Arteon Style Blind Spot Mirror Cap Installation

[where2]

The power folding mirrors I found apparently don’t have LEDs for blind spot monitoring, was hoping I could swap the wiring and mirror glass over to the power folding ones to have BSM on them.

If you buy the AliEx folding mirror kit without BSM wires, and you spend the extra $44 to buy the AliEx BSM wiring kit (just the wires), you get the wires you need to plug into the factory mirrors with BSM symbol glass. What you don't get are the two plugs to mate into the factory 2-pin plugs (1J0-973-119) used on my Mk7.5 near the door modules. I had to source those separately, and wait another month or 6 weeks... You'll also want a crimp tool to crimp those little connector terminals.

The wires that light up the LEDs come from the BSM modules and go directly through the door hinge up into the mirror housing (folding or not). At least from my recollection, they don't have a "stop" at the connection point located inside the door.
(Also, shameless plug for some BSM modules and mirror caps I have for sale here. )

My recollection differs, but maybe it was just a Mk7.5 thing? The AliEx wiring kit I bought was intended to go from the door hinge directly to the mirror housing. The 2019 Mk7.5 I own (with factory BSM) came with 2-pin plugs near the door modules that allow you to detach the mirror without having to rape the door hinge connector. However, the AliEx wiring kit I bought was as you describe, straight from the hinge to the mirror and didn't include those 2-pin connectors near the door modules. Looking through the photos in my phone it appears to be a 1J0-973-119.

 

[Nuje]

My Mk7 GSW came with neither folding mirrors nor BSM from the factory, so everything was an add-on. Folding mirrors were quite easy compared to running the wires through that hinge connector area. Although, if doing it again, I'd go the route of adding wires to the multi-pin (maybe 40 pins?) connector at the hinge, like @HumbleMechanic did on installing KESSY rear door handles.

 

[misor1994]

After 2 weeks of waiting they are finally installed. Thanks, @mr-fix for very nice video of installation. I bought the complete covers with the lights and wires. I planned to buy just the lights since I have one free pair of red covers, but finally I decided to go this way since the price of the lights went crazy - from 20 euros to nearly 40. My set was for 90 euros.
To connect the wires I used the heat shrink tubes. Got lucky, because my lighter just stopped working once I finished this. Hope it will be weatherproof.

Now, is there any chance to get the brightness settings to infotainment like in Passat b8 or some Audis? I have googled, I have gone through this thread, but didn't found the clear answer.
My 3C unit is 5Q0 907 686 C. So far, I haven't looked into coding and adaptations - is it even worth try? Thanks!

 

[Nuje]

I didn't know there were brightness settings in the Passat; with my lights, the brightness changes with how close to my car the "blind spot car" is - the closer it is, the brighter that mirror cap light.

 

[Cuzoe]

@misor1994 I suspect the brightness slider that you are talking about is one of the additional things you get if you retrofit the later blind spot radars (2Q0s).

See way down this post... https://www.drive2.ru/l/572027797371881067

 

[bobloblawGTI]

Anyone seen just the lights for sale these days? The passenger side of my Aidu kit isn't working any longer... stock BSM light in the mirror still works so I assume it's something to do with the cap LED itself. I noticed by the end of the summer they were no longer sitting flush in the cap housing; I assume whatever glue they affixed them to the caps with got warm and pliable, so I'm thinking maybe water fried it? Disappointing for sure.

 

[Nuje]

I had that happen with mine, too. Turns out it was my wiring connections.
I pulled the mirror glass and mirror cap off and did a better job with the wiring connections (instead of 3M wiretaps, I spliced the wires together), and three west coast winters later, still working just fine.

 

[bobloblawGTI]

I had that happen with mine, too. Turns out it was my wiring connections.
I pulled the mirror glass and mirror cap off and did a better job with the wiring connections (instead of 3M wiretaps, I spliced the wires together), and three west coast winters later, still working just fine.

That's encouraging at least! You just snipped them off at the taps and spliced? I suppose one way to test would be to do that and then slap a 9v battery on there.

 

[Nuje]

Yep - pretty much. It was shortly after I'd installed them that one of them went "bad". Cut the wires in there and used heat-shrink butt connectors instead to tie into the existing mirror wires.
Pretty sure I left the other as is....and it's been fine (although....maybe I did change it out too(?). I'm old and don't remember things anymore unless I write them down.)

 

[misor1994]

Try those heat shrink tubes. They should create a weatherproof seal by heating them. I used this "connector" and so far I have not had any issues since May.

 

[bobloblawGTI]

Awesome, will give this a try. Here’s hoping that’s all it is! Thanks, all.

 

[bobloblawGTI]

Update: y'all were right, it was the connectors! Ended up not actually replacing the Mouser 3M things with the heat shrink butt tubes; turns out all they needed was to be crimped together a little tighter. Likely will replace them at some point with the heat shrinks, but for now I'm leaving well enough alone Thanks!

 

[brentgti]

Update: y'all were right, it was the connectors! Ended up not actually replacing the Mouser 3M things with the heat shrink butt tubes; turns out all they needed was to be crimped together a little tighter. Likely will replace them at some point with the heat shrinks, but for now I'm leaving well enough alone Thanks!

Did you end up having to reapply adhesive to get the LED modules to sit flush with the housing?

 

[bobloblawGTI]

Did you end up having to reapply adhesive to get the LED modules to sit flush with the housing?

I haven't tried yet, but I will at some point. I should have done it while it was still warm out; I'm even more anxious about getting the mirror caps off now that it's gotten colder. The Zhong caps don't have quite as good fitment as the OEMs and I think the plastic may be brittler, so I see a tab snapping off in my future. That being said, them not being flush is bothering my OCD so it's for sure on the to-do list.