A3 8P Sportback Wing/Door mirror replacement

[pixelix]

Hey there,

I have a 2006 A3 8P Sportback, and the other week some little scrote very kindly kicked my wing mirror off. The mirror and colour-coded casing aren't damaged, but the mounting is well and truly shafted.

I've fixed things like this before on previous cars, so I just nipped to the dealers to get a replacement unit and have went to fit it. I've removed the door card, and have undone the bolt holding the mirror on - however, the loom which attaches to the control unit in the door is proving troublesome.

It disappears into the door cavity and is clipped down, then re-emerges where the mirror base attaches. There appears to be no easy way of getting to this loom to remove it (it's all that is holding the mounting on) short of snipping it off, and then somehow managing to thread the new loom through the tiniest of tiny gaps.

Has anyone done this before and can give me a hint?

Cheers.

 

[HotboxDeluxe]

Aaargh, don't remind me - my mirror still doesn't work because of exactly the same thing If I get half a day free I'm going to take it all apart again and try and see how it goes. More dismantling necessary I think....at the time I did it (over a month ago now) I was frazzled and tired and had cold hands and just wanted to put the sodding door card back on again before I broke anything else

 

[NHN]

Well as you have new loom then just cut it anyway, but make sure you disconnect it from the door module 1st so no shorts, remove the grommet it comes out of by door module so you have the big hole there, then you should be able to feed it down between the bolted on metal panel to the big grommet & then feed through grommet, reattach the grommet & plug in, otherwise loosen a bolt of 2, loosen not undo fully to get between the panel & actual door chassis, then finish of, should be fairly easy for you mate given how far you've got already kudos

 

[HotboxDeluxe]

I've done quite a few mirror changes in my days...Audi seem to like making things difficult(er) just for me! I can see the logical way to do it, at the time I had no time and all the wrong tools - got most of it off with a hex bit and a pair of pliers

Shall 'ave another go soon should have a working mirror soon, one more thing for my missus to adjust when she borrows the car

 

[pixelix]

Thanks for the feedback.

I decided to cut the loom - I just disconnected it and snipped it off at the wing mirror end, and then yanked the connector and the rubber grommit as hard as I could and pulled out most of the wiring.

Managed to feed the new loom down the cavity, and got it through the hole, plugged it into the control unit, snapped the grommit back in. Checked the electrics on the mirror - all good. Put everything back together. All looks wonderful again.

Except....

Me ****** window won't go down all the way anymore! It must be getting caught on the new loom, which I have no way of pegging back.

****** Audi!

 

[NHN]

Mate just undo the metal panel & check behind it in that top corner, its probably very simple to fix, patients are good at times like this I can tell yer after many years of taking my audi's apart & putting back together, some with superglue, lol

 

[pixelix]

Mate just undo the metal panel

You make that part sound so simple! How do I do this? If I could have gotten into this area in the first place, I'd have not needed to take the tin snips to the cable!