Second hand car - mirror heaters not working

Xcellor

I bought a car from a well known garage in Dublin. 15k mark 2015 and paid for an additional 2 year warranty. A week or so after (with the frosty weather) I noticed the mirror demisters were not working.

Ive checked the fuse and it's fine. The heaters are on the same switch as the rear demister which is functioning normally.

I phoned the dealer and was initially told probably it didn't have heated mirrors (it's standard in this model of car), then that there should be a separate switch for mirror demisters and was 100% not the same control for rear demister (despite the manual stating it was). It was only after I said there was even a fuse for the "mirror heaters" that was present did the lad start listening...

tbh it really felt like a complete fob off... I've since sent on pictures of the manual and dash etc.

I'd consider demisters in irish climate to be a very basic requirement and you really do need them when driving multi lane with hammering snow/wind and rain...

I'll give the lad some time to respond but it's reasonable enough to expect something like this to work and for them to resolve?

biko

In this situation you, as a consumer, are protected by the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980 as you are buying a car for your personal use from a person whose normal business it is to sell cars.
As a consumer you have the same rights if you buy an item second hand as if it is new. In this case if you find a fault with the car after you have bought it the dealer is the person who must set matters right.

bataguclir

bet the glass in the mirrors has been smashed and replaced with crappy cheap ones with no filament

Xcellor

bataguclir wrote: »

bet the glass in the mirrors has been smashed and replaced with crappy cheap ones with no filament

I could imagine 1 maybe but both of them? There is no damage on either of the mirror holders to suggest they were hit before.

I'll leave the dealer to figure out the reason tho!

bazz26

What make/model is it?

_Brian

bataguclir wrote: »

bet the glass in the mirrors has been smashed and replaced with crappy cheap ones with no filament

I thought the element was behind the glass ?? Is on my VW anyway

colm_mcm

OP is driving an Insignia

Toyotafanboi

May or may not be the same but in our last Astra they worked off the rear demister button.

Personally I'd stop fluting around with it myself and just bring it back to them. They are always going to fob you off over the phone checking bits and pieces yourself. Ring them and make an appointment for them to check your faulty mirrors, that's what the warranty is there for.

Are you dealing with a main dealer?

Xcellor

bazz26 wrote: »

What make/model is it?

Insignia

Xcellor

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

May or may not be the same but in our last Astra they worked off the rear demister button.

Personally I'd stop fluting around with it myself and just bring it back to them. They are always going to fob you off over the phone checking bits and pieces yourself. Ring them and make an appointment for them to check your faulty mirrors, that's what the warranty is there for.

Are you dealing with a main dealer?

No its not main dealer but would be a large dealer.

Yeah I'll make an appointment! That's the best plan.

Toyotafanboi

My biggest concern there is that those independent warranties rarely cover anything at all.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Change the fuse anyway. It may look ok but that’s not always the case. If it still doesn’t work bring it back to them to get it sorted.

Just as an aside, Billions of miles have been travelled in all kinds of weather conditions without heated mirrors. They are not s basic necessity and are not required. Fine if a car has them but I wouldn’t pay extra for them, no car I’ve ever owned had them and I’ve managed fine without them for almost 30yrs of driving.

mickdw

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Change the fuse anyway. It may look ok but that’s not always the case. If it still doesn’t work bring it back to them to get it sorted.

Just as an aside, Billions of miles have been travelled in all kinds of weather conditions without heated mirrors. They are not s basic necessity and are not required. Fine if a car has them but I wouldn’t pay extra for them, no car I’ve ever owned had them and I’ve managed fine without them for almost 30yrs of driving.

No car you've had. Jesus, they are on the go for 30 years in run of the mill cars. Surely as good as standard fit now.

bazz26

My father's Nissan Bluebird back in 1988 had heated door mirrors.

Xcellor

I dont think most people realize they have heated mirrors until they go!

zilog_jones

Xcellor wrote: »

tbh it really felt like a complete fob off...

Totally sounds like it, I've never seen a separate switch for mirror heaters in a modern car

If you want to try and diagnose the issue further yourself, take out the mirrors and check if there's any power getting to the connectors (with a multimeter, or failing that, a 12V light bulb) - if that's OK then it's probably the elements that need replacing.

Cee-Jay-Cee

bazz26 wrote: »

My father's Nissan Bluebird back in 1988 had heated door mirrors.

What the bluebird had was a vent that blew warm air in at the back of the mirrors. No car I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned countless has ever had heated mirrors, ie Mirrors with a heating element and I don’t recall any ever having a vent hole for warm air either. I’m obvioysky buying the wrong cars.