Door Mirrors

[APenn]

Hi Guys, First post I have just purchased a 1999, 2.8 Z3 in red with red leather interior. Some minor stone chips which will be sorted 44,000 mile full service history.
The only problem apart from the passenger door will sometime not open on the key, not a problem as I can lean over and open the door. Is the door mirrors.
I have read somewhere they do fold up, you have to pull the mirror up and then twist upwards. Have tried both mirrors and they appear to be stuck.
Firstly, do they fold on my Z3?
Secondly is there any way of freeing them, or is it best to leave well alone. I have heard they are prone to snapping.

Any advice would much appreciated

Thanks Andy

[robdalej]

think i would be inclined to leave well alone, my car ,in excellent condition but for the drivers door mirror , looks like someone has tried to fold it at some time and has been broken at the joint, it then has had some kind of sealant on it to repair it, makes it look unsightly, bear in mind a s/hand mirror sells for about £140 , so in my opinion , would leave them alone

[Southernboy]

All the Z3 mirrors fold back towards the window. The problem is caused by corrosion between the base and the arm which locks things up a tad. You are right that they will break if forced. The break will occur inside the arm and generally will occur to an alloy arm which is inside the plastic mirror housing. The only safe way to access and remove the mirror to clean away the corrosion so that they function correctly is as follows.
1. move the mirror so that the top is fully inside the plastic cover (ie. the mirror is facing upwards)
2. use a thin flat screwdriver and a light source and look inside the plastic housing behind the mirror for 2 clip points roughly at 4 and 6 'o' clock.
3. carefully lever the mirror off the 2 clips.
4. there are 2 more clips at the top side and opposite the 2 you will have just unclipped. move the mirror to a fully down facing position and first access the one at 2 'o' clock and carefully unclip that one. The 4th clip will be simple to undo and is located roughly at 10 'o' clock.
5. when you have achieved that, you will see 4 screws securing the motor to the inside of the plastic cover...remove them, and withdraw the motor. You will then see 4 more screws which attaches the alloy arm to the plastic cover - remove them..this will allow the plastic outer cover to be free to rotate and expose the 2 screws which secure the base to the door.
6. remove the inner door lining card and disconnect the electrical connections of the mirror.
7. remove the 2 screws holding the base to the door and remove the entire mirror fitting, and you can now begin to clean etc to free up the face between the alloy arm and the base.
8. Once restored, you can assemble the mirror entirely since you will be able to rotate the mirror to base now, and that will allow the 2 screws holding the unit to the door to be fitted.

Removing the door cards is fairly simple.
1. remove the trim around the inner door release catch by sliding it forward towards the front of the car. Press them in towards the door as you slide them. They have 4 little "L" shaped arms which locate into the door card.
2. remove the small cover plate at the top of the door armrest handle. A flat hard plastic tool is best, but can also be done with a narrow flat screwdriver. On the driver side the cover is represented by the mirror adjustment control switch.
3. Behind those items you will see a small screw in the hole - remove them.
4. If you have side / door airbags - you will see a small plastic badge on the door card roughly adjacent to the door lock. This is simply levered off and there will be another screw behind it - remove that.
5. Use a broad flat screwdriver and insert it between the door card and the door metal body and slide it along until you find a plastic retaining clip and lever it free from the door body...there are several of these around the periphery of the door card. Be careful when levering them out as they may break free from their housings in the door card due to age. You don't want that to happen !!
6. Once they are all freed, lift the door card up vertically to free it from the top edge of the door where the rubber window seal is.
7. Disconnect the wiring to the tweeter speakers and lift the door card away.
Installation is the reverse procedure.

[Southernboy]

I did a post some while back which detailed the repair of broken alloy arms. These arms are made of a metal very similar to pewter, and can be repaired by welding. You will need to find a person that does pewter work and who is familiar with welding it. The repair if done well will restore the arm as good as new. It will require removing the star-lock washer (use a dremmel tool to cut it - it's the only effective way to remove it. you will need a new star-lock washer though. They are available off eBay if you can't find a hardware outlet to help you with the correct size)
Alternately there are the plastic replacement components which will negate any future corrosive issues and are cheaper than a second hand mirror, and in my opinion what these mirrors should have been made from in the first instance.

[gookah]

The mirrors fold backwards or forwards, I always move them forwards every time I wash the car to keep them free and empty the water out, but the first time after you get the car is always a worry.

[APenn]

Cheers Guys

I think I will leave well alone.
It's not a real problem as I don't really need to fold them, If it was an easy fix may have had go.
Living in MId Wales the only thing I may get rubbing past is a large sheep.

[bertiejaffa]

Cheers Guys

I think I will leave well alone.
It's not a real problem as I don't really need to fold them, If it was an easy fix may have had go.
Living in MId Wales the only thing I may get rubbing past is a large sheep.

Don't let Maurice know - he forces people to run over them

[lightning]

Is there any way to get a lubricant such as WD-40 in to the mirror swivels, without dismantling them? Say with the extension tube on the WD-40 can?
My mirrors move but are stiff.

[Southernboy]

The gap between the base and the arm is the only way into the area which needs lubrication. The two are held together by a spring around the shaft between them. So, if you can turn them at all, i would suggest that once turned, you smear some marine grease into the little recesses of the base and work the mirror arm by turning back and forth until the grease has spread in there. Just wipe off any excess on the outside when you're done.

[Mike Fishwick]

It's a pity that the idea of oiling things has passed out of fashion, as it saves people a lot of trouble later on! I always oil my mirrors every year - with engine oil, not WD40 - and after 16 years my mirrors still fold easily. Door locks, hinges, bonnet catches and lot of other things benefit from a little oiling - but try buying an oil can in B&Q!

[Mint]

… but try buying an oil can in B&Q!

Agreed Mike, even "3in1" comes in a spray can now.

[Mike Fishwick]

Of course, in the Good Old Days we all had to look after our own bicycles, and soon found that prevention was better than cure! These days kids are told that it is too dangerous, and that they must pay a 'speciaist' to do anything.

[Brian4]

Is there any way to get a lubricant such as WD-40 in to the mirror swivels, without dismantling them? Say with the extension tube on the WD-40 can?
My mirrors move but are stiff.

If you follow Southernboy's first instructions you can remove the mirror glass and the plastic shroud of the mirror and the spring and joint are exposed. Once you have lubricated it to get it to move I would cover well in grease which should resist the further ingress of water. WD40 is a quick fix but as it is so fluid it either drains away or evaporates over time and you loose protection.

[Southernboy]

I second Mike's comment about "prevention". A little bit of common sense, a few drops of oil or a dab of grease will go a long way to excluding many small niggles on mechanical devices. Bonnet catches, door locks, accelerator and bonnet cables, gas strut shafts, hinges etc. Most can be attended to in an hour every winter. Cables can be detached and a few drops of decent machine or clean motor oil dripped into the end and held up so gravity will allow it to feed into the cable sleeve. Gas strut shafts can be simply wiped with an oily rag. How many times have you seen posts where bonnets and boots and doors get "stuck" or lock mechanisms work "erratically"... Everyone with an "aging" car should have a manual which will allow them to easily tackle these basic maintenance tasks. Even items like oil servicing, brake pad and disc replacements is easily handled, and should be by owners.

[littlefeller]

I have the same issue conserning the passenger door, I can lock but not unlock, it tries but fails.

[littlefeller]

I have the same issue conserning the passenger door, I can lock but not unlock, it tries but fails. duno what happened there

[Southernboy]

It's all about wear and filth... there are levers which pivot in holes or plastic / nylon bushes... they get worn or sticky with grime... a simple matter to remove them from the door, place them in a bath of mineral turps, use a little paint brush to give them a thorough cleaning, let it dry off and lube with some real oil (clean) and you'll find it'll most often sort our the problem of malfunctioning.

[littlefeller]

just what I thought, driving my z is a solo affair (messes her hair up so she wont get in) haven't gotten around to fixing the passenger door as it doesn't really get used, its just one of those things that slightly bugs me as I know about it. abit like my alarm, I have never heard it go off, don't even know if it works, didn't want to mess too much with this as it might immobilise the car

[fast_dps]

I hadn't thought about the mirror mechanism seizing up until I read these posts. As I was in the garage today I thought I'd look at mine. They move ok but perhaps were a bit stiff. Looking at the shelves for a suitable lubricant I saw a tin of silkolene bike chain grease. Any way sprayed this in to the joint faces and exercised the mirror movement a few times. Seems to be a freer on the movement and as its chain grease it won't evaporate, will coat the components and won't easily be washed out.

[Smartbear]

Interesting reading about seized z3 mirrors, mrs smartbears example seemed a little recalcitrant so I gave both mirrors a squirt with acf50 (great stuff)


The mirrors started to move with some gentle persuasion & I packed some corrosion block grease around the mounting screws to stop further damage



After a swift wash I took a couple of pics next to my z4, I'm not afraid to admit that driving the z3 is a better experience in several ways




Regards