Rear View Mirror Upgrade?

[upallnight]

Anyone replaced the rear view mirror with the auto dimming rear view mirror? Plug and play?

I did this mod on my E34 Touring but it didn't have the clown nose alarm so it was plug and play.

I see that they have several auto dimming mirrors listed including homelink mirrors.

[Ricky Bobby]

That's a good question. If in fact the car is "pre-wired" with the plug for the auto dim feature I could see it being a straight swap, as we know our E53's are pre-wired for many options we might not have been equipped for.

[TerminatorX5]

auto dim central mirror (module A22) calls for a 10-pin connector... if you have the 10-pin connector, it is a good start... next thing would be to look at the pinouts of the 10-pin connector, to see which pins are occupied and which are not, if any...

there is changeover in wiring in 09/2003 but it seems to be affecting the Japanese models... hard to tell from the available info...

[Zulu95]

Did it back in 2004 when we purchased. P&P. Biggest problem is the plastic cover over the mount. be prepared to buy a new one.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Zulu95

Did it back in 2004 when we purchased. P&P. Biggest problem is the plastic cover over the mount. be prepared to buy a new one.

I think the mirror is the same on a e46.

Here's a video on removing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAASqLXrii4

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by upallnight

I think the mirror is the same on a e46.

Here's a video on removing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAASqLXrii4

There's one thing with the video that I would do differently (based on instructions from the BMW TIS)...and that is once the covers around the base of the mirror (where it attaches to the button on the windshield) are removed...just gently "bump" the mirror toward the windshield and it will pop off the button. The mirror was designed this way as a safety issue. In the event of an accident, the mirror quickly separates from the windshield so that occupants aren't impaled on the mirror.

This is why drunk friends/family/occupants or interior detailer can accidentally bump the mirror and it disengages from the windshield. The quick fix is to twist it back on following the reinstall instructions.

The only time you twist the mirror...is to reinsert it back onto the windshield...you place it on the button at a 45 ° angle and twist it back onto the button.

Someone also makes this comments listed below the video, too.

(if you have rain sensor...remove covers from around base of mirror first)

[upallnight]

Thanks for posting the TIS Qsilver7

[dkl]

It was plug & play on my '04. I replaced the standard mirror with the dimming compass mirror. The re-installation wasn't as simple as the posted instructions may suggest, though.