Left door rear view mirror turn signal indicator

Wanted to check with the community to see if anyone else has experienced this issue.

Last night I noticed that my left door rear view mirror turn signal indicator has started flickering when I engage the turn signal. As opposed to the normal on/off, the light indicator itself acts like it has a short and flickers on both ends of the housing as if it is trying to blink. Front and rear turn signals act normal, and perform the normal on/off sequence. The same flickering occurs on that indicator when I turn on the hazard warning lights.

This is the first time I have experienced this, and I thought it might clear itself up in case it was a software issue. However, today while driving I noticed the issue has not cleared up. The window switches, door lock button, and mirror buttons are all normal. So initially, I have ruled out a wiring harness issue. Also, to my knowledge the mirror has never been hit or damaged.

I have ordered a replacement turn signal indicator, and it will be here in a few days, and have noticed there are YouTube videos of individuals changing out their turn signals for the dynamic turn signal indicator. I have ordered the regular OEM version from BMW parts. From the YouTube videos, it looks to be a straightforward process in changing out this item.

Has anyone experienced this issue? Are there any suggestions of other ways to troubleshoot before attempting to replace the current light? Otherwise, the car appears to be operating normal, and I have not noticed any other issues.

Thank you.

I have seen mention in the past, either on this forum or the FB worldwide group, of the wiring and contacts in the mirrors corroding rather quickly as water can collect and sit in the mirror housings if they aren't folded once in a while to dump the water out.

Thank you for the info. The replacement part is to arrive within a day or two. I will follow up if I discover anything unusual.

Hello marvintherepairman!

Having had to fix mirror problems (admittedly not yours), a few things that I've found out over the years...

There is only one amber LED in the mirror and it's located as far inboard as possible. It's attached to the clear plastic strip that wraps around the mirror housing which terminates at the outboard edge of the mirror. This clear plastic strip is a light pipe, allowing that one LED's output to illuminate both the front side of the mirror as well as being an outboard side repeater for motorists that are behind you.

Your original post didn't mention how old your i3 is. When LEDs fail it's usually because of long use under high-heat conditions, and when they are in process of failing they start to flash / flicker for a span before failing completely off. If you're in a high-heat environment that may indicate a dying LED. If you're in a temperate environment then it may be, as SSi3 suggests, a corrosion issue.

One more thought... if you're a high-frequency mirror folder-unfolder then the wiring to the LED may have developed an intermittent break.

Thank you for the reply.

I have a 2017 Rex. I live in the southeast portion of the U.S. As I don’t drive much at night, I had not noticed the flickering, so I don’t know how long it has been happening. So to me, it has just recently begun.

The flickering started when we were having a cold spell. The car is always covered whether in a carport or a garage. I don’t fold the mirrors that often, nor have I since ownership, so rarely.

The replacement part arrived a few days ago. So within those few days the flickering appears to have cleared itself up. As I have not taken the time to replace the part, I have not been able to look at the connections or the wiring. I plan to give it a couple of days to see if the light stays lit without flickering.

Thank you for the suggestions.

The issue described in the question is likely a problem with the left door rear view mirror turn signal indicator. The light is flickering when the turn signal or hazard warning lights are engaged, and this behavior is not normal. The front and rear turn signals are functioning properly, and the window switches, door lock button, and mirror buttons are also normal, indicating that the problem is not likely to be a wiring harness issue. It is also mentioned that the mirror has not been hit or damaged, which eliminates the possibility of physical damage. The individual has ordered a replacement turn signal indicator and plans to install it, but is asking for suggestions on other ways to troubleshoot the issue before attempting to replace the light.

One suggestion for troubleshooting before replacing the light could be to check the fuse for the turn signal indicator. If the fuse is blown, it could be causing the flickering. Another suggestion could be to check the connections to the light, to ensure that they are secure and not loose. If the connections are loose, it could cause the light to flicker. If these suggestions do not resolve the issue, then it is likely that the replacement turn signal indicator will fix the problem.

Good news. The indicator light flickering has resolved itself. I did not make an attempt to take the mirror off to replace the indicator. Oddly, the flickering seemed to stop after the car notified me that the key fob battery needed replacement. I replaced the battery, the flickering stopped. It may have been coincidental.

Will see how this goes. I have a replacement indicator in possession in case it eventually needs replacing.

Thank you for the suggestions. They will come in handy should this arise, again.