[NGEE]

EDIT - this is NOT a fix, just a problem assessment.

There are two fixes: one is to cut the wire and abandon the folding mirror feature, like this: https://youtu.be/4uUNISa5yZM.

The other is to drill a hole and insert lubricant. See post #2 below from jsunma.

====================

I know this is a common problem, and there are threads and YouTube videos on it. But none of them make sense to me, so thought I'd post up on it.

The problem begins when you push the button to fold the mirrors. Then when you go to put them back, they keep going past center, and then get confused and can't seem to ever find center again. At that point your only remedy is to re-center it by hand, but then every time you get into your car it goes off in search of center again. Rinse and repeat - you and your car look like idiots.

I pulled the back off the mirror assembly and found that the entire mirror sits on a round plate that has a [negative] gap in it. That plate sits on a base that has a [positive] notch in it. The entire mirror assembly is held to the base on a spring-loaded post. So when you fold the mirror, the gap in the plate hits the notch on the base, and the entire mirror assembly is forced to rise up over the notch as it spins (the spring provides enough play).

Here is a visual:



The idea is that when you reset the mirrors for driving, it spins until it clunks back down over the notch. But apparently there is a pin that you cannot see that really stops it in the proper place.

[jsunma]

I fought with this issue for quite a few months...and then I ended up doing the "drill a hole and lubricate the spring stop" thing as covered here:

And I haven't had the problem since, fwiw.

I didn't cut any wires.

[kens]

I'm not sure you had what I had but I had to do weird shit like, open the mirrors, force it open with your hand and you'll feel a really thick snap, it feels like you're breaking it - but you're not, you're moving the plate and lock mechanism. After forcing it open, it'll be in a really weird forward position, then you close the mirrors and it'll snap back all the way or you push it forward again, it'll make noises like its breaking but snaps back?

Something like that or in reverse I forget, essentially your mirrors got pushed at some point by a passerby and messed up the rotation on it when it went to close or open automatically/by you, so you're trying to reclock the plate to the correct position

[NGEE]

Originally Posted by kens

I'm not sure you had what I had but I had to do weird shit like, open the mirrors, force it open with your hand and you'll feel a really thick snap, it feels like you're breaking it - but you're not, you're moving the plate and lock mechanism. After forcing it open, it'll be in a really weird forward position, then you close the mirrors and it'll snap back all the way or you push it forward again, it'll make noises like its breaking but snaps back?

Something like that or in reverse I forget, essentially your mirrors got pushed at some point by a passerby and messed up the rotation on it when it went to close or open automatically/by you, so you're trying to reclock the plate to the correct position

Yep, I've done that many times. It eventually stopped working.

[PhaseP]

Originally Posted by NGEE

In one video they drilled through the motor body to lube the supposed pin. I don't know about other cars, but my 2007 E90 335 doesn't have such a pin.

You didn't see the pin, because it is closed inside completely and not accessible. That's why you either drill a hole to get to it to lubricate and free it, or you need to break away the sort of riveted cylinder that holds everything together under spring tension. And then you need to weld it back using some washer.

See here as one example of totally taking it apart but requires welding to put it back:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1385805

That's my post from some time ago. If needed to do today, I would probably first try drilling method.

The pin is steel, as expected, and is inside an aluminum housing hole. Aluminum corrodes to dusty particles by time, around the pin, making it get stuck.

[NGEE]

Originally Posted by PhaseP

You didn't see the pin, because it is closed inside completely and not accessible. That's why you either drill a hole to get to it to lubricate and free it, or you need to break away the sort of riveted cylinder that holds everything together under spring tension. And then you need to weld it back using some washer.

See here as one example of totally taking it apart but requires welding to put it back:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1385805

That's my post from some time ago. If needed to do today, I would probably first try drilling method.

The pin is steel, as expected, and is inside an aluminum housing hole. Aluminum corrodes to dusty particles by time, around the pin, making it get stuck.

Nice, makes sense now. Thanks!

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by NGEE

Yep, I've done that many times. It eventually stopped working.

Same. I used to have mirror folding coded on long-press lock, but eventually the issue became too frequent and became increasingly difficult to correct.

Thanks for the post. I hate the idea of cutting wires so I may try to drill and lubricate this pin now.

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by e90yyc

Same. I used to have mirror folding coded on long-press lock, but eventually the issue became too frequent and became increasingly difficult to correct.

Thanks for the post. I hate the idea of cutting wires so I may try to drill and lubricate this pin now.

Worked like a charm. Plus, I now have a hole for lubricating it the next time this problem comes up...which I'm sure it will. (at 200K, everything happens again )

[jsunma]

For what it's worth, my mirror just started the crazy folding thing again. As luck would have it, during various business trips where I didn't have access to my real tools and thus couldn't fix it.

I thought it might be the other side from the one I referenced fixing above; and today (now that I have nothing to do for the next couple of months than to hang around the house...) I pried off the cover and sure enough, it was the other side that I'd fixed about a year ago. So I drilled a hole on this side, sprayed in the WD-40, and shazam, it's fixed.

2 for 2. I hope folks (perhaps those who find this thread via searching) try this before going caveman and cutting wires. It really works and anyone with a drill (I used a dremel) and a can of WD-40 can do it.

[NGEE]

Originally Posted by jsunma

I hope folks (perhaps those who find this thread via searching) try this before going caveman and cutting wires. It really works

I hope so too, so everyone knows the options. But really, it's all caveman. I cut the wire and haven't looked back.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by jsunma

For what it's worth, my mirror just started the crazy folding thing again. As luck would have it, during various business trips where I didn't have access to my real tools and thus couldn't fix it.

I thought it might be the other side from the one I referenced fixing above; and today (now that I have nothing to do for the next couple of months than to hang around the house...) I pried off the cover and sure enough, it was the other side that I'd fixed about a year ago. So I drilled a hole on this side, sprayed in the WD-40, and shazam, it's fixed.

2 for 2. I hope folks (perhaps those who find this thread via searching) try this before going caveman and cutting wires. It really works and anyone with a drill (I used a dremel) and a can of WD-40 can do it.

Originally Posted by jsunma

For what it's worth, my mirror just started the crazy folding thing again. As luck would have it, during various business trips where I didn't have access to my real tools and thus couldn't fix it.

I thought it might be the other side from the one I referenced fixing above; and today (now that I have nothing to do for the next couple of months than to hang around the house...) I pried off the cover and sure enough, it was the other side that I'd fixed about a year ago. So I drilled a hole on this side, sprayed in the WD-40, and shazam, it's fixed.

2 for 2. I hope folks (perhaps those who find this thread via searching) try this before going caveman and cutting wires. It really works and anyone with a drill (I used a dremel) and a can of WD-40 can do it.

I would follow up with some light oil as wd40 dries out, and then silicone the hole

[Yngvejos]

I fixed my mirror by drilling a hole to lubricate the pin.
I drilled too deep and damaged the spring.
To sort out this mess, I enlarged the hole and made m5 or m6 threads.
I cut a piece of spring from a ballpoint pen to replace the spring and sealed it from the top with a screw.