Re: power mirrors

[Huw Powell <human@nh.ultranet.com>]

> Last week one of my power mirrors got stuck in down motion. But now the
> mirrors behave differently, I can only move each of them down or left.
> This weekend I checked the cables in rubber boots on both doors and could
> not find anything at fault, looks like it' the mirror control switch. Do
> these switches tend to have these sorts of problems?
Yes they do.  It's the switch.  It has a two place binary operation -
one determines motor direction, and the other switches a relay (in each
mirror) from up/down to left/right.  In earlier models the relay was
switched on both mirrors regardless of the mirror selected!  Do you have
the two seperate mirror adjuster switches (probably not) or the L/R
toggle and one adjuster switch?  They are mounted on the armrest, no? 
Awful design.  Accumulates dirt, rain, and radioactive fallout.  Remove
the adjuster switch, dismantle it (in a baggie is best, don't lose
springs, etc.) and clean the contacts, cleaner fluid is best (like Wurth
Contact OL), use emery paper if you have to.  The contacts are silver
plated, you don't really want to remove the plating if you can help it. 
A little dielectric grease afterwards to improve the contacts and
hopefully you will be all set.  I would test the contacts with a meter
before reinstalling to save time - I hate to think I 've fixed things
and then discover I haven't.

I relocated my switches (took the double set out of a 5k) to the under
steering wheel panel.  They stay nice and clean and work for more than a
week at a time.  Luckily I had a parts car without power mirrors to
donate an uncut armrest.

I hope this is slightly clear (like mud?), email me if I assumed things
you need to know, or got lost in my explanation...

-- 
Huw Powell

Astronomer:
      (n) 1. Someone who is happy to get the order of magnitude correct
in the exponent.