Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

ARoosterinaRoadster · Post by **ARoosterinaRoadster** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 20:09

Hi to you all out there. My Z3 has door mirrors that are either very very tight or are bonded in the use position. I am reluctant to give them any more than a attempt to fold back. Is it that they do not fold back? The base plate on the passenger door looks as though it is aluminium and is suffering with a small amount of bubbling under the paint.
Are they a problem area on the Z3 models?

BonBon · Post by **BonBon** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 20:26

It's a very common problem.
Don't force it - it will snap.

ARoosterinaRoadster · Post by **ARoosterinaRoadster** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 20:50

BonBon wrote:It's a very common problem.
Don't force it - it will snap.

Hi BonBon. Thank you - but are they just bloody tight or is bonding the favoured bodge because of the expense in getting new and the risk them getting bashed again?
Is there an upgrade out there to a retractable variety from say a Z4?

BonBon · Post by **BonBon** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 20:56

If not twisted regularly over the years - corrosion bonds them in place and the cast Aluminium is very brittle.

ARoosterinaRoadster · Post by **ARoosterinaRoadster** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 21:01

BonBon wrote:If not twisted regularly over the years - corrosion bonds them in place and the cast Aluminium is very brittle.

Hi BonBon. Thank you again. I have only recently acquired the car but after a washing and waxing exercise it is amazing what you see.
My guess is exactly that as you suggest. Indeed the passenger side is the one that has the bubbling just like aluminium that is corroded and beginning to lift the paint.

BonBon · Post by **BonBon** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 21:33

As PM (preventative maintenance) - you should remove a bubbling mirror and have it cleaned and resprayed. You want to delay the corrosion once the paint gets compromised.

ARoosterinaRoadster · Post by **ARoosterinaRoadster** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 21:47

BonBon wrote:As PM (preventative maintenance) - you should remove a bubbling mirror and have it cleaned and resprayed. You want to delay the corrosion once the paint gets compromised.

Hi again BonBon. I have looked closer at the offending base plate and I believe that it has been painted over a partly corroded section just prior to being sold on to the dealer.
I will explore the possibility of getting some replacement base plates and or complete mirrors from BMW or a breakers if the worst comes to the worst.

Post by **Robert T** » Sat 07 Jun, 2014 21:50

Yes, the Z3 mirrors do fold, but it is not a good idea to try it, as the alloy castings seems to get brittle with age and corrosion to the mechanism will have made them stiffer, hence they now tend to snap off very easily. There are countless tales of people on here finding mirrors glued, taped and generally bodged back together after they have been snapped by the previous owner. There is a modified base available from a guy in Germany, which promises a permanent fix - although cheaper than a new mirror is still not particularly cheap. Used mirrors are likely to have the same problem with brittle alloy castings for the hinge part.

Corrosion of the mirror bases is extremely common and seems to be down to an inadequate etch primer on the alloy base - there are a couple of articles in the knowledgebase on fixing them. You can remove the mirror without twisting it by first removing the glass and then undoing the screws that attach the front to the back. Once the plastic covers are removed, you should be able to get to the screws that hold the base to the body. As the bases are made from a different material, any corrosion is not likely to spread to the bodywork.

I'll get round to doing mine at some point!

Cheers R.

BonBon · Post by **BonBon** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 03:59

Your mirrors are just as good as any.
Just have them reworked and sprayed. Much cheaper than replacing them.

Fender2004 · Post by **Fender2004** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 06:07

I believe that the plastic mirrors that Robert T is on about are now sold on ebay

Davejue1 · Post by **Davejue1** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 06:21

My passenger side mirror was bodged together with a jubilee clip when I bought my Zed. I stripped it down to find the cast arm running through the middle had snapped in half. I got a replacement from Andy off here (spurs fan in a coupe) for £100 and it was £30 to get it painted. I then sold the broken one on eBay for £25 to recoupe some of the costs. Quarry motors didn't have one at the time but said they would have wanted £120-150 for a replacement.

Cheers
Dave

Koolflyer · Post by **Koolflyer** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 06:59

Take a look at this past post, and just go VERY easy!

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... =5&t=39815

Cheers KF

Cooper01 · Post by **Cooper01** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 07:09

Here on this site is the solution to the problem, replace the housing but it's not that cheap. I will probably be doing the same soon but the car transport company broke mine so I am making a claim from them.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=40839&p=378808&hili ... rs#p378808

Cooper

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 10:27

Weren't the post facelift mirror bases made of plastic rather than cast alloy? I'm pretty sure mine are plastic as they're good as new. When I first had the Zed they were very stiff to fold but some WD40 soon freed them up.

Tim.

Koolflyer · Post by **Koolflyer** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 10:55

I know RockyDave's are metal on his 2002 facelift, as we have had to refurb his mirror bases........

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 10:58

Koolflyer wrote:I know RockyDave's are metal on his 2002 facelift, as we have had to refurb his mirror bases........

I'm unsure to be honest, I'm sure I read somewhere that BMW changed the mirror mounts because of corrosion problems, might be wrong though.

Tim.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 11:10

have a look at this item on eBay.... it replaces the metal parts which corrode with plastics...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Z3-Aussen ... 233a1f2ec8

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 11:17

..... however, if you're determined to restore the existing components, then i'ts a fairly simple matter to remove the mirrors without twisting them firrst.
1. remove doorcards and disconnect electrics
2. remove mirror glass by unclipping the 4 points basically at 2,4,8 and10 'o' clock.
3. remove 4 screws holding the motor.
4. remove the 4 screws holding the plastic cover to the arm.
5 . rotate plastic cover to give you access to the 2 bolts holding the base to the door and remove them...
6. remove mirror complete and use a dremmel tool to cut through the starlock washer on the shaft holding the arm to the base.
7. restore / repaint and re-assemble with new starlock washer.
8. use MARINE grease in the area between the base and the arm... it'll outlast any other lubricant in wet weather.
9. you should now be able to twist the mirror around the base and replace the units in the "normal " manner.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Sun 08 Jun, 2014 11:55

I fold mine, and my wife's mirrors, every time I wash the cars, just to help the water drain out.
I think its lack of doing this that can cause the mirrors to break when they are eventually turned.

zroadster.net

Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

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Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!

Re: Door Mirrors that won't fold back!!!!!!