I have a 1996 X330 with a standard manual adjust internal rear view mirror. When I first collected the vehicle, the rear view mirror was adrift and lying on the floor. After some judicial squeezing and bending I managed to get it into place - and there it has stayed for the past 3 years. I am now aware that there is a self dipping mirror that was available as an option and I see them up for sale on E-bay and such! Now I have read that they can "leak", I do not quite understand this. I have had self dipping mirrors on late model Fords and not been aware of this concern. So, to my question. Is it worth while fitting said self dipping mirror? Is it a straight replacement for my existing mounting point stalk? Has anyone done it? In anticipation, thanks.

 

Personally I don't think a self dipping mirror is worth the effort. Even though I appreciate luxury features I think it can summon up the strength and bear the inconvenience of manually flipping the mirror when the need arises

But, if you want one, go for it !

I don't know, exactly, what the fluid was or how it worked. Some of them did leak but my guess is that, this many years on, if you find non-leaker it'll remain a non-leaker well into the future. You'll need to wire it into the system but as I recall it's just power and ground.

Cheers
DD

 

The leaking isn't leaking as in fluid dripping out of the mirror, but the fluid which I think is sandwiched between the mirror and the glass surface leaks into the space when it isn't intended to, leaving you with an unsightly partly dipped and partly Undipped mirror. Not the end of the world for sure, and like Doug says, if it hasn't leaked by now.....
Seems like a lot of hassle all the same, just to add one more thing to the list of things which could go wrong. Good luck.

 

Look up the term 'ELECTROCHROMATIC MIRROR'.
YES the fluid can leak from the mirror and can damage parts. Usually gear selector parts directly under the interior mirror.

You will need additional wiring to supply current to the mirror assy.

SYBESMAS can repair the ELECTROCHROMATIC MIRROR if it becomes defective.

The later mirrors were fitted with a GEL in liew of the liquid.

bob

 

I believe the technical term is "Dragon's Blood." As to wiring, if you get one from an X300, I would imagine it will be "plug-n-play, even for a base-spec car. Remove your overhead console and fish around up there for the connector.


While that is one failure mode, another is that the dragon's blood drips out of the mirror and ruins everything it touches. There's a fellow here in the DFW area that mends them...." mirror" is in his website name but the whole thing escapes me just now. Mine had lost its auto-dim function prior to purchase and no sign of any leakage. Mailed it to him and he fixed it up and returned straightaway.

 

I Stand corrected about the leakage! I had the dimming mirrors on an X308 XJR and an XKR, which duly leaked internally and had to be replaced. I had never heard of any external leakage before, but given the damage it seems to cause, that would seal the deal for me, and I wouldn't bother retro fitting one. Nevertheless, as I said before, good luck.

 

When the older style liquid electrochromatic mirrors leaked and the cars were in factory warranty we generally replaced the selector lever illumination module and any interior trim if it was damaged by the caustic fluid.

The extent of 'customer pay' repairs was determined by the car owner and some just cleaned the damage as best as they could. Some owners came in with a towel over the gear selector to catch the 'drips' as soon as they noticed it.

The newer mirrors are supposed to be a GEL so it likely doesn't leak like the 'old days'.

bob

 

I have been on e-bay looking at these mirrors. I am confused! There appear to be assorted types. Some have a yellow connecting plug, others white. Some have an in-built compass, others a rain sensor. I think that I will leave it alone and stick with the manual dip.

 

Some have round mount bases and some have square! Safer to leave well enough alone. Mine was repaired by a guy in Texas and still won't auto dim. PITA if you ask me.

 

Hi all

I recently noticed on my X308 my rear view mirror perhaps has this leak. 4/5ths of the bottom of the rear view mirror is a shade darker than the top 1/5th. There appears to be an uneven wavy line across the mirror that differentiates the two shades. I would take a photo to show but it doesn't show clearly in a photo.

Does this sound like said leak? Is the only thing to do is to entirely replace the rear view mirror?

Thanks

Max

 

Yes the mirror has 'the leak'.
You can send it to SYBESMAS for repair!!!!
Internet search and contact them for shipping and payment instructions.

bob

 

My 95 VDP had the discoloration issue with the mirror. Depending on what year vehicle you have,they used different mounting bases. What I had done was remove just the mirror section from the assembly. The assembly can be opened up like a clam,just do it slowly and carefully. Once opened the mirror just lifts out and you must unplug itfrom the connected circuit board. You can either replace it with a used one or as suggested,just send it out for repair. Looking on Ebay, I found a mirror from a 1994 XJ40 that was the same except for the mount to the windshield,so I just used the mirror from that unit in my old 95 casing,snapped it back together and all is well.