I noticed that my rear view mirror is kinda "fogged up" ... when I tried to wipe it down .. I noticed that there's an oil like residue at the bottom .. by the switch ... perhaps that could the liquid crystal ?

Is it possible to unfog the mirror (since I can live without the self dimming feature)?? or do I need to cough up for a new rear view mirror?

 

I suspect the mirrors are the same manufacturer as the mirror in my E46 M3. They actually recalled those. The only solution is replacement and be very careful as the oil will eventually leak and cause havoc with your interior. They actually had to replace the center console of my M3 as part of the recall as it bleached out the leather.

Replace it.

 

Replace it with an Audi part which is cheaper I think. Or go with a manual mirror instead.

 

Same thing has happened to me as described by the OP. Any idea what is causing this?

 

All self-dimming mirrors breakdown over time. Once the gel inside the two mirror layers breaks down it can leak out. The oil is very corrosive and will damage the interior items it contacts.

I had my mirror in my 2001 turbo develop a fogginess that eventually ended up in a total separation of the gel. I sent it in the radar-mirror.com for repair and they fixed it very quickly and inexpensively (compared to the alternatives).

No affiliation. Check them out. Only $99 plus shipping.

 

Had mine repaired also for $100 looks new.

 

Thanks, much appreciated!