Does the Z4 have the world's most expensive mirror?

P

poss

Member
My merlot Z4 went into the shop to get the front and side mirrors resprayed last week.

The shop phoned me yesterday to apologise for breaking the left wing mirror glass by dropping it during disassembly for painting and had been unable to find an immediate replacement.

The price to order a single replacement piece of mirror glass (with plastic backing mount and connectors) from the dealer was over $1000 AUD! (The cheapest I could find on Ebay was still over $800 AUD shipped). My car has the heated auto-dimming side mirrors - but still, that seems to be an absurd price for what it is.
 
Auto dimming is super rare. Didn't realise they were still available from BMW?
I'm not surprised its so expensive, just like most things unique to the Zed are expensive to replace. Thankfully there isn't too many things like that unique to the Zed, with lots shared with the e46 (means cheaper parts).
 
kis said:
Auto dimming is super rare. Didn't realise they were still available from BMW?
I'm not surprised its so expensive, just like most things unique to the Zed are expensive to replace. Thankfully there isn't too many things like that unique to the Zed, with lots shared with the e46 (means cheaper parts).
Click to expand...
How rare are motorised wing mirrors?. I retrofitted this to my E46 M3 by transplanting the motor from an aftermarket set. BMW wanted $2,600 for genuine motorised assemblies!
Simply damaging a motorised dimmable wing mirror could see your vehicle written off by your insurer :D
PS: Apparently motorised wing mirrors are not a good idea 'cos when rotated the shape acts as a cup that fills with water and craps out the motors. BMW must have got the idea from the Zeds roof motor placement :P
 
Motorised? Not sure what you mean?!

All mirrors AFAIK Are electric (mirror movement) and heated?

Very few are power folding. And even fewer have the dimming. That’s my take anyway!
 
kis said:
Motorised? Not sure what you mean?!

All mirrors AFAIK Are electric (mirror movement) and heated?

Very few are power folding. And even fewer have the dimming. That’s my take anyway!
Click to expand...
I meant electric folding. I've never driven the car at night so didn't even realise it had auto dimming (and didn't even know it was an option TBH)
 
poss said:
kis said:
Motorised? Not sure what you mean?!

All mirrors AFAIK Are electric (mirror movement) and heated?


Very few are power folding. And even fewer have the dimming. That’s my take anyway!
Click to expand...
I meant electric folding. I've never driven the car at night so didn't even realise it had auto dimming (and didn't even know it was an option TBH)
Click to expand...
Might be cheaper to fit a standard Z4 mirror glass. The heating element is in the housing and heats the backing plate I think, so all that side of things should still work. No idea how the auto dimming works.

https://www.cardoormirrors.com/bmw/z4/2002-to-2008-car-door-mirror.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAi9mPBhCJARIsAHchl1yC-p2OphmbEPNe3v7-F6AhFhmNyiQJWRKVxnNUmU0gtFBXC-lbCtsaAhqmEALw_wcB

Available here for £9.99

I take it the garage are not keen to pay £1000 for the replacement?
 
buzyg said:
Might be cheaper to fit a standard Z4 mirror glass. The heating element is in the housing and heats the backing plate I think, so all that side of things should still work. No idea how the auto dimming works.

https://www.cardoormirrors.com/bmw/z4/2 ... qmEALw_wcB

Available here for £9.99

I take it the garage are not keen to pay £1000 for the replacement?
Click to expand...
You'd need 2 'cos the tinting is different - so that's £19.98 - the body shop didn't argue about paying $1000 for the replacement as they specialise in high end cars like Ferraris and Lambos so they wouldn't dare as it would damage their rep. They were merely apologetic they couldn't find a replacement before I picked it up.
 
Being in Aus it will be transported by 4 nubile waifs to the nearest distributer, where it will be anointed with sacramental oils prior to delivery. The distributor will then adjust the price by the standard +500% and send it on its way. In the highly unlikely event of it turning up intact, you will then find that (a) it's for the previous/later version and (b) they don't make one for your model anymore. :evil:
 
rdgreen said:
Being in Aus it will be transported by 4 nubile waifs to the nearest distributer, where it will be anointed with sacramental oils prior to delivery. The distributor will then adjust the price by the standard +500% and send it on its way. In the highly unlikely event of it turning up intact, you will then find that (a) it's for the previous/later version and (b) they don't make one for your model anymore. :evil:
Click to expand...
I'll take the 4 nubile waifs anointed with sacramental oils - they can keep the mirror
 
poss said:
rdgreen said:
Being in Aus it will be transported by 4 nubile waifs to the nearest distributer, where it will be anointed with sacramental oils prior to delivery. The distributor will then adjust the price by the standard +500% and send it on its way. In the highly unlikely event of it turning up intact, you will then find that (a) it's for the previous/later version and (b) they don't make one for your model anymore. :evil:
Click to expand...
I'll take the 4 nubile waifs anointed with sacramental oils - they can keep the mirror
Click to expand...
:lol: :rofl: :thumbsup:
 
kis said:
Very few are power folding. And even fewer have the dimming. That’s my take anyway!
Click to expand...

Great. I now know my power folding & auto-dimming mirrors are super-rare. And terrifyingly expensive to replace :(
 
Yup. Take out a motorised auto-dimming wing mirror and your zed might be written off by your insurer :lol:
 
I bought these on eBay a couple of years ago and they've been fine and matched the original locking ring fitting. They are heated but not dimming. The image used makes them look bronze, whereas they actually have a very slight blue tint. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290804756388

20 AUD a piece. Didn't Liz Truss fly to Aus on a private Airbus to get us a trade deal?! :?
 
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