Powerfold mirror problem

[mikeanson]

I have somehow put my door mirrors (2005 XK8) into the folded in position. How do I get them out again? I thought that with the selector switch in middle position, car stationary and a rear flick on the joystick thingy, they would come out again? All other functions are working - i.e. I can tilt the mirrors on both sides. Is something broken or am I being a numpty?

[JimboV8]

Lock the car then unlock it again and they should come out.

[mikeanson]

Tried that - several times. No change

[JimMann]

Hi Mike, the normal method of folding the power mirrors in and out is to press both of the selector buttons simultaneously, i.e. the buttons that moves the control between nearside and offside mirrors that then allows the joystick to operate the selected mirror.

Jim

[mikeanson]

Hi Jim,

I haven't tried that! I'll give it a go later. Normally, I never fold the damn things!

[mikeanson]

Hi Mike, the normal method of folding the power mirrors in and out is to press both of the selector buttons simultaneously, i.e. the buttons that moves the control between nearside and offside mirrors that then allows the joystick to operate the selected mirror.

Jim

You can't actually do that as it's a rocker switch, so both sides can't be pressed at the same time. I have had to fold them out manually for now.

[davidr]

Mike - mine is an earlier model (2001 X100 XKR) but I think it will work the same and it's as you describe. The 'left or right' switch is set in the middle and then the little joystick is pulled backwards. This is the same for folding and unfolding them.
I know you've tried that but at least this may help to reassure you that you're trying the right thing!

[Astromorg]

Your original method of unfolding them is the correct one - selector in central position, ignition on, pull back joystick. I can see why you've had to re-position them manually, but that might introduce some problems Extract from the hand book

Note:
1. Do not attempt to reposition power fold-back mirrors manually. Always use the toggle switch.
2. After a power supply interruption (battery disconnection) with the mirrors in the normal position, power fold-back will operate on the second press of the toggle switch. Thereafter the switch will operate as normal. Should either mirror be knocked out of position and repositioned manually, the mirror head will be loose. To re-engage the mechanism, power the mirror to the foldback position, then back out to the drive position.

If you take it that your re-positioning was an accidental knock, you may now have to fold them manually resulting in the mirror head being loose and proceed as above. But if there's no power available...

There are no particular fuses that would cause this without causing multiple other malfunctions, but check F4, 5A in the passenger side fascia fuse box anyway. If no joy, I fear it would seem that the problem may be in the switch assembly itself. These switches have form . Some have stripped the switch down, cleaned up the contacts and got everything working again, but be warned, others less deft with their fingers have found springs and contacts flying in all directions. New used switches appear on ebay occasionally (Bit pricey!) or try one of the Jaguar specialist breakers.

[mikeanson]

I don't think either the switch or the joystick can be faulty as I can select either mirror and move up/down & left/right. When I got in the car tonight, I had to manually push both mirrors out. A tap on the joystick caused the passenger side to fold again, but no movement from the right. I'm beginning to suspect wire chafing under the driver's seat which has been reported elsewhere. I did also notice the seat module is hanging down, so a new lid is on order. Does the seat module control mirrors though? I would have thought the door module would control the mirrors. Not the time of year to be doing jobs on cars when you have no garage!

[davidr]

Mike - I have a feeling that the seat module does control this. My reasoning is that the mirror position is part of the memory function that also controls seat and steering wheel position. Other may confirm or deny that!

[Astromorg]

Yes, the driver's seat module controls both mirrors folding and the passenger seat module controls the unfolding, so a loose driver's seat module could be a sign of something amiss.

[Andy P]

I have somehow put my door mirrors (2005 XK8) into the folded in position. How do I get them out again? I thought that with the selector switch in middle position, car stationary and a rear flick on the joystick thingy, they would come out again? All other functions are working - i.e. I can tilt the mirrors on both sides. Is something broken or am I being a numpty?

Hi Mike.
Sorry to hear about your problem.
You could try a hard reset which can fix all number of module related issues.
Just disconnect the earth cable from the battery and hold it on to the positive terminal for 15-30 seconds.
Like this:

Just follow the instructions in first photo.

Some people get quite nervous about doing this but it is very safe and easy to do.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR RADIO CODE BEFORE DOING THIS
Hope this helps a bit and that you get it sorted.
Take care and stay safe
Andy

[mikeanson]

Thanks Andy, hard reset was going to be my next attempt. This morning, after having folded them out manually yesterday (I know you're not supposed to!), I flicked the joystick and they both folded back in again! So it seems that everything works except the folding out bit. Very strange!!

[Astromorg]

The relay to provide power to (Edit) fold the mirrors is in the driver's seat module while the (Edit) unfold relay is in the passenger seat module. When the fold/unfold is operated the relays can be heard . (You might have to kneel at the driver's door to hear exactly where the sound is coming from - or not. There's a few seconds delay after operating either way before the system reset can be heard too.)
Note that the wire that provides power to unfold the mirrors also acts as the ground wire to fold them, so it's unlikely to be damaged as the fold function is OK. See wiring diagram

You might consider swapping your two seat modules and seeing if the problem moves sides. That would confirm or deny a seat module issue.

If the relay in the seat module has failed in its fold condition, that might explain the situation. It would not be too difficult to replace such an item.
An alternative would be if there was damage to the internal circuitry of the seat module. Such damage is often visible and here's a link to a simple repair method.

http://www.jagrepair.com/SeatControlModuleRepairXK8.htm

Used modules are fairly common, but as ever, it's a question of getting the right version for your car.

[mikeanson]

Hi Astromorg, that is extremely helpful and makes total sense now. I think the driver's seat module needs a little investigation. It is half hanging off in any case - I have ordered a replacement lid as I understand they are a weak point. I will update when the weather is dry enough for me to get the module out! Replacing the relay will not be a problem for me. Thanks for the diagram - it paints a thousand words!