[Makoa6]

Hi,
My rear view mirror is broken and I was looking to buy a second hand mirror. I have attached 2 photos of morror attachment to the window. They are both different, do you knoeif this is compatible with each other??? I'm trying to figure this out. Also, my original didn't come with home link and or compass. Will those fit on my 2012 bmw 328i 2 door coupe n52??

[Efthreeoh]

All 3-series for the past 3 decades have used the same review mirror mounting system, which is a pentagon-shaped mirror "button" glued to the windshield. The mirror is removed by rotating the mirror counter clockwise parallel to the windshield. Do not attempt to remove the mirror if it is hot outside or of the windshield has been in the sun. There is a temperature "window" in which you can de-mount and mount the mirror. The new.tis will tell you the temps.

The pics you show are the same mount type, just differently manufactured versions of it. The 3 bars you see are the spring-bars that match against the pentagon shape of the button.

What you need to do is pay attention to what functions you mirror has and get a mirror that has the same functions (i.e. auto-dimming, compass, etc.). Convertibles use mirrors that house the radio receiver for the keyless entry system. Realoem.com can provide the correct mirror part number you need, you just need to carefully read what each P/N contains regarding the functions.

[Makoa6]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

All 3-series for the past 3 decades have used the same review mirror mounting system, which is a pentagon-shaped mirror "button" glued to the windshield. The mirror is removed by rotating the mirror counter clockwise parallel to the windshield. Do not attempt to remove the mirror if it is hot outside or of the windshield has been in the sun. There is a temperature "window" in which you can de-mount and mount the mirror. The new.tis will tell you the temps.

The pics you show are the same mount type, just differently manufactured versions of it. The 3 bars you see are the spring-bars that match against the pentagon shape of the button.

What you need to do is pay attention to what functions you mirror has and get a mirror that has the same functions (i.e. auto-dimming, compass, etc.). Convertibles use mirrors that house the radio receiver for the keyless entry system. Realoem.com can provide the correct mirror part number you need, you just need to carefully read what each P/N contains regarding the functions.

Thank you for responding to my question and clearing up some of the questions I had. I am happy that those two types are able to fit on my car. I notice you mentioned about the auto-dimming, compass, keyless entry, etc... MY car doesnt have any of those, although i notice the connectors looks to be the same. I'm wondering if I can buy one with the keyless entry and install it. I dont mind if the keyless works or not. I just want to fix my mirror. I've looked around for genuine OE mirrors new and I think that price was really really high. So I'm leaning more towards a second hand mirror to replace it with... I know you provided a link to Realoem, but I'm not sure how to cross reference it?
thanks for helping again.

[Efthreeoh]

Below is the Realoem.com (BMW TIS) listing for the E92 328i.
At the "i" the definitions of the acronyms are provided. The first P/N listed is 51169218046 is the base mirror with no options. The next listed P/Ns are for mirrors that have various functions. The functions have "option" numbers, for example the next mirror listed is 51169225980, which has "high-beam assistant" along with Electrochromatic (i.e. auto-dimming), LED for the alarm system, integrated remote control, and the compass. The option code for high-beam assistant is "S5ACA". If you can get a listing of you car's VIN decode, most listings will show the option codes, so if your car has high-beam assist the VIN decode listing will show "S5ACA".

In the mirror listing, the next mirror is P/N 51169192321. It has integrated remote control, and compass, but does not have high-beam assistant. As noted by:
"S319A = Yes"
"S4NAA = Yes"
"S5ACA = No"

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Makoa6

Thank you for responding to my question and clearing up some of the questions I had. I am happy that those two types are able to fit on my car. I notice you mentioned about the auto-dimming, compass, keyless entry, etc... MY car doesnt have any of those, although i notice the connectors looks to be the same. I'm wondering if I can buy one with the keyless entry and install it. I dont mind if the keyless works or not. I just want to fix my mirror. I've looked around for genuine OE mirrors new and I think that price was really really high. So I'm leaning more towards a second hand mirror to replace it with... I know you provided a link to Realoem, but I'm not sure how to cross reference it?
thanks for helping again.

I JUST did the swap from the standard mirror to the Homelink/Autodimming/Compass mirror a couple days ago on my e88 128i Convertible (1s and 3s also use the same mirrors). You need an adapter wiring harness that is ~$25 from any of the usual BMW parts houses. It has four wires that go from the mirror connector to one of the connectors on the overhead console. There are a couple of good DIYs in this forum that will take you through it all. Just search for Homelink Mirror.

I can confirm that the two mirror attachment styles are interchangeable. My old mirror had the "bars" style while my new mirror had the "prongs" style. Can also confirm what Efthreeoh said about the remote receiver/keyless and such. If you have a convertible, you need a convertible mirror. And you will also find that the wiring is different from the rest - the overhead console connections are different. I added a DIY in the 1-series forum that has the wiring specifically for e93s and e88s. I'll also add be SUPER carful taking the mirror off and on - you will CRY if you break that windshield - $$$$. Technically, no coding is needed for this, but if you DO code in the new mirror it will un-dim when you are in reverse. I don't care about that - how often would you need to back up with headlights shining in your mirror?

I got my mirror from eBay for $50, and it looks and works like new. I think I got a deal because the seller didn't know it was a compass mirror - it's the newer style where you can't tell when it is not powered. Not a difficult swap, other than it took me HOURS of searching to find that info about the wiring difference. Convertibles without the Premium package (included the fancy mirror) are evidently quite rare.

So the TLDR- since you have a coupe, you want a mirror from a coupe, sedan, or wagon. If you have Comfort Access, you need one from a car with that option. Convertibles stand alone, but I imagine you could use a Convertible mirror in a non-convertible, it would have a couple of extra wires in the mirror side of the harness that won't match up with anything on the car side. But that is just conjecture on my part.

[Makoa6]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

I JUST did the swap from the standard mirror to the Homelink/Autodimming/Compass mirror a couple days ago on my e88 128i Convertible (1s and 3s also use the same mirrors). You need an adapter wiring harness that is ~$25 from any of the usual BMW parts houses. It has four wires that go from the mirror connector to one of the connectors on the overhead console. There are a couple of good DIYs in this forum that will take you through it all. Just search for Homelink Mirror.

I can confirm that the two mirror attachment styles are interchangeable. My old mirror had the "bars" style while my new mirror had the "prongs" style. Can also confirm what Efthreeoh said about the remote receiver/keyless and such. If you have a convertible, you need a convertible mirror. And you will also find that the wiring is different from the rest - the overhead console connections are different. I added a DIY in the 1-series forum that has the wiring specifically for e93s and e88s. I'll also add be SUPER carful taking the mirror off and on - you will CRY if you break that windshield - $$$$. Technically, no coding is needed for this, but if you DO code in the new mirror it will un-dim when you are in reverse. I don't care about that - how often would you need to back up with headlights shining in your mirror?

I got my mirror from eBay for $50, and it looks and works like new. I think I got a deal because the seller didn't know it was a compass mirror - it's the newer style where you can't tell when it is not powered. Not a difficult swap, other than it took me HOURS of searching to find that info about the wiring difference. Convertibles without the Premium package (included the fancy mirror) are evidently quite rare.

So the TLDR- since you have a coupe, you want a mirror from a coupe, sedan, or wagon. If you have Comfort Access, you need one from a car with that option. Convertibles stand alone, but I imagine you could use a Convertible mirror in a non-convertible, it would have a couple of extra wires in the mirror side of the harness that won't match up with anything on the car side. But that is just conjecture on my part.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. I appreciate it I went ahead and ordered a second hand mirror on ebay. My original mirror doesnt have all the fancy stuff, but it does have the LED alarm light on it and manual switching for highlights. I have a 2012 328i coupe, its posted in my picture section on my profile. I will be searching up on homelink mirror to see what i can find on the wiring. I notice my wiring connect looks similar to the one i bought, i was guessing that the connector would fit but the wiring wouldnt be there? I'll try and find more posts on the wiring part.
thanks again for responding I'll post my finding when the mirror comes in.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Makoa6

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. I appreciate it I went ahead and ordered a second hand mirror on ebay. My original mirror doesnt have all the fancy stuff, but it does have the LED alarm light on it and manual switching for highlights. I have a 2012 328i coupe, its posted in my picture section on my profile. I will be searching up on homelink mirror to see what i can find on the wiring. I notice my wiring connect looks similar to the one i bought, i was guessing that the connector would fit but the wiring wouldnt be there? I'll try and find more posts on the wiring part.
thanks again for responding I'll post my finding when the mirror comes in.

You got it - the wiring connector will be missing the extra pins for the fancy stuff, but it will still connect physically - that is what the add-on harness is for. It's pretty easy to do, and your car will match the wiring in all the standard DIYs. Just be SUPER careful taking the mirror on and off - can't stress that enough.

Happy to be able to help - what would we do without the Internet??