creaky rear view mirror

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rattus
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Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:47 am
Drives: 2017 Polo GTI
Location: UK

creaky rear view mirror

Post by rattus »

Hello gang,

As per the thread title, has anybody else had this with their 6C?

Ours car pretty quiet on the road in general, despite this irritating rattle coming from the rear view mirror. Not really sure what to do about it. A gentle squeeze shuts it up for about 5 minutes, then it comes back.

The car is under warranty for another six months, but don't fancy my chance getting VW to do anything with it - trim probably isn't warrantable anyway... seems like the design of the thing, more than a "fault" per se.

Cheers,

RR

PS. This weeks is testing my patience. We had a perfect set of alloys until Monday evening when the other half proudly informs me that she'd grated the crap out of the front near side... "don't worry about it, could happen to anybody" :|
RUM4MO
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Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:12 pm
Drives: B8 S4 & 6R/6C1 1.2TSI 110
Location: Mid Lothian

Re: creaky rear view mirror

Post by RUM4MO »

I used to have that problem with my daughter's old late 2009 Ibiza that had a basic rear view mirror, but I put that down to that mirror never needing to get adjusted as she was the only driver, except when I drove it when servicing it - it was extremely difficult to move the mirror in short increments as the ball joint thing did not like moving.

Is this where you think the creaking is coming from and can you and your wife both drive that car without needing to adjust the rear view mirror?

Or is the creaking internal to the mirror housing?
rattus
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Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:47 am
Drives: 2017 Polo GTI
Location: UK

Re: creaky rear view mirror

Post by rattus »

Thanks for the reply!

I probably drive it once a week, but the vehicle is in use every day. We both have to adjust the position and to be honest the ball doesn't seem especially stiff.

From what I can tell it is the casing that kind of reverberates when vibrations go through the car from the road. It's not there ALL the time, just most :shock: ...oh and of course it only bothers me. haha

We have the auto dimming unit. Not sure if that was standard on a GTI. The casing isn't damaged or anything like that, the car is about 36 months old, so it more or less as new.

I suppose a strip of tape might solve the problem?
RUM4MO
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Posts: 5881
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:12 pm
Drives: B8 S4 & 6R/6C1 1.2TSI 110
Location: Mid Lothian

Re: creaky rear view mirror

Post by RUM4MO »

I suppose if you like a challenge and you feel up to it, you could remove the mirror assembly, take it out of the housing and see what could be the problem and solve it.

Both our cars have auto dipping mirrors, as did both our previous cars - my 2000 VW Passat 4Motion ended up with its mirror leaking, and that was very annoying - also I thought it would fail its next MOT so dug deep and ordered in a new mirror assembly. Taking that one off involved rotating the complete assembly and its fixing point through 90 degrees and easing it off then opening up the covered wiring ducting and unplugging the mirror's plug/socket.
Ricmondo
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:03 am
Drives: Polo Blue GT
Location: Teddington

Re: creaky rear view mirror

Post by Ricmondo »

I had a similar problem on a very different vehicle where the rear view mirror resonated in sympathy with engine vibration over a 500 rpm range (5500 to 6000).

The solution was to alter the mass of the mirror by adding a self adhesive wheel balance weight to the mirror housing, that was enough to transfer the resonance to a range outside the vehicles operational parameters.

I doubt that your problem is the same but it demonstrates how a bit of lateral thinking can sometimes solve a problem.
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