2021 S6 - how to keep wing mirrors unfolded for car washing?

[FMOB]

Any suggestions how to the get the wing mirrors to stay folded out so I can clean the area around them?

Everything I tried doesn't work and they fold back in, if you are not careful you will get something crushed.

The manual is useless.

Any suggestions appreciated?

Edited by FMOB on Sunday 11th August 16:03

[cslwannabe]

Is that because the car keeps locking automatically? Can’t you pop the bonnet and that will stop it? Or leave the key fob inside (theft risk I know!) while you are washing it?

I hate anything vaguely modern that automatically unlocks and locks. The keyfob batteries on SWMBO’s car seem to last about 5 mins. I like old school cars where you turn a key to start them but I’m a bit of a Luddite…

[FMOB]

cslwannabe said:

Is that because the car keeps locking automatically? Can’t you pop the bonnet and that will stop it? Or leave the key fob inside (theft risk I know!) while you are washing it?

I hate anything vaguely modern that automatically unlocks and locks. The keyfob batteries on SWMBO’s car seem to last about 5 mins. I like old school cars where you turn a key to start them but I’m a bit of a Luddite…

I am not exactly sure what is going on except the way the mirrors fold in will crush your hand if it happens to be in the way. It is a serious oversight in the manual not to spell out how to ensure you don't get injured in this way.

I will get on to Audi about this, if I get the usual BS from them will raise with DVSA.

Modern Audi's are f'ing pain in the arse!

[cslwannabe]

Looks like some newish Audis have a setting under Central Locking to disable mirror folding. Bit of a faff.

[FMOB]

Indeed there is a setting to stop the mirrors auto folding.

So I need to dig into the MMI just so I don't risk getting my hands/fingers crushed. That is not in the manual!

The more I experience this car, the more I think it is a pile of st. F'king Audi, incompetent idiots.

[cslwannabe]

Pass.

My bug bear on any car with auto folding mirrors is you dry the car, lock it then the mirrors fold and dribble water down the door!

No such issues on my 17 year old Boxster with few creature comforts.

Edited by cslwannabe on Sunday 11th August 19:16

[FMOB]

cslwannabe said:

Pass.

My bug bear on any car with auto folding mirrors is you dry the car, lock it then the mirrors fold and dribble water down the door!

No such issues on my 17 year old Boxster with few creature comforts.

Edited by cslwannabe on Sunday 11th August 19:16

I just don't want to hurt myself because it does something the manual doesn't mention, I like my hands and fingers working as they are.

[stogbandard]

My experience with my 2015 A5 is to put the key in the ignition and press in to start so the mirrors fold out and then take the key out and leave the car unlocked when washing. Put the key somewhere safe indoors, not in your pocket - if you don’t when washing, water or passing the keyless sensor on the door handle will trigger the car to lock and fold its mirrors.

[blueg33]

cslwannabe said:

Pass.

My bug bear on any car with auto folding mirrors is you dry the car, lock it then the mirrors fold and dribble water down the door!

No such issues on my 17 year old Boxster with few creature comforts.

Edited by cslwannabe on Sunday 11th August 19:16

use a blow dryer.

[catso]

cslwannabe said:

Looks like some newish Audis have a setting under Central Locking to disable mirror folding. Bit of a faff.

Both ours do but, surely they only fold if you lock the car? So wash it with them unlocked, or am I missing something...

[FMOB]

catso said:

cslwannabe said:

Looks like some newish Audis have a setting under Central Locking to disable mirror folding. Bit of a faff.

Both ours do but, surely they only fold if you lock the car? So wash it with them unlocked, or am I missing something...

Despite having opened the door to prevent the car re-locking automatically, nobody appears to have let the folding wing mirrors know it applies to them too.

There has been a constant theme with this car of unexpected operation of bits of the car.

I have had the seat move unexpectedly, the tailgate closing on me multiple times causing bruising and a concussion, now the wing mirrors out of control.

The car is a nightmare that you just can't trust, I don't know if the car has been fiddled with in a previous life and the selling Audi dealer didn't do a hard reset but the car doing unexpected or unrequested things is a constant theme.

It must be haunted, cursed or just pyschotic. If only someone would nick the bloody thing!

[catso]

FMOB said:

catso said:

cslwannabe said:

Looks like some newish Audis have a setting under Central Locking to disable mirror folding. Bit of a faff.

Both ours do but, surely they only fold if you lock the car? So wash it with them unlocked, or am I missing something...

Despite having opened the door to prevent the car re-locking automatically, nobody appears to have let the folding wing mirrors know it applies to them too.

There has been a constant theme with this car of unexpected operation of bits of the car.

I have had the seat move unexpectedly, the tailgate closing on me multiple times causing bruising and a concussion, now the wing mirrors out of control.

The car is a nightmare that you just can't trust, I don't know if the car has been fiddled with in a previous life and the selling Audi dealer didn't do a hard reset but the car doing unexpected or unrequested things is a constant theme.

It must be haunted, cursed or just pyschotic. If only someone would nick the bloody thing!

Has there been any water ingress, leaks etc. into anything electronic?

Asking because the only involuntary movements my S4 has ever had was the rear wiper due to washer fluid corroding through the motor shaft and getting into the wiper motor. It developed a mind of it's own as to when it ran, how many wipes and where it would 'park'.

[blueg33]

In my experience Audi convenience ECU's can have problems. I had windows randomly opening. It was caused by a disconnected earth, the second time it was water ingress. All sorted under warranty.

[Muzzer79]

Maybe I'm missing something but surely it's

MMI >

Car Settings >

Central Locking/Locking Systems

Disable folding mirrors button

Hey presto, mirrors don't fold.

This doesn't seem complicated?

[SteBrown91]

Surely its more that the key is in your pocket and you are touching the handle while washing, therefore locking/unlocking it?

Just keep the key out of keyless range?

[WyrleyD]

I had this problem with my Skoda and fixed it by leaving the keys on the front seat whilst washing, looks like the car senses the presence of the key in the car and so won't autolock or fold the mirrors.

[FMOB]

All good suggestions, the other thing I have noticed is there are different actions for mirror fold out and fold in.

Unlock car, mirrors don't move.
Put the ignition on and mirrors fold out.
Turn ignition off mirrors don't move.
Lock the car mirrors fold in.

There are so many inconsistent actions, turn ignition on and it lights up like a Christmas tree, turn the ignition off and nothing changes, still lit up like a Christmas tree. You have to open the door before it decides it will look like everything is off but it has a delay before its lights out.

This is the first car I have owned where there is no reciprocity of action i.e. ignition on, dash lit up, ignition off dash not lit. Nothing is consistent and I think this is the issue, Audi have decided that every symmetric action will have an difference response for on/off and it is a totally bizarre decision.

I'm surprised the boot doesn't open every fifth time the ignition is turned off just for sts and giggles, that must the seat and its random movement.

[Bezerk]

Sorry for your issues. Unfortunately many VAG cars of this era are full of software faults and electrical gremlins.

Remains to be seen if the 2024 model Golf is sorted after the VW CEO apologised for releasing the mk8 with all the issues.

I have a 2021 Octavia. I do not know how to stop the wing mirrors folding on lock but I am unable to stop it auto locking at all. I can never leave the keys in the car as it will auto lock.
It'll even auto lock with one or more doors open!

I have an extended warranty but they say there's no problem.

[WyrleyD]

Bezerk said:

Sorry for your issues. Unfortunately many VAG cars of this era are full of software faults and electrical gremlins.

Remains to be seen if the 2024 model Golf is sorted after the VW CEO apologised for releasing the mk8 with all the issues.

I have a 2021 Octavia. I do not know how to stop the wing mirrors folding on lock but I am unable to stop it auto locking at all. I can never leave the keys in the car as it will auto lock.
It'll even auto lock with one or more doors open!

I have an extended warranty but they say there's no problem.

My car is a 2021 Karoq and a few days after delivery it wouldn't shut down, you could hear the electrics humming away long after it was turned off and locked. Called the Skoda rescue folks and they sent the AA out, he couldn't do anything and the battery went flat so car had to be recovered back to dealer. It was there for ages whilst they tracked the problem to a broken wire behind the fuse box in the dash. Don't know if it's relevant but a short video about mirror folding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMSBQepad2w.

[FMOB]

If only the car journalists would start looking at the software and general user experiences, write some articles, etc maybe the car manufacturers would realise just how crap they are at it.

The user experience of a vehicle is changing before our eyes but the journos are basically not doing their jobs properly.