Rear View Mirror Mod

[uscharalph]

I just picked up a rear view mirror with the alarm light (Light Emnitting Diode) at the bottom from a 2003 BMW 5 series (Part No. 51168257276). It's got 2 wires going into the plug. I got it pretty cheap from eBay. The keyless entry system I'll be installing has a blinking light to install. Has anyone already tried this? Any pointers?

[Kalevera]

There has to be another harness in there; the autodimming requires at least three wires (ground, reverse, ignition (or hot with lights on)). Later renditions, including most E34s, have a 6 wire harness. Yours will be a 3 wire plug. Unfortunately, wreckers love to disassemble cars with a pry bar and a pair of dykes. They probably yanked the body harness connector out of the mirror.

EDIT: actually, what I said earlier isn't entirely correct. Every BMW mirror that I've seen has at least 3 leads. My generic Gentex uses two.

best, whit

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

to go with that big red globe, and you've got a police car.

The car thieves will definitely stay away with that blinking

[uscharalph]

There has to be another harness in there; the autodimming requires at least three wires (ground, reverse, ignition (or hot with lights on)). Later renditions, including most E34s, have a 6 wire harness. Yours will be a 3 wire plug. Unfortunately, wreckers love to disassemble cars with a pry bar and a pair of dykes. They probably yanked the body harness connector out of the mirror.

EDIT: actually, what I said earlier isn't entirely correct. Every BMW mirror that I've seen has at least 3 leads. My generic Gentex uses two.

best, whit
Actually there's no autodimming on the mirror. You turn the red globe to dim the mirror.

[genphreak]

Heh, I got a black globe on mine! Its out of an X5.

Maybe I should drill a whole in it and run an LED there too... nah. Around where I leave my car sometimes, anything different about a car will attract attention. Especially flashing things in the dark... I don't want a brick thrown on the car 'cos it stood out like a flashing red thumb.

(I'm serious- anything weird and someone will rip it off/smash it up)

Pity. It is a good place for the light, given the job it has to do.

[Kalevera]

Actually there's no autodimming on the mirror. You turn the red globe to dim the mirror.
Ah! It's one of those!

Son of a gun. Well then, it should be a pedazo de torta to make it work.


yes, I know, the idiomatic expression doesn't translate that way.

best, whit