Heated Wing Mirror and Lights Warning Buzzer

[HollyMarie]

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me solve two issues with my 2003 New Beetle?

The heated wing mirrors are not working and the warning buzzer for when you have left your lights on has also stopped working.

We have checked the fuses for the mirrors, but they seem fine .... does anyone have any ideas please????

Thank you

H

[ubugnme04]

The heated mirrors are activated when you turn your mirrow adjustment knob to defrost and turn on your rear defroster. If this doesn't work then they might be "burned" out. If your adjustment knob is left in the defrost position it can burn out the element in the mirror.

Not sure about the buzzer for the lights. Mine doesn't work occaisionally, but I think that it's related more to the issues I have with my drivers side window not dropping and maybe the door not setting off the buzzer...not sure, it doesn't bother me enough to take it to the stealership.

[D2Beetle]

The alarm stop working in my '98 because a brown wire had some how been pulled out of the connector under the divers seat. I think one of my kids shoved something under the seat... anyway spliced it back and all is well.

[HollyMarie]

Hi
Thanks for yoru responses - will see if I have severed the wire and will also see if the mirror defrost works. only had beetle a few weeks and its spent mor etime in the garage than on my drive!
Thanks
H

[HudsonValleyVDub]

The heated mirrors have nothing at all to do with the rear defroster. They run completely independant of the rear (Although I agree that they SHOULD work that way!). If you put the knob in the middle between L and R?....the heaters are on. If you leave them there...they stay on whenever the car is on and they simply burn themselves out. New mirror glass is all it take to fix them...about $30 for each side and 20 minutes to replace.

[HollyMarie]

Thanks Joe
Have decided to send it back to the dealership - I have only had it since August and I have decided it is their problem!
Will report back on what happened
Cheers
H

[FlwrPwer]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

The heated mirrors have nothing at all to do with the rear defroster. They run completely independant of the rear (Although I agree that they SHOULD work that way!). If you put the knob in the middle between L and R?....the heaters are on. If you leave them there...they stay on whenever the car is on and they simply burn themselves out. New mirror glass is all it take to fix them...about $30 for each side and 20 minutes to replace.

The newer models have the mirror defrosters go on/off when you put the rear defroster on. There is no other way to use them. The rear defroster also goes off by itself after about 10-15 minutes (I haven't timed it). So they did fix this little glitch, just a little too late.

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by FlwrPwer

The newer models have the mirror defrosters go on/off when you put the rear defroster on. There is no other way to use them. The rear defroster also goes off by itself after about 10-15 minutes (I haven't timed it). So they did fix this little glitch, just a little too late.

I stand corrected then...thanks. I guess I should have said that the heated mirrors work independantly from the rear defroster on bugs from 98 thru at least the 2003 model year because those are the only ones I'm sure of.
They SHOULD only work if the rear is on. In fact, they should work like Nissans where there is one defrost button. It works both the rear and side mirrors..ANNNNDDDD...it's on a timer, unlike mine where the switch is either on or off. Thanks again for the info FlwrPwer!

[FlwrPwer]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

In fact, they should work like Nissans where there is one defrost button. It works both the rear and side mirrors..ANNNNDDDD...it's on a timer, unlike mine where the switch is either on or off. Thanks again for the info FlwrPwer!

Yes, that is how my '07 works. I *think* it was changed in '06, but I can't be sure of that.

I know my '04 didn't work like this....

[Beetlemania]

As for the buzzer, I cracked into my instrument cluster to see if I could replace mine. I think I made mine worse, but I discovered something about the later models. I'd gotten a freebie burned out cluster from my stealership's service department (I know the crew chief) and opened it up. I don't know what year they started, but it had an easily removeable speaker, as opposed to mine which is soldered in. You might be able to get a bad cluster and switch those out!

[HollyMarie]

HI Everyone

So the mystery of the lost buzzer and cold wing mirrors is solved - well I hope so!

The garage had the car back and it turns out that the little sensor in the door that tells the computer that you have opened or closed it is faulty! This has stopped the buzzer from dinging as the car doesnt know when I have opened the door!

They are going to replace this under waranty (we hope if the ins co says yes!)

As for the mirrors - it was as suspected, the elements in the mirrors have burnt out( I expect that Lucy the Beetle's previous owner had left the switch on!!!) and I need two new pieces of glass for them to work. Again, they are going to see if this can be done under waranty!

Thanks to everyone for your help - I am now hoping that this is the last of the problems with her and she doenst have to go back in for anything else for a while

Holly
X

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by HollyMarie

HI Everyone

So the mystery of the lost buzzer and cold wing mirrors is solved - well I hope so!

The garage had the car back and it turns out that the little sensor in the door that tells the computer that you have opened or closed it is faulty! This has stopped the buzzer from dinging as the car doesnt know when I have opened the door!

They are going to replace this under waranty (we hope if the ins co says yes!)

As for the mirrors - it was as suspected, the elements in the mirrors have burnt out( I expect that Lucy the Beetle's previous owner had left the switch on!!!) and I need two new pieces of glass for them to work. Again, they are going to see if this can be done under waranty!

Thanks to everyone for your help - I am now hoping that this is the last of the problems with her and she doenst have to go back in for anything else for a while

Holly
X

You're lucky it's covered under the warranty because VWs don't have the same "little sensor" in the door jamb like most other vehicles. They have to replace the entire door latch with the attached electronics. Glad they found it!
And if they don't cover the mirrors, the glass is only about $30 each and takes less than 10 minutes to do!

[ST1300A]

Originally Posted by FlwrPwer

Yes, that is how my '07 works. I *think* it was changed in '06, but I can't be sure of that.

I know my '04 didn't work like this....

The owners manual for my '06 says that the mirrors only heat when the rear defroster is on - but it lies!!

Mine work without the defroster being on. Bummer.

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by ST1300A

The owners manual for my '06 says that the mirrors only heat when the rear defroster is on - but it lies!!

Mine work without the defroster being on. Bummer.

Yours may work that way. Some do and some don't. I know my 01 has nothing to do with the rear defroster. It's easy to test though. Leave the rear def. off and set the side switch in the middle for a few minutes. Then see if the glass is warm to the touch.

[tripen2]

Here's a link to the TDI clubs fix for the door switch if they don't want to replace it under warranty.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=730184

Mike

[HollyMarie]

Thanks for the heads up - it is going to cost me £57 in total to get the mirrors done! And the ins said yes to the sensor - thank goodness!

[HollyMarie]

Thank you
H