Retrofitting folding mirrors

[AngryZed]

I love projects like these, working out wiring etc but you must really have a real need for these things, I have these on my car and I hardly use them as they look odd when folded. I call it bunny mode as they stick up like ears.
Fair play to you and I hope you get them working.

I agree with you on your quote "you must really have a real need", when I use to live back home in the States side, never even thought about it. Now that I'm in Europe, enter/exit parking garage is literally few centimeters from both sides of the mirror. It just makes it much more easier, especially for my wife, whom does not like driving in tight spaces. Don't get me wrong, she is a beast on open road, I have the camera tickets to prove it.

 

[AngryZed]

That looks like the TIS diagrams and description....
My setup is for a RHD car and I don’t know what extent the LHD cars may be different, but I’m sure the TIS reference will clear things up
I made some progress this afternoon with what was the most daunting part for me - pulling the body/door plugs...
Due to strange reflections and blurriness, some PU ctures aren’t the best quality, but I’ll try to get some better ones with a proper camera tomorrow
Then I had to figure how to pull it plug back inside to make it more accessible for adding the wires - I had to remove the speaker eventually and that gave easier access - that’s a part of the process I’ve never seen documented so it was trial & error
With the plug more accessible I could see where pins 13, 14 and 15 need to go - the 3 unpopulated holes on the middle row, at the left
Blurry pic, I know but the phone camera had a hard time focusing
I fed the three wires in, and labelled them up so I can attach them to the other half of the loom - they’re the three black wires in the middle
Then I began to lose light outside and mosquitoes were circling so I called it a night....

I’ll see if I can pick up where I left off tomorrow

Great progress ! Keep it coming.

I will hit the dealer tomorrow to see if I can pick up the plug connector. And yes, they are TIS diagrams which I used as a reference to make my own wiring harness/drawings (figured you already had them).

I do have a LHD Z, and the donor car is from RHD with the door harness. I'm not sure if I will use the harness or not, and still debating on location of the module. (Driver side like RS, or OEM location)

Where are you picking up the positive for the mirror module ? Fuse box or else where ?

Best of luck

 

[paulc_bkk]

Fuse box - forgot to mention that a spade style connector is needed for that, and the ground will just plug into a bank of browns nearby

I went with oem location so that I don’t have to relearn the installation if the module stops working a few years down the line - I (or anyone else) can just refer back to oem wire diagrams and work out what is what

 

[paulc_bkk]

The reasons I wanted this retrofit installed are that since my girlfriend has only just learned to drive her parking skills aren’t great yet, and every centimetre will help....

Plus my car came pretty much bog-standard with no optional extras, so I’m taking on retrofits as personal challenges that can provide the specification that if given the choice I would’ve selected from a dealer

The most challenging project I did with my last car - an E36 convertible - was converting the roof from semi-auto to full auto... that wasn’t so much through desirability, as the only replacement roof I could locate had the full auto roof. Many ‘experts’ on forums said it couldn’t be done, so after I got it working the sense of achievement was huge.

“Built, not bought”

 

[JINGLE]

Great progress guys.... mine is currently still in a box of parts as this is all far to complicated for me, so if there’s ever an actual “how to guide” it would be great!

I commend your efforts

 

[paulc_bkk]

Latest update

I removed the passenger seat to make working in the footwell easier and less uncomfortable


I double checked all the colours and pins for the home-made loom


Located what I believe to be X11004 for the fuse and connected the loom power to it



I connected the ground to a nearby ground plug tree

I put the module in position and reassembled everything



I ran out of time and light, but tried a quick test.... and nothing happened yet.

I also noticed a tear in the speaker outer ring.... I guess that’ll be an excuse to upgrade speakers sooner rather than later. I already fed extra wires through the body to door connector on the driver door in preparation for that upgrade



I needed to make the car driveable again so I didn’t investigate further yet, but I’ll have another look when I have chance and update this thread when I know more

 

[AngryZed]

Latest update
I needed to make the car driveable again so I didn’t investigate further yet, but I’ll have another look when I have chance and update this thread when I know more

Nice progress in such short time Paulc_bkk,

I ordered the plug connector from the dealer, it should arrive this Friday. Thinking about where to do this mod - I have no space in my garage. Also to see where I can get male/female pins here, might just bench test it first since I have the donor door harness.

 

[paulc_bkk]

So I’ve tested the wire loom for power/signal continuity - everything checked out ok

I hadn’t got as far as checking the passenger mirror before, so I got those wires connected, and.....





So I know the power and ground, module, and switch are good....

Now to troubleshoot the drivers side

 

[paulc_bkk]

It’s alive







Now to tidy up all the wiring, refit the interior stuff and write it up as a proper “how-to”

 

[Hagasan]

Good stuff, well done

Before wrapping it all up have you considered trying to find any trigger signals to fold on locking the car and unfolding on startup? Would be a neat touch as I don't think anyone has managed to get it working through coding.

 

[paulc_bkk]

Spent the day wrapping it up and gave the car a thorough clean

I’ve read that Carly can automatically fold the mirrors on lock/unlock, but I’ve not tried it yet

 

[Jl-c]

Rather than quoting the whole post, I am confused by the picture that has the plug labelled 6 and then the table. I have all I need to do the job, I think, except the plug that goes into the white module. The picture says the plug is black, however the other pictures show it as a blue plug. So what would be really useful if someone has the part number I need to order for the blue plug. Thank you in anticipation. Jonathan

 

[Jl-c]

Rather than quoting the whole post, I am confused by the picture that has the plug labelled 6 and then the table. I have all I need to do the job, I think, except the plug that goes into the white module. The picture says the plug is black, however the other pictures show it as a blue plug. So what would be really useful if someone has the part number I need to order for the blue plug. Thank you in anticipation. Jonathan

Forget it, was being thick, all sorted now. Now just need the time to do the job

 

[JINGLE]

Good to see 1 of you guys finally sorted it, guess this means we can confirm its definitely doable at least! (That’s already better than what I could find online before this thread!!)

Would you be able to order a spare set of plugs and wires and make up the “loom” as such and sell it as a kit ready to be wired in?

 

[paulc_bkk]

I’ll go back through my notes and share some more specific findings such as part numbers, connector locations, plug/pin assignments, and lengths of wires I used

I’m currently (on vacation) in the UK but flying back (to Thailand) later today, so it’s unlikely to be until Sunday at the earliest that I can find and make sense of my notes and see what other photos I took at the time of install

Reflection on my install is that while everything works, the passenger side mirror sometimes hesitates a little when folding up. I’m not sure if this is a motor related issue or a power supply issue - it’s possible that I didn’t use a thick enough gauge wire for the power and earth into the module...

 

[Bufort]

So... Did this ever get a full write-up anywhere? Also, what are the requirements to do it? It seems some cars have the wiring loom in there from factory and some don't, but which models/years have it and which don't? Is it possible without it, just requiring more effort?

 

[Vanne]

I just removed my power folding mirrors. Parts available.

 

[Wookster78]

Hi, new to the forum but done many upgrades on my Z4, got all the parts and attempting the power fold retrofit, just wondering if the how to guide ever got completed? Luckily I have all the pre-wiring in my car as it’s an early build but was wondering if anyone had the coding parameters that need to be added? Thanks

 

[paulc_bkk]

No coding required

The Carly options to auto open/close when locking or unlocking the car don’t work.... and neither does the passenger auto dip when reversing

 

[Wookster78]

Oh really, I am sure there are two type of power mirrors ones that just fold and ones that have additional motors to dip when reversing, my mirrors have the duel function (11 wires on the harness vs 7 on the other type) when fitted will try Carly to code and report back if it functions