Will the next headlines read "Al Gore finds the source of global warming - smart fortwo heated mirrors."
IMHO, this is a job for smart. Either this is as designed or a design flaw. We needn't be hacking our brand new cars if this is a proven design. If it is a design flaw it should be recalled and repaired.
Simple logic sez, heated mirrors should not be running with the air-conditioner - duh?
All parts are engineered for a given life cycle and the heating elements in our mirrors may not have been designed to run 24/7. Our next issue may be dark (burned) spots on the mirrors or winter failure because they are burned our.
Again, smart USA needs to answer this with a real solution not some MB service techie who may know MB but hardly knows our smart.
Dave trip seven... SCOA Front page has a owners manual PDF? Must be blind, I do not see it [...]
Just in case: the Owner's Manual is under the "Site Navigation" sub-menu (just below the Use CP, upper left of this page), in the "Helpful Links". If the "Site Navigation" is minimized, click on its downward arrow.
Well a quick scan of the instrument cluster does show the OAT numerical display(we knew that) But no info if, or if not, it does anything for us to warn of Icy conditions like many cars do
This suggests that there is no opportunity to discover the trip point software setting for a warning Icon to hack into and use as a logic "On" or "Enable" for the heated mirrors.
Most likely the mechanical switch is best we can do
I too queried my smartcenter Virginia Beach VA Service Rep. with the same problem "Why was my heated mirrors active with the temp that afternoon at 92 degrees"? I pointed out the statement in the owners manual and then I asked them was there a problem with my mirrors or was the smart owners manual wrong? I was told that the mirrors are always on and the owners manual was wrong.
I too queried my smartcenter Virginia Beach VA Service Rep. with the same problem "Why was my heated mirrors active with the temp that afternoon at 92 degrees"? I pointed out the statement in the owners manual and then I asked them was there a problem with my mirrors or was the smart owners manual wrong? I was told that the mirrors are always on and the owners manual was wrong.
Exactly as I predicted: it's a feature not a bug. Besides, it's a lot cheaper to mail out a new page to stick into the manual than to actually fix the car!
Exterior rear view mirror heating.
The exterior rear view mirrors will be heated automatically at low ambient temperatures.This prevents icing up the exterior rear view mirrors and also creates a clear view when the exterior rear view mirrors have fogged up.
> Switching on: Make sure that the key in the starter switch is turned to position 1.
The exterior rear view mirror heating is switched on automatically at low ambient
temperatures.
> Switching off: Turn the key in the starter switch to position 0.
The exterior rear view mirror heating is switched off.
Seems apparent that there is either a thermostat in the system that is not opening at higher-than-low ambient temperatures, or that the outside air temperature gauge sensor is not properly controlling the mirror heater circuit. Bum part?? Bum computer set-up??
In the meantime, you could pull fuse R1 until things are sorted out (R1 will not affect the mirror adjustment).
Last edited by Old smart; 09-07-2008 at 01:10 PM.
Reason: add
I'm no engineer, but seems like you could just take the "ground" side, snip the wire, put a switch inline and be done! Am I "over simplifying" this?
That would be an even easier way to deal with it as long as their is a ground wire somewhere in an accessible location to do that.
It's a great SIMPLE idea, infact.
I'm going to have a sit down with the tech at Smart Center Latham and see if we can't come up with something on this that's not too complicated.
But no info if, or if not, it does anything for us to warn of Icy conditions like many cars do>>>
I got my car in early Feb and have used it in below freezing weather. I do not recall any such feature as you suggest...a snowflake or icycle or the like coming up on the dash...just the OAT display there on the instrument panel.
Not to be smug here but if the car has an outside temp display and water freezes at 32 degrees. My ice warning in my aftermarket mirror in my truck shows at 36 degrees, can we not just look at the display and below say 36-40 deggrees beware if ice? It is a 12,000 dollar car with out all of the bells and whistles we would like.
Sorry to further hyjack the original issue on the mirrors. I will probably disconect them if they are always on when mine arrives. not much call for them down here.
In the case of the Euro W451s, when the ambient outside temperature goes below 3ºC (37ºF) the dash temp reading is replaced with a snowflake for some duration of time. Dunno if it happens with the NA W451s; the Canuks will be the first to know.
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