BMW 5 Mirror System Failure: Heat & Auto-Dim Issue

Hey there! I actually had a similar issue with my 2019 BMW 3 Series Hybrid last winter. The symptoms were identical, both heated mirrors and auto-dimming stopped working simultaneously. Initially thought it was just a fuse, but turned out to be more complex. Took it to the garage and they found corroded wiring connections at the mirror assembly. Water had seeped in through a degraded seal and damaged the connector pins. The mechanic had to replace the entire wiring harness for the mirror system and install new seals. Not a super serious issue, but definitely needed professional attention since it involved the car's electrical system. The repair wasn't too complicated but required some specialized diagnostic tools to properly identify the fault codes. In my case, leaving it unfixed wasn't an option since I rely on those features, especially during winter driving. Just make sure you find a garage that specializes in BMW electrical systems, they'll have the right diagnostic equipment for these specific issues.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful since it sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the repairs? Also, has everything been working properly since then, or have you had any other mirror-related issues pop up? I'd like to get an idea of what I might be looking at cost-wise and whether this fix tends to last.

Hey again! Just wanted to update you on my mirror situation. I finally got it fixed last week and I'm happy to report everything's working perfectly now! The whole heating and dimming system is back to normal. Turns out it was way simpler (and cheaper!) than my initial repair. The mechanic found a faulty cable connection that just needed proper reconnecting and some cleaning. Total bill came to 95 € which was a huge relief, much better than having to replace the entire wiring harness like I originally thought might be needed. Since the repair, I've had zero issues with either the heating or auto-dimming functions. Both are working like new. I've been testing them regularly just to make sure, and they're performing exactly as they should. Really glad I finally got it sorted. If your issue is similar, it might not be as expensive as you're worried about. Sometimes these things turn out to be pretty straightforward fixes. Just make sure you get a good BMW specialist to look at it, they'll know exactly what to check first.

Thanks so much for the follow-up! That's such a relief to hear it was a relatively simple and affordable fix for you. After reading your update, I finally worked up the courage to take my car in yesterday. Funny enough, my issue was also just a bad connection! The mechanic I found was great, really took the time to explain everything. He showed me how some debris had gotten into the connection point and was blocking proper contact. Total bill came to about 120 bucks for diagnostics and repair. All the mirror functions are working perfectly now. Such a weight off my shoulders knowing it wasn't some major electrical problem. Really appreciate everyone's help and advice here. Sometimes these car problems seem way scarier than they actually are. Definitely learned my lesson about not waiting so long to get things checked out!