked for a 2002 V70 with sunroof

2) I had planned to short-cut and save time on the disassembly (esp. the double sticky tape) by having my local Volvo dealer program the car for the replacement unit. However, they could not do this. I'm not sure whether this is by design or maybe they just did not have the expertise. It seems like very poor design to me, since the LCD is a weak point (esp. given the temperature cycling in an automobile) and the security circuitry is bound to outlast it.

3) I wasn't expecting any issues with the electronics disassembly or desoldering, but I was a bit leery about the sticky tape. It was not as difficult as I expected (I have had some horrendous issues with phone screen replacements)
I DID NOT USE A HEAT GUN DESPITE HAVING ACCESS TO ONE. Those things can melt solder - so I used a hair dryer which is a great deal safer for the electronics. Take your time, the glue will give up after a while!

4) My units looked slightly different to those pictured (esp. the receiver for the remotes), but functionality basically the same. A receiver, a couple of CANBUS interfaces and a microcontroller.

5) The connection to the LCD/Mirror is via clips that runs along the edge of the glass. If you slide these off while attacking the sticky tape they are hard (but not impossible) to re-fit.So be careful!

6) I did not disconnect the power before swapping the mirrors, but I don't recommend this approach unless you are 100% confident of what you are doing. Don't follow my example.

7) The mirror cost me £25 (Aug. 2019). Quite frankly, even if I had broken one figuring out the disassembly, it would have been worth getting a second. THAT IS NOT TRUE FOR THE ELECTRONICS THOUGH. If you screw up the original UEM, then I don't think you will have any alternative to paying full price (or maybe a stick-on mirror and no security!)

Again, thanks for the instructions