Passenger mirror reversing (goldfish) memory

[greenfingers]

My electric mirrors adjust fine.
My memory seat remembers it's position fine.
My memory passenger mirror remembers it's normal driving position fine; however when I select reverse, it develops amnesia!

Instead of moving down and in to it's correct setting, it goes up and out!
I have reset it numerous times and it works correctly for a bit, but after turning off the ignition, it seems to lose it's memory and go up and out again.

Someone here pointed out that if you leave the right mirror adjuster selected, then the passenger mirror does not move into it's reversing position. This is true, and normal reversing is now possible (at last!).

I have been setting it according to the handbook, and presumably that is right? Has anyone else had this problem, and is there a solution?

 

[television]

I understand that this needs to be re programmed by STAR

 

[greenfingers]

Thanks Malcolm, in that case I will probably just live with the fault, rather than risk my wallet at an MB dealership.

However, your reply made me think about another wierdity that sometimes happens:-
Occasionally my indicators seem to misbehave. For example, after overtaking on the motorway, I usually blink the left indicator once to show the slowster that I am pulling back in; but instead of flashing once, the left indicator flashes about three times - and then the right once!

Is this a programming glitch too?

 

[eric242340]

Hi, you havent posted your car model? Are these retractable mirrors, by that I mean the mirrors that fold in when parking? And do they have the indicator lights fitted? If they are then you may have one fault causing two problems. But I need your answer to the above questions, thanks.

 

[greenfingers]

Yes Eric, they are retractable (folding) mirrors with indicators in them.
The car is a facelift ML270 '51 reg (as in my signature).

Pray tell, what are you thinking?

 

[eric242340]

Yes Eric, they are retractable (folding) mirrors with indicators in them.
The car is a facelift ML270 '51 reg (as in my signature).

Pray tell, what are you thinking?

Woops, sorry did not look at your signature. The retractable mirrors develop wiring problems inside the mirror housing and this can (and often does) affect mirror position and indicators. To check this you need to remove the mirror shroud. To remove the shroud, fold the mirrors and behind the exposed end you will see a square hole, place a standard screwdriver inside and depress the clip, whilst holding the clip in the depressed position gently slide the shroud off. Once the Shroud is off, the wiring is exposed and if there is a problem it will be pretty obvious, even to the untrained eye. We get at least two of these a week , this will give you an idea of how common this problem is. Its the movement of the mirror that causes this problem.

 

[television]

Thanks Malcolm, in that case I will probably just live with the fault, rather than risk my wallet at an MB dealership.

However, your reply made me think about another wierdity that sometimes happens:-
Occasionally my indicators seem to misbehave. For example, after overtaking on the motorway, I usually blink the left indicator once to show the slowster that I am pulling back in; but instead of flashing once, the left indicator flashes about three times - and then the right once!

Is this a programming glitch too?

The mirrors do sometimes loose their programing and I know of several cars that have been re programmed through a software error. When it is coupled up to a machine, then is the time to do it. On my SL it will loose that function sometimes. If the mirror functions by the switches in the car then there is nothing wrong with the mirror.

Re the indicators I have a feeling that this is a stalk fault as mine can do the same, I over come mine by just a very light touch on the stalk,if i touch it too hard then like you mine flashes the other side before stopping

 

[greenfingers]

Thanks guys. I will investigate further this weekend and report back.

 

[greenfingers]

I've had a look at the wiring inside the mirror, almost wishing to find signs of fatigue, but everything looked unchaffed and unkinked.
The connector fits nicely and everything seems clean and dry, so I suspect the fault is elsewhere.

Since the mirror adjusters have never stuttered, I had felt the wiring was OK, but I don't feel much closer to a solution. Anyway, it hardly matters, although a 'software' fault would be annoying, because it should be so simple to fix.

 

[television]

I've had a look at the wiring inside the mirror, almost wishing to find signs of fatigue, but everything looked unchaffed and unkinked.
The connector fits nicely and everything seems clean and dry, so I suspect the fault is elsewhere.

Since the mirror adjusters have never stuttered, I had felt the wiring was OK, but I don't feel much closer to a solution. Anyway, it hardly matters, although a 'software' fault would be annoying, because it should be so simple to fix.

I did say that the fault would not be in the wiring on the mirrors, a software update is simple when joined up to STAR

 

[Andy Wr]

My indicators flash 3 times then once on the otherside, thought it was standard.

 

[greenfingers]

My indicators flash 3 times then once on the otherside, thought it was standard.

Why would you ever want them to do that?
The only explanation I can imagine is that it must be some kryptic form of Germanic driving code!

 

[eric242340]

Hate to say this, but it looks like a star diagnostics jobby or live with it.:cry:

 

[television]

Hate to say this, but it looks like a star diagnostics jobby or live with it.:cry:

Do not you feel bad inside eric that you made him take his mirror to bits for faults that do not exist