Homelink Mirror Retrofit

Tommm · 07-03-2016, 11:28 PM

This isn't a "how to". This is a "how I" did the retrofit. Use the parts you like, ignore the rest.

I just bought a 32k mile bare bones '08 128i manual for my 100 mile a day commute. The mirror in my M roadster leaked, and instead of fixing it, I decided to put a homelink mirror in the 128, and move the mirror from the 128 to the M.

I used a few DIYs from the web, and the links are at the end.

My wife and daughter are out of town so I was able to do things slowly, very slowly and there were no extra parts, grease stains on fabric, or snapped pieces of plastic.

The first thing I recommend doing is open the sunroof for extra light, and lift up the armrest. Prepare to sit on the parking brake.

My mirror had three of the ten pins used for just the clown nose. I bought the mirror off eBay, and the wiring harness PN 61120434330 off the web. It turns out the wiring harness is just four wires. It also comes in a nice cloth tape wrap, and has the different connections, which I didn’t use. I guess for the $35 it cost, it saved a lot of time. If you have the connector ends, and can splice wires - go for it.

I initially tried to remove the overhead console/dome light from the inside of the car. That wont work, don't do it. I then removed the sunvisors (take the three minutes and remove the six torx screws. Keep the headliner from getting creased), and since the screws for the sunvisors were out, I reached under the headliner by the windshield, pushed two clips, and viola, it came down. Since it isn't heavy, it hangs easily from its wires. I unclipped the short white connector on the right and unclipped the black one just to the left of the middle.
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221408

The dome light is now hanging out of the way. To get more room to work, I moved the wire to inside the big square hole in the headliner.

Then I had to figure out which of the three harnesses in the console was for the mirror/rain sense. It is the black plug just to the left of center. I unclipped that plug and the fun began. The instructions are great for the black connector in the overhead console, but sparse for the connector that goes to the mirror. See below.

After I threaded the wire through the rubber grommet (I didn't use the straw, just fished them through), I had a choice, use the old plug and put four wires in it, or take the three wires in the old plug out, and put them and the four new ones in the new plug.

I used the old plugs, but getting them open was another story. Having the new one in my hand to study was a lot less uncomfortable than trying to figure out the plug with the wire inches from the roof. For the plug that goes to the mirror, I used a brad to move the piece that hooks it closed. When you look at the picture of the plug I swiped from a DIY that is linked below you will see that the piece of the clip on the bottom is open. I used the brad to pop that open.

The instructions clearly identified which number the wire goes to on the plug at the console, but they didn’t clearly say where the wires at the plug that goes to the mirror go.

Fortunately this diagram is also in the DIY. I wrote this info on the instructions from the BMW PDF linked below.

The mistake I made was the final step. I didn't pull the excess wire back up towards the console. I used the zip tie to connect the two looms. When I put the cover around the mirror back on, the excess wire was in the way. Since I had already buttoned up the headliner by replacing the six torx screws, I didn't re do that part. The cover closes, just not as easily as I would like. My OCD may kick in and the screws will come off...

Cost of mirror and retrofit wires is under $100. The compass mirrors are more. Figure $130 for a compass mirror and the wires.

Enjoy

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=450516

http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/forum/faq...emp-66111.html

Here is a link to the BMW pdf
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...26130881,d.amc

If the link doesn't work, this is the title of the PDF
homelink-retrofit-pdf-february-25-2008-8-22-pm-1-3-meg

Next is figure out how to get some more lumbar support for my back.

07-03-2016, 11:28 PM	#1
Tommm Driven Crazy 190 Rep 505 Posts Drives: his wife nuts 128i 6m Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: The Mile High iTrader: (1)	Homelink Mirror Retrofit This isn't a "how to". This is a "how I" did the retrofit. Use the parts you like, ignore the rest. I just bought a 32k mile bare bones '08 128i manual for my 100 mile a day commute. The mirror in my M roadster leaked, and instead of fixing it, I decided to put a homelink mirror in the 128, and move the mirror from the 128 to the M. I used a few DIYs from the web, and the links are at the end. My wife and daughter are out of town so I was able to do things slowly, very slowly and there were no extra parts, grease stains on fabric, or snapped pieces of plastic. The first thing I recommend doing is open the sunroof for extra light, and lift up the armrest. Prepare to sit on the parking brake. My mirror had three of the ten pins used for just the clown nose. I bought the mirror off eBay, and the wiring harness PN 61120434330 off the web. It turns out the wiring harness is just four wires. It also comes in a nice cloth tape wrap, and has the different connections, which I didn’t use. I guess for the $35 it cost, it saved a lot of time. If you have the connector ends, and can splice wires - go for it. I initially tried to remove the overhead console/dome light from the inside of the car. That wont work, don't do it. I then removed the sunvisors (take the three minutes and remove the six torx screws. Keep the headliner from getting creased), and since the screws for the sunvisors were out, I reached under the headliner by the windshield, pushed two clips, and viola, it came down. Since it isn't heavy, it hangs easily from its wires. I unclipped the short white connector on the right and unclipped the black one just to the left of the middle. http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221408 The dome light is now hanging out of the way. To get more room to work, I moved the wire to inside the big square hole in the headliner. Then I had to figure out which of the three harnesses in the console was for the mirror/rain sense. It is the black plug just to the left of center. I unclipped that plug and the fun began. The instructions are great for the black connector in the overhead console, but sparse for the connector that goes to the mirror. See below. After I threaded the wire through the rubber grommet (I didn't use the straw, just fished them through), I had a choice, use the old plug and put four wires in it, or take the three wires in the old plug out, and put them and the four new ones in the new plug. I used the old plugs, but getting them open was another story. Having the new one in my hand to study was a lot less uncomfortable than trying to figure out the plug with the wire inches from the roof. For the plug that goes to the mirror, I used a brad to move the piece that hooks it closed. When you look at the picture of the plug I swiped from a DIY that is linked below you will see that the piece of the clip on the bottom is open. I used the brad to pop that open. The instructions clearly identified which number the wire goes to on the plug at the console, but they didn’t clearly say where the wires at the plug that goes to the mirror go. Fortunately this diagram is also in the DIY. I wrote this info on the instructions from the BMW PDF linked below. The mistake I made was the final step. I didn't pull the excess wire back up towards the console. I used the zip tie to connect the two looms. When I put the cover around the mirror back on, the excess wire was in the way. Since I had already buttoned up the headliner by replacing the six torx screws, I didn't re do that part. The cover closes, just not as easily as I would like. My OCD may kick in and the screws will come off... Cost of mirror and retrofit wires is under $100. The compass mirrors are more. Figure $130 for a compass mirror and the wires. Enjoy http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=450516 http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/forum/faq...emp-66111.html Here is a link to the BMW pdf https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...26130881,d.amc If the link doesn't work, this is the title of the PDF homelink-retrofit-pdf-february-25-2008-8-22-pm-1-3-meg Next is figure out how to get some more lumbar support for my back.
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