What did you do to your MINI today?

Discussion in 'Cooper SE' started by SameGuy, Oct 4, 2022.

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  1. Green Gatsby

    Green Gatsby Member

    Please tell me more!!! This has been driving me mad since I got my SE... would love to do this as well. Will take anything you're able to share... part number(s), pics of the process, etc. Thanks!
     
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  3. carrrl

    carrrl Active Member

    Let me preface by saying this is how I did it and haven’t seen or found another way. You may come up with another idea, part, or process that is cheaper or better.

    As mentioned you need electronics harvested from an older mirror. Part #51167401098 contains heat, dim, auto fold, tilt, memory - pretty much every feature. There may be others as well. It’s an older one so you may be able to find in a junk yard, eBay, and they still sell new. I was not able to find just the electronics needed (though some BMW models do sell it separately, so there may be a tiny chance it exists.)

    The basic process is to remove the existing mirror glass, cap, and housing from the vehicle. Transplant the electronics by unclipping the flat controller (see picture for the part I am talking about.) It has 4 sets of wires (input, heat, dim, fold) and a hidden press fit connector. Once you pry the retaining clips it more or less comes out easy. Then you press in the donor controller and solder the wires I mention next.

    The only snag was, I couldn’t figure out how to safely remove the white+yellow wire for the fold motor. Everything seems water tight and hard to take apart. I ended up snipping and soldering that connection, the rest remain intact and cleanly work.

    Finally you need dimming glass. I installed on day one as part of “euro mirror” kit and don’t recall exactly which part #. It is apparent by the perimeter etching.

    743ABD5A-F687-4404-B995-4960B9FDCA40.jpeg
     
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  4. SameGuy

    SameGuy Well-Known Member Subscriber

    YUL
    Very very cool mod.

    The European “blind spot” mirror glass (from ECS or wherever) is “dimming” on both sides?
     
  5. carrrl

    carrrl Active Member

    They are a couple of variants, but the ECS kit I got has dimming on both sides. The passenger is #51167366046, aspheric with no disclaimer. #51167366050 might be the official North American dimming passenger since it’s convex with the reminder.
     
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  6. CoachCookie

    CoachCookie Active Member

    Mine are plenty visible through dark vinyl tint with the stock lights. Just an FYI in case you think about switching...
     
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  8. Green Gatsby

    Green Gatsby Member

    Thanks for taking the time to write all that out, super helpful! Did you have to do any programming or was it just plug-and-play?
     
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  9. carrrl

    carrrl Active Member

    Plug-n-play for me
     
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  10. SameGuy

    SameGuy Well-Known Member Subscriber

    YUL
    Usually when I tackle things I don’t have time or I don’t remember to take pictures. Did you manage to get any other pictures of the process? Or when you do have a chance, could you possibly do a write up for the steps involved including how to remove the mirror housing from the car? I appreciate all the info you’ve given so far. It looks like one of those “I’d like to do this eventually” mods.

    ETA: [facepalm] I always tell people “GIYF” and I didn’t bother to google this. Just two little torx screws? Huh.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2023
  11. SameGuy

    SameGuy Well-Known Member Subscriber

    YUL
    I’m trying to visualize removing the module and replacing with the dimming one.
     
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  13. carrrl

    carrrl Active Member

    No problem I'll pull something together in a new thread this weekend so it's a bit easier to find/parse in the future.
     
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  14. Green Gatsby

    Green Gatsby Member

    This was my small project for the day. Kinda bugged me that the door handles weren't complete chrome rings... so I changed the front half! Part number is 51417419649 for both sides.

    tempImage4mD0sz.png tempImageMR8tST.png tempImage8BmFKr.png
    tempImageEwFGvq.png
     
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  15. SameGuy

    SameGuy Well-Known Member Subscriber

    YUL
    I finally received mine from AliExpress the other day, it came out to $86 Canadian. Actually it didn’t take too long overall, maybe three weeks.

    As soon as I brought my car back from the collision center, I popped out the 12V/USB module and began trying to figure out what’s next.

    First was transferring the clips to the new module. Luckily, I remembered seeing a video from a couple of years ago by Ben Rolfe, otherwise I’d not have known to swap them over.

    The USB-C module was easy enough to figure out, and when I re-watched Ben’s video it was, like, duh.

    On the other hand, the 12V (“lighter”) socket was a puzzler. It was a bit of work for my mildly arthritic fingers to prise the power cable off the hidden end, but I eventually managed. However I couldn’t quite figure out how to remove the socket to install in the panel’s empty space. I briefly considered just leaving the new hole empty and finding an o-ring to friction fit the 12V socket’s cover, but that’s even too half-arsed for a lazy prick like me. I don’t have a 12V socket handy, and a limited amount of searching online led me to a few that looked “standard enough” that they might fit, but now I’d be into this for another 20 or 30 dollars and that seemed kind of silly. I finally came across a video that showed how to re/re the existing socket, and with a bit of patience I got it done without any cursing or tears. I thought I was home free, but got tripped up by the same issue as @inferno10: the 12V plug on the new part’s pigtail doesn’t mate with the socket on the car’s harness. I began shaving away at it with an Xacto knife, but the timer was about to go off on my Dr. Ooker pizza in the oven and I decided to take a break. I’ll update in my next post.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2023
  16. SameGuy

    SameGuy Well-Known Member Subscriber

    YUL
    …Every trip back from the workbench to the car was hope followed by exasperation. I kept shaving and squeezing and shaving and squeezing. When I finally got the tip in [hehe hehe] I decided to go big, got out the Knipex pliers and went at it. When I thought it was seated, I plugged everything else in and hit the Start toggle. Blue LED! Stuffed all the wires in the hole, lined it up, popped it in, and dropped my phone on. BOOM! Charging!

    Tomorrow I’ll see if my phone heats up. But a 12 Pro Max in a Spigen shield just barely fits on the shelf, so I’m wondering how well centered the phone is, front to back.

    Also, the area under the shelf is now almost unusable. It’ll be a struggle to plug in USB¢ or any sort of 12V adapter. On the bright side, it’ll hide my parking and tollway transponders (I don’t want them adhered to my ceramic-tinted windshield).
     
  17. CuriousGeorge

    CuriousGeorge Well-Known Member

    I hadn't even noticed that they weren't full chrome. It doesn't bother me (well, at least it didn't... now thanks to you, it might! ), but I admire your attention to detail and effort to make your MINI yours.

    Now here is my question: WHY aren't they fully chrome, when the part is available? Is that an upgrade as you go from level 1 (no chrome) to level 2 (half chrome) to level 3 (full chrome) trim, or something? (A bit of insightman-style facetiousness here.) Really, it makes no sense to me.
     
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  18. Green Gatsby

    Green Gatsby Member

    The chrome version of the part is more complex, and therefor more expensive. Not by much, but when you multiply it out by tens of thousands of vehicles it can add up to a meaningful sum across a single model. It's a practice known as 'decontenting'.
     
  19. CuriousGeorge

    CuriousGeorge Well-Known Member

    Ah. So it used to be full chrome, but now it's not?

    Could always go full bling!

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/275609307810

    (Geez, I seem to have wandered down quite the rabbit hole - never realized how many different bits are out there for customizing cars )
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2023
  20. Green Gatsby

    Green Gatsby Member

    That looks to be the case, yes. Could have been tied to a trim level or special edition as well.
     
  21. h-dogg

    h-dogg Member

    Not really a mod, but I did clean the front splashguard b/c I saw leaves stuck in the front grille. Looks like my Mini was storing some stuff for the winter..lol
     

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  22. SameGuy

    SameGuy Well-Known Member Subscriber

    YUL
    AliExpress Wireless Qi Charging Tray report number 1: in my case it’s a bit hit-and-miss; my iPhone 12 Pro Max with a thin Spigen case barely fits on the shelf, and takes some finesse to align “just right” to initiate a charge. More than once today, I’ve dropped my phone on it and thought it was centered, only to notice a while later the battery icon on the CarPlay UI was white (ie. not charging), and looking down noticed the error flash of the shelf’s LED.

    IMG_2943.jpeg

    I have no way of knowing how well I’ve centered the phone when it does initiate the charge, so no idea how (in)efficiently it is charging. I haven’t noticed my phone heating up any more than it does on my various 10+ Watt Qi chargers at home and at work (RavPower, Aukey and Anker, all solid brands).

    I’ll make a note of the initial SoC and time on my next long drive on Tuesday, to see how fast it might be and to compare it with the fast chargers at home.

    ETA: lol I had to take that pic with a pretty old basic iPad. Sorry about the quality.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2023
  23. CuriousGeorge

    CuriousGeorge Well-Known Member

    I looked at mine longingly, wishing I could drive it but unable to do so because it's too cold for the summer tires. :(
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2023
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