Searched the forum but didn't find anything directly related to this:

My JCW Clubman, equipped with the power folding mirrors, spends most of it's time resting in the garage. In order to make it easier to get by the sides of the car, I keep the mirrors folded in. I've noticed that, more and more, after the mirrors have been folded in for an extended period (sometimes a few months at a time, but recently even as little as 4-6 weeks) the mirrors kind-of slowly 'drift' outward from their stowed positions over time. Both sides. When I get in to move the vehicle after an extended period of time, and twist the mirror adjustment **** intending to extend the mirrors, they actually first swing back into their stowed positions, requiring a second 'extend' command from me to get them to swing back out to their deployed position.

Is this typical? The mirrors work normally otherwise, and seem to be remain solidly in their deployed positions when I'm driving the vehicle. But as time goes on, it seem like the electric motor isn't properly holding (locking...?) them into the stowed position, and they 'drift' back out over time.

 

Not trying to sound snarky: but over 100 views, and no one except me has ever seen this problem...?!

I have an appointment to take the car in for service this Thursday to have this (among some other issues) looked at, and would like to have some ideas to present to the SA, if at all possible.

Thanks!

 

can ya let me know what they tell you? my power mirrors when folded in, and when trying to unfold them basically /always/ fold in and need another to fold out.

 

Wilco. Apparently you and I are the only ones who've ever experienced this phenomenon...

Maybe it only affects early-build Chili Red Clubmans with black interior and sports stripes...?

 

I never have mine folded for more than a few days and have never noticed an issue like you describe.

 

Thanks! Good information!

I've noticed it happening with as little as a day-and-a-half of time folded. It does seem to be more pronounced the longer they remain folded, however...

 

I've never noticed the problem on my car... I don't know if they changed something on later cars, but on my 07 you can also manually fold the mirrors with your hand in both directions. If the mirror is folded in such a way and the power fold function is called, the mirrors won't move but you can here the motor "adjusting" to the new position.

Frankly, I doubt the motor itself locks the mirrors, there must be a mechanical device for that...

 

OK, mine went back in the shop for this and other minor items (prior to warranty expiration) this morning. When I discussed this issue with the SA, he initially speculated that the vehicle was possibly 'losing track' of the mirror position after the vehicle goes into 'sleep' mode -- if something like that is even stored by the vehicle. When the first command coming out of 'sleep' mode is issued to extend the mirrors, the vehicle doesn't 'know' in what position the mirrors actually are, so it presumes they are extended (where they would be 99% of the time) and issues a retract command. Then the second command to extend is interpreted correctly.

Hmm. Plausible, I grant you... But it's still just speculation... Damn computer-controlled cars...

In any case, they're still investigating; they're keeping it overnight in order to duplicate this and possible cold-start (timing chain) noises. Maybe we'll get more insight tomorrow...?

 

Spoke with my SA this morning. Acknowledging that my mirrors do indeed act in the 'quirky' way I've described (and demonstrated to them), he indicated that they'd tried it on another '09 they had there at the dealership, and it also exhibited the same behavior. Translation: this is 'normal' for the '09 models, and no corrective measures were taken. He went on to also say that they'd also tried it on a '12 model-year vehicle, and it did not exhibit this behavior. Apparently, something has changed in the software load between when mine was built (I still have the original software load in mine) and now that quietly addressed this 'quirk' in earlier model years. Presumably, those not seeing this behavior in their '09 model-year vehicles have had their software updated somewhere along the way...?

Well, as long as the mirrors function properly otherwise (which they currently do), and the mirror motors, the OBC, and/or a sensor aren't going bad (such that I'd have to pay out-of-pocket following warranty expiration to repair), I'll live with the 'quirk'...

 

I think you can ask them for the latest software to be loaded, no?

I actually think I've got pretty recent-ish software, in part cuz I got an upgrade for the JCW tuning kit, but I think for something else also... although they might not have done all modules...

 

Probably. But I'd personally rather not jack around with software loads, whether it's one module or all of them, for the following reasons:

• Doing partial software updates tends to introduce other quirky behaviors when unanticipated incompatibilities exist; and
• Doing a full software update chances other 'undesirable' side effects. The one that most concerns me is horsepower loss in the factory JCW vehicles. There's a lengthy thread in the JCW sub-forum that contains several reports of folks seeing horsepower losses after getting a software update. Personally, I'd rather keep the horsepower and live with the 'quirky' mirrors...

 

I have had intermittent issues with my '09 power fold mirrors. Usually to unfold I have to flick the switch twice and sometimes they don't fully extend. MINI replaced both sides under warranty.

 

Timfitz,

I have not experience this on my '11 MCS, but I've never had the mirrors folded for more than a day.

Regarding the "drifting" I'm guess that the mirrors are spring-loaded and over time exceed the force of whatever mechanism holds them closed - hence the drifting to the open position. If so, I wonder if the drifting gets worse over time and you see them drift after shorter periods of time.

Similar to what your SA mentioned to you, I was thinking that some position sensor was causing the mirrors to close first and then open since the mirrors had drifted out from the fully-closed position.

 

the most important point... after replacement... tell us!

 

I don't have the power fold mirrors but I wonder if it's not similar to the windows issue. If you only open your windows partially, over time the system remembers this and then all the sudden they will only go down that far.
To remedy the issue, you have to hold the window button in the down position until the window opens completely. Keep holding the button for about 5 seconds. Release it. Then hold it in the up position and when the window is fully closed (don't let up on the button yet) hold it for 5 seconds. This resets the functionality.
Don't know if this procedure would work for the power folds but it's worth a try.

 

I just recently bought my 09 JCW. I park it at the train station when heading to work, folding the mirrors in. When I get back to the train station in the evening, and unfold the mirrors, it would also require the command twice. So yea, that's another 09 that has the same quirkiness.

 

That's more-or-less what I've been seeing, except that mine have always extended properly on the second command. No warranty replacement in my immediate future, though (read on)...

Your observations support what my SA is telling me: that later model years do not display this 'quirk.' He claims that you don't even have to let it sit even as long as a day to get the mirrors to behave this way on the '09 models; just long enough for the vehicle to go into 'sleep' mode is all it takes (0.5-1 hour). He further claims that they checked two other '09 models they had in for service during this period when they had mine, and both behaved in the same way. They concluded that this is 'normal' behavior for the '09 vehicles...

Well, it would appear that you're essentially on the right track, at least according to what was officially recorded on my service paperwork:
I'm guessing that the potentiometer sweep is conducted from the 'extended' to the 'stowed' position. If the mirrors are extended whenever the sweep is conducted, they stow as a matter of course; if they're already stowed, they kind-of 'pinch' back in at the conclusion of the potentiometer sweep.

Agreed! And if they function differently now, did you also get a software update either coincidentally with the mirror replacement, or subsequent to it?

Interesting thought! Not sure if there's a published reset procedure for the power folding mirrors, or if we can assume any reset procedure is similar to that for the windows and/or sunroof...?

More good information as well as confirmation! Thanks! I guess this puzzle is forming up in accordance with the information I was provided by my SA. At least that gives me a better feeling that they've diagnosed it correctly...!

 

I have a 09 as well that does the exact same thing if folded for more than a few hours. I just assumed that it was a normal. Good to know I guess it sort of is.....at least with 09's.

 

I was at the dealer this week and one of the service rep shared a quick, DIY potential fix for misaligning mirrors. I put the steps on my blog. If you want to check them out, you can see them here.

Thanks!

John
DrivingMyMNI
www.DrivingMyMINI.blogspot.com
Facebook.com/DrivingMyMINI
Twitter: @DrivingMyMINI

 

I left the US to work in South Africa for 6 months and i left my MINI in a garage. The mirrors were left folded for long and now they seem to be losing traction when locked. I've read this thread and it is exactly what I am dealing with.

was having some problems with the battery since it looked like it was discharge for leaving it connected, so the security features shorten the battery's life, but now after driving the car for 3 days it seems like the battery is fine and I am not getting the warning as before. But the mirrors now I am not working or folding in and out properly.

I know this is an old post but can you let me know whether the problem got fix over time in your MINI? thanks

 

I left the US to work in South Africa for 6 months and i left my MINI in a garage. The mirrors were left folded for long and now they seem to be losing traction when locked. I've read this thread and it is exactly what I am dealing with.

was having some problems with the battery since it looked like it was discharge for leaving it connected, so the security features shorten the battery's life, but now after driving the car for 3 days it seems like the battery is fine and I am not getting the warning as before. But the mirrors now I am not working or folding in and out properly.

I know this is an old post but can you let me know whether the problem got fix over time in your MINI? thanks

 

For what it's worth, the mirrors on my '09 JCW still behave in the same way that I described in the initial post: no better, no worse. The car is being stored for long periods of time, but I keep a battery maintainer on it when it's not being driven regularly.

 

I have seen them drift back out on other stored cars, my guess is the motor does not hold them and they are sprung a little bit and over time drift out. My r58 sat some time and it did not do this after a couple months, must be longer then that.

 

How about this.....I was in Utah recently, went to an automated car wash with hand dry. I folded the mirrors in, so they would not likely be ripped off by the carwashes scrubby-grabby things. Got out just fine, then the kid drying my car decided to grab my driver's mirror, and put it back in the "right" position! I figured he had just broken my mirror! The car wash kid looked horrified! I must have looked the same. LOL. I don't remember exactly how I did it, but two seconds later, I brought the mirror back to it's normal position, as if it had re-learned it's position, and it still works fine to this day. There must be some kind of black mystery box that not only controls the mirror folding, but also allows for a mistake or two, and a re-learn. Pretty impressive, I must say.