Mirror Mirror On The Door

[james2210]

Took my GS to it's second home again last Saturday cos the passenger door now only locks and unlocks when IT feels like it, not when I press the remote button or use the switch inside the car. Also queried a problem with the drivers door mirror that moved into all the places it shouldn't have when my wife tried adjusting it last week. The bloke at Lexus Bristol (although he was deputy parts manager from the adjoining Toyota dealer) had a look and ended up pulling the mirror glass out of the housing. On the back of the mirror glass was a squarish piece of plastic, the middle of which looked like it had snapped in half and had been glued. He said that I'd need a new mirror glass, but I looked at the mirror glass and said that the squarish piece of plastic looked like it unclipped. To settle the arguement, he LED me to the parts desk, got a mirror (of a LS but looked identical) and low and behold-no squarish piece of plastic! Next question was would this be covered by warranty? After scrutinising the mirror housing for some time, he decided that the mirror had most likely been hit and the squarish plastic thing had been broken and repaired, therefore no warranty coverage. Next question, can you just get the squarish piece of plastic? No, only two things you can get are a complete mirror or a new glass. Next question, how much for a new mirror housing?.......£285!

£285 is a lot of beans just because one small silly little piece is broken-the rest of the mirror housing and the glass itself are A1. If it were something important that get's used a lot I wouldn't really mind shelling out, but as I've only tried adjusting the door mirrors once in 6 months, I don't think it justifies spending that much.

I took down the manufacturers details (Tokai Rika) and tried emailing them in Japan. Surprisingly, I got a response in English, but it said that they only sell things to car manufacturers.

So what now? Anyone got a broken mirror assembly with the plastic squarey thing intact for a MK2 GS300 they would like to sell for less than £285? Anyone recommend a good scrap dealer that break GS300's (not mine although it is tempting)?

[justin.cockett]

I got a new mirror for My GS-300 from a Japaneese specialist breaker's yard:

Dewsbury auto slavage

Station Yard,

Saville St.

off Bradford Road,

Dewsbury.

WF13 2BH

Tel: 01924 45 55 45

They were very helpful, took a credit card on the phone and posted the new mirror to me all for £70.

It does annoy me that Lexus do not supply the components, however try a US dealer, they may supply the individual components. We had a new outer casing and mirror glass for my wife's A-Class Merc, total was £45 (new)

Best regards,

Justin.

[james2210]

Cheers Justin. I'll try some US places to see if I get a result. Otherwise, a scapper will probably be my only option. I had an email back from one today who wanted £100+VAT+£8P&P which doesn't sound too bad. It was the wrong colour though. While I don't need the whole mirror, I was thinking if I'm spending the money, it might be sensible to keep a spare mirror of the correct colour "in stock" just incase I have trouble judging a gap somewhere and exchange mirrors with someone.

[Geoffers]

If you wanted to try and mold your own housing, try some "Polymorph". It is a mouldable plastic when heated above 62 degrees C.

You can get it at Maplin. HERE

I use it for allsorts and it's tough.

Left myself open for every crude comment you can think of there...............

[james2210]

Sounds like fun in a Blue Peter sticky backed plastic kind of way! Just a little bit frightened about what it might turn out like as my craft skills basically consist of the ability to fold a piece of paper in half, or do some colouring in (not going too far outside the lines). I might give it a try if all else fails-maybe just to try and repair the old one before shelling out a wad.

62 degrees? It felt like that yesterday! Hopefully I won't return to my car after work and find the mirror in a congealed pool on the ground!

Thanks for the suggestion

[Loz]

I live near Dewsbury so if they have one I can pick it up for you and exchange at JAE... aSUMING THE PRICE IS RIGHT FOR YOU...

oops. no need for caps there...

Happy hunting anyway!

Loz :zee:

Ps. no, you can't have the ones off my GS!

[ColinBarber]

Are you sure only the whole mirror is available? I have had this a few times where dealers have said only the whole part is available and when I looked on the parts cd there were individual items available and I have gone back to the dealer with the part number and ordered it.

Unfortunatly I don't have a Lexus parts CD only an old Toyota one so I cannot look.

Does anybody have access to a Lexus parts CD?

[james2210]

The dealer can only order either the whole mirror (£242+VAT) or just the glass-they showed me on the Toyota parts system screen.

Haven't had a chance to try any of the ideas proposed thus far-spent most of Tuesday evening and yesterday evening putting up a new satellite dish. Wondered why I could not get a signal and then found I'd been supplied a dud LNB.

Why is it when one thing goes wrong, so does everything else!

[TonyGoose]

it might be sensible to keep a spare mirror of the correct colour "in stock" just incase I have trouble judging a gap somewhere and exchange mirrors with someone.

Hmmm, you don't think that may be tempting fete ??

If you keep a spare drivers side, no prizes for guessing which you'll clobber :D

[james2210]

That wouldn't stop me-I'd just have to nail the damn thing to the passenger door and have it on up side down!

[justin.cockett]

You know it occurs to me that it would be cheaper to go to Maplin and buy a couple of colour cams and a TFT screen to replace the door mirrors... total cost about 2/3 that of a new door mirror!

Justin.

[james2210]

Sounds like a good, but somewhat high-tech kind of answer. Don't know what Mr MOT man would have to say about that kind of thing. Probably be a bit difficult to get the cams to move along with the electric memory seats too! Maybe the solution has been staring me in the face all along.....don't let the missus drive! No hang on a minute, that would mean no beer for me NOOOOOOOO

[justin.cockett]

Goodness only knows!

I tell you it will come, it's the logical extension of the RX300 reverse parking camera, the car should be able to predict an accident and help you avoid it!

Justin.

[ColinBarber]

They have been seen on prototype vehicles for years. Don't know why they are not in production yet? Improved economy, less wind noise etc.

I guess car manufactures make too much money from their mirror spare parts!!