97+ door handles and mirrors on an MJ(wiring added 6 May 09)

[mfpdm]

Well seeing how the 20 year old door handles were pretty worn, I decided to replace them with the 97+ XJ handles. This one is a quick mod and it took me longer to find the old door handles then to do the mod.

First here they are side by side. 97+ on the left.



And here is the only mechanical differences with them. Latch release rod is on opposite sides and the rods are different lengths.




Pull the rod and retaining clip off the 97+ handle.



Put the clip back on the opposite side it came off and put the rod from the old handle on.



Your done! Install your new 97+ handle on the door.





Now for the mirrors. This mod will replace those, can't hardly see anything with, old mirrors with the larger better 97+ XJ mirrors.

Remove the old mirror(in my case it wasn't there anyway).



Put the 97+ mirror in place and tighten the three screws down snug. You'll notice that the front fits perfect however the back side of the mount rides on the window trim.




Using a metal scribe or something with a fine point, trace a line on the trim along the base of the mirror. Then remove the mirror.



Pull the trim pieces and using a dremel with a small cutoff wheel, follow the line that you just made. I laid them on a piece of plywood and held it in place with a couple of clamps.



Even though it's not pictured, the bottom piece of trim also gets a little taken off.

Re-assemble everything and check the fit. You might need to pull it back off and cut a little more. I didn't on the drivers side but did on the passenger side. Here it is back together and if it wasn't for the scratches, you wouldn't be able to tell. I'll pull it one last time to sand and paint the trim(had just done that before I realized that they needed trimming. Didn't like the paint I used anyhow.)



And that's it. All in all a easy mod with nice results.

EDIT: Wiring the 97+ mirrors to the older power mirror harness.

Finally sat down and figured out the wiring, which was not too hard. Basically the motors in the mirrors are like the power window motors. Reversing polarity will change direction.
The 97+ mirrors use four wires, two for each motor. The older mirrors use 3 wires, one on each side of the motors with one running to the other side of both motors.

Here is a pic of the 97+ connector.



You can see the four wires. If your mirrors have the heated option, there will be 6 wires.

Here's the older mirror connector.



You will notice a green wire on one side that even the wiring diagram does not indentify. :dunno:

So using a battery I had laying around, and looking at the wiring diagrams for the 97+, I found one wire to one motor and one to the other. I then hooked the other two together as the older mirrors have done.



I then applied +12VDC to a single wire and ground to the 2 together. This will move the mirror in one direction. Swap the +12VDC and ground and it will move it in the opposite direction. Once I made sure which ones did what, I made a pigtail with the old connector mirror side and 97+ connector harness side.



You could just splice the wires if you wanted however I would like to be able to swap mirrors out if I had to.

Here's the wiring labeled. You can see the green wire again, plus the 2 wires that would be used for the heated option for the 97+ mirror. You could just remove them but I wanted to leave them just in case I go with that option later.



Make sure you tape off that green wire good as it will have +12VDC going through it from time to time depending on what direction the motor is going.

I solder the splices and taped them individually then wraped the whole thing.



Put the pigtails in and tested with the older power mirror switch.



Everything was :thumbsup:

[LoTGoD]

That looks like it was way too easy. Very nice.

 

I'll be interested in when you put your door locks back in. I have door and ignition cylinders from a 94 Cherokee that I am trying to swap in right now. I spent almost an hour fiddling with the drivers door lock, and can't seem to get it in.

[JeepcoMJ]

my lock cylinders in the 3800 are fron a 95 xj and though are a little smaller than the hole, with a good gasket and a bit of bending on the clip, they mount right up

[mfpdm]

That looks like it was way too easy. Very nice.

 

I'll be interested in when you put your door locks back in. I have door and ignition cylinders from a 94 Cherokee that I am trying to swap in right now. I spent almost an hour fiddling with the drivers door lock, and can't seem to get it in.

 

Well you got to remember, my doors are completely empty right now on the build so getting my hands and arm in there shouldn't be a problem. Plus I'll be using a set off the 89 donor XJ I had and swapping to power locks and windows. Hopefully that will go smooth. :brows:

[ORCA]

Bitchin' :cheers:

 

My door handles are quite an eyesore :roll:

[xjcrazy09]

all i would like to point out is that you sir are a perfectionist! and I like it! :)

[ejndssn]

Well you got to remember, my doors are completely empty right now on the build so getting my hands and arm in there shouldn't be a problem. Plus I'll be using a set off the 89 donor XJ I had and swapping to power locks and windows. Hopefully that will go smooth. :brows:

:cheers:

I know i won't be able to top the detailed you have put into this... it is great to learn from a pioneer :brows: thanks for the education i'll waiting for this part. :brows:... the other question i have is about the mirror's are they manual adjust or power

[Hawk]

I remember reading this a while back, and I really like it. When you finish, will you have a mirror control inside, or just move it to position by hand and leave it? I'll eventually do the same on mine, and I figured I'd just hand-move them into position.

[dakineJ]

More great info,thanks.I've seen manual versions on e-bay but most of the used ones seem to be power and alot are heated to.Another item on the todo list :wrench: .

[mfpdm]

I remember reading this a while back, and I really like it. When you finish, will you have a mirror control inside, or just move it to position by hand and leave it? I'll eventually do the same on mine, and I figured I'd just hand-move them into position.

 

Actually I'll kind of do both. I put them on the 86 and move them by hand. On the 88, they will be electric and will use the stock mirror controls from the pre-97 XJs.

 

:cheers:

[Hawk]

I remember reading this a while back, and I really like it. When you finish, will you have a mirror control inside, or just move it to position by hand and leave it? I'll eventually do the same on mine, and I figured I'd just hand-move them into position.

 

Actually I'll kind of do both. I put them on the 86 and move them by hand. On the 88, they will be electric and will use the stock mirror controls from the pre-97 XJs.

 

:cheers:

And moving them by hand works fine for you? I'll most likely do it that way, since wiring is already going to be a big job. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I moved my XJ mirrors, so as long as I won't strip anything out, I'll give them the hand job. ;)

[Akula69]

Great Write-up!

[mfpdm]

Edited the write up to add the wiring for the 97+ mirrors.

 

 

:cheers:

[dakineJ]

Good job with the wiring.Does the heated part have a switch on the door of the 97+?

[mfpdm]

Good job with the wiring.Does the heated part have a switch on the door of the 97+?

 

I haven't notice one on the 97+. I think maybe it is wired in with the defrost switch for the rear window. :dunno: The XJ I pulled the mirrors from did not have the heated option so maybe someone that has one will chime in.

 

:cheers:

[Yesterday's Danish]

Good job with the wiring.Does the heated part have a switch on the door of the 97+?

 

I haven't notice one on the 97+. I think maybe it is wired in with the defrost switch for the rear window. :dunno: The XJ I pulled the mirrors from did not have the heated option so maybe someone that has one will chime in.

 

:cheers:

 

The heated mirrors are wired with the rear defrost switch on 97+ XJs.

[Rymanrph]

Here's a stupid question: how do you remove the trim? I don't know how it comes off and I don't want to break it.

[mfpdm]

Here's a stupid question: how do you remove the trim? I don't know how it comes off and I don't want to break it.

 

:no: There's no such thing as a stupid question. :D

 

I start at the top back corner of the upper trim piece. Usually I can just pull with my fingers and work the back off and then carefully work my way around. Sometimes you need a small screw driver to pry it to get started. Order of removal is the top first, then the rear, and then the bottom. Reverse order when putting it on. The bottom is a little tricky as it is held in by the same clips that hold the window rubber in. They can be a PITA so just take your time as you figure them out.

 

I know some have done this mod and did not have to trim so be sure to check fit them prior to pulling off the trim.

 

 

:cheers:

[johnj92131]

Started doing this today. This went very well till I tried to put the connector for the mirror end wiring into the door.

 

The last picture on the first post shows the mirror end plug inside the door.

 

How do you do this?

 

Thanks,

 

John

[mfpdm]

Started doing this today. This went very well till I tried to put the connector for the mirror end wiring into the door.

 

The last picture on the first post shows the mirror end plug inside the door.

 

How do you do this?

 

Thanks,

 

John

 

I left that part out of the write-up :doh:

 

Yep, it won't go through like the old one so I backed the pins out of the connector and put the wire though then put the pins back into the connector. Just be careful pushing the pins out. Also remember which wire goes in each hole.

 

:cheers:

[johnj92131]

Started doing this today. This went very well till I tried to put the connector for the mirror end wiring into the door.

 

The last picture on the first post shows the mirror end plug inside the door.

 

How do you do this?

 

Thanks,

 

John

 

I left that part out of the write-up :doh:

 

Yep, it won't go through like the old one so I backed the pins out of the connector and put the wire though then put the pins back into the connector. Just be careful pushing the pins out. Also remember which wire goes in each hole.

 

:cheers:

 

Any special pin removal tool? Or did you use a paperclip? Have not looked at the connector to see about removing the pins. Lucky for me I have an extra mirror to play with.

 

Appreciate the very prompt response.

 

John

[mfpdm]

Any special pin removal tool? Or did you use a paperclip? Have not looked at the connector to see about removing the pins. Lucky for me I have an extra mirror to play with.

 

Appreciate the very prompt response.

 

John

 

I have a six piece pick set (dental tools) that I used. I don't remember them being too hard so a paper clip might work. I also believe that there was a small clip you remove first to get to the pins. I thought I had a pic of it but don't.

 

:cheers:

[kastein]

Yeah the easy way is to remove that plastic clip that goes down the center of the connector. The pins just drop out afterwards as I recall, or might need a little x-acto or dental pick attention.

 

The stock MJ / 96-down XJ door panels are annoying to get off - mine were slightly water damaged so the fiberboard was soft and some of the plastic push-pin things pulled out of it. It's easiest to remove using a putty knife or two, or a body clip removal tool.

[johnj92131]

Thanks fellows. Used a very small screwdriver as a pick and got a pin out on my extra connector. That extra connector will also help me make sure I put the rest of the wires back exactly where they should go.

[wranglercory]

the upgrade is a really good one and easy to do. mines done