red07g5

Well, here is how to add this...



To your cobalt... (Or the way sexier G5 )

First you need a mirror, try to find one from a Grand-Am or Grand Prix. Try to stay with a GM one, as they usually use the same mounts, you wont have to glue a new one to your windshield. PM me If you need one I have a pretty good source to get them.

Now the mirror will have 3 wires, 1 is the ground, 1 is 12V for the switches, and the other is 12V and bypasses the switches. They all will look the same so you will need a 12V power supply to test which is which. You can use your car battery, but that is kind of unsafe in several ways. Make sure the switches are off (A white side of the switch will be exposed when the switch is on) and hook up two of the leads to your 12V source. If nothing happens try flipping a switch. If a single light comes on you found your ground and the switched 12V wire. If no lights come after flipping a switch try using the other wire as the ground. If both lights come on you found the switch bypass 12V wire (this will be used for turning the lights on when the door is open) Once you figure out which wire is which, label them with masking tape or something. (If you really cant figure out which is which, PM me and Ill help you out.)

To put the mirror on take out the hex screw on the base of your old mirror. If you have a GM mirror it will just slide on the same metal base that your old mirror used. Tighten up the screw and your done!

Now, you need to get a always on 12V wire to the switched 12V wire (the one where the lights only come on when the switch is flipped) That way the lights will come on whenever you flip the switch. Run it under the headliner and down the A pillar to the fuse panel and hook it up to a ignition fuse with a add a circuit. (most all of the empty ones are ignition, you wont hurt anything by guessing and checking.)

You also need to get the ground wire to a good ground, run it down the A pillar as well. Find a good bolt and use a crimp on ring to put it over the bolt under the nut.

Now to get the light to dim and come on with the dome light you will need to get the always on 12V wire to the dome light. To keep from having to take the whole headliner down tape the wire to the end of a straightened out metal coat hanger. feed the hanger/wire through starting at the windshield back towards the dome light. Just yank on the dome light cover to get it off. Once you get the wire to the dome light wrap it around the metal post of the long skinny bulb closest to the passenger side. Now whenever that bulb is on, the 2 map lights on the mirror will be on too.

Here is what I mean...



They will dim when you close and lock the doors just like the dome light. And when you turn the dome light on using the switch, the 2 map lights will come on as well. Put the cover back on the dome light and your done!

This was so easy I cant believe GM didn't give us one of these to begin with. I would consider this my most useful and practical mod, hands down. It adds soo much more light to our dark interiors its not even funny.

Video of the lights in action!!