Auto-Dip Door Mirrors (P38) - How £@<$!ng annoying is that??!

malcolm_durant · Aug 3, 2011

My passenger side mirror never returned from it's automatically lowered position when you went from reverse to drive/neutral/park. The demist function was broken too.

So I disabled the auto-dip function and waited for a suitable replacement to turn up on fleabay. Said mirror duly turns up at a not-too-outrageous price (new old stock with a few superficial scratches for £50 IIRC).

Fitted it today, re-enabled the auto-dip function and set it all up again...only to discover the driver's side one doesn't return properly any more. Bugger!!

I'm hoping reactivation will shake some cobwebs out and it'll start working again after some exercise, but I have my doubts.

Was planning on taking the old passenger one apart to see how to detach the head from the part that attaches to the door (as a "dry run" to work out how pull them apart to colour code the heads of the working mirrors properly).

Does anyone know what the "throttle" looks like - often referred to as the cause of the mirrors not automatically returning to position - and if it's serviceable or the kind of thing you can get at Maplins (I assume it's a fairly standard electronic component)?

Cheers,

kooky_guy · Aug 3, 2011

The throttle? I've never come across any suggestions as to how to fix this problem.

You'll be very popular if you come up with a method! For some reason it is nearly always the left hand mirror that does it too.

Irishrover · Aug 3, 2011

"Throttle" ????????????????????

JohnP38 · Aug 4, 2011

malcolm_durant said:
My passenger side mirror never returned from it's automatically lowered position when you went from reverse to drive/neutral/park. The demist function was broken too.

So I disabled the auto-dip function and waited for a suitable replacement to turn up on fleabay. Said mirror duly turns up at a not-too-outrageous price (new old stock with a few superficial scratches for £50 IIRC).

Fitted it today, re-enabled the auto-dip function and set it all up again...only to discover the driver's side one doesn't return properly any more. Bugger!!

I'm hoping reactivation will shake some cobwebs out and it'll start working again after some exercise, but I have my doubts.

Was planning on taking the old passenger one apart to see how to detach the head from the part that attaches to the door (as a "dry run" to work out how pull them apart to colour code the heads of the working mirrors properly).

Does anyone know what the "throttle" looks like - often referred to as the cause of the mirrors not automatically returning to position - and if it's serviceable or the kind of thing you can get at Maplins (I assume it's a fairly standard electronic component)?

Cheers,

Throttle?? I think some people (me included) would like to "throttle" the dip option when the mirrors dont return to the original position.I think you mean potentiometer and that is a standard electronic term.No I dont think you can buy it as a standard component form any electronics store.My left mirror only returns partially to the original position.It is on the list to troubleshot and repair one day.I have not seen any write up on a definitive repair for this issue.

jerrytlr · Aug 4, 2011

Sorry to hijack the thread, but how do you enable and disable the auto dipping? Mine don't auto dip, but as I only have the basic DT spec of the P38 perhaps they aren't supposed to... would be good to know!

Cheers

Jerry

malcolm_durant · Aug 10, 2011

Just thought I'd post back here to let everyone with dodgy dipping mirrors know that the 4-5 day's exercise I referred to above has reinvigorated the driver's side mirror. I now have two perfect auto-dipping mirrors and am well chuffed!!

Jerrytlr: it's all in the driver's handbook. If you haven't got one, reply back here and I'll type out the instructions on this thread.

Still haven't got round to pulling apart the old mirror; other than taking the glass off. At first glance nothing in there looks different to any other electric mirror aside from the extra wires in the plug socket. More to follow...

Malcolm

gfromleeds · Aug 10, 2011

kooky_guy said:
The throttle? I've never come across any suggestions as to how to fix this problem.

You'll be very popular if you come up with a method! For some reason it is nearly always the left hand mirror that does it too.

mine was random sometimes the left somtimes the right, sometimes both but never had both work as should

just disabled it! and even forgot it had it, untill seeing this thread :doh:

jerrytlr · Aug 10, 2011

malcolm_durant said:
Jerrytlr: it's all in the driver's handbook. If you haven't got one, reply back here and I'll type out the instructions on this thread.

Malcolm

Sadly my car didn't come with the handbook; so if you could write the instructions here that would be great!

Cheers

Jerry

Gazza36 · Jan 12, 2012

Old thread I know, but how do you actually fix the problem of the mirror not returning to position? Ta.

kooky_guy · Jan 13, 2012

Gazza36 said:
Old thread I know, but how do you actually fix the problem of the mirror not returning to position? Ta.

Not sure anyone has really got to the bottom of this.

Auto-Dip Door Mirrors (P38) - How £@<$!ng annoying is that??!

malcolm_durant

Active Member

kooky_guy

Well-Known Member

Irishrover

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JohnP38

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jerrytlr

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malcolm_durant

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gfromleeds

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jerrytlr

New Member

Gazza36

Active Member

kooky_guy

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