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2004 A8L left hand drive - The exterior rear view mirror has a heated glass with auto dimming for night driving. I can pop off the glass easily. What actually pops off is an assembly of Glass mirror with a frame, an adhesive layer with a heating membrane between the back of the glass and a plastic bracket with two metal clamp springs (removable) and three wires. The Two like wires are for the heating, and the 3rd attached at the edge of the glass is presumably for auto-dimming. There is a liquid (discolored) within the reflective side of the glass. Likely, this liquid, when electrically stimulated, provides the auto-dimming feature.
The parts that make up this assembly, are not made such that they can be disassembled without destroying the something... unless you know a trick I don't.
Enlarging the part sticker reveals a partial part#. Using this info, I've
on-line with no success. Any help on identifying this part would be very much appreciated!
Last edited by smithrd8003; 06-08-2017 at 11:41 AM.
You have to buy the whole glass assembly. Yours failed apparently in that lamination layer where the dimming occurs. They often do that at this age. The part # is on that faded white sticker. A dealer can find the part # by your VIN, though I can perhaps guess you are trying to buy second hand.
Simplified if searching eBay or some such, you need a mirror for a 2004 US model A8, passenger side. All USA ones will be the same--and through 2007 actually (2008 was facelift and mirror shape changed). They all have heated glass and dimming IF they are USA spec. Euro ones vary by which side drive is, convex, aspherical, language used for any etching on glass, etc. They may have each of heated glass and dimming as options in other countries too. Motor doesn't matter for glass piece.
You have to buy the whole glass assembly. Yours failed apparently in that lamination layer where the dimming occurs. They often do that at this age. The part # is on that faded white sticker. A dealer can find the part # by your VIN, though I can perhaps guess you are trying to buy second hand.
Simplified if searching eBay or some such, you need a mirror for a 2004 US model A8, passenger side. All USA ones will be the same--and through 2007 actually (2008 was facelift and mirror shape changed). They all have heated glass and dimming IF they are USA spec. Euro ones vary by which side drive is, convex, aspherical, language used for any etching on glass, etc. They may have each of heated glass and dimming as options in other countries too. Motor doesn't matter for glass piece.
Thanks LOADS for the quick reply. The decayed part number on the white sticker, you correctly refer to, is not getting me any success while searching the web. The parts I've actually bought using the generic 2004, A8L Driver Side etc... has gotten me a variety of things that never have the 3rd connection. So, I must agree with your advice - I need to buy the entire assembly and will likely need to go to a Stealer for the part number. These things are hundreds of dollars.
I found it still heated but without the auto-dim (which I didn't want anyway because tinted windows + nighttime backing up is easier without dimming) but WITH convex (aspheric actually) (ROW) cheap somewhere, I'll see if i can find it. It does cross over to a lot of other VWAG cars, surprisingly. ECS sell them OE W/O dim for ~$130 I think...
If any car ever needed a wider angle driver side rearview it's the D3s. Stupid antiquated DOT rules.
06-08-2017, 11:39 AM
Driver Side Ext Mirror Part Identification
