2006 W209 CLK Mirrors folding problem

[nikolaymk]

Hi,

I have a strange fault with the folding of both electric mirrors which started suddenly a week ago.

When you press the button on the light control panel to open the mirrors nothing happens. When you unfold them with your hand (they don't lock into place) and press either the open or the close button the mirrors close. Very rarely when you press the open button the mirrors will open but most times nothing happens.


With ignition on if you start to open either mirror manually with your hand the motor inside starts working and the mirror closes.

I should mention that the automatic folding when locking feature on the car has always been enabled and I've never had to use the manual mirror open or fold buttons. That feature has also stopped working now.

I have now disabled that feature and park the car without folding the mirrors (risky in North London) but also if I press the fold button by accident the mirrors will fold and I won't be able open them until I get very lucky.

I don't know if this is related to this fault but the electric adjustment on the mirrors has never worked correctly and if you press the up arrow the mirrors move down.

Any thoughts?

 

[television]

This is a hard one for both sides to fail, I would first try and lubricate the fulcrum point tat the mirror swings on with PTFE or Silicon, as the could be too stiff to start working.

 

[nikolaymk]

Hi Malcolm,

Thanks for the quick reply (as usual)

I tried that with WD40 a few days ago and it didn't make any difference. Will another lubricant fare any better?

Nick

 

[television]

WD 40 should have helped for a time, I need to study the wiring diagram but mot easy for me till my eyes are fixed next week. Hopefully someone else might be able to help out, the controllers are all part of the door ECUs and to have 2 fail rules that out unless they have lost some info from the ECU's. When you fold by hand this usually overrides the electric part

 

[nikolaymk]

Yes I can open or fold by hand but when opened by hand the mirror is not locked in it's place and vibrates too much. Can I damage something if I drive the car like this?

 

[television]

Once you have overridden the locking they will flap around as nothing to hold them, it does appear that they are just far too stiff to move for the motors, it could pay you to remove the coves and lubricate inside

 

[nikolaymk]

Well, the car has done 206K miles for 6 yrs so you could be right, they coluld be full of muck and road grime.

Do I have to remove the mirror glass then unbolt top cover, then aim to lubricate the inside of the attaching point with the silicone spray?

Nick

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
My thinking on this having looked at the later folding mirror systems on cars like your recently is it sounds to me that you could possibly have a intermittent switch fault, coupled to possibly stiff mirrors as well though I personnally favour the switch being the issue.

 

[nikolaymk]

We actually have another CLK which is a couple of years older but the switch is the same. I will lubricate both my mirrors and also swap the switches to see if the problem will be cured on my car.

Will report back in a few hours.

Nick

 

[nikolaymk]

Ok, as usual all advice here was 100% spot on.

I cleaned and lubricated both mirrors well and they now work fine with the automatic "fold mirrors when locking" function.

The mirror switch within the light switch also had in intermittent fault. When you press the unfold button most of the time it performs fold function. That means that when mirrors are folded and you press that button nothing happens.

This is one of the more bizarre faults I've had but its all fine now. Thanks for your help!

 

[Lit.91]

Guys, some help needed here too... I thought I'm not going to start a new thread & just continue here.

The car is a w209: 2006 CLK 320cdi Sport.

I'm getting a few problems with my mirrors when its raining out there:

The passenger mirror would sometimes fail to open once the car has been opened, this is usually solved by putting a pushing the mirror in whilst operating the open function. This usually does the treat, but I would like to cure the problem completely.

Secondly, on various occasions, the mirrors would make funny motor noises once they have either fully opened or fully closed.

I have come across a number of threads suggesting to cable tie the wires somewhere on the housing... But no in depth explanations or pictures showing on what exactly needs to be done.

I might as well change the steamed up indicators whilst the mirror has been taken apart.

I wash the car quite often, so even if there's no rain - the mirrors get wet on weekly basis.

Could someone point me into the right direction; to dismantle the mirror housing & potentially cure the problem - I presume by securing the wires in a safe location?

 

[television]

If the mirrors are making noises they need lubricating at the swivel fulcrum point with silicon or PTFE

 

[Lit.91]

If the mirrors are making noises they need lubricating at the swivel fulcrum point with silicon or PTFE

Ok will do, but the noise isn't generated whilst they are opening/closing (operation) - it sounds like an electrical noise/squeal once (just after) the mirror is either fully closed or fully opened

 

[John Laidlaw]

as above- the noise maybe generated as the friction is causing the motor some anguish!

 

[Arzaam]

i am also facing issue with folding mirrors on my w203, but its a bit different, the passenger side mirror when pressed button to fold it doesnt fold moves back a little and makes clicking noises and doesnt fold, the driver side fold and unfolds fine, additionally i tried to fold it by hand and its extremely stiff hardly moved two inches at which point i didn't apply any pressure of fear of breaking it,

any ideas? the workshop says without looking at it that the motor is faulty, but i placed a order for a motor and its been three weeks still can't find it nor import it from another country so help me out please, can it be something else is getting stuck and not the motor

 

[television]

i am also facing issue with folding mirrors on my w203, but its a bit different, the passenger side mirror when pressed button to fold it doesnt fold moves back a little and makes clicking noises and doesnt fold, the driver side fold and unfolds fine, additionally i tried to fold it by hand and its extremely stiff hardly moved two inches at which point i didn't apply any pressure of fear of breaking it,

any ideas? the workshop says without looking at it that the motor is faulty, but i placed a order for a motor and its been three weeks still can't find it nor import it from another country so help me out please, can it be something else is getting stuck and not the motor

You need to do the same as above, spray some PTFE in while helping, you are just stripping the gears as it is. Have some one operate the switch while you help and spray it

 

[Lit.91]

Do I need to remove the mirror glass or housing to access the gears?

Also, why would this be prone to wet weather? Surely water would only lubricate the mechanism rather than seizing it - this meaning that the problem should occur when the water has dried.

I will lubricate it all, as I cant see this being of any harm & can only benefit the mechanism, although I'm kind of skeptical whether it would cure the actual issue.

Thanks for your input guys, any more info would be much appreciated.

Also, is there a guide to dismantle the mirror? I'd like to change the indicator lights whilst at it.

 

[television]

Press the glass in at the bottom, unhook the wire spring going across the top and lift the glass out,, the rest is all plain sailing. The drive for the glass just unscrews.

You must lubricate the casing at the swivel point.

 

[Arzaam]

i also lubricated mine with PFTE spray it made it slightly better that first it was very hard to close even by hand and wouldn't close via button now its easier to close by hand and does almost open it self but still doesnt retract, i can hear the motor running but it sounds week and i guess slips on it gears

only passenger side window has this problem what now?

should i keep trying lubricating after every few days or use WD 40

what about using white lithium grease or penetrating oil?

 

[television]

WD40 is the wrong thing entirely, Silicon or PTFE