[short-stick]

Having now suffered from a broken drivers mirror outer cover on my 08 X250 motorhome, I have uncovered a superb bit of design work. You cannot buy any component other than mirror glass separately. I'm sure many members have experienced this scam, a cracked housing or bits missing off the cover can be repaired on almost all cars by buying the cover only, but not on your motorhome. It costs £220 including VAT for Fiat to supply you with an entire new long arm electric mirror, assuming there is no temperature probe or aerial inside it! This is scandalous and it hikes up insurance costs. The mirrors stick out so far they are bound to get scraped cracked or damaged, but not to the extent that you need a new complete housing, two mirror motors and two heated mirror glasses! Why is the cover not replacable on its own. This is true profit generation in the extreme! You have all been warned!

 

[inkey-2008]

If it is only cracked then try finding a car bumper repairer. They can weld ABS plastic to look like new.

Andy

 

[short-stick]

Hi Andy,
I though of that but the bottom 2 inches of the front cover is missing down the road somewhere, so I doubt they can remanufacture the curved bit.
I don't know if I can detach the cover to have a better go at fixing it as I thought if I can get the outer front cover off I could temporarily attach a styrene block and file it to shape then mould fireglass over that and somehow attach it to the remaining plastic.

 

[Seeker]

Looks like it's got to be worth having a go as it might well get whacked again before too long. Unless you're thinking of selling in the near future.

On my B564 (not sure how different they are) I've lost two glasses in the last four years but then learned to tuck the mirrors in closer to the body. You don't lose much vision at the rear - unless someone is right up your rear end ...

If you have a rear view camera you can use that when in traffic queues.

Harry

 

[Rosbotham]

Hi Andy,
I though of that but the bottom 2 inches of the front cover is missing down the road somewhere, so I doubt they can remanufacture the curved bit.

Wouldn't necessarily say so. I know a good backstreet carbodyshop (Preston area if any use) and they rebuilt a hole that was bigger than that on mine when I had a disagreement with a dry stone wall. Cost about £100.

 

[tommytli]

try http://www.wingmirrorman.co.uk if you phone them ask for speede (steven) and say tommytli told you to phone and he will give you a 10% discount and he is already a lot cheaper than fiat

 

[106559]

Having now suffered from a broken drivers mirror outer cover on my 08 X250 motorhome, I have uncovered a superb bit of design work. You cannot buy any component other than mirror glass separately. I'm sure many members have experienced this scam, a cracked housing or bits missing off the cover can be repaired on almost all cars by buying the cover only, but not on your motorhome. It costs £220 including VAT for Fiat to supply you with an entire new long arm electric mirror, assuming there is no temperature probe or aerial inside it! This is scandalous and it hikes up insurance costs. The mirrors stick out so far they are bound to get scraped cracked or damaged, but not to the extent that you need a new complete housing, two mirror motors and two heated mirror glasses! Why is the cover not replacable on its own. This is true profit generation in the extreme! You have all been warned!

Sorry to hear that BUT, White van man in a new Fiat whacked my mirror whilst engrossed in a phone call, cost me about £8.00 for a glass from Halfords so I hope his was trashed. Probably not his van though.