austinado16

Our Avant doesn't have the cold weather package, so no heated seats, no headlight washers, no heated windshield washer nozzles, and I'm assuming (but I'm not sure) no heated side mirrors.

The painted mirror housing are all chipped and scratch and need to be repainted, so I've been thinking about just replacing the whole mirror assemblies if I found some in the wrecking yard because that'll be cheaper than having someone color-match pearl and repaint my mirrors.

I've got a line on a pair of mirrors, but they are heated. Can I use them? Can I make them heated in my car by adding a relay somewhere that's just not installed for non-heated mirrors?

Am I crazy?

Quattromond

I think of doing the same type of things to my Avant also, I thought all A6's had heated mirrors cold weather package or not. You are possitive they are not heated, im not calling you out on your inteligence but have you turned on your rear defrotster and felt them after a while(I am assumeing)or you just thought that no cold weather package no heated mirrors. I know I have heated mirrors but the passengers side only heats up the drivers is warm and the power mirror's don't work.

austinado16

No offense taken at all. They could be heated, but no, I haven't turned on the rear defroster and felt the mirror glass. Guess I better do that!

Quattromond

but after a minute the passenger mirror will dry all the water or condensation and the drivers will dry alittle.

austinado16

I'll check 'em. Good time to break out the infrared temp gun!

DaveInSaltLake

and cause those ugly splotches on the mirrors...

DaveInSaltLake

I learned something new today while digging thru the wiring diagrams.

Looks like up to 1996 the heated mirrors operate, as Qmond described, when the rear window defrost is activated.

1997+ it looks like they're powered by the ignition switch.

I doubt it would affect the interchange-ability of the mirrors...just an interesting bit of trivia. Can you tell I'm bored at work today?

austinado16

Passenger side got very warm to the touch and was 88*F using an infrared temp gun. Driver's did not get warm at all.

Thanks for all the help. Looks like I'll be popping on some new-to-me mirrors! Then I'll take apart the driver's and see if I can fix the heater.

kday

I think the later ones are supposed to come on automatically when the temperature is low enough...

Quattromond

Well thats good to hear, maybe its common for the drivers to not work.