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Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 2:30 pm
by Sanj
Firstly a big thank you to Phill for saving this How To from the last forum. Few tweaks but essentially the same.

They sometimes don't work correctly, fold-in and then back out or vice versa. The problem is the little microswitch housed inside the casing behind the mirror. The microswitch is made of plastic and the lever on it is made of metal. Over time the metal grinds down the plastic pivot ridges causing the lever to dislocate. The mirrors can’t send the correct signal back when they are asked to open and the car puts them back to the original position.

I have included this photo to show where to prise the plastic cover from. You can see the catches on the plastic and the surround housing. They need to be got at with a small flat-head screw driver and tons of care not to slip, dent or scratch the paint/surround:

Image

Second picture shows cover off and location of microswitch housing, underneath this is the switch. It may have moved so be careful when pulling this housing off. To pull it off, use an upward motion:

Image

This is the money shot. You can see that the housing has 2 locating pins, these go over the microswitch to house it correctly. There is a small metal lever arm attached to the left of this switch and it is this switch which has moved to cause the problem. It needs to be placed back into position correctly so that when the mirror motor moves that pushes this lever arm, which in turn pushed the tiny switch under it. That signal then tells the car its mirror positioning. If the switch does not get pushed, no folding mirror...

Image

Use a hot glue gun or such like to get the lever back in place. Get it as weather proof as possible.


Courtesy of saphireblack we now have a link to the microswitch here:

http://www.access-electrical.co.uk/shop/view/-18453

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:40 pm
by Smeeagain
This is really interesting - thank you !
before I go prising my mirrors open - can you have a look at the post I made here (below) and tell me if you think your fix will solve the problem I am having or do I have another issue?

look at the my initial post and then, i think, the third post on the page from me, about what an autoelectrician found (or didnt find)


http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f9/ ... er-t52484/

Thanks

Smee

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:30 pm
by Sanj
Read your posts - I would still try this. You will see the lever arm in place or broken away. Takes 10 minutes per side to discover. Either switch being broken will result in BOTH mirrors not folding.

Also, do you even get a noise after pressing the button? Like the motors are trying to work?

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 4:12 pm
by phill
When i did this repair I found that I had to bend the metal arm on the micro switch, so when the mirrors folded the micro switch made.

My mirrors folded in and out, they would not come to rest in the folded in position.

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 6:35 pm
by Smeeagain
ok thanks will give it a shot when the rain stops and to answer the question there is no noise or sound of motors attempting to move ........

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:19 pm
by slieverue
Hi Sanj

Slightly related topic - my near side mirror is struggling to dip fully when in reverse. I know you had written something in the previous forum about taking the mirror off and lubricating the motor or something - can you elaborate please.

Thanks

Tony

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:30 pm
by Sanj

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:33 pm
by slieverue
Thanks Sanj - will give it a go tonight if I'm allowed outside to play with the new toy!!

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:30 pm
by apetrov1x5
Sanj, thank you very much for taking the time to write this excellent topic (with pictures!).

I am not an English speaker, but your explanations are clear to me until the final line of post #1 where you refer to a glue gun or what?...

I lost you there, sorry, but would you make one more step and elaborate for us, foreigners :) what exactly we have to do once we have located the problem.

Many thanks!

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:09 pm
by Sanj
No problem - a hot glue gun is something like this one:

Image

Pic again for you! :lol:

Plug it in, gun gets hot, melts the glue stick as you push the trigger - the glue sets hard and dry. Making it weather-proof. :thumbsup:

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 8:15 am
by apetrov1x5
Many thanks again!!! So we need to encapsulate the microswitch in glue, right?

Now I wish the rain would stop for more than 5 hours :) ... the weather is not at all right for this kind of thing here in Edinburgh :)

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:04 pm
by Sanj
Not necessarily a hot glue gun but anything that will hold that lever on it's pivot point (usually they wear) hence the failure. This seem to work quite well... :)

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:47 pm
by nujon
For everyone's info, the mirror-fold microswitch is a Burgess V4NC series (V4NCO8 to be precise)

Here's the maker's website :- http://www.saia-burgessusa.com/url]

- and list of UK distributors:- http://www.johnsonelectric.com/en/conta ... %20Britain

nujon
Posts: 12
Joined: January 23rd, 2011, 6:28 pm

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:59 pm
by Busapower
Hi Folks,
Any ideas if you have opened up your mirros and the metal clip that goes onto the switch is missing, ie where you might get a new one?
Thanks.

Re: Auto Folding Mirror Fix

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:44 pm
by nujon
the 'actuator arm' is supplied fitted to the switch - I doubt the maker will sell them separately