Hi Again Jag Folks

Just a bit of advice if possible . . . before I get into a maybe dead-in-the-water job before I start. I'm the proud owner of a Jaguar 2001 3.2Ltr XJ8 (308) in Seafrost with Ivory trim. Now I don't have the pleasure of powering parking door mirrors, but I normally manually push them both into a "parked" (folded in position), as I did last night. When I "unfolded" the drivers door mirror (Right side as I'm in UK) this AM, it was clearly slack and would not "lock" into either normal driving position and now has no downward pressure at all from the mirror casing onto the mounting arm!! It just about holds a correct driving position so I can use the car. I can actually lift the entire casing upwards about 1.5" from the arm and can see that both plates (on bezel and arm mount) are intact and look as they should.

Now I've researched the forum and viewed some videos available, but I can't quite figure out what part produces the downwards force onto the mounting spindle/lug and whether its accessible and or serviceable? As it doesn't look like any force has displaced the door mirror, I'm guessing that some mounting bush compressing a spring has given up the ghost?

Anyone been inside or come across this issue or is it a replacement unit? Any advice would be most welcome.

Stoke Music and Jag Dude

 

Make sure the three cross head screws are tight (accessible from under the mirror fold hinge, behind a little flap or cover, I think). I replaced a mirror assembly before I realized that the screws were just loose.

 

Ahh sounds like the issue I have with both of my mirrors. So thanks for starting the thread!

 

Hi Hooli and thanks for your support on the question. It doesn't look like anyone jumping in with words of wisdom, so I'll have to get back to this issue at some future point. My Purdy cat has just gone to Mr. Garage man for much needed under-body repairs and treatment. When she's back and we get a few days without rain . . . I'll take the mirror plate out, disassemble the motor harness if necessary and take a couple of pics looking into the window encasement to show the spring?/pivot/locating arm and hopefully what should be causing the downwards pressure (but isn't) onto the mirror mounting arm.

Yer never know, I might get lucky and see a top ferrule/collar that's come adrift from the spring its supposed to be compressing. Watch this space.

Cheers Guys . . and Gals of course

 

Did you miss the post above mine then? that's the fix I'd read about (but forgotten till I saw it again) when I first got the car & never got around to trying it.

 

These are the screws and cover, looking at the underside of the mirror housing pivot.

 

Hi again Hooli. Yeah I did see the note about securing x3 screws . . but I took this to be referring to the way the door mirror mounting arm is fixed onto the door itself. I've seen other threads and videos showing how to check/tighten/un-mount the mirror arm via these fixing screws. But the arm is on the car fine, it is just loose where there should be pressure friction between the arm and the mirror casement.

I did read a great thread on the XJ-S section about releasing wobbly or rigid door mirror mechanisms. That showed that the "friction" is produced by a spring compressed and held by a Star-lock washer. I'm guessing that there is some similar arrangement in the XJ8 mirror. We'll see when I get the Cat back from the vets.

Cheers

 

Hiya 944play and thanks for the pics . . I'd written the reply to Hooli before I'd seen them. My apologies . . I didn't realise you are referring to some panel on the underside of the mounting arm underneath the pivot pin . . I didn't check there or any possibility of loose screws there before the Cat went off to the garage.

I'll have a good look about when she's back home.

Cheers . . Stoke Jag Dude

 

I should have included that picture with my initial reply. It was already extant in my forum album.

 

Cheers for it now anyway. I'll check mine this week too. If it ever stops raining long enough.

 

This system has AGAIN LOST MY TXT explaining the series of three pics updating my thread. I will not keep retyping txt so you'll have to wade through the pics without explanation. Hopefully the pic descriptions give you the final diagnosis . . .



The Autopsy Report. From bottom Up - The mount around which the spring seats - the bottom (3/4mm) of the post that the star washer grips onto - the spring - outside edge of the "star" washer that cups the spring at top - the top portion (12-15mm) of the beheaded and severed mounting post .

The spring mount and post showing the powdering as the "star" washer toiled on its slow death execution

The beheaded top portion of the post. May he rest in peace in the certainty of a life well met.