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'84 300DT, '97 S320
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Discussion Starter · #1 · (Edited)
If I ever find my camera, I'll take pix of how to disassemble the housing. Really easy once I stared inside long enough. Can't find any DIY here or elsewhere, youtube, etc.

Mine has 2 frayed (insulationless - MB invented the word) wire bundles leading to the tilt-motor assembly (7), and the mirror (4), assuming they do heat and dim. The heat-only mirrors only have a 2-post connector on them.

The tilting works fine, considering the bare wires are touching each other - it's a miracle! Don't know about the dim or heat, because the glass is delaminating, or whatever you call it, and I keep it garaged, so no dew formed on it yet.

Anyway, the insulation is missing mostly where the wires tend to move - about 1.5 inches-worth. From the motor connector, it's bare immediately for 1.5 inches. From the mirror connector, the insulation is intact for the 1st 1/4 in, and then bare for 1.5 inches. Where they run along lengthwise along the back of the assembly the insulation is very intact! I'm not going to pick at it.

Instead of replacing the wires, I'm going to try to wrap them with electrical tape, or shrink tubing, except for that I can't slip the tubing on, so I have to think of something.

Anyone ever try repairing without actually replacing the wires ? The connector that goes to the mirror, the wires go into the plastic/rubber connector, so you have to cut that open. For the motor connector, it at least has wires that terminate into the connector one-by-one. But I'm still afraid I'll just damage both connectors irreparably.

It'll be awhile before I actually buy a replacement mirror, but I think I'll buy the heat-only version. And while it won't actually function due to incompatible connectors, at least I'll have a mirror I can see into. I need to take a closer look at advertisement pictures to see if they'll click into the motor assembly like the dim&heat version.

**************

Just had an idea - does anyone make spray-on insulation? If not then I'm off to the patent office. Actually, usually if I can think of something, someone else already has.

**************

I knew it; check out the picture, and do your own searching - here are just 2 sites:

McMaster-Carr

DIY Liquid Electrical Tape & Spray Electrical Insulation – Plasti Dip

Heck, maybe just spraying paint on the wires would work.
 

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· Registered
'84 300DT, '97 S320
Joined
·
682 Posts
Discussion Starter · #3 ·
iss, those links are not complete -- they contain the "..." and I get page not found.
 

· Registered
'84 300DT, '97 S320
Joined
·
682 Posts
Discussion Starter · #5 ·
Ok, thx! Yeah, that's how you open it up !! I have seen that first link a couple of months ago - forgot where it was. A lot of times I just search titles, but need to search contents if I can't find what I'm looking for right away. Anyway, those pix are what made me take a gander at mine. I bought a tube of Star Brite Liquid Electrical Tape today, and have covered 2 wires. The black one is completely intact. The brown one has the least damage. So, I'll eventually get them done. Mine are not quite as bad as in the pix - not as much damage lengthwise.

Sometimes when pressing the seat memory button the mirror will move farther than it should, but I don't know if that's a issue of memory or bare wires. I'll find out when I'm done covering them.

I've ordered a heat-only (2-post) mirror, which should install just fine, but which of course won't have a proper connector; but I really just want a mirror for safety reasons, until I can buy a heat&dim one. The current one is so dark it's not of much use.

Thx again ! I'll bookmark that.
 
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