Date:         Mon, 1 Oct 2001 02:03:23 -0700
Reply-To:     TinkerMan <tinkerman007@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         TinkerMan <tinkerman007@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      # Freewheelin' power mirrors...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hello Volks!

It seems my 90 Vanagon GL is a never ending repair
story (like all of you...;-)
Of course, this is a result of it's growing age.
Anyway, the current focus is the power mirrors:

1. The driver's side mirror has suddenly started
Freewheelin' on it's hinge. I opened the mirror as per
the Bentley instructions (damn! it's so easy to take
it off the van. The mirror itself can be taken off in
a second with an icecream stick...:-(   )
to see what's the problem (I thought the nut/bolt was
inside the mirror body) but could see none. So I took
a peek at the underside of the hinge and indeed found
the reason to be the locking nut to have come loose.
Also, the plastic washer (between the locknut and the
spring) was broken at one point. Now I tried to screw
the nut back on the hinge bolt (the one which is part
of the main mirror body) but doing so from below,
working against the spring and gravity and with all
those wires going through the nut and no proper tool
(which seems to be a wide blade with a cavity in the
middle) proved too hard to do. My conclusion was that
I must take off the whole mirror mechanism off the
door and work with it turned upside down. The problem
is that I've got the screws locked from within the
door with additional nuts, doing so after my other
mirror was stolen, so I'd prefer doing the operation
without taking it off. Bentley doesn't cater for this
type of operation at all. Can it be done? should I try
harder?...

2. Can anyone on this list point me to a recommended
procedure, possibly easier than what I'm thinking of?

3. VW doesn't seem to stock internal replacement parts
for the mirror (e.g. the broken plastic washer I
mentioned above), just complete mirror sets (and these
are damn expensive at $400!...:-(
Do you think I can still use that washer (it's split
in one place)?
Do you know where I can get internal replacement
parts?

4. Last but not least is the theft problem. I've
awakend to this problem after my passenger's side
power mirror was stolen under my window and a street
lamp. It's just TOO EASY to steal them! It's just
three clearly visible crosshead screws which takes 2
minutes to undo, and my thief didn't even bother with
the bottem (hidden) screw: he simply ripped it off
after removing the two top ones and caused damage to
the door (tearing the third nut off the door).
After this I immediately replaced the remaining
mirror's bolts with stainless hex screws and added
nuts from within the door. Still, it's SO EASY to
remove the mirror itself with an screwdriver, an
popcicle stick, even a car key by turning the circular
latch pin that holds the mirror to the motor
mechanism. Any other ideas how to protect these free
$800 hanging outside my car, just waiting to be
taken?...;-)

If possible, please send a copy of your response via
p-mail so I don't miss it. Thanks!


=====
Cheers,
         TinkerMan

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