Just wondering how the heated mirrors turn on in my R53 ?

Please let me know....... Thanks

 

I thought they turned on with the rear window defroster, but the owners manual says they automatically turn on anytime the key is in position 2.

 

Yes, on whenever the car is on.

 

I would have flunk this quiz. Need to go hit the books now.

 

This was discussed many times way back when the 1st gen was still in production. It sounds crazy that the mirrors will be heated even in hot weather, but that's the way it is.

 

Just to show that I am not exactly a clueless moron, I had long noticed that when I need to switch on the defogger because the rear window is fogged up, the mirrors had always been crystal clear. It just never occur to me it is always heated. It goes shows the pointlessness of LED light conversion, if you think you make the world a better place. ICE is notoriously inefficient from a pure thermodynamics physics point of view. But for the energy density it is very hard to beat the good ole dinosaur juice.

 

I'm gonna have to look at my build sheet for the car, but were heated outside mirrors standard or optional equipment for the 2004 model year?

Is there a way to tell by just looking at the mirrors to tell if they are heated or not?

 

Depends on the geography and year (thanks to the do little MBA marketing type). Mine is a part of the cold weather package back in 2004 which includes the heated (aka butt warmers ) seats.

 

I do know that my R53 was sold new in Utah.....it does have the butt warmers, (heated seats) & also has heated rear window.....

I need to dig my build sheet out and see if it has the cold weather package or not....

I suppose the easy way to tell if it has heated mirrors is to either open up a mirror or look at the wiring to it?

 

Mine turn on when the car turns on, you can put your hand on the glass and feel it in the first minute as the car starts up. Turn the mirror all the way in and look on the back for the wires/ pins.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2005-Cooper-R53-S-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W11B16A/Exterior/Mirrors/





" The Cold Weather Package ($570) includes heated seats, mirrors and windshield-washer jets"

 

No windshield washer jets for you cheapskates.

I was generous so I got it as well as the headlight washer jets, and the butt toasters.

13 years owning my Mini I have yet to witness the headlight washer jets function.

 

Yes, i have the heated seats and the headlight washers because i got the xenon headlights. So i guess I was spending back in 2004. lol

Mine work on the headlights, have to have the headlights on to function.

 

The headlight washer jets don't function every time you clean the windshield, maybe every third time, and only with the lights on. I've tested them when washing the car by turning on the headlights and pulling the washer stalk back a few times until I see the water splashing off of them.

 

I looked at my build sheet, it says nothing about a "cold weather" package

However, it does have heated seats, rear window defogger grid, and the headlight jet washer nozzles (you have to have the headlights on for these to work), and the Xenon headlights

So outside of trying to see behind the mirror for heating grid, I'm still not sure if my mirrors are heated or not.....thanks ECSTuning for the tip

 

I am actually aware of this, and find it fun that there are so many subtle "logic?" things to our Mini hog. You have to know when and what to feed the hog or else he ignores you.

 

Just an update on my end of this heated mirror thread.....I tried to look behind the mirror when I had it turned all the way in either direction, I could not see anything back there at all......

So, what I did was go grab my hand held infrared thermometer laser gun and checked the temperature of the mirror glass before I started the car today, it read 40*......and after about 30 seconds of running, the mirror temp read 52*......so that answers my question whether or not I have heated mirrors......which I do

Bryan

 

I won't take that to the bank. For all I know the beam could have bounced off the mirror onto your cheek.

Seriously I was thinking doing the same last night.

 

False cheek reading or haunted mirror... lol


You can clip the mirror out if you cannot see it and then you will know, video in the link as a guide :

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-mirrors.html

 

I also felt the glass with my hand after taking the temp reading with the laser gun....it was warmer than when I felt it before starting the car

 

Thanks everyone for all the posts. I thought they were controlled by outside temperature readings..... OK Mini you fooled a lot of us !

I did the hand test on the mirror and sure enough it got warmer once the key was turned.

 

1) Turn on car.
2) turn on headlights
3) wash your windshield. The first time, the headlight washer jets should work. They only come on once every 3rd or 4th time you wash your windows and only when your headlight or marker lights are turned on.

When lights are off, they don't come on.


As for heated mirrors, yup....mine work.

 

I would think that heated mirrors would be something that every car would be pre-wired for. I would expect that even if you didn’t have the cold weather package, you could just get glass with the heating grid and I bet it would plug in and work.

 

"I have yet to witness the headlight washer jets function."

...the same way I have a hard time stepping on the brake and then running to the rear of the car to see if the lights are working.....

Heated windshield washers should be standard ...

Motor On!

 

Actually, from time to time, I would back in close to a wall (like in an indoor parking lot) and watch through my rear view mirrors when I step on the brake pedal. I have one those center brake lights that initially blink before going solid. I periodically check to make sure that circuit is still functioning.

As for the headlight washers, the pressure is strong enough so that when they come on, water does splash over the top and to the sides of your bonnet.

The thing I haven't been able to test is if the fluid for both the windshield washers and the headlight washers are, in fact, heated.

 

The truth is my Mini never shed a tear because it is so loved. The windows to his soul are never smeared so no tear drops.

I too do the brake and reverse lights check at night with the light shines on nearby object.