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Door mirrors' "always-on" glass heating
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e3steve   
Wed Dec 30 2015, 05:59pm
Joined: Jan 21 2013
Member No: #1163
Location: Warsash, Hants & Palma de Mallorca, Spain
 I mooted this about on here a couple of years ago.

Admin-Dave's (valid) argument against the idea revolved around the engine's need for 'load-acquiring' for DPF regeneration. My counter-argument is that the mirror-heat current loading is a mere 600mA each -- not enough to matter when loading the engine for said DPF regen. operation.

My arguments for: 1) Mirror heat takes a while to attain, therefore by the time you're in the car and you've switched on the HRW and driven for a bit, you can see out of the rear window but the mirrors are still getting in their stride. 2) You wouldn't always want the HRW loading the system when the mirrors, fogged or wet with road spray, need clearing. And, 3) Wet mirrors stay clear much better if they're warm when road spray lands on the glass.

The job is easily do-able, now I've done the groundwork, and is achieved at the door modules within each front door. The modules are attached to the window lifter motors. The brown multi-pin connector contains a blue wire in position 4 which is the 12V feed to the mirror glass heating element; unlatch, remove and disassemble the connector by removing the brown shell (after cutting off the little Ty-Wrap), easily achieved by releasing the plastic tag with a pin, near the cables' point of entry, and sliding the shell off the connector body. Press in the metal barb holding the contact receptacle in place by using a small pick or watchmaker's screwdriver and pulling the blue wire free. You need to press in the barb again after it moves back from its full insertion position in order to release it fully from the plastic plug body.

About 20mm along the wire from the metal receptacle, gently pare away about 6mm of wire insulation using a sharp blade. Don't snip off the receptacle! This will ensure that the procedure is easily reversed when selling the car, should you so desire.

Now remove the 2-wire module supply plug from the module, unlatch and remove the black multi-pin connector from the module, de-shell it in the same manner as the brown one.

Passenger's door (RHD) Pare away 6mm of insulation from the beige wire in position 7.

Driver's door (RHD) Pare away 6mm of insulation from the grey wire in position 7.

Both doors (RHD) Attach a small, pre-wired fuseholder to each bared conductor, simply by wrapping about 8mm of bared wire around it and flow a touch of solder over the wrapped joints. Tape up the supply wire, re-attach the black shell, insert the black multi-pin and the 2-pin connector to the module.

Fold the receptacle back over the wrapped & soldered joint and insulate the blue wire with tape; refit the brown shell, insert into the module and fit a new 2.4mm Ty-wrap.

Fit the fuseholders with 1-Amp fuses.
e3steve   
Mon Feb 22 2016, 12:18pm
Joined: Jan 21 2013
Member No: #1163
Location: Warsash, Hants & Palma de Mallorca, Spain
 UPDATE: Still working a treat. Mirror glasses stay very clear on wet days!

Well worth the effort...
 

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