Are My Mirrors Heated?

[Bossmls]

Hi

Are the mirrors on a 2003 SL500 auto heated? I ask because on my previous 2003 EClass they never misted up, even when the car stood overnight. It was as if they had temperature sensors and were on regardless of the ignition. On this SL the other morning the passenger mirror was clear but the drivers mirror was misted. This cleared when the car was being driven, making me think they are ignition dependent....is this the case?There is no info on heated mirrors in the handbook just that the drivers exterior mirror is anti dazzle. I need to clear these issues whilst I have a gtee. Is there any way I can test them?

Thanks

Martyn.

 

[television]

They are on when you start the car, as the drivers mirror is auto dim it could take a touch long than the near side that has a standard heated glass owing to the time taken to heat the liquid inside.
There is no turn on of off feature for them on your car.

Malcolm

 

[Wezzel]

Mine are connected to the rear window heater.

When the heater is switched on, so are the mirror elements.

 

[television]

Mine are connected to the rear window heater.

When the heater is switched on, so are the mirror elements.

This used to be the standard way of warming them, in the last few years that has changed,though the rear demister is still on a switch.

malcolm

 

[mioba]

they will certainly be heated, you can feel them get warm on a cold day.

otherwise they have failed and they need replacing, I had one done on my w220 not so long ago, lucky i have warranty otherwise they are unbeleiveably expensive

 

[Bossmls]

Thanks all.....but no one has answered whether they work independent of the ignition. Eg automatically come on when the outside temperature drops, whilst the car is parked. I am sure my Eclass ones did.

 

[Myros]

I have the "winter pack" mirrors

on our C280. The mirrors are run from the outside temperature sensor,and come on automatically at 4 deg C or below, but only when the key is in the ignition and position 1 engaged. If they came on independently of the ignition, you could in theory flatten your battery in the car park on a cold day without even going near the car.

 

[Bossmls]

I thought about that......but wondered if they had someting like a 2 stage heat, not coming on full bore without the ignition on, more like a ' frost protection' low power/consumption circuit......obviously not but my 2003 E class never misted for me..........strange.

 

[jberks]

Thanks all.....but no one has answered whether they work independent of the ignition. Eg automatically come on when the outside temperature drops, whilst the car is parked. I am sure my Eclass ones did.

No it doesn't and neither did your E. If you think about it, a mirror heater takes quite a bit of power so leave your car overnight in the cold and you'd have a flat battery, and all to keep a mirror clear on an unoccupied car. These things can only ever work from the ignition.
I'm not sure that the heated mirrors on Mercs ever worked with the rear window switch either. I know most cars do and it makes a lot of sense, but on my 1995 C class, the mirrors were independant.

Oddly I haven't noticed my mirrors misting either but I suspect that has more to do with the design of the car, where it's parked and the weather than anything else.