PilotguyPA28 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Just wondering how many don't let their side mirrors auto fold? Once I heard how much it was to replace the motors I set mine to the fixed position. Am I worrying about nothing or are some of you doing the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve2006 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 My LS has a manual switch for the folding door mirrors and I only tend to move the mirrors in when I am parked in town where there is a chance of them being hit by a passing vehicle, at home on the driveway I leave them out. My car is now 15 years old and they still work fine so I don't think they have any reliability problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PilotguyPA28 Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 I have an '03 and the mirrors were set to auto mode where they pull in when the car was turned off and go back out when it is turned on. So, that meant many times a day they operate in and out. Over many years that is a lot of movement. I guess tehesteering wheel could be the same but you can't turn it off as far as I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990LS400 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I have an '03 and the mirrors were set to auto mode where they pull in when the car was turned off and go back out when it is turned on. So, that meant many times a day they operate in and out. Over many years that is a lot of movement. I guess tehesteering wheel could be the same but you can't turn it off as far as I know. A Lexus dealer can turn off the automatic tilt/telescope feature of the steering wheel in a couple of minutes. There are a number of other LPS (Lexus Personalized settings) that can be set to your personal preference. The auto folding mirrors are definitely cute -- hard to believe they now put these things on the low end Mercedes C-class like the one I saw the other day. I tend to fail to see the value of auto folding mirrors unless one parks frequently in narrow public parking spaces, has an unusually narrow garage door or lives in the U.K. like steve2006 where even main streets in towns can be incredibly narrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyShaft Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Areas like Los Angeles are what caused these designs. Land is such a premium that every parking lot makes the spaces miniature to squeeze as many cars as possible into the limited space. Also, apparently there is a law that requires a certain percentage of spaces be "Compact Car" spaces and they are tiny. Of course, that doesn't prevent people parking their hummers in them. :( LA has got to be the door-ding capital of the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I do hate trying to thread my body between two large SUVs with their mirrors out. Other than that, I would never fold my mirrors in. The car looks dumb parked that way and I'd probably forget to put them back out until I was already back on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jainla Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I usually fold them in if I've parked in the street. My brother and mom have both had errant cyclists (or who knows what) smash open mirrors in NJ or NY when they've parked their cars there. Periodically I'll fold them in just because; I'm sure operating them every once in a while keeps the mechanics lubricated. Also cleaning the plastic pads between the mirrors and the mounts keeps them moving; you'd be surprised how much yuck accumulates there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadcutter Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Just wondering how many don't let their side mirrors auto fold? Once I heard how much it was to replace the motors I set mine to the fixed position. Am I worrying about nothing or are some of you doing the same? PA; I just got my '04 about 3 weeks ago. I have had them set to auto, but I'm going back to manual. I live in the suburbs of Seattle and there's not much reason for them to auto fold constantly. I can understand it for large metro areas like LA, NY, Chicago, etc. I'll do it manually if I park somewhere that looks like they should be folded. I'm not too worried about them being run to death. This car is cherry and I love it. I don't want the mirrors to be a maintenance item 5 years down the road, however unlikely that may be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett in AK Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I've set mine on manual. At sub zero temperatures up here you don't want the additional strain. From what I've read and seen the failure rate in the lower forty eight is pretty high, so see no reason to tempt fate any further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docmas Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 I've had both of mine replaced through extended warranty (like $1000 each otherwise), and do live in Los Angeles, so I keep them on auto. When and if they die again (one worked intermittently, they thought it was a low battery at first; the other was "dropping" down, so wasn't the motor), I'll just keep them open and live with it, as doubt it will be for another 5-7 years if at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensingtonpalace Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Had to replace both side mirrors on my 2002 LS430 purchased in 2003. Passenger mirror and housing replacement covered under dealer's warranty and driver mirror and housing replacement covered by Lexus "Good Faith" one-time warranty. Used to keep mirrors on auto setting. Problems were mirrors would not return to correct setting or they wouldn't retract open. The mirrors got stuck in the downward tilt when in reverse. The other problem was the mirror housing would not retract open. I'm reluctant to retract the mirror housings for fear they don't retract open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett in AK Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Just wondering how many don't let their side mirrors auto fold? Once I heard how much it was to replace the motors I set mine to the fixed position. Am I worrying about nothing or are some of you doing the same? Hey there PA28 driver! Used to fly a PA22/20 then moved on to a Cessna 170B with a 220hp Franklin with CSP, what a hoot! . All my time has been conventional or tail dragger. Never have flown a tricycle gear. Currently in between planes, but live on and own the airstrip and hanger! Nothing like Alaska flying. Brett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persi Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I have an 06 LS 430 and have been having battery problems when I don't drive the car for an extended period of time. How do you disable the automatic feature on the folding mirrors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 On the control to the left of the steering wheel under the A/C vent where the mirror controls are there is a rocker switch that has a picture of the mirror folded in, the word AUTO, and a picture of the mirror folded out. Just set it to the mirror folded out. I doubt thats your battery issue. Have you had the battery itself load tested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persi Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 On the control to the left of the steering wheel under the A/C vent where the mirror controls are there is a rocker switch that has a picture of the mirror folded in, the word AUTO, and a picture of the mirror folded out. Just set it to the mirror folded out.I doubt thats your battery issue. Have you had the battery itself load tested? Thanks for the info on the switch. Battery was tested last week after it had gone dead (2nd time this has happened in just over a year) and it was OK. Dealer thinks the smart key system might be draining the juice so I've disabled that while the car sits in the garage. My thought on the mirrors was that they were using the battery to stay in the folded position. When the battery died, they opened up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 How long does it sit before it dies? The smart jey might do it, but it would take 3 weeks at least of it just sitting there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkbalt Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Fixed position for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persi Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 How long does it sit before it dies? The smart jey might do it, but it would take 3 weeks at least of it just sitting there... 3 weeks is about right. I'm still a little "overprotective" of this car and won't take it out of the garage in wet weather. Plus we have a couple of very spoiled mutts that love to go "cruisin" with us. I have an older Camry that they ride in. The service rep at the dealer in San Antonio told me that the cause was that there were "so many sensors on this car". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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