RearView Mirror Retrofit

[platinum911]

Ok I have an old school mirror on my 1998 528i. . .I was wondering if it was possible to retrofit this mirror???

Old one 310461

New One 310462

New One 310469

Close up of wires 310463


Do I need retorfit wires? Can I cut the wires, and connect? Anyone know how to do it?

Thanks

[PatrickW]

Its for the auto-dimming. Im not sure what module you may need here ??

[gurmukhbhogal]

What is that little window in the top right corner of the new mirror? Is it a compass and how does it work? How useful is it? How much did you pay for it? I am interested in one of those mirrors if its worth the trouble. How many have such a device either from factory or retrofitted. It looks as though it even has the UGDO. With that many wires going into it perhaps it even has a rain sencing device in it with its mounting so fat.

[NNY528I]

that does not look like an E39 mirror to me but I may be wrong. Every one I have seen has a plug on the mirror and they seem to be plug and play. Where did that mirror come from is the first question.

[platinum911]

Usually these mirrors are on E90s and X5s, new e39s and 750s, so pretty much all over

Can buy them all over http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-M5-M3-X5-X3-E39-E46-540-325-COMPASS-HOMELINK-MIRROR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518db15d34QQitem Z350269562164QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fA ccessories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FBMW-M5-M3-X5-X3-E39-E46-540-325-COMPASS-HOMELINK-MIRROR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518db15d34QQitem Z350269562164QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fA ccessories)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E90-3-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-COMPASS-W-HOMELINK_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c0d92c504QQit emZ120486806788QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5 fAccessories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FBMW-E90-3-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-COMPASS-W-HOMELINK_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c0d92c504QQit emZ120486806788QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5 fAccessories)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E90-3-5-7-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-HOMELINK-COMPASS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3ef9d5b919QQite mZ270479505689QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5f Accessories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FBMW-E90-3-5-7-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-HOMELINK-COMPASS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3ef9d5b919QQite mZ270479505689QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5f Accessories)

[gurmukhbhogal]

WOW!!! That is some sophisticated technological and expensive rear view mirror. Our cars (e39) are wired separately for Home Link and auto dimming and I'm not sure about the compass wiring. Rather than mess up with the wiring of my car I am better off staying away from this one. I got a UGDO cheap on ebay and I just bought an auto dimming mirror for $10 on ebay, both are plug and play. The compass isn't really a useful item for me. Rain drops are not hard to sence lol !!!!!!!!

[Qsilver7]

How much research have you done? Some things to start with which can make this much easier to get thru (to find out if it will be a simple plug-n-play) is to do a simple BMW part nbr search using ANY of the online part databases...or the BMW ETK (if you have it or access to it).

You can input your car's VIN at a site like www.realoem.com or http://bmwfans.info/ and look up all the rearview mirror options for the your car...then run those part nbrs thru the PART NBR APPLICATION SEARCH feature all those sites have which will show you what other BMW models use those same part nbrs.

This will also reveal all the BMW part nbrs and the BUILD DATE range etc. ...which would aslo reveal if the mirror that you posted works on your car.

The issue that I see off the bat is that it looks like the NEW mirror has the rain sensor (built into the rounded cover around the base of the mirror). And it looks like if you'd just undo the pigtail (with the cut wires )...and search directly above your headliner (remove the sunroof access panel) you'll find the electrical connector that feeds power to the mirror.

I upgraded my 95 525iT with an auto-dimming mirror from an e38...and all I had to do was bump the old mirror off the windshield, pull the electrical harness that was tucked away above the headliner, then plug the harness into the new mirror after twisting it back onto the windshields mirror mount. I also had to pull a few of the wires from the harness due to the incompatibility going from an e38 to an e34...but that's another issue...you FIRST need to find out what mirror this is and what models it was meant to be used in and the date range etc.

You could easily check if all the features on the "new" mirror works by doing the same...pull the harness from above your headliner and plug it into the new mirror and see if the compass and autodimming features work.

This is what you need to look for above your headliner...if your orig mirror has NO power running to it...you may need to look real good for it...it may be tucked way back over the sunvisor area...but it should be up there somewhere:

http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2957/101/7390050065_large.jpg

Then run the wire harness from above the headliner down to the mirror...you can see the wire running thru the front of the headliner to the windshield right in front of the metal button where the mirror mounts to the window:

http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2957/101/7390050068_large.jpg

Then plug the harness into the connector in the arm of the mirror (where the pigtail is on your new mirror that has the cut wires dangling):

http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2957/101/7390050072_large.jpg

[platinum911]

Ok managed to mount the mirror on. it was pretty much plug and play. the connections were hidden up.

Got a rain sensor now. What is the procedure to activate it? Special work?

[cal45fan]

Ok managed to mount the mirror on. it was pretty much plug and play. the connections were hidden up.

Got a rain sensor now. What is the procedure to activate it? Special work?

Procedure? Pics?

[BayernKiwiBMW]

Did your 528i have autodim?

I have done this to a 528i that didnt have autodim. I installed a compass version and used WDS to get the wiring diagram to match the pins from the old mirror to the new one.

Compass - once installed, drive around in a circle a few times and you will see the "W" change to NW etc

Rain Sensor - doesnt this need to be part of the IKE / stalk for it to work?

[touring5]

How does the mirror remove from the windshield? I've looked all over and can not find anything on this?

For those wondering about the dimming function and compass these work on thier own, so you just plug in your plug assuming your e39 is new enough and you are good to go.

[Qsilver7]

How does the mirror remove from the windshield? I've looked all over and can not find anything on this?

The correct way is to bump the mirror (gently) toward the windshield and it will pop right off the windshield...this is for protection in an accident...if a body part hits the mirror...it falls off the windshield instead of impaling the occupant. Obviously, if you have the rain-sensing wipers...there's a larger cover around the base of the mirror which needs to be removed first. To reinstall, you twist the mirror back onto the mirror mount stuck to the windshield.


I upgraded my 95 525iT with an auto-dimming mirror from an e38...all I had to do was bump the old mirror off the windshield


http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/RearView%20Mirror%20Removal%20Instructions.jpg
http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/RearView%20Mirror%20Remount%20Instructions.jpg

[touring5]

Thanks Qsilver7, that was exctly what I needed. I just purchased a new mirror with dimming and compass that I will be installing shortly.

[gurmukhbhogal]

Some early autodim rear view mirrors have a flat or oval led cover over the flashing light (when armed) at the bottom of it. Some later model autodim rear view mirrors have rounded led covers over this light. Can anyone tell me the difference between the two or is it just cosmetic?

[jetblackE39]

Usually these mirrors are on E90s and X5s, new e39s and 750s, so pretty much all over

Can buy them all over http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-M5-M3-X5-X3-E39-E46-540-325-COMPASS-HOMELINK-MIRROR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518db15d34QQitem Z350269562164QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fA ccessories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-53200-19255-0%2F1%3Fcampid%3D5335818596%26amp%3Btoolid%3D10001 %26amp%3Bmpre%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcgi.ebay.com%25 2Febaymotors%252FBMW-M5-M3-X5-X3-E39-E46-540-325-COMPASS-HOMELINK-MIRROR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518db15d34QQitem Z350269562164QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fA ccessories)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E90-3-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-COMPASS-W-HOMELINK_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c0d92c504QQit emZ120486806788QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5 fAccessories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-53200-19255-0%2F1%3Fcampid%3D5335818596%26amp%3Btoolid%3D10001 %26amp%3Bmpre%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcgi.ebay.com%25 2Febaymotors%252FBMW-E90-3-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-COMPASS-W-HOMELINK_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c0d92c504QQit emZ120486806788QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5 fAccessories)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E90-3-5-7-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-HOMELINK-COMPASS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3ef9d5b919QQite mZ270479505689QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5f Accessories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-53200-19255-0%2F1%3Fcampid%3D5335818596%26amp%3Btoolid%3D10001 %26amp%3Bmpre%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcgi.ebay.com%25 2Febaymotors%252FBMW-E90-3-5-7-SERIES-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-HOMELINK-COMPASS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3ef9d5b919QQite mZ270479505689QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5f Accessories)


true many cars have this

best bet is to get the part number from the seller and cross refferance it on realoem.com or just call the dealer and see if they can tell you if it is compatible with your car... then your done...