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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Focus / November 2005

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Non-Collapsable Side Mirrors

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LMO - 12 Nov 2005 13:56 GMT
I have had to replace both side mirrors several times. It's gotten so that
when I replace one, i immediately go to ebay and buy another, knowing it
will soon be needed. Ford really screwed the pooch making the side mirrors
non-collapsable. Anyone know if after-market, collapsable side mirrors are
available? I haven't seen them.

Signature

LMO
"O Wad some Powr, the Giftie Gie us,
To see oursels as others see us."

Craig - 12 Nov 2005 14:12 GMT
"LMO" wrote...

>I have had to replace both side mirrors several times. It's gotten so that
>when I replace one, i immediately go to ebay and buy another, knowing it
>will soon be needed. Ford really screwed the pooch making the side mirrors
>non-collapsable...

...or maybe selling to someone with your driving skills. Sorry, I just had
to think this after reading your message. Just how are you losing these
mirrors?

Craig
LMO - 12 Nov 2005 14:29 GMT
Have to park in the street (live in Germany...very narrow lanes). Came out
yesterday morning and the driver side mirror had been knocked off,no doubt
by a driver in the night. That's pretty typical. Of course, being good, law
abiding Germans, no note was left...

> "LMO" wrote...
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Craig
Craig - 12 Nov 2005 18:19 GMT
"LMO" wrote...

> Have to park in the street (live in Germany...very narrow lanes). Came out
> yesterday morning and the driver side mirror had been knocked off,no doubt
> by a driver in the night. That's pretty typical. Of course, being good,
> law abiding Germans, no note was left...

 Sorry to hear that. It seems that your current technique of keeping
spares--or maybe getting a different car or a different parking place--is
the only solution.

 I will confess to a problem I had with my Focus shortly after buying it. I
was filling up with gas and as I walked alongside the car with it's fuel
filler door open, I brushed up against it in a way that made it want to try
to open even more than in the full open position. Well, the filler door is
all plastic so I snapped it off--the whole door! Boy, was I angry.
Amazingly, with a brass strap that I bought at a hardware store, a lot of
epoxy glue, and some tape to hold things in place as the glue dried, the
repaired door continues to hold now about four years later. Quite amazing as
the break required a sort of butt joint reattachment, not the easiest thing
to put back together for strength. I wouldn't be surprised if my repair has
given me a stronger filler door than when it was new.

 Anyone else snap off a gas filler door?

Craig
Frog Legs - 13 Nov 2005 01:59 GMT
"Craig" <wpyr@REMOVEMEworldnet.att.net> wrote in news:dmqdf.48228$qk4.46551
@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

>  Anyone else snap off a gas filler door?

It's a common Focus problem. A metal replacement is available. check out:

http://www.myfordfocus.com/how-to/fueldoor.htm
Roarmeister - 13 Nov 2005 22:46 GMT
>Have to park in the street (live in Germany...very narrow lanes). Came out
>yesterday morning and the driver side mirror had been knocked off,no doubt
>by a driver in the night. That's pretty typical. Of course, being good, law
>abiding Germans, no note was left...

Opps, sorry - I had you mistaken for someone else (an American BTW). Ignore
my previous post.
Michael Heiming - 13 Nov 2005 10:24 GMT
In alt.autos.ford.focus LMO <lmo01'nospam'@yahoo.com>:
> I have had to replace both side mirrors several times. It's gotten so that
> when I replace one, i immediately go to ebay and buy another, knowing it
> will soon be needed. Ford really screwed the pooch making the side mirrors
> non-collapsable. Anyone know if after-market, collapsable side mirrors are
> available? I haven't seen them.

Strange, side mirrors on my Focus (1999) are easily collapsible
per default.

Signature

Michael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94)
mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'

Roarmeister - 13 Nov 2005 22:44 GMT
>I have had to replace both side mirrors several times. It's gotten so that
>when I replace one, i immediately go to ebay and buy another, knowing it
>will soon be needed. Ford really screwed the pooch making the side mirrors
>non-collapsable. Anyone know if after-market, collapsable side mirrors are
>available? I haven't seen them.

LMAO!  Are you the same bozo that bitched how badly designed the Focus is
when he mashed his mirror into his carport a couple years back?  Heh, heh
-- if you are then forget the purchase of "EXTRA" mirrors, buy some driving
lessons, pooch!

30+ years driving and have yet to come close to breaking a mirror!
(although I did have some 18 yr old in an SUV total my '03 Focus when he
ran a stop sign)
Roarmeister - 13 Nov 2005 22:56 GMT
>>I have had to replace both side mirrors several times. It's gotten so that
>>when I replace one, i immediately go to ebay and buy another, knowing it
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>LMAO!  Are you the same bozo that bitched how badly designed the Focus is
>when he mashed his mirror into his carport a couple years back?  Heh, heh

Opps, sorry - I had you mistaken for someone else (an American BTW). Ignore
my previous post.  

This guy (I'm assuming, it was) started posting a couple years ago on every
Focus newsgroup and BB around complaining about his broken and limp side
mirror when he should have taken note with his bad driving skills.
grebz - 15 Nov 2005 09:51 GMT
To original poster, you can get some focus power collapsable mirrors
from these guys in the UK

http://www.fordpartsuk.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FPU&Pro
duct_Code=FPF

Andy Lee - 15 Nov 2005 12:51 GMT
>To original poster, you can get some focus power collapsable mirrors
>from these guys in the UK
>
>http://www.fordpartsuk.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FPU&Pro
duct_Code=FPF

The originals are collapsable by hand they just need a good shove
always fold mine in if it's parked on the street. are the American
ones different then
Michael Heiming - 15 Nov 2005 13:24 GMT
In alt.autos.ford.focus Andy Lee <andy.lee@siemens.com>:

>>To original poster, you can get some focus power collapsable mirrors
>>from these guys in the UK
>>
>>http://www.fordpartsuk.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FPU&Pro
duct_Code=FPF

> The originals are collapsable by hand they just need a good shove
> always fold mine in if it's parked on the street. are the American
> ones different then

Hi Andy!

Thx for acknowledging. Mine are although collapsible per default,
which made me curious about the thread. The above URL
"fordpartsuk" suggests at least that it's European.

Signature

Michael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94)
mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'
#bofh excuse 237: Plate voltage too low on demodulator tube

me/2 - 15 Nov 2005 14:44 GMT
:>In alt.autos.ford.focus Andy Lee <andy.lee@siemens.com>:
:>> On 15 Nov 2005 01:51:28 -0800, "grebz" <aarrgghh765@hotmail.com>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
:>which made me curious about the thread. The above URL
:>"fordpartsuk" suggests at least that it's European.

The only American Focus I've aware of with the collapsibe mirrors is
the SVT Focus.  This is through the '04 model year.  I don't know if
any of the American '05/'06 models have them or not.

me/2
Michael Heiming - 15 Nov 2005 15:23 GMT
In alt.autos.ford.focus me/2 <null@127.0.0.1>:

> :>In alt.autos.ford.focus Andy Lee <andy.lee@siemens.com>:
> :>> On 15 Nov 2005 01:51:28 -0800, "grebz" <aarrgghh765@hotmail.com>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> :>which made me curious about the thread. The above URL
> :>"fordpartsuk" suggests at least that it's European.

> The only American Focus I've aware of with the collapsibe mirrors is
> the SVT Focus.  This is through the '04 model year.  I don't know if
> any of the American '05/'06 models have them or not.

Seems you can be glad if you get a driver seat in an US model per
default? ;-)

Anyway, looks like the OP is from Europe? Perhaps this depends on
the model?

Signature

Michael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94)
mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'

Roarmeister - 16 Nov 2005 01:34 GMT
>In alt.autos.ford.focus Andy Lee <andy.lee@siemens.com>:
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>which made me curious about the thread. The above URL
>"fordpartsuk" suggests at least that it's European.

Now I'm really curious - do the European mirrors have the heater function?
or is this a North American and specifically a Canadian design option?

I have heated seats (standard in my ZX5 and higher level packages) - the
switch is also connected to the heaters in the mirrors.  I suppose they
could have designed them with both functions but the Ford bean counters may
have said they didn't want to spend the extra pennies.
me/2 - 16 Nov 2005 02:57 GMT
:>On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 14:24:37 +0100, Michael Heiming
:><michael+USENET@www.heiming.de> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
:>I have heated seats (standard in my ZX5 and higher level packages) - the
:>switch is also connected to the heaters in the mirrors.  I suppose they

That's interesting.  On my '04 SVT Focus with the heated mirrors and
the heated leather Recaro seats (courtesy of the Euro package) it
states in the owner's manual that the heated mirrors are turned on
when you turn on the rear window defogger.  I have verified on mine
that the seat heaters have nothing to do with the mirror heaters.

:>could have designed them with both functions but the Ford bean counters may
:>have said they didn't want to spend the extra pennies.

Yeah, they're not very consistent either.  :-)

me/2
Roarmeister - 16 Nov 2005 03:39 GMT
>:>On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 14:24:37 +0100, Michael Heiming
>:><michael+USENET@www.heiming.de> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>when you turn on the rear window defogger.  I have verified on mine
>that the seat heaters have nothing to do with the mirror heaters.

I've always wondered if that was a misprint or not.  It makes sense to link
it with the defrost instead of the seat heaters - may it was a misprint in
'03?  In any case, the heated mirrors and collapsible mirrors may have been
mutually exclusive.
me/2 - 16 Nov 2005 14:48 GMT
:>>On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 19:34:15 -0600, Roarmeister
:>><ebnezrvfgre2@argfpncr.arg> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
:>'03?  In any case, the heated mirrors and collapsible mirrors may have been
:>mutually exclusive.

Just for the record, on the SVT Focus the mirrors are heated,
electrically adjustable and collapsible.  Oh yeah, and they have body
colored covers unlike the black covers on the other Focus models.  I
guess we got more than just a SVT badge for the extra bucks. :-)

me/2
Michael Heiming - 16 Nov 2005 09:05 GMT
In alt.autos.ford.focus Roarmeister <ebnezrvfgre2@argfpncr.arg>:

>>In alt.autos.ford.focus Andy Lee <andy.lee@siemens.com>:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>>which made me curious about the thread. The above URL
>>"fordpartsuk" suggests at least that it's European.

> Now I'm really curious - do the European mirrors have the heater function?
> or is this a North American and specifically a Canadian design option?

May be model specific, mine has them probably per default, it's
switched on together with the heating of the rear window. You can
move the mirrors electrical in addition.

Unlike the heated windscreen washer system, which is iirc turned
on automatically after outside temperature drops below 4C.

> I have heated seats (standard in my ZX5 and higher level packages) - the
> switch is also connected to the heaters in the mirrors.  I suppose they
> could have designed them with both functions but the Ford bean counters may
> have said they didn't want to spend the extra pennies.

Don't have heated seats, but a heated windscreen in addition,
there's no model called ZX5 over here, mine is a Ghia.

Signature

Michael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94)
mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'

LMO - 16 Nov 2005 15:34 GMT
I am the OP. I am an American living in Germany. I have anAmerican specs '02
Focus SE Wagon. The mirrors are non-collapsable, unheated. However, I have
collapsed them a few times. That is the problem ;-).
Thanks for the interesting thread, folks!

> In alt.autos.ford.focus Roarmeister <ebnezrvfgre2@argfpncr.arg>:
>
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> Don't have heated seats, but a heated windscreen in addition,
> there's no model called ZX5 over here, mine is a Ghia.
Andy Lee - 17 Nov 2005 10:43 GMT
>>In alt.autos.ford.focus Andy Lee <andy.lee@siemens.com>:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>could have designed them with both functions but the Ford bean counters may
>have said they didn't want to spend the extra pennies.

Mine have the electric heating (activated with the rear screen heating
element) and electric adjustment (little joystick type affair on the
drivers side door) I do like the electric folding mirrors that are
becoming more popular these days the Focus mirrors do appear to be
quite wide and easily broken
LMO - 16 Nov 2005 15:30 GMT
Thank you! That was what I have been looking for. But at 199 pounds, I could
buy a whole bunch of non collapsing ones...matter of fact, I already have!

> To original poster, you can get some focus power collapsable mirrors
> from these guys in the UK
>
> http://www.fordpartsuk.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FPU&Pro
duct_Code=FPF
 
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