UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Can VCDS be used to change the method of controlling the above from the utterly stupid method of a on/off switch to contro from the HRS switch, at least the HRS will switch off automatically after 20 minutes or so or when it reaches a certain temperature I think.

I read in Briskoda that it can be done (Skoda) with long coding along the lines of
Controller 42
Drivers Door-Long coding-Rear window trigger
Not active - change to active

and dittoo with Controller 52 for the passenger side mirror.

VW Group's way of controlling heated mirrors is a bit lacking, I was stupid enough to think that I could leave the mirrors on, like I did with my 1991 VX Cav GSI 4X4 when I bought my 2000 VW Passat 4Motion new, big mistake, only after reading about this issue on an America based forum, did I find out that I had trashed both heaters, so that cost a bit to replace both glasses.

Depending on your location, heated mirrors can be really useful, for people in other location maybe not so much.

A lot of the time I did them when driving the Polo out of the garage into a "slightly warmed up" outside air, they do their job quickly so normally I can remember to switch them off when stopped at the first road end, but there again, I've felt the pain of trashing a pair of mirror glasses, so maybe I'm still feeling that pain!

I don't think that there will be any way that the car's systems will get temperature feedback, it will just be based a fixed predetermined time that was found to be "okay".

@Johntheo1 - Sorry, don’t know if it’s possible, but maybe have a look on the OBD11 or VCDS forums?

I agree that it’s a stupid design - one that VW (and other VAG brands) has been using for too long IMHO. Even the mk3 Vauxhall Astra I owned in the early 1990’s had a better set-up - a separate on/off button and warning light in the upper part of the drivers interior door pull - just above the mirror glass adjustment control. If Vauxhall could do it over 30 years ago, then surely the mighty VAG could design something better for the 2020’s……..

My current (non-VAG) car’s door mirror heating works in conjunction with the rear screen demister the way you’d like your Polo’s to work.