XM 2.5 VSX '97 Door Mirrors Kaput

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rg
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XM 2.5 VSX '97 Door Mirrors Kaput

Post by rg »

Hello Folks,
The adjust facility on the nearside door mirror (passenger side - "reverse-adjust" thingie) has packed up.
The 4-way tilt switch works fine when selected for the other side, hence, I surmise that the switch is OK.
The motors in the mirror work fine and tilt and pull the same mirror when reverse is selected, hence I take it that the motors in the actual mirror are OK.
Is there a box of fragile electronic trickery that gives up? if so, where is it, how easy is it to change, and how much?
This one is a real pain as my wife now likes driving the car, and we have a height difference of around a foot, hence lots of fiddly re-adjustment every time we change vehicles...
Thanks in anticipation.
rg
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

The mirror selecting switch is surely at fault - there is no fancy electronics rolling the mirrors - it's simple switch contacts for the mirrors motor currents - small currents anyway.
Guess the switch has either worn out mechanically - or the mirror selecting contact points are dirty/corroded.
rg
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Post by rg »

Anders,
Thanks for the reply.
However, when the left/right switch is switched to the other mirror, everything works fine. That is up/down, in/out via the four-position switch. This would suggest that the switch is OK.
Also the left/right switch, when selected to the left (faulty) mirror allows up/down but not in/out, hence voltage is passing through that switch as well.
rg
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Now - that's a quite important information.
Since the in/out - on the switch - DOES in fact work on 1 mirror - but not on the other - you can exclude the switch as guilty.
Then the problem may still be in either the side selecting switch - associated wiring - or the faulty mirror's in/out motor.
The mirror housings are quite harsh environment for any sensitive electric circuits - but also the wiring loom has a hard living in the grommet from door to pillar. Constantly stressed when door opened/closed, the wiring may eventually give up at some point - they are quite thin gauge wires.
Depending on your attitude - you may leave this fiddly work to you entrusted garage - or enjoy hours of fun fiddling with this annoying problem.
I'd start at the side selector switch - here you have access for testing the control voltage output from the switch - and injecting a test control voltage for the mirrror motors.
rg
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Post by rg »

Anders,
Kindly award yourself 75cl of Aalborg Akavit, served at minus 15deg c.
I have just cleaned around the rocker switch without dismantling with an old toothbrush and a strong vacuum cleaner. The mirror has come back to life!
I am surprised that the "up-down" on that side seemed to draw enough current to work, -but- the "in-out" didn't. There was obviously a partial contamination which did not allow enough power to operate the in-out motor but allowed the other one to work. Strange indeed.
The motors on that side obviously work harder than the driver's side due to the reverse action. They sound quite tired, so I may have a go at taking the glass off and trying to lubricate the linkages.
Thanks again
rg
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Cheers Mate [^]
- and bottom up [:D]
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