Bloody duck!!

[Sqwim]

Kamikaze mallard (or some similarly sized bird) got it's comeuppance on the A1 today as it appeared over the armco and took my wing mirror clean off and also broke the metal bracket! I now have a short stub and three bare wires where my drivers mirror used to be. It's also scratched the door glass but I guess I'll put up with that.

I am mucho peeved - I've only had the car 3 weeks and in 17 years of driving have never had a birdstrike then when I do it's not just a glancing blow! ****!

If anyone knows any of the following, I'd love to know:

1) How much Audi charge for a (painted) wing mirror (electric and heated, not powerfolding)?
2) If there are decent alternative suppliers for painted (I want a perfect match) mirrors?
3) How do I detach the remains and refit (in case I decide to do this myself)?
4) If I go to a scrappers will any B7 mirror fit or are there different body styles I need to be aware of? In case I do, my car is a 2008 B7, 2.0 TDI, S Line Avant in metallic dolphin grey.
5) Talking of colour, is dolphin grey always metallic or is there a 'normal' version? Or even a pearlescent version?

Many thanks.

Mucho peeved
Sqwim

[toff]

Sorry I can't help with your questions.. I just thought I'd chime-in with an alternative suggestion...

Have you thought of upgrading to the lovely metal wing mirrors found on the S4 and RS4? (You'd still need to replace most of the wing mirror too). I hate spending money putting things back to standard - I'd rather put it towards an upgrade!

Al.

[STEWY L]

Sorry I can't help with your questions.. I just thought I'd chime-in with an alternative suggestion...

Have you thought of upgrading to the lovely metal wing mirrors found on the S4 and RS4? (You'd still need to replace most of the wing mirror too). I hate spending money putting things back to standard - I'd rather put it towards an upgrade!

Al.

my advice would be to forget an "upgrade" and claim through your insurance for genuine replacement. your car is not very old at all, and i would say"keep it standard" fancy mirrors get nicked and it's not just the mirrors you then have to pay for,but the damage to the doors/windows they will have caused while they were "removing" them.
regards,
stewy.

[Flakmunky]

Ebay or scrap yard. You should be able to get one already painted. As for claiming on insurance - I wouldn't bother, by the time you pay the excess it won't be worth it and then you will have to declare it when you renew (for the next 4 years, I think) and even though you may have protected no-claims, I still suspect they hike the premium slightly... Why else would they ask?! B@$t@rds...

<rant>

My wife reversed in to my old MG and the first thing the assessor did was check the tyre tread depth... In other words the first thing he checked was whether they could avoid paying out...

</rant>

[kodkod.84]

Will B6 mirrors fit?? Should be plenty at a scrapyard if they do.

Oh and if you can't get the dolphin grey one- that part is just a cover so you can order a new one

[Sqwim]

I'm happy with the OEM colour TBH and I won't be going through the insurance. I've spoken with Audi and can answer some of my own questions...

1) Bracket = £75. Cover = £44 (plus £30 for painting). Glass = £25. Total = £174. (hopefully including VAT, I forgot to ask!).

2) It appears there are alternatives:
http://www.cardoormirrors.co.uk/htdo...A4__2001-.html
or
http://www.wingmirrorman.co.uk/a4%202000on.html

Does anyone have experience of these? In particularly, were they able to match the colour well?

3) It seems they are attached from within (unsurprisingly!). Any advice on how to remove the interior trim to get access without damaging it?

4) Not sure about this still. Audi chap was coy about it and insisted on chassis no / reg no. (possibly as there are numerous that will fit and I might find one elsewhere!). Can anyone confirm?

5) Forgot to ask him this but the paint code is X7Z - metallic dolphin grey.

Bonus questions!:
6) Any idea if the wing mirror glass is tinted. It'd be handy to know exactly what to ask for to make sure I get the right one.

7) If I was to consider getting a powerfolding replacement, what else might I need to do? Is the wiring loom the same? Would I need a new switch? Anything else? (Yes I know I'd only have one folding mirror but you never know, I might get attached from the other side next year and then I'd be able to get them matching!).

Cheers
Sqwim

[kodkod.84]

This is where it is a shame vagparts aren't trading any more.

When I drove my girlfriends golf into our wall and scratched the wing mirror to pieces I was able to get the cover for £40 in Diamond Black in 2 days so presuming these parts are off the shelf already painted.

Not able to help on the other parts though, having only replaced covers so far, oh and is the £174 include labour to fit it as well?

[Sqwim]

oh and is the £174 include labour to fit it as well?

No, I imagine that would be another outrageous amount! I'm hoping to do that myself. Just need to work out how to get the trim off (without damaging it!). Anyone got any advice? I've had a trawl of the forum but not found anything yet...

[size12]

They just pull off IIRC

[Sqwim]

Well I got the trim off (bit of a faff, broke a few of the trim clips which was annoying but I think these must be designed to break when you take the trim off as I don't think I've ever managed to take any cars trim off without breaking some!).

However, the cable for the heating/adjustment of the mirror is an absolute b1tch to get to in order to route it properly. The connector attaches in the middle of the door where the speaker, central locking etc etc switches connect. This means, from what I can see, that the door pretty much needs to be taken apart in order route the cable properly! Surely this is a design flaw, mirrors are broken all the time, they should be made easy to replace (had a look at a Ford Mondeo's mirror and that is a far better system, the cable connects just below the mirror so the cable is only about 15cm long - the A4's is around 1m to the centre of the door so the routing is a nightmare).

I have no idea how to get to it to do it should I take this on myself. Audi will want at least an hour so that's over £100. Surely it shouldn't be this difficult?!

Aagghghhghghghg.