FAQ: Side Mirror Problems (heated, auto-dimming, tilt)

Nope, they'll always come on for at least 9 minutes.

Thanks Mark, I must have this confused with another system.
Oh, I think I remember, it was the A/C Compressor won't engage with ambient 48* or less. Unless you request windshield defrost, otherwise the compressor gets a break in the winter.

You are correct sir!

I don't know about the defog override (makes sense, though) but the '98 book says ambient must be above 41* to activate the compressor.

Thanks, 41* it is then. And I have witnessed the A/C clutch engage with the defroster on below 41*.
Just to check and see if compressor was working.

I picked up a driver side mirror out of a junked riv some time ago and finally decided mine looks shitty enough to put it in. Just for s's & g's, I ripped my original apart and took some pics for reference.






It's the original out of my '97 w/ dimming w/o heat
Since before I got the car, the fluid had pretty much already all leaked out and there was one or two cracks at the bottem of the plastic framing. It wasn't difficult to rip it all off by hand.

Oh and so I can get a clear understanding of this, What should a good dimming mirror naturally look like? Is it supposed to look tinted or not?

It should be indistinguishable from a normal mirror...

Does anyone have a picture of a glass-plate replacement mirror installed?

AA wrote:

Does anyone have a picture of a glass-plate replacement mirror installed?

I bought the replacement pre cut mirror glass. I used a flexible two part epoxy to install it. It looks awesome. Is that what you mean Aaron? I can take a picture of mine.

This was the Burco #2864

http://www.burcoinc.com/products/online_catalog/

I have a 97 with remote mirrors and most of the time I can not adjust, nothing happens in any position, nor does the back up mirror tilt work. Thought it might be a fuze or breaker and than it will work OK for a little while, than back to not working again and everything works, so it must be getting juice some of the time. Anyone help me.

The seats work fine it is just the mirrors and they do not work most of the time, today put the car in reverse and the pass mirror tilted and they all adjusted just fine and maybe they will work tomarrow and maybe not -any other suggestions MOcarGuy@aol.com

RivGuy wrote:

The seats work fine it is just the mirrors and they do not work most of the time, today put the car in reverse and the pass mirror tilted and they all adjusted just fine and maybe they will work tomarrow and maybe not -any other suggestions [url=mailto://MOcarGuy@aol.com

MOcarGuy@aol.com[/quote[/url]]

Suggestion: remove the drivers side interior trim panel and use a ohmmeter to check the wiring to the mirror switch for continuity--both with and without moving the switch. You might need alligator clips or IC pin clips to attach the meter leads to the wires.

Albertj

My mirrors and memory seats were inoperative due to one broken wire in the flexible boot between the door and frame

LARRY70GS wrote:

My mirrors and memory seats were inoperative due to one broken wire in the flexible boot between the door and frame

I agree with Larry, especially considering the intermittent nature of your problem...
Speaking of which, how did you get access, Larry?

(You'll probably need the information in this writeup, though: Door Panel Removal)

I just pulled the boot back to get access to the wiring bundle.

LARRY70GS wrote:

I just pulled the boot back to get access to the wiring bundle.

Cool, I didn't think it would be that "smushable"...

So my mirrors always use to look like this...


But as of this morning, my driver side looks like this...

It's all golden and makes it difficult to use accurately in daytime what should I be checking into? (Mine had the autodim feature)

llamalor2112 wrote:

But as of this morning, my driver side looks like this...

It's all golden and makes it difficult to use accurately in daytime what should I be checking into? (Mine had the autodim feature)

You will have to get a new mirror or you can get a new mirror like LARRY70GS did a page back.

LARRY70GS wrote:

AA wrote:

Does anyone have a picture of a glass-plate replacement mirror installed?

I bought the replacement pre cut mirror glass. I used a flexible two part epoxy to install it. It looks awesome. Is that what you mean Aaron? I can take a picture of mine.

This was the Burco #2864

http://www.burcoinc.com/products/online_catalog/

if you 'top' teh mirror it will heat but it will not dim. To get a dimming one you need to try monsterpartsonline.com - be prepared to pay several hundred dollars for a new one. You *might* try car-part.com to find a used one.

the trick is when the Riv is parked outside, the sunlight does in the autodim mirrors. I had no problems with my autodim mirror until i changed jobs and no longer had the car parked in a garage all day.

Thanks guys. I'll try car-parts first and then if no luck I'll just top it I suppose. The previous owner kept it garaged its whole life, unfortunately I don't have space to park mine inside...sigh

llamalor2112 wrote:

Thanks guys. I'll try car-parts first and then if no luck I'll just top it I suppose. The previous owner kept it garaged its whole life, unfortunately I don't have space to park mine inside...sigh

Yep, that'll do it. When new they'd stay clear for a while but as they age the sunlight gets 'em.

At one time you could get a replacement autodim head for the mirror but I don't know if any are available - Patrick at monsterpartsonline.com might know.

It's really kinda annoying because we had a crazy record setting 70+ days of sunlight RIGHT as soon as I bought the car. Usually its very overcast pretty much all the time and the gold only spontaneously appeared on the very first day that we got rain once again. Grrr haha go figure.

I sent Patrick an email so hope to hear back from him n go from there. Thanks again!

Not sure if I'm the first to experience this but...my autodim has decided to un-stuck itself? After nearly 2 years it's decided it wants to start working again. Can't explain.

albertj wrote:

llamalor2112 wrote:

Thanks guys. I'll try car-parts first and then if no luck I'll just top it I suppose. The previous owner kept it garaged its whole life, unfortunately I don't have space to park mine inside...sigh

Yep, that'll do it.  When new they'd stay clear for a while but as they age the sunlight gets 'em.

At one time you could get a replacement autodim head for the mirror but I don't know if any are available - Patrick at monsterpartsonline.com might know.

Is it the autodim mirror glass itself that goes bad, or a sensor?

I figured it was the glass as it physically gets stuck a deep golden color but now I'm curious as my glass once again looks normal

llamalor2112 wrote:

I figured it was the glass as it physically gets stuck a deep golden color but now I'm curious as my glass once again looks normal

Hrmm, now THAT is interesting.

I've seen some of the mirrors where it looks like the gold has "run" inside the glass like honey. In those cases it seems pretty clear that the glass has failed. But your observation is interesting. Would be cool if it were determined that the glass is still good, and it is something else..... especially if that "something else" were fixable.