I noticed in my owner's manual that power folding exterior mirrors were optional on S-Types. Where these available on the R? I tried and my car doesn't seem to have them. Has anybody every retrofitted these to a nonpower car? Looks like they use the existing buttons. Is the wiring already there?

 

The power folding mirrors seem to be only available on non-US cars. I don't know if that is why or not? I think it's like the headlight washers. They are not on any US car I have found either but someone in Canada had a car with them. I have not studied the wiring to see if you could add them or not. I think a simple adition of a power wire would allow you to install them. Of course you will need the correct mirrors with the motor's in them too.
If you do the upgrade please post back to the list for the rest of us!!
.
.
.

 

I thought they were standard

 

My UK spec Sport has the folding mirrors but not the headlamp washers.

 

I've got the headlight washers, as well as the heated windscreen, but no folding mirrors. According to my manual I apparently have heated mirrors as well, but as far as I can tell, I don't, unlesss they just stopped working. I know there were lots of features and specs on these cars and it's sometimes unclear as to where these options were available. I swear I have seen some US cars with the headlight washers, but they might have been Canadian cars brought down.

 

Nah Nah Nah Na Nah

My guess is with the huge US parking spaces and wide streets you don't really need folding mirrors, may wan't to wash the headlamps though

 

Nope... No washers for the US. And, Norri is right on on the reason for no power folding mirrors for the US. Can't figure out why we didn't get the headlight washers though.

 

I've noticed several times one of my mirrors were folded in by a passer by. I guess Jaguar didn't account for fat Americans;D

Mike

 

LOL... Sounds like something Clarkson would say!

 

Same here. I shall wait for winter and report back! Unless there is a button somewhere I have missed.

 

Heated mirrors are standard on all STR's. They are activated when the rear window defroster is turned on. No separate button. I can see steam or fog coming off the mirrors on a cool morning so I know they are working.
.
.
.

 

I know they are supposed to come on when the rear defrost is on, but I have watched and haven't noticed. I have had ice, at least a few mm of it, after a freak winter rain storm or in the fall or spring, but with the rear defrost on, the ice seemed to stay on the mirrors for the whole hour drive, and was still mostly there after the drive back home. Are they more for light frost or fogging and not really meant for layers of ice at -40? That being said, my front windshield defrosts nicely, does take longer on really cold days, but it does work, same with the rear. I'm assuming that they just can't handle it when it's too cold. Although, it also seems like the self dimming effect isn't really working that well either now. Sometimes it does and sometimes it's better in one mirror than the other. Maybe a loose connection somewhere.

 

Jaguar are based in England, which doesn't get -40. Ideally the design would cope with that but maybe it doesn't. Know anyone else with a jag nearish by? (Or yes you could have a loose wire or something.)

 

If the ice does not melt within at least 20 minutes something is not working. I would check it out further. It's a great feature and I usually only have a bit of moisture and fog to get rid of.
.
.
.

 

I was planning on seeing if there was just a loose connection somewhere when I get a chance. I do know that they won't really be effective in the extreme cold conditions. I can't even imagine how cold it is at that mirrior surface at 120km/h in -40C! But since the dimming isn't always working that well all the time either I will have to take a look! As far as I know there are only 2 other STR's in the province and I have no idea where they are so it would be hard to compare. I'll probably just take a look and clean all the connectors.

 

You could check for a voltage drop across the connectors (or current flow) to show they're actually working.

You might also be able to watch condensation disappear (at night, at this time of year, I'd guess).