Auto Dim Rear View Mirror

[miniman23]

Hi Everyone,

I just recently experienced something wrong with my auto dim rear view mirror. It's meant to cut out bright lights at night through the mirror by darkening. The past week or so it has been darkening during the day whether its cloudy or sunny and occassionally goes back to normal as it should be but only momentarily.

Can anyone help regarding this problem??? Covered under warranty right???

I have already booked in with BMW for it to be looked at as my 3 years aint up yet.

Cheers

Paul

[Hat]

sounds a bit odd but it can happen during the day. as i understand it measures the difference between the light hitting the windscreen versus the back. if its brighter at the back it will activate & dim the mirror

[miniman23]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hat

sounds a bit odd but it can happen during the day. as i understand it measures the difference between the light hitting the windscreen versus the back. if its brighter at the back it will activate & dim the mirror

Thats what I thought. But its darkened and with no light change outside it then clears up as it should be for a few secs then darkens again. Very weird.

[DaFlake]

Never heard about the front portion of that, but most mirrors that auto dim have a sensor on it (faces the rear) that is a simple photo sensor. When light hits that, it closes the circuit and dims the mirror. Anyway, it sounds like your sensor might be going bad. Try covering the hole with your finger and see if the mirror lightens up. If not, something is not right.

[Hat]

there's definately a sensor on the rear casing of the mirror too that faces front. if you cover that one with yer finger the mirror should darken

[PPE]

I've found that the advertising that is in the owners manual is a little false with this feature. I rented an x-type Jag before buying my Mini, and found that if headlights hit the rear view mirror in that car, the mirror would darken immediately and all you could see was a blurred, faint light. The Mini on the other hand, doesn't do this. I can still see the headlights and in fact they are as bright as normal. Almost as if the mirror isn't dimming at all. All I can say is that my mirror has never dimmed "infinitely" as the owners manual claims.

[miniman23]

Thanks for all your points of view on this. I never knew there was a sensor on the back of the unit too. I have tried covering the sensor that faces me but does not lighten up. When the key is out of the egnition the mirror is ok all lightened up.

[DaFlake]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hat

there's definately a sensor on the rear casing of the mirror too that faces front. if you cover that one with yer finger the mirror should darken

Hmmm, gonna have to check that out!

[miniman23]

I just found out what was wrong with it. I always hang a Magic Tree Air Freshner around the rear view mirror, the new one I put on just over a week ago has shorter elasticated string. I didn't know there was a sensor at the back of it until one of you pointed that out to me. It works fine now that I have removed the Magic Tree. Thanks.

[Hat]

[Rakey]

PMSL

[Jon Chalk]

Quote: Originally Posted by miniman23

I just found out what was wrong with it. I always hang a Magic Tree Air Freshner around the rear view mirror, the new one I put on just over a week ago has shorter elasticated string. I didn't know there was a sensor at the back of it until one of you pointed that out to me. It works fine now that I have removed the Magic Tree. Thanks.

You live & learn - - -

[MarkW19]

.

[Hat]

better to find out on here than the bmw service guy telling you

[DaFlake]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hat

better to find out on here than the bmw service guy telling you

and then charging you!

FYI, checked that sensor. Thanks for the tip! I never new that was there.