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| this leaking mirror thing is getting to be a pain in the butt, does any one have a phone no for the big wigs at acura, when i called california the little girl i talked with sounded like she was about twelve years old and she said that no other complaints had been received about the leaking mirrors |
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Ask to speak to a supervisor!! I spoke to Larry, who actually called me back with a follow up... but only to tell me that all MDX's do that...
Funny, I'm having my local detailer put Zaino on my MDX - so I picked it up last nite and took it back today for more coats of Z5... and they couldn't believe how bad the water spray was on the right side of the vehicle!!
I'm having my silver side steps and wood steering wheel installed later this week... and I'm having my dealer remove the mirrors and caulk the inside and place seran wrap around the rubber grommet (spongey material) which we believe to be the problem. Because there is no official tech paper on this issue, I'm having to pay for the repair myself. If it works - I'll let y'all know next week. Cost to remove the mirrors etc... about $150 in labour (I have to supply the caulk and seran wrap).
For more on this subject, don't forget to search the bbs.
Regards.
Rail |
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Rail,
Are you seriously considering using actual saran wrap? I don't think it will hold up that well as a barrier against the grommet. It may also make noise if the wind currents can reach it. To avoid this you would have to pull it tight and I think normal saran wrap would just stretch and or rip. Plus, you may not be able to keep enough tension on the wrap depending on how tightly the grommet fits.
You may want to consider a slightly heavier. Some possible ideas that may be better but still could have the same above problems would be the plastic from a heavy-duty garbage bag (multiple-ply) or the plastic from a large heavy-duty freezer bag.
Depending on how tight the fit is for the grommet, there may be enough room for a thin layer of non-water absorbent rubber such as that from a tire inner tube.
Whatever you do, I hope it works. I am interested in trying a similar thing if I see the water problem on my MDX (I have had it for a couple days now and there have been no streaks since I washed it on Sunday). The thoughts above were my ideas when I thought about it.
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Has anyone tried the silicone in the wire-pipe idea that Rail discussed in the other mirror-leak thread?
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...p?threadid=1165
Rail, what made you decide to give up on this approach? I think it has merit. Plus, it's less invasive and certainly cheaper than disassembling the door panel and mirror. |
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Hi Worm
I haven't completely given up on that idea -- I've actually done it on both my mirrors... unfortunately it's very difficult to do on the passenger side mirror... there seems to be less clearance or something. Since I've done it, the drivers side doesn't appear to have the problem... the passenger side still leaks.
I bought DAP Alex Plus(r) which doesn't require a caulk gun at Home Depot and used a long Q-Tip to spread the caulk over the top of the pipe. As I mentioned... this was a lot easier to do on the driver's side.
I've bought the service manual from Helm since I've made my original posts, and apparently to remove the mirror without breaking it - you grip the mirror and lift it upwards to unclip it from the actuator adapter plate... But I'd be afraid of breaking the mirror (as I did on the spare I bought)... so we'll see if the service guys can do it :) I just figured, while I'm in there and I have it apart - on my old car there was a plastic gasket between the car's body and the rubber grommet - which the MDX doesn't have - so I felt that seran wrap should work fine to protect the grommet from getting wet... and is thin enough that it won't effect the seating of the mirror assembly. I may have them spray a silicone spray on the grommet as well -- after all this, if it still leaks -- I give up :)
Any other suggestions are certainly welcome. I don't feel that the Seran Wrap being thin should be a problem - as it's only being used to keep moisture/water off the grommet... and once the mirror housing is reattached to the vehicle, the Seran Wrap will be inside the mirror housing between the grommet and the door, and between the mirror and the grommet -- so it won't be where wind should be able to reach it.
Sorry for the long post.
Best regards.
Rail |
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Rail,
I don't know if you are using the term Saran Wrap generically or for the specific brand. Saran brand wrap I believe is still made using cellulose which is wood fiber. As such it is more prone to deterioration. Consider using Glad or any of the other plastic wraps which will likely give you better durability. |
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Saran is polyethylene. Only about 4/10 of a mil (or .04mm). The "house brand" stuff if on only 1/5 of a mil (or .02mm). You can get cellulose based wraps at hobby stores, but generally not for food use. While a polyethylene or PVC sheeting for construction use is available in 6 mil thickness (.6mm) you might want to rethink the whole 'fix'.
It seems like water is clearly entering the mirror support arm and then collecting in the 'pipe'. If the outer end (directly behind the mirror) was filled with a good sealant (like caulk/silicon/buytl rubber/shoe goo) then water would not enter at all.
Keeping the water out is better than merely preventing it from getting absorbed by the "foam". Once water gets inside the mirror support there will be problems with corrosion, electrical shorts, mold etc. |
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I agree that the most important step is to stop water reaching the grommet area all together -- in that endeavour, I have found that I had to caulk the entire area behind the pipe as well, as I discovered through trial and error that water would keep getting through. The problem is, to caulk the complete area means that the mirror needs to be removed from the actuator assembly to be able to caulk the area effectively -- the other option is to caulk the other side, where the water would normally drain/build up against the grommet -- this will let water build up in the support arm - not desirable either. The final safeguard is to put a protective plastic "shield" around the rubber grommet - in that endeavour, I have tested using Reynold's Platic Wrap - and I believe it will do the job. There is no information anywhere on the box or the web stateing what this plastic formulation is, so I'm not sure of the longevity of the product... it is thin enough that I can use two or three layers without affecting the way the mirror assembly will reattach to the MDX. Anything thicker probably won't work.
To summarize, I think 4 things should be done:
1) Caulk inside the mirror housing completely covering the 'pipe' and the area behind it.
2) Caulk at the area where water exits the mirror housing behind where the grommet attaches.
3) Spray the grommet with 3M Spra-ment Spray Adhesive
4) Place 3 layers of Reyold's Plastic Wrap around the grommet completely.
.... and hopefully that'll do it.
Rail
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Well I was at the dealer today -- and they wouldn't perform the surgery (at 2 different dealers)... but they would remove the mirror assemblies from the MDX for me. Their reason was that it wasn't an "Acura approved" job and that they "couldn't warranty it" -- even though I offered to sign accepting any responsibility, they wouldn't do the work... just as well anyway. They removed both mirrors for me and disassembled the mirrors themselves from the mirror assembly -- these were the main steps that I was concerned I would screw up on -- to remove the mirror assembly completely from the MDX, you have to remove the door trim -- although the fix can be performed with the mirrors still attached to the door -- I don't recommend it, 'cause you'll be able to do a much better job of caulking, etc with the mirror assembly removed.
To remove the mirror from the assembly requires that you pull it up so that it unclips from the actuator behind it -- this I left to them. (A new mirror is about $24, the complete assembly incl the mirror is about $120). If you prefer, you can order new mirrors, do the prep work at home and take them in to your dealer to exchange with your old mirror assemblies on the MDX.
I followed only 3 of the steps I had suggested in the previous post -- and I changed the caulk.
Requirements:
1) 2 x GE 100% silicone Rubber Sealant for Window & Door (Clear) - available from Home Depot at $3.47 ea.
2) 1 x Caulking Gun for the above sealant - available from Home Depot at $4.97
3) 1 x Reynold's Plastic Wrap - Clear (I bought 50 sq. ft. and had plenty over.
4) 3-6 x stirring sticks or Q-Tips or Chopsticks (something to help spread the sealant)... I used stirring sticks which were by the coffee machine.
5) Paper towels.
Steps:
1) Have the dealer remove the mirror assemblies from the vehicle
2) Have the dealer remove the mirrors from the mirror assemblies - note there are two cables that are attached to the mirrors for heating... tape over the top one to identify which is which (not that I believe it matters... but just to be safe). Tape the 2 wires to the bottom of the mirror assembly to keep them out of your way while caulking.
3) Have the dealer unscrew the little "star screw" with the white plastic clip and place it to the side. This will allow you to pull the grommet (rubbery foam piece) back from the mirror assembly.
4) Cut the tip of the caulk dispenser nozzle and push a hole into the sealant's seal. Put the sealant into the caulk gun. Have a paper towel available to place it down on while you work. (I performed this surgery in the dealer's waiting room being watched by some fascinated customers BTW).
Make sure that the inside of the mirror assembly is dry and if there is any moisture on the grommet - dry it with the paper towels... also dry behind the grommet area.
5) Start by applying sealant into the 'pipe' where the cable harness feeds through the assembly. Then proceed to fill the complete 'pipe' side of the assembly with sealant... Water gets through not only through the pipe, so it's important that the complete pipe side is covered. Make sure that you also don't get any sealant on the actuator mechanism, and that you keep the sealant behind where the mirror itself will reattach. Also try and smoothe a trough in the sealant for water to run down into the resorvour... you don't want to create any spots in the sealant where water will pool or get trapped. Use the stirrers (or sticks) to shape and smoothe the sealant. When you've done one mirror, move to the next - allowing this to cure a little before the next step.
6) Go back to the first mirror you started with, and tear off a piece of reynold's Plastic Wrap about 15 or so inches long. You're free to do whatever you wish really, but I lay it down with about 6 inches to my left and 9 to my right and I pierced a hole in the middle.... I then fed the harness with the connectors through this hole and folded the plastic wrap around the grommet until it was completely covered -- if there was a spot which wasn't covered, I tore off more wrap and added it. You can't make it too tight around the grommet, as the grommet still has to be able to "seat" back against the mirror assembly... but I had no problem getting it "comfortable". Test that when the grommet is placed in its normal position, that the plastic wrap won't extend over the edges of the plastic mounting piece -- this was actually pretty easy to do. Once you're happy with the wrap job, pierce holes through the 3 mounting screw positions, so that the mechanic will be able to reattach the mirror assembly. Finally, in the middle, pierce a little hole for the screw attached to the clip you had the dealer remove in step #3. Finger tighten this in to hold the grommet against the mirror assembly for now (you won't be able to screw it in very far by hand, but it should hold).
7) Fold back the grommet at the bottom of the mirror assembly (I had someone else fold it back and hold it for me)... and fill the "exit hole" where the cable harness exits the mirror assembly, with sealant. Fill in as much of the 3 sections at the bottom that you can -- this is your last defense against water reaching the grommet.
Great - you're done. Take it back to the mechanic who can tighten the screw mentioned in step #6 and reattach the mirror taken off in step #2.
Let the sealant cure for at least 24 hours - try and keep the vehicle dry.
I'll try and post some pictures in the next few days or so. I'll have to recreate what I did on the "test" mirror assembly I have at home -- I didn't take pictures today while performing the surgery.
Just so you know - I had my car washed last on Monday (5 days ago) and I drove to the dealer today in a very slight rain.... when I got there they were very skeptical about me... however when they removed the mirror assemblies and I showed them the grommets - they were soaked through and water was dripping out of the area behind where the grommet sits (between the grommet and the assembly)... By the time I was done, they didn't think I was such an idiot (perhaps :))
I know this was a long post - but I wanted to post it while what I did was still fresh in my (old) mind... It's raining on & off today, but as soon as the weather clears - and the sealant's had time to cure -- I'll let y'all know if the operation was a success. By all indications it should be completely cured.
Finally, the dealer did write the following on the work order:
Customer request remove mirrors for customer - Removed mirrors and reinstalled after customer modified mirrors - Note: No warranty on any repairs to mirrors/possible wind noise
Cost for labour: $105.00
I didn't notice any additional wind noise at 55-65mph on my drive home... I did notice slight more road noise now that I have my silver powder coated side steps installed tho'... but that's another thread :)
Best regards to all, and let's hope this does it.
Rail |
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Rail,
Thanks for the detail on the surgery. How are the results... noticeable improvement? |
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I've had my MDX washed about 5 times at the dealers car wash and am glad to report I have no weeping mirror syndrome. None, nada, zip.
guess i am just one of the fortunate.
grathke |
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Grathke
I'm curious what colour MDX you have....? Having researched this pretty intensely, I'd be surprised if this wasn't a common problem to all MDX's, unless the factory's made any changes to the mirror assembly. Of course, your dealer's car wash dept. may be aware of the problem, and not spray into the mirrors when washing the vehicle.
I left the car indoors yesterday for the sealant to cure... and it rained today -- so I haven't been able to wash the MDX... as soon as I have conclusive results, I'll post them.
Meanwhile, I've updated my main thread in the Gallery with pictures.
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...p?threadid=1126
Rail |
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It's not that they are aware of the weeping issue, in fact I haven't even asked them about this issue.
Mine doesn't exhibit the problem.
The dealer does not do the car wash.
The carwash is on the dealer'r premises for all acura owners to use.
grathke |
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grathke,
do you know when your MDX was built, or have the last 6 vin #'s (we can estimate from that), or at the least, when you bought it.
I'm wondering if they've fixed the issue, or perhaps changed the material used for the grommet.
Because if they have found a solution at the factory, I am going to demand that mine be fixed.
thanks. |
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Well my delivery date was 2/28 (it did not spend anymore than 48hrs at the dealer). My mirrors weep like crazy for up to 4 days after a wash. I even use soft water and I still get the white drips.
Chris |
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| I've gotta be honest and tell you I really haven't looked into this problem much. I do know that after we wash our MDX, the mirrors do leak, but I haven't paid it much attention. That said, what if you took a small drill bit, and drilled a couple of holes in the underside of the mirror so that the water will immediatly drain out, rather than coming out later? |
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We took delivery last Saturday (4/7/01). The first thing I looked at (after deciding I liked the GG color) was the area around the mirrors. There was no sign of any dripping. The MDX was out in the rain yesterday but I didn’t notice any dripping last night. When I wash it this weekend I will load up the mirrors and see what happens and post back.
PS. Out wait time was 8 days short of 3 months and right when promised.
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1) I too had the "white" stuff dripping, at first. After several car washes, it's not so white. I think the white stuff is grease or some other residue that gets washed out after a few/several washes. I have a black MDX, so I really noticed the drip/weep at first, but less so now that it's clear water.
2) Drilling will help expedite water release from the mirror housing trough (just below and behind the actual mirror), BUT it doesn't solve the water which accumulates behind the bracket (the part of the mirror housing that is attached to the door and is flush with the window).
3) Rain does not really cause dripping/weeping mirrors. It's mainly caused by water from carwashes or your hose being sprayed into the mirror housing behind the mirror and between the bracket cover and window.
4) I am not sure why this thread has been created. There is another thread very similar to this one (where mirrors were called "dripping" instead of "weeping") where there has already been much discussion. And, there's one person who has created a very interesting thread in the gallery (sorry, forgot your name) with all kinds of pictures of what we're all going crazy over, the "leaking" ;) mirrors.
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won't help. That was the very first thing I discovered when I started figuring out the solution I came up with. Any water that reaches the reservour will exit the mirror housing via the hole that already exists. The problem is with water that enters behind the grommet (the spongy material between the mirror and the MDX).
I suggest you check out my pictures/thread in the Gallery at: http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...p?threadid=1126
Rail |
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quote:
Originally posted by nwaring
We took delivery last Saturday (4/7/01). The first thing I looked at (after deciding I liked the GG color) was the area around the mirrors. There was no sign of any dripping. The MDX was out in the rain yesterday but I didn’t notice any dripping last night. When I wash it this weekend I will load up the mirrors and see what happens and post back.
We picked up our car on April 13. It has been washed three times in eleven days (once by me and twice by the dealer) and the mirrors do not leak. Is it possible that they have ironed our this problm at the factory? So far no thud, radio button problems or any other problems. Maybe they looked at the feedback from all of you and have fixed these items in production. |
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| The latest ones still leak (or retain water). Ours arrived at the dealer on 4/5/01 (we aren't far from the factory, so it was born at the end of March). What ours does and I don't know if this is the case for everyone is the 3 times I have washed it there hasn't been any dripping while it sits in the garage. In fact all three times I have washed it the car sat all the next day. No drips. It is about 2.5 miles for me to get on the freeway (don’t notice anything at in-town speeds) just about the time I hit 65 spray is coming out of the mirror area, up part of the side window and all down the side. The other interesting thing is it doesn't do it on the passenger side. One time it quit right away but started up again after I changed direction, got back up to speed and had traveled about 10 miles. Is this the same scenario that everyone else has? |
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| Same sit here. Does come out the pax side but depends on turning/direction and wind direction. More on the driver's side, tho. Lotsa spray @ highway speed. |
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| I drove 120 miles on the freeway yesterday and no spray. Maybe we got two passenger mirrors! |
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| Picked mine up on Friday, April 20. It was in the service bay when I first saw it; it had just finished getting prepped, and had obviously been washed. No streaks. My initial reaction was that the problem had been fixed. We then went back to the showroom to finish the paperwork, and the MDX was brought around to the front. When we went out to take physical possession, there they were, in all their glory: streaks on both sides! When I pointed this out to the dealer, he said 2 things: 1) Nobody has ever pointed that out to them, and 2) All cars do that. I knew it was pointless to argue with him, so I let it drop. When we got home, the infamous spray was all over, like the vehicle had been frothing at the mouth. I am sending Acura Canada a note on this today. If we all do this, we're bound to get their attention! |
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| Yes, have water dripping down leading edge of doors... both the same... after a wash... annoying. I did call Acura, said they noted it, but DID NOT want my VIN... guess I'll call again. I have noticed water dripping down from the middle lower edge of the side rear windows... that obviously collects and runs down the channel around the window, between it and the body.. perhaps some of the mirror problem is similar??? |
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The Thud upon hard braking is caused by accumulated mirror water that has not completed weeped at the 65MPH level. Any leftover water makes its way down to radio buttons to cause the outage. This in turn accounts for poorer quality stereo playback.
The only solution is to crank up Bose system to drown out offensive thud noise, drive very fast to excise leftover H2O accumulation and break even harder to thoroughly breach and thereby eleminate water thud barrier! |
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| well I just got mine from the dealer, they took it back to add the fender flairs and sidesteps. Plus they gave it a great detail job and cleaned it nice. I then drove the 4 miles home on the surface streets not going more than 40 miles an hour and there was water all over the passengers side but none on the drivers side. the car is 5 days old of the truck with about 150 miles on it .. |
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| I went to the dealer today to pick up my license plates and asked what can be done about the mirrors and they said I was the only one that ever mentioned this.I took the service manager out to show him on my car that was 4 days old and never been in the rain.They are just playing dumb hoping we go away. |
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I know this is a touchy subject. The only reports to our dealership have been people that frequent this forum. So I don't think that it has becomes serious enough for Acura to really take notice. Basically, everytime I say something to service about it they ask me is this one of those acuramdx org people. When I say this seems to be a real issue, I get the same kind of responses you folks do. Our service advisor told me your not suppose to squirt water in the housing because there is electrical things, motor etc., in there. Anyway, I went and got a few other types of SUV's off of our used car lot and squirted water in there and most have a some water coming out after I drive them, but not as much as the MDX. I'll keep asking until I find out when something can be done. For now I've been putting a baggie over the mirrors on my customers cars when they are washed before delivery.
Roger
http://www.acurapricing.com |
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Roger
If you've read my previous posts - you'll note that there is an easy fix to the problem (see http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...threadid=1126).
I've had my car washed numerous times since performing this repair and haven't had a single drop of water splatter across my MDX since -- before, the whole side of the vehicle and the windows were sprayed... it wasn't worth having the car washed.
As for electronics, etc inside the mirror housing - they're full of crap... the actuator which contains the motor is 100% sealed and the heater element is housed behind the mirror assembly and is designed to get wet. Besides we're talking about normal conditions here... when you go to a (hand) car wash... Or does your service dept. suggest we don't wash our MDX's :)
As for water drips when there is a substantial rain - you will still get some of that, as water builds up in the little gutter between the mirror housing and the panel below it. When your car is washed, this water is usually sprayed off with air or cleaned off... This is the same thing that happens at the rear sides of the MDX below the cargo area windows (water builds up in the gutter and drips) -- once again, during a car wash, this is taken care of.
I am surprised that not a single other forum member has elected to perform this surgery yet -- if you're waiting for Acura to do anything about it, you're wasting your time. :(
Best regards to all.
Rail |
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by RGWomack
I know this is a touchy subject. The only reports to our dealership have been people that frequent this forum. So I don't think that it has becomes serious enough for Acura to really take notice. Basically, everytime I say something to service about it they ask me is this one of those acuramdx org people.
---------------------------------------------
OH NO...we have become a CULT. People are saying
"Is that one of THOSE acuramdx.org people? Quick, Run, Hide!" |
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quote:
Originally posted by Rail
I am surprised that not a single other forum member has elected to perform this surgery yet -- if you're waiting for Acura to do anything about it, you're wasting your time. :(
I've been considering the fix, but my wife would kill me if she saw me pulling the mirrors off. :) At some point, I'll probably have the dealer do it, but I've been too busy to treck across town. |
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Rail,
Your fix looks like a good one to me, the problem is will the dealers have the latitude to do it on their own and charge it to warranty. Acura's solution is generally to replace the defective part, and we know that won't solve the problem. If there is a fix, then it has to be approved by corporate then the fix and alotted time to fix it is passed down to the dealers. I realize there is a problem, but my dealership has had very few complaints on the seeping mirrors and all of them so far have been from this site. I'm kindof playing the devils advocate here from a dealerships point of view because until they start getting complaints from more people, does Acura see it as a real problem. One thing I can assure you of, if the service department gets the go ahead from Acura, they get paid to do the work and are more than happy to fix it. They all want warranty work. We don't get enough warranty work as far as they are concerned. So keep sending those letters to corporate until someone takes notice.
Roger
http://www.acurapricing.com |
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Roger
I understand the dealerships' predicament - they want to get paid by Acura Corp. for any warranty work they do. Fine! However, if I as a MDX owner offer to pay a dealer's service dept. to do work for me - whether it's Acura approved or not - they should perform that work - if I'm willing to pay for it (and sign accepting a reduction in warranty)!! Currently all Acura service departments will not perform my repair under any circumstances in case they'll get in trouble with Acura Corp. -- I did find one however who would remove the mirrors and reattach them for me... but I had to perform the modification myself. I thought they'd be more embarrased having a customer openly fixing a vehicle's problem in their waiting room.
This leaves owners in a terrible situation - and makes it appear as if Acura dealers & Corp. have absolutely no concern for their vehicle owners once they've purchased the vehicle -- if they're not willing to bend over backwards to assist an owner after the purchase, then something's amiss.
Sorry to load off on you about this - but to be honest, I'm really dissapointed in Acura's customer service in general. If they're trying to compete against Mecedes and BMW, they're going to have to do a lot better.
BTW I've also seen mention of this problem on the Edmunds site - so it's not purely limited to acuramdx.org
Best regards.
Rail |
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Well I got a call from the head office today asking me about the car I purchased 7 days ago and if i had any complaints and I told them about it and she told me that she had not heard of this issue. She took some notes about it and told me that she would send me some satisfaction forms to fill and I could document it in them.
Maybe a letter writing campaign to the head Honda USA office might get there attention ?
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I've washed my MDX twice now and have yet to see any streak down the door!!! The only thing that I've done out of the ordinary is to press lightly on the black plastic near the front of the mirror, right near where it meets the door. That always causes a drip right away which I wipe right off. I figure that it's like wringing out a sponge.
Now if I could just figure out why the windshield washer has a runny nose, I'd be all set. Seriously!!! Every time I use it, there's always several large drops of blue washer fluid that gets on the hood and leaves a blue stain. Today I used the washer going to work in the morning. Noticed the blue stain (wind-dried of course) when I got to work and parked it. Tonite on the way home, there's a couple of fresh blue drops working there way up across the hood from the washer towards the windshield!!
What new features will I find next??? |
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...and I'm getting this crusty line of white goo along the edge of my door line on both the passenger and driver side doors. This is ridiculous!
I'm just not up to attempting Rail's "fix" on my own. By Golly! I think it's Acura's problem and they'd darn well better resolve it. In fact, I'm going to call the 800 number again right now.
GRRRRRR :(! |
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Am I correct in assuming the the weeping mirror problem is more with people who frequent car washes versus those of us that do it ourselves? A car wash forces water into every crevice, whereas it's more of a gentle flow when I do it, probably with also much less water consumed.
I usually have a harder time getting all the water out from under the side and rear windows than the mirrors. |
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accmdx - it seems like rain would also "sadden" your mirrors to the point of weeping, not just car washes.
Well, I have yet another appt. with my dealer tomorrow. (the thud :(:(:() This would certainly be the wrong thread to "whine" yet again , but A.C.S. rep suggested that Acura is aware and is trying (?) to come up with a fix for the weeping mirrors. In fact he promised to be in touch with the dealer tomorrow while my car is in "surgery" to make sure they "look" at it.
I will let you know if anything other that more streaks down my doors should materialize. |
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quote:
Originally posted by accmdx
I usually have a harder time getting all the water out from under the side and rear windows than the mirrors.
One more note...
I agree with accmdx on this one - do you guys (and gals, of course) have the weeping rear side windows? It seems like they are about 1/4 " off the paneling and water gathers inside to eventually run down and produce dirty streaks. maybe those rear side windows need a DMor screen spline fix? |
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Having read this and other threads, and looking at my own MDX, I'm convinced the problem is water getting behind the black plastic trim plate that goes up against the door frame. One of my mirrors has a slight gap there, and the other is easily flexed away from the door frame. Even on the side without a gap, the seal is hardly water tight, and one the water gets in, the sponge gasket would soak up water, and other internal components would hold water through capillary action until road bumps and wind pressure released it.
Those using car washes seem to have the highest frequency of weeping mirrors. It is not hard to see how water pressure aimed at the right spot would force water under this plastic trim. That would explain why some have the problem and some don't. I am careful where I aim the hose when washing by hand, and also wick up moisture under the mirror when I dry the car, so I have had little or no trouble.
Rails's fix, posted elsewhere, solves the problem, even though I think he is off base concluding that the water enters from the pipe leading from the mirror housing to the mirror base. I'm betting that if you sealed the top edge of the mirror assembly plastic trim which lies along the outermost edge of the door weatherstripping, and the trailing edge od the trim that lies against the door and window frame, the problem would be solved. My suggestion would be to flex back the trim and lay a thin bead of silicone seal just under the edge of the trim, paying close attention to the point at the top rear, and the first inch or so on the rear vertical part of the trim which sits on top of the window frame (and which doesn't seem to have any kind of seal at all). I'd love to have someone who is having consistent problem with weeping mirrors try my fix, since I have the problem so rarely that it would be difficult for me to tell if it worked or not. |
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On more than one occasion now, I've seen the mirror's weep (particularly the driver side) after a rain.
FYI, |
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by accmdx
Am I correct in assuming the the weeping mirror problem is more with people who frequent car washes versus those of us that do it ourselves?
I've washed my own twice and have avoided getting water near the mirrors, but still have experienced the problem. It did seem more significant after a brushless car wash, though.
Calling the 800 customer care number really just increases my frustration , mostly, because they act like they've never heard about the problem and/or don't know what I'm talking about. I get that line: "Of course, ALL car mirrors leak a little after being washed , lady." like I'm an idiot or something. ARGHHHHH!
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Washed my MDX yesterday for the first time. I got interrupted by a neighbor while preparing to wash and forgot to cover the mirrors in plastic bags (as suggested in another post).
No weeping mirrors! Big problem was getting rid of the drips from the side and rear windows and around the rear license plate/light area. A quick spin around the block did help get rid of most of the remaining water.
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If I am correct about where the water is entering between the door/window and the mirror assembly, some may accumulate water more readily than others due to poor fit between the plastic trim and the door/window frame. One of my mirrors is snug all around, the other has a noticable gap between the plastic and glass on the rear (the edge towards the window)where water running down the door frame can enter behind the mirror assembly.
You coud try sealing the upper and rear joint temporarily with clear or black waterproof tape to see if this makes a difference, although there is a slight drop from the door frame to the window channel that will be tough to seal completely with tape. I still think the most offending point is at the upper rear corner.
FWIW, I have a TL which has never weeped in two and a half years even though the mirrors look very similar. But guess what! upon closer inspection, I see the TL mirrors have a vinyl or rubber gasket along the sealing edge of the exterior plastic trim plate that is missing from the MDX. I think this is cause for weeping. |
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mm... i guess i am looking in the wrong places, for my 'DX definetelly got a chance to be in the shower on more than one occassion (rain, t-storm, cloudy then sunny, a 1st (brushless, not self) car wash, f&$%ing rain same eve, t-storm)! no streaks!
actually, when i saw the car on the first day, i remember noticing the 'dry tears' on both sides, so either water hasn't gone to the right (or wrong) places, or the service guys at the dealership did something to fix it - if i get the courage and time to go 50 mi for a routine maintenance, i'll ask them (haven't clocked my 1k yet) |
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quote:
Originally posted by RGWomack
I know this is a touchy subject. The only reports to our dealership have been people that frequent this forum. So I don't think that it has becomes serious enough for Acura to really take notice. Basically, everytime I say something to service about it they ask me is this one of those acuramdx org people...
Roger makes the point here that I have been concerned about for some time. Listening to one another tends to re-enforce the herding instinct. Many times we don't notice a problem or care until we hear someone else complain or point it out. Personally, I probably wouldn't have noticed the weeping mirrors or even the pillar nicks if I had not read about it here first. The thud I would have. Also, how many times have new members or guests after reading the countless complaining posts in this forum come away with concerns about buying a MDX. All three are really minor problems in the scheme of things but probably shouldn't be happening on a $40K vehicle. So folks, the sky is not really falling so you don't need to be constantly wearing hard hats!:D |
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I'm fairly detail conscious (I know all the nicks and bumps on every vehicle I own) so I'm sure I would have noticed the two days of spray on the sides of my new $40k vehicle, regardless of whether or not I'd read about it here. And I'm darned certain that I would have noticed the 1/4" crusty white lines that run vertically from the mirror to the bottom of the vehicle on both the driver and passenger doors. They annoy the heck out of me.
My dealership is taking another look tomorrow. The service manager told me that all of the dealerships know that there is the problem, but so far, Acura has not identified it as a problem in need of a remedy or fix at this time. Hello? Customer satisfaction my patootie! |
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I finally took my MDX in for the wire harness recall, squeaking headliner (there are now two TSB's for this), and my leaky mirrors.
My main concern with the mirror was that I was getting water on the inside of my window during the post wash/rain drips. Of course, when I picked the MDX up, after the service dept saying they poured water over the door and found NO water, I had to return to the dealer to show them the water. I explained rail's research and solution to the service advisor and the technician. They talked to the service manager, but he did not say a word to me. I offered to tell him exactly how to find the discussion here, but got a "we don't need the internet to fix anything here" without so much as a look in my direction. So much for a customer service attitude.
Thankfully, the technician was genuinely interested in finding a solution for me. He asked if I could wait while he took the mirror off to look at it. An hour later, the technician handed me the keys and told me that he applied weatherstriping and silicon sealant around both sides of the gasket. He hoped that would fix water getting inside the window. I'll post again in a few weeks to let you know if his solution works and if it cuts down on the exterior drips. |
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| Rodzir |
| To tell you all the truth I thought you were all pissing and moaning! Now I feel your pain. The same thing is happening to me. The constant leaking and the lovely White vertical pin stripe on that mohogany finish that rolls down my door after a wash up to four days later. I tried using my air compressor and blowing the S%^T out of it and there is still water coming out.:eek: Will they ever listen?:confused: |
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| MDXNole |
| Have you witnessed the spraying of the whole side of the vehicle from water inside the mirrors yet. That really upsets me after I wash the MDX. That is even worse than the little weeping. |
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| Rodzir |
| Only this morning! It sucks. I have to keep a drying towel ready.:mad: |
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| New MDXer |
I feel your pain, this is an especially big pain in the a$$ with the black. I keep a white cotton towel in the truck at all times.
I have noticed that the passenger side "weeps" more than the driver side.
I hope there is a fix soon. |
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| MDXNole |
| My driver side is worse than my passenger side for the splashing water from the driver's door to the tailgate. That has never happened on the passenger side, but that side does weep. |
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| Bauble4 |
| Well they must have just washed the car because there was runoff from the seal around the side view mirrors. Is that what everyone calls the weeping mirror syndrome? If so since many MDX's have it why hasn't it been repaired? I picked up my GG MDX in the evening so I have not truly given it a thorough test. Can't wait to drive it tomorrow but I am concerned with the fact that I already have what I believe to be weeping mirrors. |
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| TheWorm |
Yup, the weeping mirrors are standard equipment. The towel to clean it off is a dealer-installed option.
You're fortunate in that they don't show as much on the GG as on the mahogany, green or black -- tho they'll still show.
In addition to the drips, you'll also get some spray (as some others have mentioned already), usually at speeds over 30mph and when turning right (or when you're getting on the freeway).
It is a rite of passage. Welcome. |
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| AtlantaMDX |
I just realized in the last few days that I've been refering to my mirrors as weeping when in fact I've never really noticed that they weep. They actually seem to hold water (whether water from washing, or rain water) and then release that water while I'm driving.
Do most people have mirrors that weep, mirrors that spray, or both? |
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| msu79gt82 |
... our mirror holds water until you start to drive away, then the water sprays out the bottom of the mirrors all over the side of the car. Directly proportional to how fast you drive away of course.
Our best solution is still to wrap the mirrors when you wash it. |
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| ra2dale |
| A previous thread on this subject seemed to indicate that Acura was aware of the problm and that a TSB would be coming so that dealers could fix it. I've had one visit with my dealership technicians since purchasing the vehicle and they were aware of the problem, but vague on wether anything was being done. Does anyone know if Acura is actually looking into the problem? |
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