Photo tip: Repair of power side mirrors with your own hands
Almost any modern car has basic comfort features that allow the driver to easily operate the vehicle. In the case of a malfunction, including the failure of the electric drive side mirrors, the car, which is under warranty, of course, it is better to show faster professionals. If the car has already “driven off” its warranty period, you may try to solve the problem by yourself.
Original article taken from vento-club.com
The side mirrors are adjusted in different planes by two small DC electric motors with a worm wheel and set screws. Normally, the electric motor control buttons are located in cars on the driver’s door. But, depending on the car model, there may be other variations.
Electric side mirror actuator failures can be electrical or mechanical.
Diagnosing electrical malfunctions
Diagnosis of the malfunction should begin with checking the electrical malfunctions. First of all, you need to turn on the ignition, but do not start the car, then, lower the windows, press the keys to adjust the position of the mirrors. If you do not hear a characteristic buzzing of the electric motor under the casing, it means that there is a problem with the electric drive circuit. The first thing you should do is to check the fuse, the purpose and which location is always specified in the manual of each car. If the matter is in it, i.e. it has burned out, it is necessary to replace it with a new one of the corresponding nominal value, after that it is necessary to check the condition of connectors in the device, to make sure that the electric motors and the control panel are receiving power. A multimeter (at least a test lamp) will help to do this.
Fault diagnosis of mechanical
After making sure that the electrical circuits are in good working order, it is necessary to diagnose mechanical faults. At first, it is recommended to make sure that they are securely attached to the elements that fix on the drive mechanism. It is worth at the same time to check the integrity of plastic parts and all the latches, which, after the mirror element is removed, become accessible.
The defect in the mechanism can be easily detected when power is applied to it. Eliminate the detected defect, you need to take your time and very carefully. Particular care is required for the mirror, which is easy to damage at the time of disassembly.
How to disassemble the mirror
Disassemble the mirror without removing from the car: two catches (red) to pull away with little effort, then move apart using a flat screwdriver, guides (marked yellow). Such actions are carried out on four sides, until the mirror “hangs” on the heating wires.
Now you need to remove the decorative cover and unscrew the three screws. After that, very carefully, rocking slightly so as not to break the latch, the mirror is removed.
You can proceed to troubleshooting.
To remove the drive from the housing, it is enough to unscrew three screws.
Next comes the turn of the dust cover and the back cover, which must be removed. Unhook the connector.
The white part, against which the mirror holding element rotates, is also removed.
Now, in order to extend as much as possible, we slide the actuators to the side (shown with an arrow), connecting to the connector on the door and again to the housing.
One of the reasons could be that part of the groove broke off.
To fix this kind of breakage, it is enough to use a drip tube “hardened” by petroleum products (gasoline).
The tube, with glue applied to it beforehand, is put on the broken groove and trimmed in place. For a more reliable connection to the ball joint, blow on the tube with a hair dryer – its upper part will shrink under the influence of hot air.
This is what it looks like.
Now all that is left is to assemble everything carefully in reverse order. The drive works.
Other possible causes of non-functioning powered side view mirror
It is quite possible, that the motor with worm gearing, which controls mirror folding (similar to those, which are installed in the Chinese children’s toys), or the board, which is responsible for switching off the power at the load increasing at the end of the move, is out of order.
The mirror may buzz, but not fold, if the gear on the worm shaft is worn. You can do this kind of power side mirror repair yourself.
The left and right mirror folding and adjustment mechanisms are exactly the same. They differ only in the adjustment and connection. After the mirror is assembled, but not yet installed colored overlay, you need to check the correctness of the mirror control: if the mirror is adjusted horizontally when adjusting the vertical position, you need the plugs are square.
This is how the control body of the folding mechanism of the left mirror (top) and the right one (bottom) looks. You can see the difference in the adjustment: the right mirror is assembled in the “disassembled” position, and the left mirror is “assembled”.
Before the mirror is removed from the car, it must be set in the “disassembled” position to assemble in the same disassembled position (otherwise, you must assemble in the “assembled” position).
Disassembly of the mechanism of the folding left mirror.
Now it can be applied to the appropriate part of the housing, with which the mirror is attached to the body pillar.
Turning the mechanism to the “disassembled” position, reassemble it in reverse order. It is impossible to make a mistake with the angle of rotation, because the mechanism rotates by a certain angle. You just need to turn it from one extreme position to the other.
Maintenance and repair of mirrors with electric drive.
Recently, mirrors started jamming when folding, it bothers me of course) Mirrors about 20 years, and the mechanism for this time, no one touched or serviced. I wish they hadn’t started jamming)))) Takes about an hour to disassemble and reassemble the mirror. So, take the mirror off and put it on the table.
I immediately say to prepare a cloth, napkins, any solvent with a brush or carburetor cleaner in a bottle. Flat screwdriver you need CURRENTLY pick up the mirror element, as on the arrows, there will be grooves under it. And take it off, it is held besides the latches still on the native sealant. It is needed not only to prevent its falling off on the way, but more to prevent rattling on the road. Without it the glass will shake, so do not touch it.
Next Phillips screwdriver unscrew the adjustment mechanism assembly from the mirror housing. Screwdriver better thinner, thicker does not fit through the slots. And the three screws on the bottom of the mirror.
After you unscrew the bottom three screws in the mirror end should be hidden another screw under the sticker, rip off the sticker and unscrew.
On the triangle under the foam is another screw, it keeps the cord, take it off too.
By the way, working with small parts and fasteners, it is better to get some kind of plate, to put everything there, so as not to lose anything.
Now everything is unscrewed, it is necessary to pull the actuator out of the housing and the housing is pushed along the cord away. Unfortunately there is nothing to remove from the wires, you have to work in difficult conditions.
It is necessary to remove the top cover, around which is wrapped a semblance of duct tape, it is simply removed upwards.
We see the board, and in the middle of it a screw, you need to unscrew it, and lift the board. Under there will be another screw. There are two wires on top of the motor. It is better to mark which one is where and take them off and put the motor aside.
Mechanism =) Disassembly and assembly of the car mirror with your own hands. Maintenance of the folding mechanism and repair
You can see that there is not a lot of grease and it is already greased by time. You need to take all parts out and wash them well. The main thing is to unpack everything and remember which part came from where and how it was inserted.
And there’s nothing wrong with the bottom! You can even see the rust. At the main hub, I do not know how to call that crap, where the wires come out, worn a crown, it needs to remove and pull the spring and a gear under it. It’s hard to take it off, you gotta pry it loose. But it is necessary, because the main friction when you rotate it, and there is a lot of crap under it, which needs to be cleaned and lubricated. After everything is disassembled, it should be cleaned well with a brush with solvent or easier to clean it with a carburetor cleaner. But you need to be careful with the plastic mirror housing, it dissolves, do not drop the main thing on it. And with other plastic parts you can be calm.
Here’s the bushing where everything rotates, underneath it is the platform where it goes. All need a good wipe. P.S. On this platform where the two balls, enclosed a small nut from the screw, which unscrewed the last. nut not lose!
Once all washed and wiped, you need a new grease, I chose a grease for universal joints. I really liked its consistency. In general, you need special grease for gears, but any grease will do. The main thing is not too thick.
I put it all back together. I greased this rod with wires, put it back on, the pinion, the spring and the crown. I greased everything with my fingers as I reassembled it and put the rest of the gears in chronological order. The main thing is not to mix up on the sticks where the top and where the bottom was and do not forget to put back in small balls on the sides of the vertical shaft.
Screw the screw, put on the chip, screw it on too and put the cover on top, I wrapped it with red tape to fix it. It is now visible through the gap from the street)).
All reassemble in place.
By the way here is disassembly of the second mirror, the circuit with all sorts of resistors was already another, although the mirrors are the same and removed from one car.
After connecting, mirrors flew like a Maybach) Do not be lazy to service any nodes in the car, not just concerning the mirror. And everything will work as it should.
Thank you all for your attention. I hope the fact will be helpful in the future. Don’t forget to press the like button! =)
P.S. The principle is universal for many cars, so I think a similar mechanism in most, the only difference in detail) P.S.S. The same principle of service applies to the door activators! It is in a white case, the case is like glued two halves to each other, you can open it accurately around the perimeter picking up a screwdriver, eventually it will come apart and inside the gears of a similar type. They should also be cleaned and re-greased. But of course this only applies when the activator died, so do not run to look for a new one, should first get into it and try to resuscitate)
