Electric Mirrors - Pointing all Over The Place

[trufflehunt]

Hi

When I switch on the ignition, there is lots of whirring sounds, and I realised both
exterior mirrors are pointing in their own chosen direction, not mine.

I drove afew miles to get some diesel, came back to the car, turned the key to just the
initial position so I could adjust the mirrors from the little button. They adjusted OK.

I turned the key to start the car, it did so, and also brought more whirrings and the mirrors
returned to what looked like the positions they had previously chosen for themselves.

Any suggestions please?

[steve_earwig]

We've had this before, although it's usually just the one mirror, the solution seems to have been check the connections to the affected mirror but as yours is both perhaps you should also check the one to the ecu

[trufflehunt]

Thanks for that.

I went out this morning, in the chucking down run to have ago at that.

Opened the door.., drivers seat rammed right forward, backrest at its max upright position. No response to
pressing program/position buttons. Eventually, by repeatedly pressing the other electric buttons on the
seat I managed to move the seat back enough to make it driveable so I could at least get to the local shops
half a mile away.

'Door open' warning light on, courtesy lights on.

Just wondering if this is something to do with all the rain, I've noticed a few drops dripping from the 'movement
detector' (?) just above and to the right of my head in the last few days.

Should I try removing a fuse (22 ?)... its a year 2000 HDI Exec 110... ?

TBH, that seat was so far forward, if I'd been in it, and the electrics started having a life of their own
while driving, it would just about have forced me into the steering wheel.

[steve_earwig]

That's starting to sound like either the connector for the seat ecu is wet or the ecu itself is. I presume as yours is an exec it's got a sunroof and the drain(s) is/are blocked. It really shouldn't be raining inside the car

[trufflehunt]

Hi, yes.....sunroof, and as I've nowdiscovered very wet inside, at least in one place.

I went outside after my last post. There are four what look like Peugeut fitment sculpted
mats in each of the footwells. All dry escept when I lifted the O/S Rear mat, behind drivers seat,
There was a forming puddle on top of the carpet. So the carpet + underfelt there is drenched. The wetness
stretches forward under the seat, and what looks like the ECU was sitting not in apuddle, but very, very wet carpet.

I've drained the puddle, and applied a lot of kitchen towels to the carpet, and placed a little plastic block with some
bubble-wrap on top.. underneath the ECU to lift it away from the carpet.. about an inch.

Situation now is....

1. I can use the backwards/forward button on the seat to move it back to a safe driving position. I can drive away, but
after a couple of hundred yards, the whirring starts as the seat moves itself forward. That's the cue to immmediately stop.
Whn I swirch off, and get out, after say 30 seconds or so, repeat from 1.....

2. I've dried things out the best I can for Christmas Eve, without ripping out seats, carpets. Things behind and partly under
the drivers seat are still very wet, but no puddles, and I think/hope I've separated the ECU from the wetness.

3. Electric mirrors don't move at all now, with or without me working the adjustment button, they are pointing in their own
chosen directions, and stay that way.

[boombang]

Read up on BSI reset - prep properly (drivers window open etc) and disconnect the battery.

Take the cover under drivers seat off, think is 4 x T20 bits. This exposes the seat / mirror ECU, IIRC this is a couple more Torx screws to undo.
With the ECU free, undo the screw that holds the clamp on (think is a phillips screw), then undo the plug.
Open up the ECU cover and unscrew the circuit board, then carefully dry off with some kitchen roll or a rag.
Using a cotton bug, wipe between the tracks to clear off any dried calcified deposits or similar which you're likely to have if it's been getting wet for a long period, these can cause shorts and odd behaviour.
Spray the whole circuit board with WD40 or similar. Put this back into the ECU casing and screw back together. Refit to car, put back on cover.

Follow the BSI reset battery reconnection procedure.

Fingers crossed it works fine after that.

[boombang]

TBH, that seat was so far forward, if I'd been in it, and the electrics started having a life of their own
while driving, it would just about have forced me into the steering wheel.

This happened to me by the way, whilst I was in the car on the driveway so managed to get out. I did the fix above after sorting the leak and been fine ever since (leak was sunroof drain).

[trufflehunt]

Thanks for that.

I've just been outside with a black bag, and masking tape, to cover over the sunroof.

I'll give attention to the ECU and sunroof drainaway over the next few days, though
probably not tomorrow.

Andrew

[Bailes1992]

Don't spray the whole board with WD40!
WD40 will damage the soldered joints!
You want proper electrical contact cleaner.

[boombang]

Pretty sure that fallacy was quashed many years ago. I would not use WD-40 on natural rubber but otherwise used it for 10+ years and those cars are still going strong.

[trufflehunt]

I haven't had a chance to do anything more on this. Been chucking down
with rain until today, and I had to do other things today.

Just wondered. If the underseat ECU is fried..., I've seen pics floating around
of underseat ECU for D8 Coupe elec seats/memory/mirrors. But I can't find much in the way of
pics/references to D9 Executive seat ECU.

Would the D8 (?) Coupe ECU work on mine? Is it the same ?

[steve_earwig]

Yes. As far as I remember (I checked but Service Box has gone tits up again) it's the same box of tricks throughout.

[trufflehunt]

Yes. As far as I remember (I checked but Service Box has gone tits up again) it's the same box of tricks throughout.

Thanks for that.

Update.

Even after I dried everything out as much as I could, the mirrors still had a life of their own, so I looked through eBay.
They had a number of seat ECU's for around £65. Buy Now. I waited until one come up for auction, and enventually one did,
and I got it for £20 inc p&p. From a D8 Coupe.

Just been out fitting it this afternoon to my D9 HDI Exec., and all seems to be working fine.

I've got the old ECU in front of me , and have removed the back cover, just 6 x Phillips screws.
A large circuit board takes up all the space. The circuits on the end of the ECU which had sat
in the sodden carpet are dirty, damp, corroded and rusty. By the state of it, I'm surprised it hadn't given
up before it did.

I still have the black refuse bag taped over the sunroof. Unblocking the drain pipes is the next task.

Thanks for all replies.