DIY: HomeLink + auto dimming rear view mirror retrofit.

[JetBlackE46]

I have to thank you, themadrussian for this thread. It was instrumentall in helping me to complete my recent retrofit. You sir, are the king of all things OEM retrofit.

Have actually been wanting to do this retrofit for quite a while now...mainly to get rid of the ugly garage door opener hanging from my sunvisor and for the integrated LED for my alarm. I recently got lucky and ended up doing this retrofit for next to nothing. Got a electrochromatic mirror with Homelink, Compass, and low profile clown nose practically for free from a friend's totaled '09 E90. Unfortunately, he didn't keep the wiring harness for it.
I was originally going to order the same harness as madrussian did and just add the pins and wires for the alarm LED but then I had an epiphany. At work we have a whole barrel of engine and body harnesses out of various BMW's that we keep in case we need a connector or something. I figured the plug used at the mirror has to be the same as one of the other plugs used somewhere else on one of the cars. After a bit of searching and digging through the harnesses, I found it. Found the right plug connector...just needed to redo the wires as the pins were slightly corroded. I replaced the pins and wires (with parts I already had in my toolbox) and wired it up per the tips and pin-outs found in this thread and got it all up and working for almost next to nothing. Only problem is, I don't have the grommet for a clean connection between the mirror cover and headliner. Will have to search for one of those to clean it up some and I need to finish it off with the proper covers for the arm of the mirror.

So far, i'm loving the Homelink garage opener. Works like a charm. The compass is nice too, but the surprise bonus to this whole retrofit was the auto-dimming function. I never used the dip feature of the stock mirror just because it's kinda annoying and because it gives a really blurred view of everything behind you. With the electrochromatic feature the view is still clear...just darkened to take the edge of the lights behind you. That alone is worth the work of the retrofit.

So, one thing I want to ask is is there a definitive answer as to which covers are the right part numbers for the covers without the hole for the Rain Sensor? There seems to have been some confusion earlier in the thread. Gonna order one tomorrow and wanna make sure I order the right one. Guess I could also look over the ETK at work, but figured i'd ask on here real quick. Anyway, thanks again madrussian and everyone else who added to this thread. Electrochromatic mirror with homelink FTW!

In case you still need it, this is the correct part number for the end caps without a rain sensor:

51167062264

Alvin,

Do you know the part number for the mirror you used?
Trying to order one but the numbers I get on realoem dont match up - online parts sources say superseded by part number XXXXXXXX but then that number doesnt show up either when I try to order new or search ebay.

Here's one w/o compass at a decent price:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E...Q5fAccessories

[flyfishvt]

For anyone doing this swap I just picked up a auto dim mirror from a 95 740. It only has the auto dim and no other features which is fine with me. I don't have a garage, I already have my alarm installed and I dont care for the clown nose, I dont need the compass feature.

My connector had 7 wires commig out of it so I did some research and found the following guide. Apparently on some cars the auto dim feature included the side mirrors too. My wire colors match up pretty well with the following guide. From what I can tell the outside mirrors do not dim they dip. I'll have to go back and look at the outside mirrors on that 740 to see if they are set up that way.

On my mirror wiring connector pins 6 & 7 are just a wire loop that goes back and connects to pins 4 & 5 on the mirror side of the connector.

RT Red
SW Black
GN Green
BR Brown
GE Yellow
WS White
VI Violet
GR Grey
BL Blue


1 BL/GE RFSI2 Light module Reverse signal active high
2 WS/GN IRFB GM X332.13 Central locking signal
3 GN/WS Power 5A
4 WS/BL SPFA1 Dim passenger 1 Signal, dip mirror
5 WS/RT SPFA2 Dim passenger 2 Signal, dip mirror
6 WS/GE SPFB1 Dim driver 1 Signal, dip mirror 1994_4 Not used 1995_9
7 WS/GN SPFB2 Dim Driver 2 Signal, dip mirror 1994_4 Not used 1995_10
8 RT/SW VBAT 5A Terminal 30
9 GR/SW/GE DWAL Clown nose LED Active low
10 BR/SW GND

VI/WS is always IGN for E36, Brown is always GND.

The reverse line undips the mirror for reversing.

[tyl]

I purchased the 5116001231 harness. It comes unassembled with three wires and the connector. What wires go to what positions in the connector? It appears the locking tab on the pins should face the outside of the connector, correct?

[Moron95M3]

Thanks for this thread! Installing an E32 autodim mirror this weekend. ($10 junk yard find w/harness)

[Moron95M3]

...and it's done. Thanks OP for post. I 'almost' grabbed the brown/black strip wire then re-read the thread...



Also did the hardwire for the V1...good time to do so.

[stefan2m]

I installed one myself, just auto-dip, no homelink, came from a salvaged e36.
My car used to have one from the factory, but one of the previous owners removed it and cut off the harness... thanks, douche.
So I had 3 wires dangling behind my map light and found out which one was ground, 12v + (with ignition on) and reverse defeat... I just can't figure out which wire on the mirror does what; I have grey, red and brown.
My best guess was brown for ground, red for 12v + and grey for reverse defeat... but it doesn't work, my bad for making my own loom in stead of parting with some money for a pigtail.

Does anyone know which wire does what on the mirror?

EDIT: how are the two plastic halfs around the mirror attached to each other, can I part them without damaging them? Would like to instal one or two small red led's like you see in e39's for example.

[Moron95M3]

from the first page:

You may want to cut off most of the wiring harness at this point (you only need 6-12 inches of slack at most), and peel/cut back the BMW black tape. Splice the brown wire from the dangling mirror harness into the brown wire on this harness. Splice the green/white wire (homelink/autodim power) from the mirror harness into the violet/white wire. If you want to hook up the autodim-cancel when the car is in reverse, run the blue/yellow wire down the a-pillar to a reverse light indicator source. I didn't bother with this, because I'm lazy.


not sure about the two sides, I didn't mess with that when I did mine.

[stefan2m]

I have a brown wire on the mirror, but I don't have a green/white or a blue/yellow on it.
In stead, I have brown, red and gray.
Am I correct in assuming brown is ground?

[radlaw]

Dont know if the Temp will work. I have a OEM mirror with the compass/home link/dim/clown nose. It has the pixles for the temp, but no way to switch between the compass & temp, so just the compass is lit. Would prob need to talk to a E9x owner to see if the temp works on these mirrors.

Has anyone tried to get a mirror with more functionality working in an E36? I picked up a Rover Discovery mirror that has compass and temperature as well as homelink and autodim. These features and others show up in BMW mirrors.

Compass I assume just runs off of the switched power, but temperature will need a sensor feed. Wondering if tapping the temperature feed to the OBD would work for the mirror, or if there is a wire harness similar to that listed that would provide the pigtails to tap...

Did either ever get the Temp to operate?

[e36fiend]

Anyone ever try retrofitting auto-dimming side mirrors in an E36?

[M3C]

Anyone ever try retrofitting auto-dimming side mirrors in an E36?

Did BMW make any autodim version side view mirrors for E36??

[e36fiend]

Did BMW make any autodim version side view mirrors for E36??

Not that I'm aware, but they did for E39 and I think E38. Perhaps E46 wagon or Euro models? I was wondering if anyone had attempted to install them in an E36.

[MParallel]

If only!

Nope, no auto dimm side view mirrors.

[spngr311]

(11/2/09 at 8:36pm) Anybody know what pin 1 thur 10 on the mirror side is? I just got my retro harness. Mine has 4 wires plus a gnd.

(11/3/09 at 1:07am) Never mind. I found my answer. Here are the pin outs that worked for me.

Pin
1 + Reverse
2 Not used
3 + Switched
4 Not used
5 Not used
6 Not used
7 Not used
8 + from alarm LED
9 - from alarm LED
10 - Ground

Thanks for posting this. I just finished installing mine and couldn't have done it without this link, since the new harness has the plug loose from the wires.

[e36fiend]

If only!

Nope, no auto dimm side view mirrors.

Auto dimming side mirrors appear to be an option on euro E39 cars, and if they came on standard cars (not M5) the glass should be a direct fit for E36. At least the side mirrors on my E39 are a direct fit for my E36. I'm having a hard time tracking any auto dimming mirrors down though... Maybe you can look around your euro sources mpar?

[MParallel]

Auto-dimm mirrors aren't "Euro". US also got these and should be enough on US second hand market.

[e36fiend]

Auto-dimm mirrors aren't "Euro". US also got these and should be enough on US second hand market.

Side mirrors? I haven't seen a single one in the US second hand market. Feel free to point one out to me on ebay or elsewhere

I do see lots of rear view mirrors though (already have that one).

[MParallel]

Oh I see. Side mirrors...Never bothered to check. No M mirror auto dimm glass.

[e36fiend]

Oh I see. Side mirrors...Never bothered to check. No M mirror auto dimm glass.

I'm pretty sure they exist though!

[MParallel]

I'm pretty sure they exist though!

Well you tell me

[M52 POWER!]

So I just ordered a used mirror but the retrofit kit (51160001231) is No Longer Available

Does anyone have a source, pigtail, or know the actual connector manufacturer part numbers?

[cinnamonDillon]

Hi all, sorry to bump an old post, but was wondering if there was any extra steps or difference in steps if I wanted to retrofit a homelinke auto-dim mirror that also had a compass? Or is it the same as usual? Thanks in advance.