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I decided that my newly acquired OBW needed to be upgraded with my custom winter package. I looked around for the heater elements (Burco Redi Heat 3801) and found that they are sold for totally unreasonable amounts at carglass shops/body shops. So I contacted the PPG Autoglass warehouse here in town and I picked up a pair from them for ~$7.00 ea! They fit perfect and the cut-outs in the plastic to which the glass attaches line up almost perfectly.

Installation is pretty straightforward (usual disclaimer apply: I am not responsible for you damaging anything on your car) once you get used to the total lack of access to the wiring under the dashboard. Splice the 12V wire for the mirror controls and use it to feed a relay. Control the relay with the 12V wire that powers the light in rearwindow defogger switch. This will prevent you from leaving the heaters always on: they will shut off after ~5-10 min based on the defogger timer. Finally, and most challenging, run the wires into the doors and connect to the heating elements. There was a very good instruction sheet on (http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1513).

 

Good luck,

 

Hank

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The heating elements are made in a couple of different sizes, but the standard car size fitted my mirrors very well.

As far as the wiring goes, I wired so it gets the the timing from the rear defogger, but not the current (it just drives the relay). The current for the heating elements is drawn from the mirror control circuit, which is where Subaru gets the current from when they add the winter package (according to my official Subaru schematic). I will post another thread for getting the Subaru manual.

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Cool idea. Never thought much about this. I replace an average of 2 side mirrors a day.

 

We use the Burco Redi products as you mentioned. http://www.burcoinc.com/index.htm

The new Redi Heat product line has only been out for a year or 2. It is the mirror with the heater already attached and the wiring prongs in the proper location for the vehicle. Burco also makes the heater pads available separate, but sometimes a slight mod is required to the mirrors backing plate to get it to fit because of the location of the wiring prongs.

As some of you were asking, the Burco Redi Heat line is NOT available for all vehicles!! Only if the vehicle has heated mirrors as a factory option, Burco might have it available.(there inventory of these is still new, but growing!) Other than that, you would need to purchase a new mirror and also the heater pad. The heater pad usually needs to be trimmed to fit.

 

Well, if anyone is interested, you can probably try and get the mirror and pad (or the pre-man set) from your local auto glass shop. Be prepared, the pre-manufactured heated mirror can be quite expensive!!! ($65.00 retail) If you are interested, shoot me an e-mail and I can check on it for you. ONLY for the good people here on the boards (who have helped me repeatedly over the last couple of years!!) I can ship the mirror and element for cost plus shipping. Let me know the Year, make, model and I will get back to you with price.

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Originally posted by Dutchboy

The current for the heating elements is drawn from the mirror control circuit, which is where Subaru gets the current from when they add the winter package (according to my official Subaru schematic). I will post another thread for getting the Subaru manual.

 

Yeah, but isn't that for a 95+ Legacy/Outback? I did not think there were winter packages for 90-4 Legacy's. At least, not here in the States. How much current would it draw is what I am really worried about. I would prefer just to run new wires rather than put more stress on wiring already there. Also, do you have the URL for where you found those elements??? Thanks Dutchboy, this is an interesting post and idea.

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