W211 folding wing mirror fault

[E Class magic]

Hi all, my folding wing mirror has a fault! It's been occasionally throwing up a dash message for a while suggest there's a bad earth or something in my drivers mirror. Sometimes it would go without doing it for weeks and then it would go again. It was on the folding mirrors in function when the car is locked. When I was driving a long distance a few weeks ago, it did it again and has been more or less continuous since. I decided to deactivate the electric fold feature hoping that when it doesn't do it then it will be fine. The manual fold feature works as it should. Basically when I indicate it sounds faster in the car like a bad earth and the lights work fine but not the wing mirror led. If I folding the mirrors in and do it, the wing mirror led works fine.

I'm wondering whether I can spray wd40 or lubricant into the housing behind he glass using a straw to see if it frees anything up? I know it would be broken wires but thought to try that first. I don't want to damage anything electronically as its already throwing a message up on the dash of which is like to erase.

Thanks

Guys

 

[Druk]

Take the outer cover off. That will tell if the wires are broken or not.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/bodywork/62215-w211-door-mirror.html

 

[Trickythemerc]

Yup it will more than likely be a broken wire causing the trouble. Sadly modern day auto wiring is not of the best quality and probably made by some geezer in his garden shed in Poland.

 

[Druk]

^ Wherever it's made is really inconsequential if it's to proper spec. What I cannot get my head around is why they would specify inflexible wiring for a folding mirror

 

[E Class magic]

Thanks for the replies so is it an easy fix to solder some new wires in? I won't do this myself but just wondered

 

[Druk]

Thanks for the replies so is it an easy fix to solder some new wires in? I won't do this myself but just wondered

Yup. One wire at a time using Maplin flexible wire.

 

[E Class magic]

Thanks very much for your help,If anyone close to Doncaster fancies the job give me a shout before I find somewhere trust worthy!!

 

[Trickythemerc]

^ Wherever it's made is really inconsequential if it's to proper spec. What I cannot get my head around is why they would specify inflexible wiring for a folding mirror

So it's all about the spec and not where it's made I have been down this route before with my Jags. Wiring loom running behind the front bumper failed due to poor manufacturing in Poland,seemingly to Jaguar specification :fail Thousands of them to be more exact failed within two years of production.

 

[kaniewsky]

Where it's been made it's irrelevant. It has been done to manufacturer's specification. Problem is car parts are being designed by accountants rather than engineers these days. BUT judging by your stupid comment about sheds in Poland you have got a problem with Poles. What about reliability of e.g. old Jags, especially electrics? Were they made by some geezer in his garden shed in England? So stop bitching and grow up. Car parts manufacturing in Europe is on the same quality level , it's the manufacturers who save money wherever they can. After all they make more money on parts than on selling cars.

 

[wongl]

So it's all about the spec and not where it's made I have been down this route before with my Jags. Wiring loom running behind the front bumper failed due to poor manufacturing in Poland,seemingly to Jaguar specification :fail Thousands of them to be more exact failed within two years of production.

Out of interest, how did you diagnose the failure to be a manufacturing issue rather than a design issue? If manufacturing issue, did Jag replace the faulty loom free of charge?

Bottom line, even if it is a manufacturing issue, it is up to Jag to put in place quality checks and assurance regardless of where their parts are being manufactured, internally or externally.

 

[stevieob]

Sorry for hijacking an old thread but I have similar issue

My drivers side wing mirror is not folding for the last few months, however unlike above, my indicator light appears to be working fine and the is no problem with the passenger side wing mirror at all. the button to manually fold the mirrors does not work for the drivers mirror either.

I leave the drivers side permanently folded out, when I lock and open the car the passenger mirror folds as it should.

Oddly though, and I'm not sure what is actually happening here as I wasn't looking closely enough at the times...
on a few occasions, (on autopilot mode!) I've opened the car, sat in and started driving, only to realise the drivers mirror is folded in!!!!!
now it may have been a case that it did actually fold in when I locked the car (as I say, I don't always pay attention) but failed to fold out when I opened the car.
or less likely as the car was parked in work with nothing only hedge beside it...…. someone pushed the mirror in as they walked past.

 

[AntMB]

Easy to do. Get the mirror off and unplug it from inside the door, you'll have to either just replace the lot or use a meter and do a lot of wriggling to find the broken wire.

 

[stevieob]

thanks AntMB

Do you know if there is a guide available somewhere online to taking the mirror off? Last thing I want to do is snap it in the wrong place!!

Fixing the broken wire shouldn't be a problem as I had recall having a boot issue a few years ago, may have been the lights were not working and the lead had basically frayed

if memory serves, I just used some extra copper wire to add in where the break was and extend it

 

[Remmoc]

thanks AntMB

Do you know if there is a guide available somewhere online to taking the mirror off? Last thing I want to do is snap it in the wrong place!!

Fixing the broken wire shouldn't be a problem as I had recall having a boot issue a few years ago, may have been the lights were not working and the lead had basically frayed

if memory serves, I just used some extra copper wire to add in where the break was and extend it

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