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View Full Version : So many outside mirror threads. Here's yet another!


kbcons
10-01-2016, 01:14 PM
Last Thursday AM (9/29) drove to CSUF and the mirrors were normal. Parked in a structure so the car was totally shaded. A couple hours later I go to retrieve the car for a quick jaunt to my ortho doc in Orange, and again everything is normal. Parked in the structure there as well, so more shade on a hot SoCal day.

An hour or so later I go to take off and found that the passenger side mirror had decided to aim itself upward. The joystick had no effect on either mirror and the passenger side mirror would not dip when in reverse. The auto-dip isn't a feature I prefer to use, but it just quit working. Overall, it was as if the fuse had blown. I manually aimed the mirror and drove home, all the while wondering what I'd done to piss off the mirror gods.

Didn't have time or energy to dive in that day, so the car sat overnight.

Got in Friday morning to drive to a service call and operation of both mirrors is totally normal. Still working on Saturday.

I did poke around looking for more info and found that E46 mirror wonkiness is pretty normal. In my defense I didn't find anything to match my issue, but now I'm a little paranoid. Kinda wondering if I should preemptively order parts and be ready.

With that in mind, should I be looking for both mirror motors and the cables?

Thanks!

Ken...
Johnmadd
10-01-2016, 04:30 PM
Mine do exactly the same stuff, idk why. :dunno
az3579
10-02-2016, 05:10 AM
I've learned to live with it. Mine stays pointed down randomly after reversing and shifting back into first. Aiming back up does the trick, but still...
Since these motors are so damn expensive, I just deal with it until one actually fails.
Pip
10-03-2016, 05:34 AM
My mirror issue was due to the driver side mirror motor that had been ripped. For a year or so I chose to unplug the passenger side mirror motor and use it manually since I was the only one driving the car.
Sockethead
10-03-2016, 10:10 AM
I believe the mirrors are controlled by the GM5 module. You problem could lie there as well. If you have access to something that can read the BMW specific codes, that may turn up something.
Neither of my mirrors work and every time I run diagnostics, there are always errors for the mirrors.
terraphantm
10-03-2016, 03:36 PM
I believe the mirrors are controlled by the GM5 module. You problem could lie there as well. If you have access to something that can read the BMW specific codes, that may turn up something.
Neither of my mirrors work and every time I run diagnostics, there are always errors for the mirrors.

They are and they aren't. They actually do have their own modules even on newer E46s, but those modules are connected to the GM5 via the "LIN-BUS", and the GM5 controls those modules through that bus. In your case, something could have brought the LIN-bus down.
Sockethead
10-03-2016, 04:53 PM
Thanks for the clarification I didn't know that. My mirror errors are my fault, I ripped the ribbon cable on both of them when I did the M3 mirror conversion :(
Johnmadd
10-03-2016, 06:01 PM
Thanks for the clarification I didn't know that. My mirror errors are my fault, I ripped the ribbon cable on both of them when I did the M3 mirror conversion :(

I think I rather just have my mirrors not move at all. Maybe I will get them set and then remove the fuse or unplug if possible and see how I like that. :threadjack
Sockethead
10-04-2016, 05:43 AM
My mirrors have been "manual" for two years. In that time I have adjusted them 0 times