Remove Heating Film from Side Mirrors

Hello everyone,

Is it possible to detach the heating film from heated exterior mirrors in a way that both the film and the mounting behind it survive?

The components are designed in such a way that the heating element is behind the mirror glass, followed by the plastic part that clips the mirror in place. If it's going to work, you'll probably have to redo both connections so that they can withstand temperature fluctuations, impacts, etc.

Background: Some cowardly idiot broke my left side mirror last night and, of course, didn't leave a phone number (wasn't there something about harsher penalties for hit-and-run?). The glass was hanging loosely on the heating cables (otherwise it would have shattered on the ground) and now has two cracks, but hasn't completely fallen apart. Unfortunately, it's slightly bent at the corners, so in a small area, everything is visible twice, which is too dangerous for me in city traffic. The mirror housing, etc., are completely fine, as is the adjustment mechanism. After clipping it back on, everything worked again, except for the double reflection and the two cracks.

The idea is to take the significantly cheaper (over 20 euros) mirror without heating and repurpose the likely still-functional heating element from the old mirror, rather than having to buy the mirror with heating (which costs an astronomical amount, almost 50 euros according to prices from 2001, and probably around 60 euros today).

Best regards,

Jan.

P.S.: Is it due to today's "cheap is good" mentality, or simply a lack of proper upbringing, that people damage other people's property (presumably accidentally) and then don't take responsibility for it?

Hello Jan!

I bought my mirrors from ATU, and they cost 30€ each. Audi would have charged 60€ for the same mirrors. The only difference was that the part where the part number is usually located had been sanded off on the ATU mirrors.

Hi Jan,

If you have the Passat-style mirrors (with the 3B... part number), like the early Leons had, then they cost 50 EUR.
That was the first thing he wanted to do with Leon, my ex's account, after we signed him up. The same scenario as you experienced.

I wouldn't bother with the film application, it's too much work for too little chance of success, because the film sticks like crazy.

Hi,

Yes, those are 3B mirrors... the others are the ones without heating, and they probably cost around 30 euros from VW.

I could check out ATU; it's at least a relatively inexpensive alternative. Were those the ones for 30 euros, and did they have heating, and were they designed for flat surfaces or for use on asphalt?

@Martin: Mine doesn't look that bad... just two vertical cracks and it's almost still usable.

Best regards,

Jan.

Hi,

Okay, my Golf also has the 3B mirrors, but I can't report prices that high.
My wife broke the left side mirror two years ago, and the original glass cost 22 euros at the time (heated, curved, and tinted). I was quite surprised by that. Shortly after, I broke the right one... the same price, despite the smaller piece of glass.

Yes, aspheric and with heating. I think the aspheric ones were a little over 30 euros, and the standard ones were a little under 30 euros.

Hmm, or was it 25 EUR, and did I keep it in DM to make it sound more dramatic?

I was actually quite annoyed because the Leon has retractable mirrors, and right from the very first time I didn't use this feature, there was a problem .

m;

Hi,

I'll contact Seat and VW in the next few days. Online, car parts retailers are also offering these mirrors for around 30 euros as new items (although it doesn't mention whether they are aspheric, but I'll inquire about that).

"That definitely sounds much better... 50 euros for a mirror like that would really be quite expensive."

The folding mechanism on the 6K only works manually, but I only use it when I'm parked in a very inconvenient spot. This weekend, it was right in front of my front door... a 30 km/h zone with what should have been enough space.

Best regards,

Jan.

Quote:

Is it actually possible to detach the heating film from heated exterior mirrors in such a way that both the film and the mounting behind it survive?

To answer the original question: Yes. Use a hairdryer to warm it up.

dieselschrauber wrote:

To answer the original question: Yes. Warm it up (with a hairdryer).

Corpse defiler The article was very old .

"Recently, the left exterior mirror on my Passat 3C started vibrating during driving, similar to the cheap auxiliary mirrors you find on some caravans. As the vibration became more intense, I touched the glass lightly, and it came loose in my hand. The mounting and heating element were still attached to the mirror housing."
I then considered buying a new heated mirror glass, but for now, I decided to reattach the glass using carpet tape. I'm curious to see if there will still be a noticeable heating effect (through the tape) during the winter. If not, I will replace it completely.

Conclusion: In my case, it worked perfectly fine without any heating.

Greetings.
Guste.

For me, it was quite difficult to remove. I first try to reattach it using the original adhesive, otherwise I use double-sided tape (approximately 1mm thick with a foam core).