2013 X3 Side Dimming Mirrors - Page 2 - XBimmers

PAMidge · 10-02-2012, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmacd55

I have ZPP in both my 2013 X3 and 2011 328, I found the dimming is much more subtle in the X3 than the 328 and I noticed this the first day (night) I had the X3.

It feels like its always on at night in the 328 and it self-adjusts in the X3. I'm not unhappy with either as both work for me.

I'm a bit bummed about it, as this is a feature I value big time.

DonC · 10-02-2012, 07:40 PM

I've wanted to adjust the dimming of the mirrors at night but they are automatic - it's not like moving the old lever.

lbjgh · 10-02-2012, 08:55 PM

I agree DonC.

The autodimming feature isn't much of a feature. My wifes 6yr old acura's dimming mirror actually does something.

Rodion · 10-04-2012, 06:12 AM

Here is what it should look like, a clear "marginal" and then dimmed mirror.

In this case, I was in a dark garage and sunlight came through behind me and all mirrors dimmed automatically.

edit: sorry, mine is an Euro-mirror...

bluedevils · 10-08-2012, 12:23 PM

My own observations while driving on the highway the other night (or two). The side mirror was acting independent of the rear view mirror. The rear would be dimming for the cars behind, but the side would not be dimmed. The side mirror would only dim when a car was specifically seen in the side mirror. The tell-tale sign (besides not being blinded) is that the background turns black in the presence of light. My old audi had a small bug where the auto dimming didn't work on rare occasions (once a year) and the black background was the most definitive way to determine if the auto dimming feature was working.

vanheiser · 10-09-2012, 06:30 AM

I have the 2013 X3 with premium package (which should include the int & ext. dimming mirrors). I also notice this problem and brought it back to the dealership and their technician just shine light into the centre mirror which cause all 3 mirrors to dim. But this just isn't working in real life situation. Sometimes cars on the right or left of my lane have their high beam or those fake HID housing that glare you so bad and it sucks not having the side mirror dimmed just because the sensor didn't detect the glare. Glad to know I'm not the only one feeling annoyed by this. Probably I'm going back and try to see if they could probably fix this problem.

bluedevils · 10-09-2012, 09:29 AM

Maybe it *is* the angle of the mirrors. My mirrors angle out so that I don't see the back of my car, but it points to the blind spot area. Maybe the sensor dims when a car is in the blind spot (does it use the side cameras?) and not with cars behind you. Just a theory...

epiphone3 · 10-09-2012, 09:32 AM

I am starting to wonder if this doesn't have to do with how people have adjusted their mirrors? Just a thought... don't have mine yet to try it.

PAMidge · 10-11-2012, 12:28 PM

The weird thing is that I thought I was going crazy when they looked dimmed when I folded them in.

Maybe we're onto something. Maybe someone can find out some BMW NA information and we can send them this thread since dealerships clearly don't know/care about this issue.

The feature CLEARLY works. It just doesn't work RIGHT.

tango131 · 10-11-2012, 10:16 PM

Ours also don't dim as much as they should, IMO. My boxster dims perfectly so I'm used to how it is supposed to work. I shined a flashlight on the center rear view mirror and the side mirrors did dim, it just took a bit of time and it did not dim dark enough. A not sure it's the angle of the mirror glass as the sensor is in the center rear view mirror. Btw, I think this is also how it works on my boxster.

It is clearly working, just not well as posted above. Also, the rear side mirrors dimmed without the edge btw dim and non dimmed shown in the pic posted above in post 26. In other words, the complete piece of glass mirror dimmed in ours. My boxter's mirrors dim like in the pic above with the edge btw dim and non dimmed glass showing. Interesting....

lbjgh · 10-11-2012, 10:32 PM

Hmm, I'm gonna check my car now...

tango131 · 10-12-2012, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lbjgh

Hmm, I'm gonna check my car now...

great illustration, thx. our x3 does not dim like shown in that pic, the glass dims completely edge to edge. by boxster's mirrors, however, do dim like shown in the pic.

lbjgh · 10-13-2012, 10:17 AM

Guys, dandanio mentioned on another thread that the per cent dimming can be adjusted by the BMW dealership. I wonder if there is a coding solution for an easy fix??

PAMidge · 10-23-2012, 08:37 PM

Just an update with this issue.

The side mirrors clearly dim, just not as expected with previous BMWs.

It seems that you must have these 3 things in proper alignment for the mirrors to dim:

1. It must be dark - rearview is dim
2. You must have a car behind you - a few car lengths, like 4-10
3. You must ALSO have a car to the side of you

It seems to only work when there is a car to the side of you as well as behind you. Kinda lame in my opinion.

lbjgh · 10-23-2012, 09:33 PM

There is a light sensor on the back of the mirror that detects ambient light. I'm gonna try a bit of tape to make the system think it's darker than it is.

Hopefully the difference between the front and rear sensor will fool the computer into dimming the mirrors earlier.

PAMidge · 10-23-2012, 09:49 PM

No, even if you make it super dark, if the conditions aren't right, the mirrors don't dim. You can sit in the dark with tape there and the side mirrors will only slightly dim.

It's so weird and frustrating

lbjgh · 10-23-2012, 09:54 PM

Well I'm going to give it a try anyway.

MacGyver, meet duct tape.

bichoo · 10-24-2012, 05:29 AM

Having same issue on my 2013 28i.

What I noticed was that the side mirrors do dim but the light has to be very intense, that is only high beams from another car. In pitch dark shining a flashlight works too. Like a previous post said, if this can be fixed with coding, that will be good. It does work but only when the light is very bright, which should not be the case and dim consistently with the rearview mirror.
Going to take this to the dealership soon to get it figured out

Chitown-Irish · 12-18-2012, 08:13 AM

Glad to see that I am not the only one observing a difference between the X3 and other BMW vehicles. I have owned an 07 335i and a 06 750i, they both had mirrors that dimmed a lot more then the X3.

I will still ask them to check it when I go in for my first service.

lbjgh · 12-18-2012, 11:27 AM

It's too bad this issue can't be corrected by coding the car (maybe it can).

That way each owner could adjust the dimming feature to suit their preference.

epiphone3 · 12-18-2012, 11:38 AM

I do find the same thing with my 2013... dimming is not as dim or as fast as one would expect. However, I do find that the position of the mirrors and their shape allows for adjustment such that I very rarely get any glare from side mirrors anyway and when I do, it typically is a condition that will make them dim. Best thing I can suggest is to adjust the mirrors so your see a very small amount of the side of your X3 and then adjust them out a little further so that you can't see the side of the X3 any more. This gets you better view of the blindspots and keeps the glare away.

One thing I can say is that the X3 is a dramatic improvement in terms of night visibility / glare compared to my E90. I am sure a lot of that has to do with being higher off the ground.

Chitown-Irish · 12-18-2012, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epiphone3

One thing I can say is that the X3 is a dramatic improvement in terms of night visibility / glare compared to my E90. I am sure a lot of that has to do with being higher off the ground.

I agree. I have astigmatism and I can see much better at night.

10-02-2012, 07:40 PM	#24
DonC Second Lieutenant Drives: 2013 X3 3.5i M sport, etc Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: near Seattle Posts: 235 iTrader: (0)	I've wanted to adjust the dimming of the mirrors at night but they are automatic - it's not like moving the old lever. __________________ 2013 X3 3.5i AW,Msprt,rear fogs,PS,CP, Tech, etc... Other cars 2005 S2000 2007 TL-S

10-02-2012, 08:55 PM	#25
lbjgh Major Drives: 2013 AW X3 M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North of Toronto Posts: 1,232 iTrader: (0)	I agree DonC. The autodimming feature isn't much of a feature. My wifes 6yr old acura's dimming mirror actually does something. __________________ 2013, AW, xDrive35i, M Sport Package, Technology Package, Dynamic Comfort Package, Premium Package, 3M Clear Bra, Euro foglight switch, a few coded fixes

10-11-2012, 10:16 PM	#32
tango131 Private Drives: Boxster S; 2013 X3 28i Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Chicago Posts: 63 iTrader: (0)	Ours also don't dim as much as they should, IMO. My boxster dims perfectly so I'm used to how it is supposed to work. I shined a flashlight on the center rear view mirror and the side mirrors did dim, it just took a bit of time and it did not dim dark enough. A not sure it's the angle of the mirror glass as the sensor is in the center rear view mirror. Btw, I think this is also how it works on my boxster. It is clearly working, just not well as posted above. Also, the rear side mirrors dimmed without the edge btw dim and non dimmed shown in the pic posted above in post 26. In other words, the complete piece of glass mirror dimmed in ours. My boxter's mirrors dim like in the pic above with the edge btw dim and non dimmed glass showing. Interesting.... __________________ 2013 X3 28i, AW, Chestnut, Sienna, ZAP, ZCV, ZCW, ZDH, ZPP, rear view, park distance, cargo net (Wife's) (Pics and story) 2010 Porsche Boxster S (Mine)

10-11-2012, 10:32 PM	#33
lbjgh Major Drives: 2013 AW X3 M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North of Toronto Posts: 1,232 iTrader: (0)	Hmm, I'm gonna check my car now... Attached Images __________________ 2013, AW, xDrive35i, M Sport Package, Technology Package, Dynamic Comfort Package, Premium Package, 3M Clear Bra, Euro foglight switch, a few coded fixes

10-13-2012, 10:17 AM	#35
lbjgh Major Drives: 2013 AW X3 M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North of Toronto Posts: 1,232 iTrader: (0)	Guys, dandanio mentioned on another thread that the per cent dimming can be adjusted by the BMW dealership. I wonder if there is a coding solution for an easy fix?? __________________ 2013, AW, xDrive35i, M Sport Package, Technology Package, Dynamic Comfort Package, Premium Package, 3M Clear Bra, Euro foglight switch, a few coded fixes

10-04-2012, 06:12 AM	#26
Rodion Second Lieutenant Drives: X3 (F25) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 228 iTrader: (0)	Here is what it should look like, a clear "marginal" and then dimmed mirror. In this case, I was in a dark garage and sunlight came through behind me and all mirrors dimmed automatically. edit: sorry, mine is an Euro-mirror...

10-08-2012, 12:23 PM	#27
bluedevils Private First Class Drives: 2012 X3 XDrive 35i Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NYC LI (originally Vancouver, BC) Posts: 118 iTrader: (0)	My own observations while driving on the highway the other night (or two). The side mirror was acting independent of the rear view mirror. The rear would be dimming for the cars behind, but the side would not be dimmed. The side mirror would only dim when a car was specifically seen in the side mirror. The tell-tale sign (besides not being blinded) is that the background turns black in the presence of light. My old audi had a small bug where the auto dimming didn't work on rare occasions (once a year) and the black background was the most definitive way to determine if the auto dimming feature was working.

10-09-2012, 06:30 AM	#28
vanheiser New Member Drives: X3 35i Join Date: May 2012 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 11 iTrader: (0)	I have the 2013 X3 with premium package (which should include the int & ext. dimming mirrors). I also notice this problem and brought it back to the dealership and their technician just shine light into the centre mirror which cause all 3 mirrors to dim. But this just isn't working in real life situation. Sometimes cars on the right or left of my lane have their high beam or those fake HID housing that glare you so bad and it sucks not having the side mirror dimmed just because the sensor didn't detect the glare. Glad to know I'm not the only one feeling annoyed by this. Probably I'm going back and try to see if they could probably fix this problem.

10-09-2012, 09:29 AM	#29
bluedevils Private First Class Drives: 2012 X3 XDrive 35i Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NYC LI (originally Vancouver, BC) Posts: 118 iTrader: (0)	Maybe it is the angle of the mirrors. My mirrors angle out so that I don't see the back of my car, but it points to the blind spot area. Maybe the sensor dims when a car is in the blind spot (does it use the side cameras?) and not with cars behind you. Just a theory...

10-09-2012, 09:32 AM	#30
epiphone3 Lieutenant Colonel Drives: 2013 BMW X3 35i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,641 iTrader: (0)	I am starting to wonder if this doesn't have to do with how people have adjusted their mirrors? Just a thought... don't have mine yet to try it.

10-11-2012, 12:28 PM	#31
PAMidge Saving Lives Since 2000 Drives: 2011 335xi & 2013 X3 28i Join Date: May 2007 Location: Northeast Posts: 1,876 iTrader: (2) Garage List 2011 e90 335xi [3.57] 2013 X3 28i [0.00]	The weird thing is that I thought I was going crazy when they looked dimmed when I folded them in. Maybe we're onto something. Maybe someone can find out some BMW NA information and we can send them this thread since dealerships clearly don't know/care about this issue. The feature CLEARLY works. It just doesn't work RIGHT.

10-23-2012, 08:37 PM	#36
PAMidge Saving Lives Since 2000 Drives: 2011 335xi & 2013 X3 28i Join Date: May 2007 Location: Northeast Posts: 1,876 iTrader: (2) Garage List 2011 e90 335xi [3.57] 2013 X3 28i [0.00]	Just an update with this issue. The side mirrors clearly dim, just not as expected with previous BMWs. It seems that you must have these 3 things in proper alignment for the mirrors to dim: 1. It must be dark - rearview is dim 2. You must have a car behind you - a few car lengths, like 4-10 3. You must ALSO have a car to the side of you It seems to only work when there is a car to the side of you as well as behind you. Kinda lame in my opinion.

10-23-2012, 09:33 PM	#37
lbjgh Major Drives: 2013 AW X3 M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North of Toronto Posts: 1,232 iTrader: (0)	There is a light sensor on the back of the mirror that detects ambient light. I'm gonna try a bit of tape to make the system think it's darker than it is. Hopefully the difference between the front and rear sensor will fool the computer into dimming the mirrors earlier. __________________ 2013, AW, xDrive35i, M Sport Package, Technology Package, Dynamic Comfort Package, Premium Package, 3M Clear Bra, Euro foglight switch, a few coded fixes

10-23-2012, 09:49 PM	#38
PAMidge Saving Lives Since 2000 Drives: 2011 335xi & 2013 X3 28i Join Date: May 2007 Location: Northeast Posts: 1,876 iTrader: (2) Garage List 2011 e90 335xi [3.57] 2013 X3 28i [0.00]	No, even if you make it super dark, if the conditions aren't right, the mirrors don't dim. You can sit in the dark with tape there and the side mirrors will only slightly dim. It's so weird and frustrating

10-23-2012, 09:54 PM	#39
lbjgh Major Drives: 2013 AW X3 M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North of Toronto Posts: 1,232 iTrader: (0)	Well I'm going to give it a try anyway. MacGyver, meet duct tape. Attached Images __________________ 2013, AW, xDrive35i, M Sport Package, Technology Package, Dynamic Comfort Package, Premium Package, 3M Clear Bra, Euro foglight switch, a few coded fixes

10-24-2012, 05:29 AM	#40
bichoo New Member Drives: BMW X3 28i Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 20 iTrader: (0)	Having same issue on my 2013 28i. What I noticed was that the side mirrors do dim but the light has to be very intense, that is only high beams from another car. In pitch dark shining a flashlight works too. Like a previous post said, if this can be fixed with coding, that will be good. It does work but only when the light is very bright, which should not be the case and dim consistently with the rearview mirror. Going to take this to the dealership soon to get it figured out

12-18-2012, 08:13 AM	#41
Chitown-Irish Second Lieutenant Drives: 11 X3 xDrive35i Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Orland Park, IL Posts: 288 iTrader: (0)	Glad to see that I am not the only one observing a difference between the X3 and other BMW vehicles. I have owned an 07 335i and a 06 750i, they both had mirrors that dimmed a lot more then the X3. I will still ask them to check it when I go in for my first service. __________________ 2011 X3 xDrive35i F25 (CPO) Space Grey/Black Leather, Packages: Premium, Cold Weather, BMW Apps, Sirius and Technology. BMW CCA Member (WindyCity Chapter). Former cars: 06 750i E65 (CPO) 07 E90 335i (bought used but had problematic iDrive so sold it to get 7-series)

12-18-2012, 11:27 AM	#42
lbjgh Major Drives: 2013 AW X3 M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North of Toronto Posts: 1,232 iTrader: (0)	It's too bad this issue can't be corrected by coding the car (maybe it can). That way each owner could adjust the dimming feature to suit their preference. __________________ 2013, AW, xDrive35i, M Sport Package, Technology Package, Dynamic Comfort Package, Premium Package, 3M Clear Bra, Euro foglight switch, a few coded fixes

12-18-2012, 11:38 AM	#43
epiphone3 Lieutenant Colonel Drives: 2013 BMW X3 35i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,641 iTrader: (0)	I do find the same thing with my 2013... dimming is not as dim or as fast as one would expect. However, I do find that the position of the mirrors and their shape allows for adjustment such that I very rarely get any glare from side mirrors anyway and when I do, it typically is a condition that will make them dim. Best thing I can suggest is to adjust the mirrors so your see a very small amount of the side of your X3 and then adjust them out a little further so that you can't see the side of the X3 any more. This gets you better view of the blindspots and keeps the glare away. One thing I can say is that the X3 is a dramatic improvement in terms of night visibility / glare compared to my E90. I am sure a lot of that has to do with being higher off the ground.

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