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My 2006 S has the Convenience package, which includes the auto-dimming rearview mirror with the built-in homelink garage door opener function. I get in the car today and notice a strange oval-shaped distortion (for lack of a better term) in the mirror:
The inside part of the small oval is lighter than the outside, and images in the mirror itself are distorted. Yesterday everything was perfectly normal. Nothing happened to the car overnight -- it was parked in the garage as usual, so the mirror didn't get wet or suffer any trauma/shock. It almost looks like a bubble of liquid or air inside the mirror or between layers of material, but if I gently press on the mirror, the oval doesn't change, nothing shifts.
Part of me was wondering if this was related to the autodim function, like a sensor area. Has anyone seen this before?
Looks like an Einstein-Rosen Bridge (wormhole) to me. Never seen that before on an auto-dim mirror though. I'd bet it's going to stay that way though. Time to search Fleabay for a used one.
As was communicated to fridayxiii on his thread at another site, this is a problem observed by some BMW owners with auto dimming rearview mirrors. See the above link. MINI as part of the BMW family may use the same source for mirrors and be prone to similar problems. Replacing the defective mirror is the usual solution, as fridayxiii is doing. Congratulations on finding a replacement for under $100.
This just happened to me. Funny, never thought of a mirror dying.
My question(s):
Does an 05/06 mirror fit on a pre-facelift '04? I seem to recall the '05s moved the mount to the windshield, but fleabay seems to think 02-06 are all the same. The facelift mirrors have a **** looking thing on the bottom that my original doesn't have. Does it matter?
Have read about the remote locking module is in the mirror, given the above can I assume it's not vehicle specific?
TIA for any info.
Last edited by Eric_Rowland; Mar 19, 2022 at 12:15 PM.
**** on bottom is a manual mirror, I think there mostly all quater turn to remove and put on. The facelift version uses a different frequency chip in the mirror but I think they can be swapped. I have fitted and auto dim r56 mirror into my r50.
your mirror has leaked, have seen things like it before, nothing to worry about unless Steven Hawkins face appears in the middle of it lol
This just happened to me. Funny, never thought of a mirror dying.
My question(s):
Does an 05/06 mirror fit on a pre-facelift '04? I seem to recall the '05s moved the mount to the windshield, but fleabay seems to think 02-06 are all the same. The facelift mirrors have a **** looking thing on the bottom that my original doesn't have. Does it matter?
Have read about the remote locking module is in the mirror, given the above can I assume it's not vehicle specific?
TIA for any info.
The '05/'06 mirror does not mount to the windshield. As far as I'm aware the pre-facelift and facelift mirrors are physically the same.
2002 - 04 mirrors do not contain the key fob receiver - it's in the roof near the clock.
2004+ do.
Homelink (garage-door opening) mirrors have 3 buttons under the bottom edge.
Manual-dimming mirrors have a plastic switch there.
The liquid film in auto-dimming mirrors leaks or degrades in many makes of cars. An auto glass place may have a non-auto-dimming replacement.
