Reverse Mirror Tilt

[Shahpor]

Hey chaps,

I was wondering if one of you might do me a favour?

I noticed the other day that my drivers side mirror doesn't tilt as far as my passenger side one when the car is put into reverse.

The dealer has told me it is supposed to be this way because it isn't the curb side.

So, can any of you guys tell me if yours is the same?  My passenger side one tilts quite a way down, but the drivers hardly seems to move at all?

Thanks.

[madasahatter]

5 minutes ago, Shahpor said:

Hey chaps,

I was wondering if one of you might do me a favour?

I noticed the other day that my drivers side mirror doesn't tilt as far as my passenger side one when the car is put into reverse.

The dealer has told me it is supposed to be this way because it isn't the curb side.

So, can any of you guys tell me if yours is the same?  My passenger side one tilts quite a way down, but the drivers hardly seems to move at all?

Thanks.

As the dealer states near side is curb side so you do not damage the wheels. You have the lines to follow to park if that  makes sense. 

[Shahpor]

Yes, but what I wanted to know was whether it is true that both mirrors don't move the same amount?

If so, then I haven't been very observant these last few years.

[madasahatter]

5 minutes ago, Shahpor said:

Yes, but what I wanted to know was whether it is true that both mirrors don't move the same amount?

If so, then I haven't been very observant these last few years.

No they would not move the same.

[NemesisUK]

1 hour ago, Shahpor said:

Yes, but what I wanted to know was whether it is true that both mirrors don't move the same amount?

If so, then I haven't been very observant these last few years.

I don't think it's a factory fixed angle but driver adjustable, I can adjust the angle of the drop for each mirror, which is then memorised, should be shown in your handbook?

[Guest]

Engine running - adjust mirrors where you want them.

Go into reverse and set both mirrors where you want them when in reverse.

Leave the mirror switch in L or R for it to do the tilt, set mirror position to 0 to stop the tilt.

[Shahpor]

tried that, but it doesn't want to move as much as the other.

I just thought that someone would have noticed the same thing with theirs to confirm that it is meant to move less than the other one?

[Guest]

I seem to recall there being something about the max range of reverse depends on the set 'up' position.  Try moving your UP position lower and see if when you set reverse it goes further? 

[Shahpor]

Thanks chaps.

I just got back from the dealer and they told me it was standard.

Apparently, the user configurable option you guys mentioned was only available on facelift models, so I can't change mine.

It would still be nice if someone on here with a pre-facelift car can tell me theirs does the same, just to be sure.

If it is indeed the case then it is somewhat embarrassing that I haven't noticed in the last 2 and a half years of owning the car.

[is200 Newbie]

26 minutes ago, Shahpor said:

Thanks chaps.

I just got back from the dealer and they told me it was standard.

Apparently, the user configurable option you guys mentioned was only available on facelift models, so I can't change mine.

It would still be nice if someone on here with a pre-facelift car can tell me theirs does the same, just to be sure.

If it is indeed the case then it is somewhat embarrassing that I haven't noticed in the last 2 and a half years of owning the car.

Both mine tilt together - like yours they were starting to reduce in the angle they done this when in reverse but I cleaned them out and replaced one motor and they went back to normal. Total strip down and there was a lot of muck in there. The walk through on how to do this is on the forum if you search for it - If I can dig it out I will post the link here

Why has the dealer said only one side tilts lower than the other - the car can be reversed with the kerb on both sides?

[is200 Newbie]

Search the forum for this walk through on how to clean the inner gubbins of the mirrors and motors

"Wing Mirrors - Auto Tilt feature"

[Shahpor]

Thanks @is200 Newbie

So both your mirrors tilt down the same amount?

If so, it looks like it might be a trip back to the dealers.  If they refuse to do anything about it, I can always follow the excellent guide you posted.

[bluenose1940]

I had a 2007 IS250 and both my mirrors moved exactly the same.

[is200 Newbie]

1 hour ago, Shahpor said:

Thanks @is200 Newbie

So both your mirrors tilt down the same amount?

If so, it looks like it might be a trip back to the dealers.  If they refuse to do anything about it, I can always follow the excellent guide you posted.

Are they under warranty or are you looking for the dealer to fix this?

[is200 Newbie]

.... and yes, both tilt down the same amount

 

[Shahpor]

Thanks both.

I am trying to get them to fix it under my extended warranty.

I will speak to them tomorrow and tell them that others have told me theirs both tilt the same amount.

I will keep you posted.

[Shahpor]

Well, after tell them what I discovered on here, they are still adamant it is supposed to be like this.

The service guy told me he has spoken to some of the other technicians, including a master tech, and they claim it is working correctly.  Also, he said he tried it on a IS250 he had in and it did the same.

Perhaps I will give it a go myself since it doesn't look that hard.

[Shahpor]

Well, using @is200 Newbie's guide, I have just taken it apart and had a look.  Pretty straightforward job (apart from losing one of the plastic locking pins ).

Surprisingly, it looks pretty good in there:

 

As you can see, there is no visible damage to the cog or motor.  I sprayed the motor with WD40 anyway.

What's strange is that it seems to be working better now.  Perhaps it is has been all the playing with it recently that has freed it up a bit?

I have also noticed that when you put it into reverse, it lowers the mirrors by a set amount, not to a predetermined position.  So, if you have the two mirrors set at different angles to start with, then they will not show the same when lowered.  Of course, you should ideally have both your mirrors the same, but it is quite easy to not have them so without noticing.

I suppose all I can do now is keep an eye on it and see if it gets worse again.

Although, this would suggest that the dealer is still wrong in stating that the drivers side mirror isn't suppose to move as much as the passenger side one.

[Guest bigbullhead]

You would think you could set both wing mirrors to tilt on reverse as you do park both sides of roads

[is200 Newbie]

Not sure when I done mine but they still tilt down and back up when reversing - think its been a year or so now. To be honest I don't use the function much if at all but when I checked this week they both dip the same.

You are right, its not a hard job - maybe the dealer tested this on a 250 that needs cleaning as why else would they clean the mirrors if not faulty as there's no need to - not on any service schedule either

The cog on the picture of the motor looks a bit worn or is that just grease on the teeth and it looks a bit concave also or is that just the grease again. Did you test the motors to see if they worked under load when in reverse?

[Shahpor]

Yeah, I suppose it is possible that the IS they had at the dealer also has the same problem, so they would think it is normal.

I am tempted to go back now to show them how it is supposed to work

I think that is grease on the cog in that picture.  They looked good when I had it apart, but I didn't give them a very detailed inspection.  Nothing substantial looked out of place anyway.

I didn't test them while it was apart.  I would have been a good idea to do so, but how do you test them under load without putting the mirror back on?

By the way, where did you get your replacement cogs from?

[Shahpor]

1 hour ago, bigbullhead said:

You would think you could set both wing mirrors to tilt on reverse as you do park both sides of roads

Yeah, a friend of mine was complaining to me that his BMW only tilts the passenger side one.  I do use the drivers one less, but it is still useful, especially when you have just had your alloys re-furbished !

[bluenose1940]

I've been thinking about this since I last posted and I know for certain that both my mirrors dipped on my 250 because I was able to ensure that I had centralised the car between the white lines when using a parking bay.

I have just been outside to check my current car and yes, they do both dip. I'm sure that Lexus are still using the same innards on current mirrors as they were on the earlier cars.

Here's a little tip if you aren't aware of it, if you have your mirrors set to dip EVERY time that you engage reverse (i.e. with either L or R selected on the button) and you have an occasion where you don't want them to dip (but you are already reversing), for instance you might be parking with the passenger side close to a wall, just press the illuminated button (L or R) to switch the mode off and the mirrors will return to their normal driving position. When I first had mine I thought that I had to make the choice, to dip or not to dip, prior to engaging reverse.

[normski2]

12 hours ago, Shahpor said:

Yeah, I suppose it is possible that the IS they had at the dealer also has the same problem, so they would think it is normal.

I am tempted to go back now to show them how it is supposed to work

I think that is grease on the cog in that picture.  They looked good when I had it apart, but I didn't give them a very detailed inspection.  Nothing substantial looked out of place anyway.

I didn't test them while it was apart.  I would have been a good idea to do so, but how do you test them under load without putting the mirror back on?

By the way, where did you get your replacement cogs from?

I saved this in my Lexus folder links when I read Noobies account of overhauling his mirrors.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221784846313?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D221784846313%26_rdc%3D1

Perhaps see if he concurs this is the correct type. Certainly looks right .... but as they say .... looks can be deceiving.

[Shahpor]

I have never actually come across a situation where I didn't want them to tilt, at least not yet.  Although I have parked so close to a wall that I needed to retract the mirrors before parking.

Thanks for the link @normski2.  They do look like the right ones and I guess they are a standard size.  I suppose getting the cogs is not so straightforward.