There is an opinion that the heating of the side mirrors on the car is a useless function, because it does not bring the expected result. But in fact, this is not the case. Here everything depends on the quality of the elements used and the installation itself.
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The need for heating
In winter, snow adheres to the mirrors and icing forms, in the rain streams of water and fogging strain. All this leads to a lack of vision. Not seeing what is done behind, the motorist experiences difficulties when changing lanes and overtaking. Therefore, it is obvious that mirrors should always be clean.
Of course, you can run around the car with brushes and scrubbers every time before a trip, but it takes a lot of time. Therefore, still heated mirrors – a very necessary option, especially in our latitudes, where a continental or moderately continental climate prevails, and if the car is not in the garage.
Pros of heated mirrors:
- Effective melting of condensation and snow.
- No need to clean the mirrors yourself.
- Heat to the mirrors with a single touch of a button located in the cabin.
So, the heating of the mirrors together with the heating of the windows solves the problem of lack of visibility. If there is no such functionality in the standard equipment of the car, you can install the heated mirrors yourself.
Varieties of heated mirrors
Technology of heated mirrors can be different, but the principle of their work is the same. The design includes a low-temperature electric heater, electrical wiring and a remote or control button. Electric circuit for heating the mirrors is connected to the 12-volt on-board network of the car. By closing the contacts of the control button, the driver connects the heating, the mirror receives electricity, due to the heating melts and slides down the ice crust, condensation disappears.
Heating on a wire basis is carried out with tungsten filaments. They are laid spirally between two layers of insulation, without gaps. Two outlets are made: for the plus and minus contacts. This type of heating requires a basic knowledge of mechanics.
Heating devices for the heating method on printed conductors are sold in car dealers or at car markets. The device consists of two layers of polymer with conductors between them. Each car model corresponds to a different model of device of a certain size. Therefore, before you buy heated mirrors on printed conductors, you need to find out the parameters of your car.
To mount such a heater, you need to disassemble the mirror housing to gain access to the inner surface. The inner surface is degreased, and then the board is glued to it. To increase the efficiency of heating, the inside of the housing is covered with thermal insulation or foil material. The heaters have terminals on each side with wires connected. They are connected to the wiring and the heating button is connected to the control panel.
Film heaters are currently considered the most reliable. They are installed identically to the printed wires. A double-sided adhesive tape is glued to the back of the mirrors. You can buy film heaters with lead wires. They are connected to the car’s wiring, put a button on the control panel and connected. The film base distributes the heat evenly over the entire mirror.
Installing the ready-made set for heating mirrors
Ready-made mirror heating kits are available for sale. If this option is chosen, then we will work with a screwdriver, tools for removing the trim, a screwdriver and a construction hair dryer, instead of which you can use hot water.
First, we connect the heater to 12 volts and check how it works, as it is possible damage during delivery. If everything is okay, then pull the mirror out of the holder.
Then loosen the screws on the door trim, remove the panel and disconnect the wires. Use special tools to remove the trim. Then loosen the screws of the mirror holder and remove it from the door. Disconnect wires to the holder.
Disassemble the holder. Lead the wires into the mirror holder and screw it to the door. Then lead the wires through the door, into the corrugator and inside the car. Then lead the wires to the point where the button is installed. Then we power up from the 12 volt battery. Then make a hole in the panel or elsewhere for the button. Then connect the fuse from the power supply and run the wire to the button. Connect one “+” wire from the power to the button and the second “+” wire from the mirror, and ground the “-“.
If the sensor on the button lights up, go ahead. If it doesn’t light up, then check all the connections and the right place for grounding. After that, heat the mirror with a construction hair dryer or dip it into warm water and carefully remove it from the case. Next, degrease the back surface of the mirror and try on the heater. If necessary trim it.
If the mirror housing does not fit to mount the heater, saw out the contact point with a screwdriver or engraver. Then glue the heater to the mirror and insert it into the housing. Then connect the wires and check how the heater functions. If normal, then, with the remaining wires connect them and insert the mirror into the holder. Assemble the door trim and do the same for the second mirror.
If you have enough skills in electricity, you can buy a universal heated mirrors, mount it and assemble the connection scheme yourself. Heated mirrors with your own hands will cost you quite inexpensive, but will be quite effective. Especially if you include in the scheme of a smart time relay, relay with a delay, heating relay in combination with a temperature sensor, which will automatically turn on the heating in cold weather.
Mounting ready-made components is not difficult at all. Even a novice motorist can cope with it:
- Find the relay that closes and opens the circuit. Open the hood cover, find the black box and the relay. Looking at the markings on the box, find the mirror relay and remove it. Change the relay with the mirror, connect the wire, close the hood cover.
- Remove the former mirrors. Open the doors and unscrew the bolts. Find attachment points for the mirrors. Remove the old parts, disconnect wires.
- Put the new components.
Heating mirrors with your own hands
It is not difficult to assemble heated mirrors completely with your own hands. We will work with different screwdrivers, hexes, a soldering lamp, a device for stripping wires, a construction hair dryer. And of the parts we will need connectors for wiring, insulation adhesive tape, a device for attaching cables, a coil, electrical wiring, sockets 10 mm and 12 mm, relays and clamps.
We assemble the heating system and make the switching to control the heating. Remove the screws, remove the door trim, remove the handle. Remove the trim near the mirror.
Next, remove the mirrors, remove the screws. Disconnect the wires. Using a hair dryer, disconnect the mirror plates. Put the heater to the plastic base, make holes for the contacts. Remove protection, glue the heater to the mirror and plastic base. Mount the mirror element.
Mirror Warmer Installation on VAZ
There is no heated mirrors on domestic cars. But owners of VAZ with pleasure tuning their cars, because the process of mirror heating installation is relatively uncomplicated.
The most common way – to purchase and install mirrors with heater installed. Let’s look at the installation of heated mirrors on the car VAZ 2114. To do this, you do not need to remove the mirror housing. So, in sequence, do the following:
- Bend back the mirror housing;
- Remove and remove the white screw adjusting rod;
- unscrew former mirror in any direction to get access to the middle part;
- pull out the mirror by pushing on the middle of the mirror;
- install the new mirror with heating, acting in the opposite order;
- lead the wires into the cabin.
The two wires coming out of the heating element are connected in parallel, without observing polarity.
Other options
For this versatile way to heat mirrors, suitable for any car, we will need ordinary incandescent car bulbs. You can install a couple, or you can get by with just one.
One 21-watt bulb built into the mirror housing can defrost a mirror in a couple of minutes. This puts an extra load, so it’s more efficient to install two 10-watt bulbs or one two-pin bulb. The first contact provides defrosting, the second protects against the formation of condensation.
It is possible to connect to the structurally provided rear window heating. It is not difficult, you do not even need a relay and a button to activate heating. Such a connection is very rational, because the system is ready to withstand the additional load. So, turning on the rear window heating at the same time will turn on the heated mirrors.
If you have enough finances, just buy tuning mirrors, where the heating is already installed. True, the quality of the heating element is important here.