Rear view mirrors always hot?

P

phe314

New member
Hey guys i have an 03 BMW Z4 and i got it a few weeks ago. I noticed the other day that my rear view mirrors are always warm/hot when ever the car is on. Now i thought it would be a defroster for them but i was not sure if they should always be hot when ever the key is in the ignition?
 
As srutch says, they're always on with the ignition. Which is fine in the winter, but a bit silly for the rest of the year as you see steam coming off them when they get damp - there should be a 5ºC upper limit on their use, and it would probably sabe 0.1mpg too!
 
mmm-five said:
As srutch says, they're always on with the ignition. Which is fine in the winter, but a bit silly for the rest of the year as you see steam coming off them when they get damp - there should be a 5ºC upper limit on their use, and it would probably sabe 0.1mpg too!
Click to expand...

Apparently, this is supposed to encourage the mirrors to de-mist when damp, and dry in wet weather, in addition to the obvious defrosting. Not a problem in particular need of a solution as far as I'm concerned.
 
BMWZ4MC said:
Apparently, this is supposed to encourage the mirrors to de-mist when damp, and dry in wet weather, in addition to the obvious defrosting. Not a problem in particular need of a solution as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...
Well it does just that, but then you're left with dried on residue from the s**t in the rain — which a quick spray of QD and a MF cloth solves, but that's not the point :P
 
mmm-five said:
BMWZ4MC said:
Apparently, this is supposed to encourage the mirrors to de-mist when damp, and dry in wet weather, in addition to the obvious defrosting. Not a problem in particular need of a solution as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...
Well it does just that, but then you're left with dried on residue from the s**t in the rain — which a quick spray of QD and a MF cloth solves, but that's not the point :P
Click to expand...
Do yours not self-clean and polish then? :D
 
Mirror heating without wiper operation:
Above 41° F: 0% (no heating)
Below 41° F: 100% (continuous heating)



Mirror heating with wiper operation:
Below 41° F: 100% (continuous heating)
Above 41° F: 0% (no heating)
From 41° F to 50° F: 75%
From 50° F to 59° F: 50%
From 59° F to 68° F: 25%
Above 68° F: 0% (no heating)
 
Shipkiller said:
Mirror heating without wiper operation:
Above 41° F: 0% (no heating)
Below 41° F: 100% (continuous heating)



Mirror heating with wiper operation:
Below 41° F: 100% (continuous heating)
Above 41° F: 0% (no heating)
From 41° F to 50° F: 75%
From 50° F to 59° F: 50%
From 59° F to 68° F: 25%
Above 68° F: 0% (no heating)
Click to expand...

ah, so if no wipers on - wiper stalk not on auto (as mine normally is) it wont heat the mirrors ?
 
Sounds OK to me - I don't use the auto wiper or auto lights setting, I'm more than capable of thinking for myself!
 
I don't use the auto wipers on my car, and it was around 25 degrees yesterday, yet still my mirrors were hot... I do drive with side lights on at all times, however, and I seem to remember that my TT headed the mirrors only when the side lights were in use.
 
Yesterday, 98F, wipers either on (auto, but not wiping) or "off" (push down for one wipe then allow to rebound to neutral position) and the side mirrors were hot. No lights on.
 
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