Heated wing mirrors not, um, heating?

[Condi]

2010 A4 has heated wing mirrors always used to defrost very quickly and steam a little as the water evaporated on a cold morning. This year they don't seem to work - either of them. There is nothing in the fuse diagram which helps, as they don't seem to have their own fuse. If we then assume they are on the heated screen or wingmirror electric motor fuses both of those work.

What else could the problem be, or is there a badly labeled fuse I've missed?

[thebraketester]

Check you have to have the mirror adjust knob in the "heating" position.

Get a multimeter and check you are getting 12v to the connector on the back on the mirrors.

[Condi]

thebraketester said:

Check you have to have the mirror adjust knob in the "heating" position.

You might just be right.....

[somouk]

For both to go I would have a multimeter out. It's been known for some of the elements to fail in mirrors and you replace the glass but both at the same time would be rare.

[thebraketester]

Condi said:

thebraketester said:

Check you have to have the mirror adjust knob in the "heating" position.

You might just be right.....

Its annoying because (if like on mine) you have to switch between heated mirrors and reverse dipping.... you cant have both.

[Mark V GTD]

Most modern VAG stuff has five settings on the mirror control knob (or less dependent on spec), left to right:

1. Mirror kerb dip.
2. Adjust left mirror
3. Neutral (knob disabled)
4. Adjust right mirror
5. Heating to both mirrors on

As said above you have to turn it to the far right position to get the mirrors heated - there is no heating to the mirrors with just the rear de-mister turned on.

[Condi]

Yes, so very embarrassingly I had a look yesterday and the reason it doesn't melt the ice....


Is because the knob is in the wrong position.


Or at least, that's a good place to start! Should work now.

[Dr G]

On the plus side... Free repair!

[RammyMP]

thebraketester said:

Its annoying because (if like on mine) you have to switch between heated mirrors and reverse dipping.... you cant have both.

I agree, I always forget to turn it off. On my previous cars they used to come on automatically if the temperature was below 5 degrees. Progress!