DIY: HomeLink + auto dimming rear view mirror retrofit.

[m3f_Anubis]

Switched power is not necessarily a bad thing. If you car ever sits out in front of your garage it would be just like leaving a garage door opener in your driveway. Break in the car, get in the house Fooking crooks.

After discovering that the autodimming power is on the same wire as the Homelink power, I moved it to switched power. It's all set now.

[m3f_camlob]

After discovering that the autodimming power is on the same wire as the Homelink power, I moved it to switched power. It's all set now.

Would you know what mirror this guy has on? Looks good on the vid!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqwfW33Ldic

[m3f_Anubis]

Would you know what mirror this guy has on? Looks good on the vid!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqwfW33Ldic

Found it. It's an OEM E36 autodimming mirror with alarm LED functionality.

[m3f_das borgen]

LOL sticker shock at the mirror itself's price on pelican parts



386





http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...FILTER_TOOL=ON

[m3f_Anubis]

LOL sticker shock at the mirror itself's price on pelican parts



386





http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...FILTER_TOOL=ON

Hah, that's why you buy one used on eBay for 1/3 of that.

[m3f_cataldo]

Anyone know which pins do what on the euro spec models?

[m3f_Anubis]

Anyone know which pins do what on the euro spec models?

I'm guessing the pins are the same on all models.



If you read my thread on this on bf.c you'll see some people have posted up pin-outs and stuff like that: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1198223



Perhaps the answer is there.

[m3f_cataldo]

Thanks mate but apparently the keyless entry goes through the mirror. I plugged my mirror in and everything worked straight away bar the key less entry

i got e36 pin outs but i don't know how to read them

[m3f_Gafut]

What is that "red thing" underneath mirror? Can it be taken off? Good job nonetheless!

[m3f_Anubis]

What is that "red thing" underneath mirror? Can it be taken off? Good job nonetheless!

That is the alarm LED. It cannot be removed without leaving a nice hole in the bottom of the mirror. There are versions without the alarm LED, but they are harder to find. It doesn't bother me - it's like a false deterrent, in my mind. Like I said earlier, I don't have the alarm, so I had nothing to wire the LED up to. If I ever retrofit the alarm, I'll wire up the LED.

[m3f_stubadub]

So...nobody liked my ghetto thread jacking mod?

better than the visor option imo, i had mine on there for a few months but the clip will start to leave an impression in the visor, i would imagine in a few years (or less) it would pretty much be a permanent indention. mine is currently located on my middle console trim, drivers side, basically between the seat edge and my right knee. not in the way, easy to access and out of sight for the most part.



rear view mod is tight though and on my list now, all but that huge clown nose, a smaller bubble would look a lot better imo.

[m3f_Anubis]

better than the visor option imo, i had mine on there for a few months but the clip will start to leave an impression in the visor, i would imagine in a few years (or less) it would pretty much be a permanent indention. mine is currently located on my middle console trim, drivers side, basically between the seat edge and my right knee. not in the way, easy to access and out of sight for the most part.



rear view mod is tight though and on my list now, all but that huge clown nose, a smaller bubble would look a lot better imo.

There is a version with a flatter alarm LED. It is much more recent and harder to find used.

[m3f_stubadub]

any other models that have one of these or similar that will work on ours?

[m3f_Anubis]

any other models that have one of these or similar that will work on ours?

Well, any BMW mirror will work - you just have to figure out what kind of wiring harness it has and such. Some Land Rovers from the late 90's also share the same mount for the rear view mirror.



Theoretically you could buy any Gentex (the OE supplier of just about every single autodimming/homelink rear view mirror out there) mirror you desire and then attach the BMW "arm" to it, but I'm not sure how simple that will be.

[m3f_K.Dickie]

I completed this upgrade with a mirror from a 2003 E46 (I think, bought it on eBay). Easy to do and now I have both the garage door opener and a compass display.



I doubt I would have realized how simple this was without this post. Thanks Anubis.