No HomeLink mirror here. This is the base model with no buttons or auto-dimming feature. I think I might have it figured out? It is super easy to move during the warm days, but once you adjust the 1st time in the day, it doesn't move again (that day). Can hit the biggest bump on a hot sunny day, and it doesn't move from where I just adjusted it. However - when you go to the car in the morning, there it is drooping again.

Whatever liquid/grease that warms up during the day making it so easy to move must harden up at night. Maybe as it hardens overnight, the mirror doesn't actually slide down - perhaps the act of the liquid hardening in the socket somehow pushes the mirror down as it solidifies again?

Either way, new mirror didn't solve it.

 

I'm having the same issue with my 2015. I thought it was just the way I sat in the sport seat each day. Seems like I adjust it every couple of days.

 

My 2015 build does the same thing. I just adjust it every morning. It's part of my routine now

 

Thank christ I'm not the only one. My F55 '15 has a droopy mirror as well. At first I thought it was the missus adjusting it (she TOTALLY steals my car when I'm not looking) but realized it pretty much drops about 1/4" every day. Doesn't bother me. Just another little quirk that gives it character.

 

Maybe slightly Off Topic, but how can I tell if my '14 Justa has the camera type thing in the rearview mirror base?

Apparently it looks at traffic ahead for cruise control?

It looks like there is a round hole of some sort, but how to tell if that system works?

-Oly

 

Anyone figured out how to solve this? Mine keeps on tilting down when hot days.

 

Mine is stranger than the other reports: some days it's fine, some days it just flops around - and then it's Ok again, repeat. does not seem to be due to hot/cold temps, just strange.

When it's working well, I can adjust it while driving down a rough road - other days, can't adjust it at all - just droops. So I leave it alone and a few miles later it works just fine fo no apparent reason.

-Oly

 

Mine did this also. I mentioned it to the Mini service advisor, they replaced it under warranty.

 

The foil paper reflects the heat and keeps the socket and joint cool in hot day, so prevents the retention ring from falling out

 

Mine (2015 F55) is doing the same thing, adjusting my rear view mirror on a regular basis. I will be going to the dealer in few weeks for windnoise problem and definitely will mention this issue. The nearest dealer is 3hrs away :-(

 

Had noticed mine would change position at times, but thought it was me bumping it when putting in/out the sunshade. This past weekend, it was facing the afternoon sun (mid-Georgia sun) and it just flopped around. After running the A/C for a while and it stiffened back up. Now if I drive after it has been sitting in the heat the rear view mirror is useless until the interior temp cools down considerably. Might have to try the tin foil work around and see if that helps.

 

Loose mirror brethren,

The problem is that the metal retaining ring heats up and either pops off or expands enough that the mirror becomes loose. I finally got frustrated this summer with the ring popping off every afternoon. I live in Texas so it's a million degrees in my car every day when I leave work. My solution was to remove the metal retaining ring and replace it with a ziptie. Works like a charm. I can post a photo of what I did if any are interested.


Cheers!

Joseph

 

Yes, actually a photo might well help - I ca't seem to get hold of the ring, although it appears to be broken.

-Oly

 

Oly,

My mirror is just the plain type, no auto-dim or homelink so it just pulls right off once the metal ring is popped forward. I used a ziptie instead of the metal ring. Make sure you use a quality UV stabilized ziptie. I cut a gap at the top of the mounting hole on the mirror body for the "block" on the ziptie to fit in. Once mounted you can't see any of it. My picture I took before trimming the ziptie so that you can see what I've done a little better. Works fantastic. I hope this helps.

Cheers!

Joseph

 

Yes - lovely work !!

I would never have thought of "Just pulling the mirror off" but your photo mkes it quite clear.

Thanks a lot !

-Oly

 

Resurrecting this thread as I have the same issue with my 2015 F56 - S, and when it gets hot out the mirror gets very loose/starts to droop. Can someone confirm how to remove the mirror? I can pull the metal ring off, but a semi-firm pull on the mirror didn't make it come out and I don't want to damage it. Thanks!

 

It just pulls off? I've given it a bit of a pull when the ring comes off but I'm hesitant to force it. Can you be more specific? I don't want to break it. Did you twist/pull, lift pull? Just pull it forward?

 

[size=16px]jtpryan,

If your mirror is the plain type, no auto-dim or homelink, it just pulls right off. Wrap a small towel around it and pull back. Try not to hit yourself in the face with it. I put my hand around the mirror with the mirror stalk between my middle fingers to get a good grip, then pull back. I kinda twisted it to the side so it came off at a bit of an angle. It was pretty easy.

I used a UV stabilized cable tie instead of the metal ring to hold it on. That was a couple of years ago and it is still working perfect.

I hope this helps.

Cheers.

-Joseph[/size]

 

Got one in there, not sure if is UV stabilized, but I was able to squeeze it in through the hole where the lever is for night dimming. Got it good and tight with some vice grips then cut the excess off.

 

Thanks for Joseph ziptie solution. One caution is removing mirror: better yank down and away, not towards you, in parallel with windshield. This will remove entire mirror assemble include the ball joint so you have more room to work with. Here is a video how a professional removing it at 11:05 mark . And install is reverse is at the very end of the video. The reason is the mirror mount is attached to a square rain sensor retainer beneath by a clip at its bottom; the clip is sliding in a groove in the rain sensor retainer. Here is illustration photo:

 

Also thanks for the video and descriptive pictures. Just to be sure, if you remove the whole mirror assembly, do the mirror clips just slid off (and then on) or is there a release on the Rain Sensor that you have to engage? If no release then interesting that the whole mirror stays on just by friction...?

 

Yeah the mirror assembly is hold mainly by friction though there are two bumps on the rain sensor surface that lock into the two ditches on the bottom of mirror stalk. That is why you need yank hard, not only to counter the snug fit clip in the rain sensor groove, but also disengage the bumps from the ditches on each side. Here is illustration photo:

 

I super glue the retaining ring to the ball joint socket outer rim. This is to stop the ring from popping off while keep the ball joint still movable as before. i tried zip tie but cant pull it tight enough because i dont have vice grip plus my zip tie head is too big. Glued retaining ring hold up in my 140+ F car, which happened to be cooked steak temperature! I wonder why BMW not designing the ring as glued because the official mirror assembly is one replacement unit (Mini part# 51-16-9-285-371 for basic mirror) so there is no dealer servicable part inside. Also the ring has an opening gap to expand, so glued ring should still allow to force pulling the mirror from the ball joint to DIY service. ​​

 

Much appreciated Min!! That makes sense now. Interesting approach to the super glue technique. I'll try zip tie first, then maybe using aluminum foil or saran wrap around the ball to see if that works. Cheers.

 

Thanks for the tip. Here's how mine looks. I added some JBWeld PlasticWeld (2-part epoxy) around the ziptie using a toothpick, being careful not to let the epoxy run over the ball. I let it cure overnight, then put it out in the sun for a couple of hours to see if the ziptie would move; it was solid.