Folding Mirror Won't - Updated

[Fifty150hs]

I've done a search and can't find my particular problem. Everything I found was that the mirror folds but won't stay folded. I recently replaced my RH mirror with a salvage mirror. My mirror was cracked and the cost for glass was insane. Got a full mirror for $90. My X has auto dimming, heated mirrors hence the expense to replace. I've installed it and it tilts and turns, heats and dims, but it will not close. It doesn't even try. Anyone else run into this? If I can't figure it out I'm going to pull the good mirror off and mount it to my old mirror base and reinstall it. Since I got my Avin Avant 4, I was able to set up the mirrors to auto close at shut off and auto open at start. Really like that function. Then I replaced this mirror and now only the left side does it. Right side doesn't budge.

Thanks for any help in advance.

[andrewwynn]

Those little motors same like the door locks tend to consume the bushes and stop working. That's my bet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Fifty150hs]

So, I couldn't get the junk yard mirror I bought to fold electrically. Could do it manually, but that was it. It's auto dimming and heated, so I thought it should be electrically folding. It's not. It doesn't have a motor to fold it. Why the hell would they go to the trouble of putting power to the mirror for heat, dimming and tilting and not put a motor in for folding?

Anyway, I took the parts off the junk yard mirror I bought and put them on my original mirror base, that does fold, and it's all good. I only paid $90. My original mirror had been sideswiped and the shell is chipped and the trim was cracked. Recently the mirror cracked. The mirror is a $350 replacement part. Just have to paint the shell from the junk yard mirror the correct color and it will be completely fixed.

[andrewwynn]

Year of build is the answer to why. Not sure what year they added folding but our two didn't have it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[guntherrex]

As I am just getting used to my 4.6IS I found out I have a little buttotn that will fold the mirrors in. Fancy!

However, the move right back out! Anyone have an idea why they don't stay folded?

[andrewwynn]

We the car in gear?

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by guntherrex

As I am just getting used to my 4.6IS I found out I have a little buttotn that will fold the mirrors in. Fancy!

However, the move right back out! Anyone have an idea why they don't stay folded?

There's a micro switch inside that gets worn that causes them to not stay in place. Check Youtube. There's a video on there with a quick fix for the problem.

[guntherrex]

cheers!

[Clockwork]

2 major reasons
1) the small, and I mean small, silver metal tab that is on the black limit switch (underneath mirror cover then under black plastic cover) is missing (very common) see pic below
OR
2) the folding motor housing is broken and allows a metal pin (circled in green in pic below), by gears connected to electric motor, under metal housing, to slide when it shouldn't, but like I said the motor housing is broken, so this confuses the motor to fold back out, JUST like the symptom of a missing metal tab on the limit switch.

This will sound foreign till you research a bit morei just had this problem where my left mirror would fold, then stutter and then fold back out perfectly placed.

Over Xmas I took apart the left side mirror.... Limit switch is newish (just soldered on a new one a few years ago) and metal tab is there so I continued looking.
I undid the 3 star screws holding black mirror arm to top of folding motor housing and noticed the cheap grey/black metal housing (with white ring on top) that actually sits on top of motor had a crack in the side of its metal base and was actually sticking out, as if something inside was pushing the metal out. So I undid the 4 screws underneath the mirror assembly and lifted the grey metal motor housing a bit (there is barely any room as the wiring from harness goes into this metal housing and connects tightly to top of motor in a specific manner for left mirror and opposite for right side mirror). I had a spare set of mirrors, bought from a member here, and so I looked at that mirrors motor housing and yes the same left side black/grey motor housing was busted open too in the same place (there is a metal "finger" (circled in red in picture below)that points down and locks the top and bottom motor housings together and this is where it breaks because of a screw pin (circled in green, below) inside pressing against inside of this housing and over time it weakens and breaks through the metal housing wall). I looked at the spare right motor housing and it was perfect. I thought I could swap that perfectly good part into my damaged motor housing but even tho it will fit physically, the white ring on top of this grey metal housing is different cutout designs from side to side, so it does notwork (EDIT: The white ring actually pops off, so I COULD have just popped the white rings, swapped them over and then it would be a pefectly working metal cylinder for the left side mirror). so I had to put my busted housing into a table top vice and reshape the housing so it was round. Then next day I used JB weld on the exterior of this reshaped metal housing (making sure not to cake the exterior with JB weld as the mirror housing still needs to fit tightly up inside the mirror arm, and I left it to cure for a day. Cure nicely, reinstalled and reassemble mirror totally. Works like new again. I checked my right side mirror on vehicle and it too,like my right spare had perfect grey motor housing. Not sure why the left side breaks more...

[Clockwork]

Just an update...
I can't stress enough how important that "finger" on the white/pot metal is.

Tonight noticed my mirror foldes in perfectly but upon folding out, the gears would still turn and make the stripping/skipping sound even tho the mirror stopped moving.

I THEN also noticed the mirror body was a bit floppy (as in I could turn it about 1 inch in and out (not up and down, that's a different story and almost always the 4 T15 screws on bottom side of mirror base are loose).

So after removing the plastic cover, the 3 T10 bolts on top of motor/arm and pulling the arm off to expose the white ringed pot metal housing (with the finger/tab), I marked its position with a silver sharpie so I knew how it sat upon reinstall (this is extremely important).

While motor housing was tilted back, I could see a gap between the metal finger and the screw gear that hides behind this finger/tab. I knew this is wrong, from looking at this previously. I'm rather intimate with the mirror motor assembly now see pics.

I then removed the plastic cap on bottom of mirror base and then removed the 4 T15 screws, so I could then tilt the motor housing back (not much room tho with the red and green motor wires being rather short) and then I observed the finger/tab on the bottom outside of the motor housing.

Then I removed the 4 T10 screws, carefully as the housing is under some spring pressure, and made sure to press down on the black plastic from open top of motor housing, as I Didn't want to remove the black plastic cylinder with spring and keyed metal ring. I just took the pot/white metal housing off and put in vice to slowly and carefully bend the finger/tab in a bit. See pics.

This metal is VERY weak and cheap. And if the finger ever breaks, then the folding mechanism will NEVER work. Be careful. Bend it a bit and test fit back onto motor and black cylinder and see if the gap has closed. If not fully, then put back in vice AND carefully bend a bit more. Another option is to put some JB Weld on backside of the finger (where the screw gear touches) to build up the thickness...
Once it's damn near perfect, put it back together.
4 T10 screws holding motor housing together, 4 T15 screws holding.motor housing to mirror base and then put mirror arm back on-top of motor housing and then install the 3 T10 screws and test the mirror fold function (before you put plastic cap on mirror base or mirror cover back on).

If successful, you will have many more years of folding and stiff sitting (not floppy) mirror use.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk