My dads new car

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dadsgotone @ Nov 28 2006, 01:05 PM) [snapback]354932[/snapback]</div>

Hello Dario

Welcome to PriusChat!

It appears that heated outside mirrors are factory standard equipment on American Prii. Not only would you need to replace the complete mirrors but also the wiring and controllers which support the heating elements. They function automatically because there is no switch to operate them. Perhaps they are connected to the defrosting function. All the more complication if that is so.

I did a Google search and found nothing in the way of an after market accessory. I suspect you have tried that as well.

There is a member of PriusChat who goes by the screenname of galaxee. Her husband is a technician who works on the Prius in a Toyota dealership. Hopefully she or another who is as knowledgable will see your request and respond as it will take that level of understanding help you.

 

Why must it be so fast? What kind of a guy is this?
.
_H*

 

<_< Seems some folks are inclined to "Look a gift horse in the mouth." There simply is no perfection in this world. I can't imagine that Ice-ing is an issue in the U.K. - perhaps its condensing moisture on the cool mirrors due to high humidity.

I wonder if Rain-X would help in this case? I don't use Rain-X but it is designed to help glass surfaces deal with moisture. You might want to "Google 'Rain-X'" to see whether it might help. The suggested "photocatalytic mirrors" are designed to reduce glare particularly from following vehicles' headlights rather than moisture or ice. I have the photocatalytic mirror on my internal rear view mirror and it works quite well for its design purpose. It responds to glare from the headlights of cars behind you at night and changes the reflective characteristics of the mirror. This rear view mirror works rather like the sunglasses which reduce glare when you move fron inside to a bright, sunny outside - you've probebly seen their commercials.

 

Here in Sweden the heated mirrors are standard and they comes on when activating the rear window defroster. And because the U.K is a part of the E.U you maybe could buy what you need from Sweden and you don´t need to pay VAT and maybe some taxes (or what you call it) for bringing it in from abroad.

 

Thanks for the correction, Tideland...

Actually I KNEW that it was the incorrect term but copied the term from a previous post to keep the thread consistent if in error. I don't have a clue where that term originated.

 

Dadsgotone, what Dj Mastergrind suggested may be your best option if you want to go with the heated mirrors instead of the replacement mirrors that Sigma has. I would guess that you would have to buy new outside mirrors and a mirror heater relay, plus make your own wiring harnesses to add what is now missing. I have found it hard to find the Toyota part numbers for anything other than maintenance items, as the online parts suppliers don't usually show the actual numbers. The mirrors are about $165ea, and I would guess the relay about $45 (USD). I would think the wiring harness would take a lot of thought and searching for the correct areas under the dash, etc., and you may need the body of rubberman to reach the areas. Maybe Rain-X is the best solution!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dadsgotone @ Dec 1 2006, 05:16 PM) [snapback]356424[/snapback]</div>

The paint won't be a problem because you would switch the mirror covers from the old mirrors to the new ones. The part that is $165 (x2) doesn't come with the mirror cover or the actual mirror glass, just the body with motor, heater, etc in it. I don't think you would need new mirror glass but could be wrong. The mirror heater relay is activated by the rear defroster relay which is activated when you press the rear defroster button. The mirror heater relay is mounted way up under the dash in the top left corner, at least in our US left drive, don't know if yours would be mirror image (pun intended). There are some threads here on PC about installing LED outside signal mirrors that would show you most of the disassembly. Be sure to let us know if you decide to tackle this project.

 

Maybe I'm just insane, but couldn't you take the mirrors off (temporarily of course) and use something like a rear defrost repair kit to 'rear defrost' the backside of the mirrors? Pop the mirrors back on, wire it all back into the power leads the actual rear defroster uses, and enjoy?

Probably shouldn't listen to me. I'll break anything, given the chance.

 

A place like this may be able to pull the parts you need from a wrecked Prius, possibly even in the color needed:
http://www.autobeyours.com/

 

I seem to recall in a thread about side signal mirrors that the angles depend on whether the car is right hand or left hand drive.

Since the UK cars drive on the same side as the Japanese (right?) wouldn't it be better to try to get the parts from Japan rather than the U.S.?

Of course, I'd go with the Rain-X idea first, that being the cheapest fix.

There is no perfect car. I think Dad ought to consider the trade off of the mirrors for the high gas mileage.

I guess keeping the car in a garage isn't an option?