Chromatic rear view mirror

[JerryTR5]

My first post on this site - recently bought a '98 xkr which has all the usual issues which I am working my way through, including the duff chromatic rear view mirror. I have located a supplier for a replacement glass, but has anyone managed to split the plastic casing without irreparable damage ?
There are several threads here and elsewhere about replacing the entire assembly, but nothing so far on how to split the case.
Jerry

[BrianG]

In the days when Magna Donnelly were providing free replacements for these defective/leaking LCD mirrors, I had one sent over for my 1999 X308. As they did not want the old one back, out of engineering curiosity I tried to open it up. On my mirror the front bezel was glued firmly into the rest of the casing, so I could not get into the LCD part without ruining the plastic casing.

Unless the supplier or the design of yours is significantly different to mine in some way I think you will have difficulty in replacing the actual mirror/LCD panel unless you can carefully cut around the bezel to release the faulty one, perhaps with something like a Dremel. Whether you can make a respectable-looking repair depends on how steady your hand is and if it will glue back together again with the new LCD in place. Good Luck!

[JerryTR5]

I was afraid of that, I was hoping it would pop apart but it didn't want to move with some judicious levering so I thought I would ask first. It is a Donnelly but then so are the ones fitted to Beemers which split apart fairly readily. Seems odd they would use different production methods.
Maybe I should warm it up a bit to get a bit of flexibility in it before I try again.
Cheers, Jerry

[steve_m]

I've never known you to use a mirror, you're always overtaking everything.

[JerryTR5]

Yeah, but now I've got a Jag I need to act my age. Pipe & slippers on order.

[JerryTR5]

OK, so it can be split.
It appeared to be glued or welded almost all the way round, I cannot see any tabs or other fastening method. It was made worse by the leaking fluid that had melted the plastic, welding it together at the bottom, so there are a couple of cracks but I don't think they will show. Judicious use of a heat gun seemed to help. I'll report back when I get a new glass and we'll see if it still works.
Now, what does the adjuster on the back do (the black rheostat on the bottom left of the circuit board) - bet you never even knew it had one did you ?
Jerry

[BrianG]

Well done Jerry;you got it apart in three neat-looking pieces! The knob on the back alters the delay time for the lights to come on or go off when in 'auto' mode.
Watch out for that leaking fluid from the LCD - it's supposedly carcinogenic.

[JerryTR5]

So, circuit board removed and new mirror installed and soldered. Just remembered in time to refit the multiplug on to the board before glueing back together. Just needed 5 or 6 dabs in case I ever need to get it apart again (hard plastic glue seems to work well on abs plastic). Re-fitted to the screen(dab of white grease to ease fitting) and wired up and ..... crikey, it works, and so do the auto lights (so that's what the rheostat is for). Any way, must thank John at http://mirrorjohn.com/ for a very informative web site and for supplying the replacement glass along with advice along the way. He mostly deals with Beemers but nobodys perfect. Thanks John.
So that's the headlining, rear-view mirror and floppy sunvisor shades fixed. On to the next job.
Jerry

[PTR200Jag]

Nice job well done
So how does the rheostat work / control the autolights?

[JerryTR5]

Brian said it adjusts the delay. I could only test that they work. There is a light sensor pointing towards the windscreen. With ignition on, lights on auto and in daylight your lights should be off. Put a finger over the forward facing sensor and the lights should come on and the mirror darken. Not sure if the rheostat controls the delay time or the sensitivity. I was just happy that I could see out of the mirror
Jerry

[steve_m]

I dunno, automatic lights, automatic mirrors, you'll be wanting wind up windows and a heater next.

[JerryTR5]

Doesn't the Butler do that ?

[steve_m]

You're confusing it with a Bentley.
Had a Bendyaga or whatever it is called on board yesterday, ghastly; looked like a giant London taxi.

[eric.fowler]

I've been looking for an answer to this problem for a while for my XJ8. The replacement from MirrorJohn was a possibility but I also found that the same shape mirror element manufactured by Donnelly has been used by other car makers thus opening up the possibility of finding a good salvage unit. The one I found was fitted in a 2006 Renault Laguna. Being that late should guarantee that it's got the gel rather than fluid inside the mirror element. The upside is that the complete mirror was just £15 from a Renault breaker. The step-by-step instructions provided by MirrorJohn on his website are spot on. A relatively easy diy fix for very modest cost.

[mike020150]

An excellent tip - many thanks. Mike.