SMOKEY - My 2005 E53 3.0D Run Sheet

[SMOKEY53]

Update - Maintenance - Exterior

Passenger Side Mirror Replacement


I always thought the visibility over the passenger side was really poor. I never trusted my mirrors and would always do a frantic head check before changing lanes as most of my driving is in city traffic. Too many times I'd find a small econo box in my blindspot, or a motorbike etc. One day I noted my passenger mirror was a different color and didn't have the defrost element running down it. Turns out that mirror had been replaced at some stage with a flat glass version. So bought an aespherical mirror (blue tint) with heating element off eBay to match the D/S mirror and hopefully open up the field of vision.

Removal is easy. Using controls, put mirror as far up as motion allows. Get a large trim removal tool under the edge of mirror and lever off the mirror housing until it pops off. If you have heating element, remove wires. The miror I got off ebay didn't have a bracket so I had to remove that off the existing mirror. It is a large circular piece with four locking tabs, just slide downwards, takes some force. Put onto new mirror taking note of the marking that indicates 'top'. Reconnect heating wires.

Putting it back into place requires some force. You're trying to get that circle in the middle of the mirror bracket to lock onto the ball joint of the mirror motor housing. Centre it as best you can, then push like hell with one hand on the back of the mirror housing, the other on the mirror face. I used a bit of silicon spray to lube up the process. Visibility is now so much better, can see clearly 3 lanes of traffic beside me over my passenger side. Not to mention the blue tint now matches the drivers side and looks much better. A solid improvement for $30 if it saves me side-swiping someone or knocking a rider over!

Dip Switch Cleaning

While I was in here, I also took the opp to take apart the motor and clean the tracks on the dip switch sensors. Normally when the car reverses, it should dip the mirror to look at the wheel so you don't kerb your rims. Mine stopped doing that soon after I bought the car, for a few weeks it would just spaz out and go up and down rapidly then it stopped doing it all together. I followed this guide. Worked a treat, thanks @Bulk

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...d-writeup.html

[powers1]

Originally Posted by SMOKEY53

Update - Maintenance - Exterior

Passenger Side Mirror Replacement


I always thought the visibility over the passenger side was really poor. I never trusted my mirrors and would always do a frantic head check before changing lanes as most of my driving is in city traffic. Too many times I'd find a small econo box in my blindspot, or a motorbike etc. One day I noted my passenger mirror was a different color and didn't have the defrost element running down it. Turns out that mirror had been replaced at some stage with a flat glass version. So bought an aespherical mirror (blue tint) with heating element off eBay to match the D/S mirror and hopefully open up the field of vision.

Removal is easy. Using controls, put mirror as far up as motion allows. Get a large trim removal tool under the edge of mirror and lever off the mirror housing until it pops off. If you have heating element, remove wires. The miror I got off ebay didn't have a bracket so I had to remove that off the existing mirror. It is a large circular piece with four locking tabs, just slide downwards, takes some force. Put onto new mirror taking note of the marking that indicates 'top'. Reconnect heating wires.

Putting it back into place requires some force. You're trying to get that circle in the middle of the mirror bracket to lock onto the ball joint of the mirror motor housing. Centre it as best you can, then push like hell with one hand on the back of the mirror housing, the other on the mirror face. I used a bit of silicon spray to lube up the process. Visibility is now so much better, can see clearly 3 lanes of traffic beside me over my passenger side. Not to mention the blue tint now matches the drivers side and looks much better. A solid improvement for $30 if it saves me side-swiping someone or knocking a rider over!

Dip Switch Cleaning

While I was in here, I also took the opp to take apart the motor and clean the tracks on the dip switch sensors. Normally when the car reverses, it should dip the mirror to look at the wheel so you don't kerb your rims. Mine stopped doing that soon after I bought the car, for a few weeks it would just spaz out and go up and down rapidly then it stopped doing it all together. I followed this guide. Worked a treat, thanks @Bulk

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...d-writeup.html

Thats a great job ,Smokey ..Good tips too .Mine still fine but its a matter of time .