I have seen an increasing amount of cars on the roads that are driving with both wing mirrors folded in. They seem to be mostly on cars which have the option of electrically folding them when parked.
Does anyone here know if there is a problem with reliability with them? Can they be folded out manually if so? Do drivers just not bother to press the button? Is it illegal to drive with them folded in? Does it irritate other people or is it just me?
I only really want to know as it is one of my pet hates, especially after someone pulled into my lane on the motorway recently without having seen me because..... the wing mirror was folded in!!!
{It's a pet hate of mine when someone refers to door mirrors as wing mirrors, hence the subject header amendment ;o) - DD}
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Got them on my 207.
You can fold them in on the move using one of the mirror control buttons but normally they are only retracted when the car is locked.
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Most of these are manually folded and opened. You push a button to open/retract and the numpties that drive with them closed have a) not pushed the button and b) don't use their mirrors so steer well clear of them!!!!
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Ah so it's a safety feature to inform other people that they aren't using the mirrors, should be made compulsory!
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The advantage of the Peugeot system is they fold automatically when you switch off and fold back out when you switch on. The button overrides this for, say, parking in a narrow garage. Other systems, even on Mercedes, and on my CRV, are manual
HJ
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On my Picasso I retract the mirrors (by turning the mirror control knob through 180 degrees), remove the ignition key and then move the knob back to its normal position. This ensures that the next time I start the car the mirrors automatically return to the normal position.
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Other systems even on Mercedes and on my CRV are manual
I find the manual systems unbelievably stupid - the time you really want the mirrors folded in is when the car is parked kerbside, but that's exactly the time you need the mirrors to be out so you can see if it's OK to open the door.
Then because the mirrors are electric, you can't even leave them out, then manually push in once out of the car.
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My X-type Jag allows the mirrors to be folded back electrically after the key is out of the ignition - so I can look behind before opening the door and then press the button (on the door) as I get out so they aren't clipped by any passing well, anything really that's too close.
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These were standard on quite a few Japanese-market vehicles for many years, e.g. Mitsi FTO from 1994. There is a switch to manually fold them - but its dead easy to wire this to the central locking so that they fold/unfold when you lock/unlock the doors.
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Apparently it can be enabled in software on later Merc's, but needs someone who knows what they're doing and has a modified Star Diagnose system (the standard setup doesn't allow it).
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The mind boggling is an understatement if people really have been driving as the OP suggests. Most Audis I've owned have utilised a constant depression on the 'lock' function that closes all windows & sunroof (if open) - I wonder if a 'fold mirrors' function could be easily incorporated as well & when the car is blipped open again , the folding mirrors could unfold? That combined with a manual open/close button inside the car would seem cope with most contingencies.
Or even with convertibles, a constant depression on the blipper to close all windows, fold mirrors & deploy roof!
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You fold the mirrors in yourself on the Golf, and if you see someone driving about like that, it's because they've forgotten to fold them out again.
They're a bit pointless really because they don't fold all the way in, and even when they're folded in you can still use them, so it's probably quite easy to forget...
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If you could only use them when parked, you would lose the very valuable ability to fold mirrors in to squeeze past a large vehicle in a narrow lane (and, yes, I do know how wide my car is).
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My Mercedes B mirrors folds in when the car is locked and out again when the front doors are re-opened.
There is a switch inside to operate the folding in/out manually if required.
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I have noticed that some BMW's have awful mirrors in that when they are folded "in" they are actually folded "up" almost and just look plain silly, not to mention the fact that they seem to look more vulnerable in the folded position!
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2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI (140) Stylance
2005 Skoda Fabia vrS
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With cars getting ever wider so that the mirrors of some won't go through the ubiquitous 2.1 metre wide garage door all cars should have electric folding door mirrors.
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L'escargot.
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Guilty as charged your honour!!!!
i admit to it...i have often retracted the mirrors after parking ...and when i've have come back, have driven off after looking over my shoulder instead of using the mirrors....then half way down the road thought what a numpty i looked as the mirrors were still folded in!!!!
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sometimes a little bit too much opinion....but its only because i care !!!
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have driven off after looking over my shoulder
That's the safest way.
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L\'escargot.
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