[s-cars] Full Size pass miror

[Igor Kessel]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Bob DG wrote:
> Gents,
>
> What was the procedure in fitting a large pass mirror on a S6 (Igor)?? I =
am
> having a difficult time retrofitting a S4tt aluminum mirror to my passeng=
er
> side door. Please help!

Bob,
attached please find the relevant file with detailed instructions and p-nos.

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Igor Kessel
two turbo quattros
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The '94 - '97 A6/S6 and the '96 - '98 A4 LHD (Continental) market Audis cam=
e with the smallish RH side mirror. Coupled with the solid headrests of the=
 later cars they limit the visibility and hinder the right lane merges. Thi=
s "feature" mirror has compromised the car's safety so badly that it was du=
bbed the "Suicide Mirror" by the sarcastic folk on the S-Cars List.
Fortunately there is a way out. The real, full size mirror can be built usi=
ng the parts of a later A4 and/or A6. When building a full size mirror for =
my '97 S6 I ended up using the original S6 mounting triangle piece, the A6 =
motor bracket, the A4 shell and the A4 mirror glass. Needless to say the sa=
me sarcastic folk on the S-Cars List has dubbed it the "Franken Mirror".

Here is the detailed project description.

The '99 forward Audi A4/A6 RH side USA market mirror is comprised out of th=
ree parts. Below is the break down by model, p/n and list price.

1=2E The shell:
	a) A4 part: 8D0 857 508 GRU, $66.30
	b) A6 part: 4A0 857 508 3FZ, $66.30

2=2E The mounting bracket w/motor:
	a) A4 part: 8D1 858 532 L 3FZ, $90.45
	b) A6 part: 4B1 858 532 BF 3FZ, $120.50

3=2E The convex glass:
	a) A4 part: 8D0 857 536 M, $45.45
	b) A6 part: 4B0 857 536 H, $62.95

First you need to decide which parts to use.

=A71. Keep in mind that the shell and the glass *ABSOLUTELY* have to belong=
 to the same model since they have a slightly different shape. I used the A=
4 parts coz its glass was cheaper. The more expensive A6 glass listed above=
 is the cheapest convex one available in the USA. The rest of them are of t=
he expensive auto-dimming variety. The second reason behind my choice of gl=
ass was that I already had completed the same project on my wife's '98 A4. =
Her car is painted the same Pearl White colour as my S6 so I decided to kee=
p the things interchangeable just in case.

=A72. Paint the shell, either yourself or elsewhere. I painted both shells =
myself with great results and mind you my colour is absolutely the worst to=
 match no matter how you look at it.
If you would like to paint the shell yourself read on. If not - skip to =A7=
3=2E
Try to obtain the OEM Audi touch-up paint IN SPRAY CANS. The Pearl White on=
e ("Magnolia Pearl Effekt") comes in three cans for three different steps. =
I can't sing enough praises to the quality of the German paint and of their=
 spray cans. I would strongly advise to buy the universal pistol grip for s=
tandard spray cans (costs only a couple of bux at any Home Depot) as it ena=
bles the near professional uniformity of spray.
If your car is white or Pearl white I would recommend buying a can of white=
 primer and re-priming the shell. The A4 shell comes primed (the GRU suffix=
 comes from the German "GRUNT" - "Primer") and its colour is bluish-grey. I=
f you fail to re-prime the shell in white I guarantee you that the resultin=
g colour will be a shade darker than your white or Pearl white car is.
The painting process is straightforward. Degrease the shell with Methanol o=
r your own favourite solvent. Make sure not to wash the "GRUNT" away! Wear =
latex gloves and a painter's mask. Spray like the pros do (you *DO KNOW* ho=
w the pros paint, right? Otherwise don't even attempt to do it, save yourse=
lf a lot of grief and delegate the whole thing to a paint shop). Coat light=
ly in multiple passes, dry for 15min + between the coats, put about 3-4 coa=
ts for each stage.
Bake 1 - 2 hrs between different stages. That's 4 stages times 4 coats each=
 for us with Pearl cars. I utilised my wife's small electric convection ove=
n and a thermometer. Baked the shell at ~ 60=B0 to 70=B0C for about 2 to 3 =
hrs each time. Better safe than sorry.

=A73.  Either shell fits either mounting bracket. In fact the early '98 A6 =
utilised the A4 shell and glass. In the middle of the '98 m/y the A6 got th=
eir own shell and glass. You can use either of the mounting brackets, but t=
he A6 one is slightly easier to adapt since there is no need  to Dremel awa=
y the front piece of the bracket where the spring sits.

The mounting bracket itself consists of three parts:
Part "A" - plastic/Aluminium triangle piece that is mounted to the door. Th=
is piece is car-specific and has to be replaced with the part off the S6 si=
nce the doors are different in the shape and in the glass to door angle.

The mounting bracket has a vertical hollow axel onto which the pivoting Par=
t "B" is mounted and it is spring loaded to allow to fold the mirror alongs=
ide the body (that click-click sound when you fold the mirror is made by th=
e recesses in the heel of the Part "B" when it jumps over the matching tabs=
 of the Part "A"). This part is a fancy shaped metal bracket that houses th=
e Part "C" - motor. The A4/A6 and S6 motors will have to be swapped since t=
he plug pin-outs are different but that's so easy that I won't even go into=
 details here.

The trouble is that the axel in Part "A" in the S6 is shorter than the one =
in the A4/A6 and that the Part "B" in the A4/A6 piece is thicker than that =
in the S6. The shorter axel of the Part "A" of the S6 does not clear the th=
icker Part "B" of the A4/A6 with the OEM spring installed. W/o this very st=
iff spring the mirror will be loose on the mounting. In fact if you put the=
 OEM locking C-clip onto the shaft all you get is 2 - 3 mm of clearance whe=
reas you need at least 12 - 14 mm to install the spring.

This major problem was solved when I realised that I could use several spri=
ng (a.k.a. the "Belleville") washers in place of the OEM spring. I ordered =
them from McMaster-Carr catalogue.

=A74. Draw the pin-out diagrammes of the electrical plugs of both your orig=
inal mirror and of the mounting bracket that you have bought. Open the latc=
hes on both plugs, pull the contacts out and fish the wires through the hol=
low shafts on which the motor housings pivot. Unscrew the three long screws=
 that secure the motors to their housings and remove the motors.

=A75. Disassemble the mounting bracket of your original mirror and of the m=
ounting bracket that you have bought. For that you'll need to fabricate a s=
emi-circular tool out of at least 1mm thick steel ribbon. Shape it up with =
a mallet over a suitable long socket. With this tool positioned over the to=
p washer, compress the spring in the vise to relieve the pressure on the lo=
cking C-clip. Remove the C-clip, the OEM washer and the OEM spring. Repeat =
for the second assy.

*********** WEAR GOGGLES! ************

Note the difference in lengths of the respective hollow shafts.

=A76. Install the Part "B" of the mounting bracket that you have bought ont=
o the Part "A" of your S6. Put two Belleville spring washers (with their cr=
owns pointing in the opposite directions) in place of the OEM spring over t=
he hollow shaft of the Part "A" of the S6. You may need to adjust the numbe=
r and/or orientation of the Belleville spring washers on your particular mi=
rror as to see that the Part "B" is not loose on Part "A" yet it can still =
be "click-click" folded. Once satisfied, put the OEM washer over the packet=
 of Belleville spring washers and compress the washers with the tool descri=
bed above until the OEM washer clears the two slits in the hollow shaft of =
Part "A". Insert the C-clip back. You may want to enlist an assistant since=
 you will desperately need a third hand.

*********** WEAR GOGGLES! ************

=A77. Fish the S6 motor wires back through the hollow shaft of Part "A" and=
 assemble the plug per your drawing. Secure the motor on Part "B" with the =
three OEM screws.

=A78. Mount the newly Frankenised mounting bracket w/motor to the door. Rec=
onnect the plugs and reassemble the inner door panel.
Mount the painted shell over the assy. Don't forget the small screw that go=
es inside!
Mount the bottom plastic piece that came as part of the mounting bracket w/=
motor and secure it with the two screws provided with it.
Connect the two defroster contacts to the mirror glass. BE VERY CAREFULL! T=
he glass is very fragile. Position the mirror with its big round plastic re=
ceptacle on the back against the similar round receptacle on the motor. Pos=
ition all your fingers squarely against the mirror glass roughly over the r=
ound plastic piece and gently press on the glass until it clicks home.

Enjoy the safe driving with the full size RH side mirror!

Igor Kessel, =A9 copyright 2000
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