Mirrors on motorway

[DaveB]

Just back from a long trip from Devon to Scotland weather was not great so dealt with a lot of driving in the rain. On the motorway, I like my mirrors to be as clear as possible so treated them with Rain-X but this didn't seem to make much difference and I kept having to pull into services and give them a good wipe. Are there any other strategies I can use to keep the drips off?

 

[flying banana]

An old trick is to tie a piece of cloth around them that dangles down. The wind makes the lothnflap against the glass and cleans them. It looks crap but works.
Edit....I don't have this problem either

 

[B J G]

Never tried this but for £5 might be worth a test.

CAR DOOR MIRROR & WINDSHIELD ANTI FOG/MIST RAIN PROOF SQUARE FILM 2Pcs STICKER | eBay

Car Side Rear View Mirror & Door Window. Anti-Fog, Weather Repellent, Anti-Mist, Anti-Dust & Anti-Greece Micro Film. Installation Instruction.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[kurienp]

Just back from a long trip from Devon to Scotland weather was not great so dealt with a lot of driving in the rain. On the motorway, I like my mirrors to be as clear as possible so treated them with Rain-X but this didn't seem to make much difference and I kept having to pull into services and give them a good wipe. Are there any other strategies I can use to keep the drips off?

Any parts missing from around the mirror? A picture may help. Do you have wind deflectors fitted? Also what's usual speeds that you maintain on the motorway?

 

[Perfectos]

Never had that problem.
you can get “eye brows” which stick to the top of the mirror and create an overhanging cover over the glass

 

[DaveB]

Any parts missing from around the mirror? A picture may help. Do you have wind deflectors fitted? Also what's usual speeds that you maintain on the motorway?

No mirrors are sound. I don’t have deflectors and I drive around 70mph

 

[andyinluton]

Keep the mirror heating on when its wet.

 

[BeeBee]

Never had that problem.
you can get “eye brows” which stick to the top of the mirror and create an overhanging cover over the glass

View attachment 104391

Do these interfere with the closure of the wing mirrors… looks like it may come very close to window on closure !

 

[DaveB]

Keep the mirror heating on when its wet.

I have had the van from new for 6 years and didn’t know I had heated mirrors! What a pillock

 

[BeeBee]

I have had the van from new for 6 years and didn’t know I had heated mirrors! What a pillock

Well another ‘dumbo’ here, we’ve had ours 4 years and didn’t know
Where is the switch?

 

[andyinluton]

Well another ‘dumbo’ here, we’ve had ours 4 years and didn’t know
Where is the switch?

Its the Knob on the drivers door top that you use to adjust the mirrors, rotate the knob, one of the positions is heating on.

 

[BeeBee]

Let’s face it ‘car manuals’ are at their worst incomprehensible and their best unwieldy and I speak as someone who doesn’t mind digging through journals … the literally ‘thoosands of pages’ is mostly about warding off litigation by saying “ well we told you on page 4000 !”

 

[BeeBee]

It’s the Knob on the drivers door top that you use to adjust the mirrors, rotate the knob, one of the positions is heating on.

Thanks, I guess there isn’t an actual indicator of ‘on / off’, that would be too simple !

 

[andyinluton]

Thanks, I guess there isn’t an actual indicator of ‘on / off’, that would be too simple !

No, there's no light. I keep mine on all the time especially this time of year when its wet most of the time.

 

[kurienp]

No, there's no light. I keep mine on all the time especially this time of year when its wet most of the time.

it also seems that some models have a timer that switches them off after x minutes. you just need to toggle the switch to another position and back to reset and get the heater going again.

 

[Amarillo]

Let’s face it ‘car manuals’ are at their worst incomprehensible and their best unwieldy and I speak as someone who doesn’t mind digging through journals … the literally ‘thoosands of pages’ is mostly about warding off litigation by saying “ well we told you on page 4000 !”

Finding out how the Beach diesel heater works was especially challenging. It wasn’t in the California supplement, which explained, in detail, a wholly different system for controlling the diesel heater. Neither was it in the section of the main manual for heating, which described the main heating/climate controls for various versions of the van. But is was tucked away in a separate section of the main manual.

 

[Wesel]

 

[andyinluton]

it also seems that some models have a timer that switches them off after x minutes. you just need to toggle the switch to another position and back to reset and get the heater going again.

There was a big discussion about this previously, there is no timer shown in any of wiring diagrams. On all 3 vans that I have owned the mirrors have stayed on for as long as the switch is in the on position.

 

[Resfeber]

I have had the van from new for 6 years and didn’t know I had heated mirrors! What a pillock

Not to worry they aren’t easy to see from drivers seat.

What we didn’t know: Coast after 3 months

5 year in and I might look into this. Thanks! If you search Thule anti rattle kit on this forum you will see which plastic spacers (that were standard on my van) you can adjust. They are also available to buy if you don’t have these fitted already. The only trouble with silencing the awning...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Perfectos]

Do these interfere with the closure of the wing mirrors… looks like it may come very close to window on closure !

I have no idea, I don’t use them myself, I was merely pointing out a potential solution to a problem I don’t experience myself.

I would image there is plenty of clearance when the mirrors fold as the come no where near the bodywork.

the eyebrows stick on so can be attached where you like and it looks like they are soft plastic (allows them to bend to the required profile , so trimming them would not be an issue IMO.
Plenty of scope for fitting them without potentially causing an issue?

 

[Vagophile]

There was a big discussion about this previously, there is no timer shown in any of wiring diagrams. On all 3 vans that I have owned the mirrors have stayed on for as long as the switch is in the on position.

I think that I have read somewhere that it is not advised to keep heated mirrors switched on after the glass is clear (general advice re heated mirrors). Your experience shows that this is not neccessarily the case. I run the mirror heaters intermittently when the mirrors are wet, probably the worst option.

 

[Hawthorn37]

I have had the van from new for 6 years and didn’t know I had heated mirrors! What a pillock

When my daughter was about to sell her 107 (after running it for about 8 years) we discussed the merits of different car models, and their features. It was quickly apparent she’d never found the rear heater switch on her 107

 

[ejmoore]

When my daughter was about to sell her 107 (after running it for about 8 years) we discussed the merits of different car models, and their features. It was quickly apparent she’d never found the rear heater switch on her 107

When we bought our first Cali, from Bilbo's, we put our Renault Megane in for part-exchange. In examining the car, Miss Bilbo pressed the lozenge shaped trim on the boot & it sprang open! We were amazed - never even knew that was a button.
I'd better check if we've got heated mirrors!

 

[dspuk]

I’ve had the heating on permanently for three years with my Tiguan without issues. Ref the water issue - never had anything like it on our 6.1 so had no need for mirror contraptions.

 

[Hawthorn37]

The latest Cali’s come with electric windows, just wind them down, clean mirror with a cloth, wind them up - bingo!