KipVR 1 Posted January 2, 2009 A friend of mine has got an auto dimming mirror, and driving through the New forest (always a 4x4 with HID's behind you) in the dark at rush hour I thought it was really good, as I find lifting my finger to tilt the mirror so difficult these days :grin: I'm thinking it could be a nice really simple mod? It's not something I'm particularly bothered about but seeing as my current rear view mirror is sitting on the passenger seat I thought I'd look into putting an Auto dimming one on. Looking into it a bit more I thought I could use a BMW one which has an alarm LED in which I could use as I've now got no blanking plugs left in the dash which was where my previous alarm LED was. From what I can understand just about all of the mirrors are self contained requiring just a 12V feed and earth, and sometimes a reverse activation too. Anyone ever bothered to do it? :shrug: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paul20v 0 Posted January 3, 2009 Nice idea i wait to see the outcome anyone :wave: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVR6 0 Posted March 10, 2011 Something like this should fit I would think. Anyone tried? http://tinyurl.com/68agohr Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted March 10, 2011 Yeah I was thinking MK4s and Passats must have had this feature, which is surely easier than fitting a BMW one :D I reckon I've used the mirror dim thing twice in 8 years of daily driving :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The_Dude 0 Posted March 10, 2011 Yeah I was thinking MK4s and Passats must have had this feature, which is surely easier than fitting a BMW one :D I reckon I've used the mirror dim thing twice in 8 years of daily driving :lol: A mate of mine who has been driving about 15 years only found out about it when I flicked it one night recently as I noticed he was squinting. He was suitably impressed, I was completely bemused. :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
domwells27 0 Posted March 10, 2011 A mate of mine who has been driving about 15 years only found out about it when I flicked it one night recently as I noticed he was squinting. He was suitably impressed, I was completely bemused. :lol: Did the same thing to my girlfriend. Her response was, oh so that's what that does. FFS!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KipVR 1 Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) I did do it in the end it as I use it a lot and loved the auto one in my wife's 3 series. I used a 3 series one with the 'clown's nose' which I've done as you mentioned and wired it up to the alarm led. There are as you say only a 12v feed, earth, 2xLED, and reverse cancel wires. It's nice and wide too so you can see out of the rear side windows! Edited March 10, 2011 by KipVR Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fla 9 Posted March 10, 2011 Do you have any pics Kipvr? also, how did you manage to conceal the wiring? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVR6 0 Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) The wiring should be easy enough I think. What concerns me is how do I mount the mirror on the windscreen? Don't want to spent £50 or £60 on a Golf one and find it won't attach. KipVR how did you stick yours to the screen? Edited March 11, 2011 by MikeVR6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KipVR 1 Posted March 11, 2011 I found a bmw windscreen mount from an old 3 series in the scrappie (same as e36 ones) and glued it on with some windscreen glue. There are some pics in my thread somewhere, see my sig :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVR6 0 Posted March 11, 2011 Windscreen Glue? Send me a link where I can buy this stuff! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KipVR 1 Posted March 11, 2011 Just pop round to your local windscreen fitters, they'll either sell you some or glue it on for you. Don't use the loctite stuff it's crap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quicky1980 0 Posted March 11, 2011 Ive been wanting to do this for a while but not mad on the "clown nose" rear view mirror. Subscribed to the thread to see how this goes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVR6 0 Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) Ive been wanting to do this for a while but not mad on the "clown nose" rear view mirror. Subscribed to the thread to see how this goes. My Mk4 Golf has an auto dimming mirror. And from what I understand, everything is contained in the unit itself. All you gotta do is mount it on the screen and give it a +ve and Earth leccy connection. Anyone tried? (breakers are selling Mk4 mirrors on the Bay for around £50) Edited April 27, 2011 by MikeVR6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
science 0 Posted April 27, 2011 Just bought a BMW mirror, clown nose style, for £10 at the scrappers. They had plenty of them with/without the led. Wiring shouldn't be a problem, but how should I remove the old mirror? Is there a solvent for the glue? I don't want to replace the windscreen, again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KipVR 1 Posted April 29, 2011 Get a scredriver and hit the mounting lug sideways across the screen, it'll come off, then glue on the bmw one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boost monkey 0 Posted April 29, 2011 omg, you guys are attaching clown noses to your corrados.... ......why..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nlau1 0 Posted April 29, 2011 omg, you guys are attaching clown noses to your corrados.... ......why..... Because it's a quality bit of equipment. Anyone who's driven a 3-series at night will know just how good it is Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boost monkey 0 Posted April 29, 2011 i need pics of this clowns nose thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nlau1 0 Posted April 29, 2011 Its just a thimble shaped, clear red light attached to the bottom of the mirror. Diameter about the same as a 10p coin I'd say ---------- Post added at 11:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:57 PM ---------- http://www.a1bmspares.com/parts_images/fullsize_02fae7bae27ac629baeecfd350063b05_E46_2.2_M54_Topaz_Blue_coupe_2001_048.jpg Thats it there ^ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boost monkey 0 Posted April 29, 2011 that's it?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nlau1 0 Posted April 29, 2011 Yep! When I had an E46, a lot of guys on the forum used to bang on about how they hated it, but its hardly even noticable really Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krnau 0 Posted April 30, 2011 you could fit the led in one of the spare led blanks of the speedo :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KipVR 1 Posted April 30, 2011 I wanted to install a auto dimming mirror, the BMW ones are the best imo, and happened to come with an alarm led on the bottom of them, so I thought kill two birds with one stone...such an easy mod I don't see the big deal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
