Fixing the phantom auto misadjusting side mirror position TSB 513608

wilsjay · 04-28-2012, 11:05 PM

My 2008 335xi driver side mirror was driving me nuts because every time I would get in it and go to check my driver’s side mirror, it would be adjusted to some funky position. My first thought was blame the wife! But then after looking at the position, it made no logical sense, and I knew she had not driven it since I had last so she was off the hook (this time).

So I looked online and found this was a common problem for 08’s and BMW had put out a TSB for this issue about a bad electrical connection to the mirror’s motor. I suspected mine was due to washing my car all the time sorry, I LOVE MY BIMMER. My car is not under warranty, and a lot of the comments said their dealerships just did a straight replacement of the mirror motor. I quickly looked at the price of a mirror and a motor and panic soon followed! So I did a little investigating myself and thought I would share it with others who may have the same problem. The first thing I discovered is the mirror and the motor are two separate pieces and you replace them quite easy without having to remove the door panels, etc. I apologize if anyone else has this posted somewhere else, I could not find it, and saw TSB 513608 and was left kind of scratching my head a bit. Honestly, even if it was covered, this is a 15 minute job and quite honestly not worth the drive and wait to take it to a stealership IMO. I hope this helps!

Edit:
I have since found they carry the dielectric grease at most major auto stores for a couple of bucks.

darkevo · 04-29-2012, 02:35 PM

thanks, really helpfull!

wilsjay · 04-29-2012, 08:43 PM

NP. Hope it helps.

BMW Lawman · 05-13-2012, 01:40 AM

That has been bugging me for years. Didn't want to spend the money for a replacement motor, but this fixed it! Thanks

wilsjay · 05-13-2012, 08:48 AM

Glad it worked for you. Mine was driving me absolutely nuts too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMW Lawman

That has been bugging me for years. Didn't want to spend the money for a replacement motor, but this fixed it! Thanks

MrQuickR1 · 05-16-2012, 10:19 AM

I get this a lot. Even when I pull away I push on my memory button and I see the mirror move to it's normal position. Such little things can be such a nuisance lol. I want to attempt this clean and grease job but my only concern is getting the glass out without cracking it or chipping the edges. Maybe a hook type of tool to get around the outsides and hook to the plastic backing and pull outwards?
I dunno, seems like something I'll screw with and break what isn't broken.
Maybe when I get bored or wake up hungover, I'll find myself doing this.
Thanks for the fix though, I thought sometimes someone was touching the mirror somehow or I was slamming the door too hard or something.

wilsjay · 05-16-2012, 12:44 PM

That was the same fear I had about cracking/chipping the glass. The glass is glued to a plastic backing that also covers the edge, so chipping isn't really a factor. It also takes surprisingly little effor to pop it out. What I did was adjust my mirror all the way down first so I could kind of see behind it a bit and it gave me a bit of a gap to get the pry tool in there as well.

pvchowdary · 06-09-2012, 10:20 PM

Thank you very much wilsjay! I followed your DIY instructions and it fixed the mirror problem with my 07 328i !!!

txusa03 · 06-11-2012, 12:34 PM

Thanks for sharing. However, I am still confused. You say the glass is glued to the motor? If that is true, then you would need to glue it back after cleaning the pin? I know I am confused so maybe anyone who has attempted this can clarify if glue is needed to put the glass back into place.

TIA.

wilsjay · 06-11-2012, 07:19 PM

No, the glass is glued to a black plastic backing plate You can see it around the edges of the mirror (it is the thing black ring around the edge of the glass in step #2 of the pdf). That backing plate has little fingers/tabs that snap onto the motor. You just pop it off the motor, you do not need to seprate the mirror from the backing plate that it is glued onto (see the photo in step #3 of the pdf, that is the back of the mirror backing plate).

RedBeast335i · 07-09-2012, 04:59 PM

Thank for the diy..my passager side mirror was driving me nuts..I have to adjust it everytime..but now fix with no problem

wilsjay · 07-09-2012, 05:28 PM

Glad to help. You are the first one I have heard mention the passenger side mirror. Seems like the driver side is the typical problem child. Glad this worked for you.

FrankE90xi · 07-30-2012, 12:21 PM

just did this diy and it works perfectly now thanks for ur write up

RingBredE90 · 08-06-2012, 08:08 PM

Ohh man i cant wait to try this next weekend, my drivers side mirror has been driving me insane i am about to tear it off! Every time i unlock my car the damn thing folds BACKWARDS and completely out of shape.

arc1880 · 09-28-2012, 06:46 PM

I just did this DIY and I believe it's working. I had the problem on my passenger side mirror. I would have the issue of the mirror not properly resetting after unlocking the door; tilting up when I put the car in reverse; seeming like the memory would not remember the position; and also moving when I had a passenger.

When I checked my connector pins, it didn't look like they had any corrosion on them. But I used a nail filer to file each pin gently and then put a tiny bit of dielectric grease on each pin.

Duke · 09-29-2012, 07:06 PM

I thought I was just growing & shrinking every time I got in my car

MJ777LR · 10-01-2012, 11:22 PM

I too did this DIY a few weeks ago, as both my driver and passenger side mirrors were acting up. Thanks OP for the great writeup! It wasn't difficult to do at all, and my mirrors have been behaving since.

_ink · 10-08-2012, 05:28 PM

Thanks so much for Sharing and posting this!!

It's been bugging me for ages and did this a week ago, and its still good!!!

ranjan15 · 10-16-2012, 02:16 AM

I have a BMW 123d M-Sport and I tried this method after I suffered the same problem. So far so good. I just thought I'd show my appreciation to the OP by registering and posting this reply. So many thanks OP, you have saved me a lot of money

wilsjay · 03-22-2013, 08:50 PM

Hadn't been on the forum in a while and I just checked this while I was on here looking for a solution to my peeling steering wheel trim. Wow can't believe the stats on this thread and how many people had this issue. Glad to help!

Blue Streak · 03-24-2013, 03:56 PM

I did this back in January. Both mirrors were out of position almost every time I started the car for probably a couple of years. I bought a small packet of dielectric grease from pep boys and followed a DIY on here and it's been fine ever since.

biz77 · 05-01-2013, 01:22 PM

Is anyone gluing their mirror back in or just popping it back on the plastic piece?

04-29-2012, 02:35 PM	#2
darkevo Commander 10 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 2011 335d MSport, 2012 Volt Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Los Angles, CA iTrader: (10)	thanks, really helpfull! __________________ 2011 335D E90 M-sport Space Gray - JBD, K&N, M3 interior conversion, GiroDisc Rotors 2012 Volt Premium 2007 Mustang GT Covt -MT
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05-13-2012, 01:40 AM	#4
BMW Lawman Supreme Commander of Allied Forces 28 Rep 283 Posts Drives: 2012 335i Sport Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Oregon iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW 335i F30 [0.00]	Worked on my 06 330i That has been bugging me for years. Didn't want to spend the money for a replacement motor, but this fixed it! Thanks __________________
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05-16-2012, 10:19 AM	#6
MrQuickR1 Second Lieutenant 41 Rep 284 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	I get this a lot. Even when I pull away I push on my memory button and I see the mirror move to it's normal position. Such little things can be such a nuisance lol. I want to attempt this clean and grease job but my only concern is getting the glass out without cracking it or chipping the edges. Maybe a hook type of tool to get around the outsides and hook to the plastic backing and pull outwards? I dunno, seems like something I'll screw with and break what isn't broken. Maybe when I get bored or wake up hungover, I'll find myself doing this. Thanks for the fix though, I thought sometimes someone was touching the mirror somehow or I was slamming the door too hard or something.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-16-2012, 12:44 PM	#7
wilsjay Private 34 Rep 78 Posts Drives: 2008 335XI Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	That was the same fear I had about cracking/chipping the glass. The glass is glued to a plastic backing that also covers the edge, so chipping isn't really a factor. It also takes surprisingly little effor to pop it out. What I did was adjust my mirror all the way down first so I could kind of see behind it a bit and it gave me a bit of a gap to get the pry tool in there as well.
	Appreciate 3 minaret116.50 denobd17.00 Jaronbwall295.50 Quote

06-09-2012, 10:20 PM	#8
pvchowdary Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia, US iTrader: (0)	Thank you very much wilsjay! I followed your DIY instructions and it fixed the mirror problem with my 07 328i !!!
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04-29-2012, 08:43 PM	#3
wilsjay Private 34 Rep 78 Posts Drives: 2008 335XI Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	NP. Hope it helps.
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06-11-2012, 12:34 PM	#9
txusa03 Major General 568 Rep 6,563 Posts Drives: TS330iPPSP6MT Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Planet Earth iTrader: (3)	Thanks for sharing. However, I am still confused. You say the glass is glued to the motor? If that is true, then you would need to glue it back after cleaning the pin? I know I am confused so maybe anyone who has attempted this can clarify if glue is needed to put the glass back into place. TIA. __________________ under construction!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-11-2012, 07:19 PM	#10
wilsjay Private 34 Rep 78 Posts Drives: 2008 335XI Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	No, the glass is glued to a black plastic backing plate You can see it around the edges of the mirror (it is the thing black ring around the edge of the glass in step #2 of the pdf). That backing plate has little fingers/tabs that snap onto the motor. You just pop it off the motor, you do not need to seprate the mirror from the backing plate that it is glued onto (see the photo in step #3 of the pdf, that is the back of the mirror backing plate).
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-09-2012, 04:59 PM	#11
RedBeast335i Private 2 Rep 50 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 335i Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	Thank for the diy..my passager side mirror was driving me nuts..I have to adjust it everytime..but now fix with no problem
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-09-2012, 05:28 PM	#12
wilsjay Private 34 Rep 78 Posts Drives: 2008 335XI Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	Glad to help. You are the first one I have heard mention the passenger side mirror. Seems like the driver side is the typical problem child. Glad this worked for you.
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07-30-2012, 12:21 PM	#13
FrankE90xi Private First Class 13 Rep 182 Posts Drives: Black 2007 BMW 328xi Join Date: May 2011 Location: Orland park iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 BMW 328 xi [8.40]	just did this diy and it works perfectly now thanks for ur write up __________________ 18" alzor style 703, 20mm rear spacers, 10mm front spacers, 235/40/18 Nitto Neogen, Afe Stage 2 pro5r CAI, Eurocharged tune, Meistershaft catback exhaust, 35% Window Tints, Taillight and Side Marker Tint, Debadge, Blackout Grille, CF Interior kit, Cyba Scoops
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08-06-2012, 08:08 PM	#14
RingBredE90 DTMRacer 37 Rep 216 Posts Drives: E90 335i Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Stoney Lake, ON iTrader: (0)	Ohh man i cant wait to try this next weekend, my drivers side mirror has been driving me insane i am about to tear it off! Every time i unlock my car the damn thing folds BACKWARDS and completely out of shape. __________________
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-28-2012, 06:46 PM	#15
arc1880 Second Lieutenant 13 Rep 258 Posts Drives: '07 335i (e92) Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Diego, CA iTrader: (1)	I just did this DIY and I believe it's working. I had the problem on my passenger side mirror. I would have the issue of the mirror not properly resetting after unlocking the door; tilting up when I put the car in reverse; seeming like the memory would not remember the position; and also moving when I had a passenger. When I checked my connector pins, it didn't look like they had any corrosion on them. But I used a nail filer to file each pin gently and then put a tiny bit of dielectric grease on each pin.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-29-2012, 07:06 PM	#16
Duke Lieutenant 16 Rep 510 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The Hills next to CHINO iTrader: (1)	I thought I was just growing & shrinking every time I got in my car
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10-01-2012, 11:22 PM	#17
MJ777LR Private First Class 25 Rep 133 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW328i Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Kansas iTrader: (1)	I too did this DIY a few weeks ago, as both my driver and passenger side mirrors were acting up. Thanks OP for the great writeup! It wasn't difficult to do at all, and my mirrors have been behaving since.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-08-2012, 05:28 PM	#18
_ink Jedi samurai ninja turtle 634 Rep 3,021 Posts Drives: X3 M40i 2018 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 X3 M40i [0.00]	Thanks so much for Sharing and posting this!! It's been bugging me for ages and did this a week ago, and its still good!!!
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10-16-2012, 02:16 AM	#19
ranjan15 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: BMW 123d M-Sport Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: London, UK iTrader: (0)	Works a treat! I have a BMW 123d M-Sport and I tried this method after I suffered the same problem. So far so good. I just thought I'd show my appreciation to the OP by registering and posting this reply. So many thanks OP, you have saved me a lot of money
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03-22-2013, 08:50 PM	#20
wilsjay Private 34 Rep 78 Posts Drives: 2008 335XI Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	Hadn't been on the forum in a while and I just checked this while I was on here looking for a solution to my peeling steering wheel trim. Wow can't believe the stats on this thread and how many people had this issue. Glad to help!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-24-2013, 03:56 PM	#21
Blue Streak Gunny 31 Rep 623 Posts Drives: '07 E90 335i 6MT, 2016 F10 535 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: San Diego, CA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 E90 335i [9.00]	I did this back in January. Both mirrors were out of position almost every time I started the car for probably a couple of years. I bought a small packet of dielectric grease from pep boys and followed a DIY on here and it's been fine ever since. __________________ 2007 E90 335i 6MT, ZSP, Nav, PDC, CA, Montego Blue, Terra Dakota leather, CDV, clutch-stop, E46 M Shift Knob, Logic HVI, JB4 PnP, MS 3" downpipes, Koni Yellow adjustable sport shocks, RE 12mm(f)/BMS 15mm(r) spacers, Blacklines, LUX 5.0 LED halo ring lights, DAEOS (Vista) harness, GP Thunder 7500k fogs, 35% sides-20% rear tint, matt black kidney grill, matt black 335i trunk badge
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05-01-2013, 01:22 PM	#22
biz77 Captain 216 Rep 633 Posts Drives: 2021 X3 M40i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Spokane, WA iTrader: (4)	Is anyone gluing their mirror back in or just popping it back on the plastic piece?
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