Which position do you leave your switch in? And does it matter?

[danb986]

I'm talking about the electric mirror switch on the drivers door.
In the left or right position it's for adjusting the left and right mirror, but in the middle it's for the heated mirrors.
If I leave it in the middle position will the heated mirrors be on all the time and burn out the element? I know this was a common problem with the Mk4 Golf which is why I'm cautious and asking the question.

I thought I read somewhere that they only come on when the heated rear screen is also on, but I distinctly remember being able to demist my mirrors without having the rear screen on.

My OCD wants me to put it in the middle position.

 

[Tommy53]

do only the newer models have heated mirrors? i have a 53 plate 2.0 tdi and mines always in the middle.. but then again mine probably doesnt even have heated mirrors!

 

[danb986]

You should be able to tell, because the middle position has the symbol for the heated element over a picture of the mirror

 

[monopole]

The heated mirrors will only heat below a certain temp, around 5deg i think if left in the middle switch position

 

[danb986]

I thought I'd used them to get rid of dew in warmer temperatures than that, but maybe it was cold enough for them to come on.

That's good news then, becuase it means that I can keep it in the central position along with the volume control on the radio that has to have the symbol upright at all times and the climate control that's always kept on even numbers.

 

[monopole]

OCD?, no its CDO because the letters are in the correct order then

 

[@udi A3]

my littlun always changes the volume on my head unit to even numbers, i never did understand why.

 

[mjr901]

I believe the heated mirrors only come on when you select the rear demist function on the central panel.

Please correct me if I'm wrong

 

[A3Kent]

I believe the heated mirrors only come on when you select the rear demist function on the central panel.

Please correct me if I'm wrong

Nope, mine work regardless of what I do to the rear screen

 

[mjr901]

Nope, mine work regardless of what I do to the rear screen

I've never really took much notice, was just something I read a while ago!

 

[JRock247]

The heated mirrors will only heat below a certain temp, around 5deg i think if left in the middle switch position

They have a 'bimetallic' switch in the circuit that will only activate below a certain temperature, to stop the mirrors getting too hot if you leave them on and causing damage.

I leave my switch on the left mirror for some reason, don't know why, I just do!

 

[Benisere]

Their set to come on when its cold and then only for 10 minutes before they switch off can't remember the exact temp but the other day it was raining and the decided it was cold enough they needed to be heated. Don't think it matters but I leave mine on the middle (heated) selection

 

[Artimus]

They work independently of the rear screen heater and are on a timer.

I set mine down from 10 minutes to 7 in VCDS, which is plenty to defrost\demist them. Can't say for certain whether they only work below certain temps, but I don't think that's the case, as dew can form at well above 5o and they've never failed to clear when I used them of a morning.

oh ...I always seem to leave mine to the right mirror, but would prefer it if they had a separate on\off switch.

 

[Stol1975]

I love topics like this. Finding out something I never knew and everyone's little OCD things they have with their car.

 

[t3ddy]

That's good news then, becuase it means that I can keep it in the central position along with the volume control on the radio that has to have the symbol upright at all times and the climate control that's always kept on even numbers.

HaHa! Exactly the same as me! Same car too, just in white. Dont think my A/C has ever seen an odd number...

 

[Ash187]

I used to leave mine in the middle but recently i leave it on the passenger side mirror so that when i am parking i can quickly lower the mirror to spot the kerb

 

[barnzy]

my 2004 audi a3 has heated mirrors that operate on the rear window heater.... has to be centre position thou! OCD on my Merc atm i have to have one or the other selected unless i switch the car off....EFFORT!

 

[A3Kent]

I always make sure mines on the left/right mirror as i've always thought it can't be doing it any good being on the heated setting all the time. Despite reading that it's not doing any harm, I will continue to make sure it's on a mirror out of habit I guess!

 

[NickB]

Assuming you don't have electric folding mirrors, you could turn the knob so it's pointing down

 

[A3Kent]

Assuming you don't have electric folding mirrors, you could turn the knob so it's pointing down

As it happens I do have electric folding mirrors

And i'm equally keen not to fold them every time I'm not using the car to save the motors in the mirror modules (does it help? who knows!!). I only tend to fold them when i'm parked at the side of a road or parked beside other cars.

 

[Cruiser89]

I keep mine to the side (Can't remember if its left or right now) but when I move one the other side mimics the movement which is quite cool. Use it for when parking up to see for curbs etc.

It's a setting in VCDS that has to be activated for this feature. Luckily my mirrors on both sides are the exact same setting which is handy!

 

[danb986]

Glad to hear other's share my OCD issue's.
The big dilemma is now whether I put up with the switch not being in the middle, or I keep it in the middle and worry about the thing being on all the time.

NickB says about pointed the switch down if you don't have electric folding mirrors!? I haven't, but I thought it could only point in either Left, Right or Middle.


Cruiser89, what year is your car? This didn't work on my 07, so I assumed it didn't work in all A3's.
I know my old Golf would move the left mirror when I moved the right one, but not the other way round.
If it can be turned on in the Audi that'll be a result, because then I can easily see if I'm about to run over my idiot cat.

 

[Paul-RS6]

As it happens I do have electric folding mirrors

And i'm equally keen not to fold them every time I'm not using the car to save the motors in the mirror modules (does it help? who knows!!). I only tend to fold them when i'm parked at the side of a road or parked beside other cars.

I don't have much choice, i have use my folding mirrors at least twice a day.
Once to get out garage and once to get back in it.

Despite all the Audi dimension specs in the brochures saying the car would fit with mirrors out, it didn't .

Lots of cars fold on locking so I wouldn't worry about using them. Although I do sometimes feel they offer a little more of a barrier against door dings.

Switch is usually folded in garage or centre top in use.

 

[Ash187]

I have auto folding mirrors which fold everytime i lock the car... i wouldnt worry about the motors mate

 

[Graham89]

I've owned my a3 for almost 3 years now and have only just noticed the heating picture on the mirror switch haha!

 

[monopole]

Glad to hear other's share my OCD issue's.
The big dilemma is now whether I put up with the switch not being in the middle, or I keep it in the middle and worry about the thing being on all the time.
.

It isnt ON all the time if left in the middle 'heating' position, it heats when the OAT falls below around 5 deg C as mentioned earlier and adopts the normal ~10 min heating cycle

 

[danb986]

On mine it doesn't matter about the temperature outside though. This morning the car was covered in rain, so I put the heated mirrors on to clear the spots off them and they came on and heated up nicely. The DIS in the car was showing 11 degrees.
This was the same on my last A3 as well.

 

[MartayMcFly]

I keep mine on one of the mirrors just in case it deecides to sit and heat the mirrors unnecessarily. If it's cold enough to need the demister, then I put the switch back to the middle.

 

[monopole]

On mine it doesn't matter about the temperature outside though. This morning the car was covered in rain, so I put the heated mirrors on to clear the spots off them and they came on and heated up nicely. The DIS in the car was showing 11 degrees.
This was the same on my last A3 as well.

The topic is about LEAVING the switch in the centre position, not switching to the centre position.

 

[danb986]

Regardless of whether its been left in that position or just turned to it, mine still heats up at any temperature. My old A3 was the same.
I agree it only stays on for 10 minutes, but I'm not sure it's good for it to be on for 10 minutes at the start of every journey.

 

[SPARTAN91]

We haven't said what it does if you push it up while it is in the middle position(it then springs back) I may be very wrong but doesn't that give you another 10 min warming cycle any one know?

 

[danb986]

Hmm, I'm not sure if it gets another 10 mins when you push it forward. I just assumed that it just had movement in it as it's that movement that's used for adjusting the mirrors up and down when in the L or R position.
It'd be nice if it did.

 

[NHN]

This didn't work on my 07, so I assumed it didn't work in all A3's.

Synchronised mirror adjustment wasn't supported in older cars, upgraded door modules, which should be fitted to your newer car, should allow this, ours do.

 

[Chris6t9]

Ah! I was thinking this too the other day and opted to leave it on the left for curbs.

Very interesting read tho!

*Edit, And nhn iv still not recived a reply from you mate...

 

[Zak0123]

Remember reading this ages ago and just read in my service booklet thingy that it will only work if left in the central position! BOOM!

 

[Ash187]

so guys this is a random one... for some weird reason i have managed to get the 'synchronised mirror adjustment' to actually work.
It works where when you adjust the drivers side mirror down the passenger side follows, if you bring the mirror glass inwards the passenger does it too etc. i can control the passenger side one independently which works fine.
the thing is i turned on that coding option over a year ago but it never worked, now for some strange reason it just started working

 

[NHN]

Worked in our cars for years now.

 

[LEE69]

Was the same in my 2001 Leon, and my A3 does the same.