Updated my '96 rear view mirror to a '99

[winterset]

I had an opportunity to update my rear view mirror to add the compass option (BBF mentioned a while ago that it was an easy upgrade). Also, I have to admit, after 12 years, I still didn't notice what that button on the bottom of my '96 mirror did - I think the dimming feature was weak or non operational on my original mirror. Anyway, the mirror came from a 99 D'elegance. It has 2 buttons on the front compass & mirror. When I press mirror, the mirror really get's dark when the green LED turns on. The compass seems to be correct (Both cars facing the same way read "E"ast. when I hold compass down for 5 seconds, it counts from 1 to 15. is this the calibration?

THANKS

[BodybyFisher]

Go to a parking alot and SLOWLY drive in circles, it will calibrate itself. That is the way I calibrated mine, but maybe 99 is different. If the police come over and ask what you are doing, be ready with your excuse

[KHE]

I had an opportunity to update my rear view mirror to add the compass option (BBF mentioned a while ago that it was an easy upgrade). Also, I have to admit, after 12 years, I still didn't notice what that button on the bottom of my '96 mirror did - I think the dimming feature was weak or non operational on my original mirror. Anyway, the mirror came from a 99 D'elegance. It has 2 buttons on the front compass & mirror. When I press mirror, the mirror really get's dark when the green LED turns on. The compass seems to be correct (Both cars facing the same way read "E"ast. when I hold compass down for 5 seconds, it counts from 1 to 15. is this the calibration?

THANKS

The 1 to 15 is the zone - there is a map of the zones in the owner's manual (I think...) you need to select the zone that you are in for the compass to be most accurate. Another sequence of the buttons will show a "C" on the compass display and then you drive in circles until the morror calibrates.

[Logan]

Compass Calibration Description

Calibrating the Automatic Day-Night Mirror Compass using the Autocal Feature

The automatic day-night mirror has an autocal compass which automatically calibrates, during normal driving conditions, in order to prevent the vehicle's unique magnetic fields from causing the mirror to display the wrong compass direction. During calibration, the letter C displays. Calibration is completed when the C changes to the correct directional heading. Once calibrated, the mirror does not need to be recalibrated. When you turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, calibration does not change.

Calibrating the Automatic Day-Night Mirror Compass Manually

If the letter C should ever appear in the compass window, the mirror may need calibration. The mirror can be calibrated in one of 2 ways:

• Drive the vehicle in complete circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less until the display reads a direction.

• Drive the vehicle on your everyday routine.

The mirror is set at zone 8 upon leaving the factory. If you live outside zone 8, adjust the compass in order to compensate for the compass variance.

Press and hold the COMPASS button located at the bottom of the mirror until a zone number appears in the display.

Find your current location and variance zone number. Refer to Automatic Day/Night Mirror - United States Compass Zones or Automatic Day/Night Mirror - World Compass Zones in the Compass Variance Setup Description.

Press the COMPASS button on the bottom of the mirror until the zone number appears in the display. After you stop pressing the button, the display will show a compass direction within a few seconds. This is the automatic calibration mode. Drive in a circle in order to calibrate the mirror. Refer to step 1.

The owners manual typically has a 'zone map.' There is a US map and a World map available.

[Texas Jim]

Go to a parking alot and SLOWLY drive in circles, it will calibrate itself. That is the way I calibrated mine, but maybe 99 is different. If the police come over and ask what you are doing, be ready with your excuse

Before I bought my DTS... I was looking for a car that I would be comfortable in. Over a period of a couple of months, I rented several different cars for three day weekends.

One was a new Impala. The compass was off by about 45 degrees.You could be going south and it showed you going west. I read the manual about how to calibrate it Friday night after we got to the hotel in San Antonio. Figured I would do the calibration the next day.

I woke up at about 3 AM on Sat morning with a terrible headache.

There was a Wal Mart a couple of block from the hotel. I drove over there to get some headache pills. The parking lot was pretty well deserted, so I decided to calibrate it then.... I pushed the button... selected my zone...then selected calibrate.

I made several circles in the parking lot before it finished calibrating itself. I parked and went in. The security guards were sure looking at me strange.

When I came back to the car.... a police car was parked a few spaces down. As I left.. they followed me .... about 50 yards back. I drove back to the hotel and parked. They eased thru the parking lot ...looking at me.

They didn't stop or say anything, but I have often wondered what the security guards and the cops thought about some nut driving around in circles at 3 AM on Wal Marts parking lot.

[winterset]

Thanks for the replies. Is there a online '99 deville owners manual. I couldn't find info from google. My car is a '96, so my manual doesn't have any info on a compass zone. I didn't drive the car yet to see the compass change. I had to chagre the battery again. I don't use car much.

[BodybyFisher]

See?, I wasn't far off

It used to be that in Texas, they could tell a rental car, but a numeral in the license plate, but they stopped that as it made renters targets. I will tell you an interesting story, I was myself driving a new Cadillac, in Dallas along a street where there was a lot of Gentlemans Clubs, a beautiful blonde in a conv pulled up along site me showed me her big headlights and asked me if I wanted X here or Y back at my hotel, I must have looked at her like she was Johnny Carson doing his stunt where he guesses what was in the envelope Later I found out that my PLATE made me a target ESPECIALLY on the street that I was "lost" on, , I will think of the name of the street.. opps did I say that?, anyway I politely declined and kick myself to this day just kidding

[JimD]

Thanks for the replies. Is there a online '99 deville owners manual. I couldn't find info from google. My car is a '96, so my manual doesn't have any info on a compass zone. I didn't drive the car yet to see the compass change. I had to chagre the battery again. I don't use car much.

http://myweb.accessus.net/~090/resources-cad.html#om

[Logan]

'99 owners manual can be found here in PDF format:

https://www.mygmlink.com/pdf/go2content/man...1999deville.pdf

The code chart is on...shows page 111 in PDF...or page 2-50 of the owners manual.