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View Full Version : Who is interested in automatic folding mirrors?



foxdie
23-08-2009, 06:54 PM
Was talking with Atik and Carl today, they both feel that they'd love automatic folding mirrors, please vote whether you'd like them.

The mirrors would:
Automatically fold IN when the door is locked with the ignition OFF
Automatically fold OUT when the ignition is turned ON (irrespective of whether door is unlocked or locked)


A guesstimate of cost is around £50 for the unit posted out with fitting instructions, or £60 fitted.

Also, please offer feedback for your choice of vote, it helps.

Mark 4
23-08-2009, 08:32 PM
I chose number 2. I would like it and there is a "how to" article to tell me how to do it myself. So £50 does seem too pricey.

Beastlee
23-08-2009, 08:45 PM
I voted 2 as well, I've seen the info to do this on the Delica club and it just used a relay and the correct wiring. Deffo less than £10 for what I saw, I just couldn't be arsed to do it.
As I'm getting new mirrors soon I'm thinking of doing it as I wire them up.

starky
23-08-2009, 09:48 PM
I think a list of stuff needed and a how to would suit most, me included, however some might prefer the pre-made versions so could you not do both? I went for 2 because personally I wouldn't pay £50 when I have a switch to do it with. But if the how to showed what was needed and it was under say £20 I would have a go myself just for the I did it myself feeling :)

HMG1K
23-08-2009, 11:11 PM
I'd love this! I voted for option 1 - and would pay the extra £10 for fitting as I haven't the time to sort ASAP.

How would fitting work / be arranged?

Flix
24-08-2009, 07:30 AM
It's something I'd like.
£50 seems a decent price to me, not being good with electrical stuff myself.
Would even pay the extra for fitting too.

foxdie
24-08-2009, 07:50 AM
I chose number 2. I would like it and there is a "how to" article to tell me how to do it myself. So £50 does seem too pricey.


I voted 2 as well, I've seen the info to do this on the Delica club and it just used a relay and the correct wiring. Deffo less than £10 for what I saw, I just couldn't be arsed to do it.
As I'm getting new mirrors soon I'm thinking of doing it as I wire them up.

I had a look through the articles section, I couldn't find anything to do with automatic folding mirrors. Please link me.

As far as I'm aware, it's not as simple as just adding a relay, the system I would build would have safeties fitted, it would only trigger the mirror motors for a maximum of 10 seconds, so wouldn't flatten your batteries nor damage the motors by keeping them constantly fed with juice.

It would also only fold the mirrors if the doors were locked and the ignition turned off, this would stop them folding on cars with anti-hijack features (ie. doors automatically lock when you start the car).

I doubt a relay with the correct wiring can achieve these features, but I keep an open mind, please prove me wrong :)


I think a list of stuff needed and a how to would suit most, me included, however some might prefer the pre-made versions so could you not do both? I went for 2 because personally I wouldn't pay £50 when I have a switch to do it with. But if the how to showed what was needed and it was under say £20 I would have a go myself just for the I did it myself feeling :)

£50 was a guesstimate, this covers my development time, costs to buy in the parts, my time to assemble it and go to the post office, and then perhaps about £5 profit.

I would ideally like to get it down to £30 but by that point I'm pretty much selling it at cost and not getting paid for my own time put into it. By the time I've factored in R&D time, assembly and taking the time to go and post them, that's about 2 hours.


I'd love this! I voted for option 1 - and would pay the extra £10 for fitting as I haven't the time to sort ASAP.

How would fitting work / be arranged?


It's something I'd like.
£50 seems a decent price to me, not being good with electrical stuff myself.
Would even pay the extra for fitting too.

Fitting I haven't quite worked out yet, I live in the West Midlands, we could always arrange a mini-meet or something :)

I haven't actually designed the system yet, I'm just trying to gauge if there's interest, I'm keeping my ears open though, please let me know any further feedback! :)

Confused
24-08-2009, 09:37 AM
I was thinking about this previously - (I actually mentioned this in another thread)

I've got some very good ideas on how to do it, so we can discuss :)


Garry

Atik
24-08-2009, 01:03 PM
I voted option 1, but as discussed I'd like mine to run with the alarm and not with the ignition. But I understand there may be more complications with that than the system you are proposing here.

Ideally something like a 3-5 second delay from alarm on to wings folding closed. And a similar 3-5 second delay from alarm off to wings folding open.

Confused
24-08-2009, 01:08 PM
Myself and Foxdie have been discussing this, thinking maybe more along the lines of what I proposed in another thread (which I'll copy & paste here for completeness)


I'm working on a little unit that will allow the following:

Ignition Off, switch in "Open" position
Lock doors - mirrors fold in
Unlock doors - mirrors fold out

Ignition off, switch in "Closed" position
Lock/unlock doors - nothing!

Ignition On:
Lock/Unlock doors - nothing!
Switch on dash still will work as normal


That, as I see it, gives the most flexibility. You don't want to close the mirrors manually inside the car, then unlock the car later and have them automatically open - especially if you've parked very close to something which could potentially damage the mirrors! ;)

pitslayer
24-08-2009, 01:19 PM
Whats wrong with pressing the button?

Confused
24-08-2009, 01:22 PM
Whats wrong with pressing the button?
Absolutely nothing, Kyle.

However - some of us may want something a bit different, or to have it automatically folding on locking/unlocking, therefore removing the need of "pressing the button".

aboo
24-08-2009, 04:19 PM
I voted option 1. I posted a thread about this on Saturday night.
£50 sounds reasonable as you said fox you have your time & trouble putting these things together.

ritch_w
24-08-2009, 06:42 PM
how to's
http://www.vikash.info/fto/auto_mirror/

http://www.ftooc.org/?section=faq

its been covered here:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37923&highlight=mirrors

aboo
24-08-2009, 06:52 PM
Nice one ritch.

HMG1K
21-12-2009, 03:19 PM
Did we get anywhere with the box of tricks being pre-made and fitted? :-)

foxdie
21-12-2009, 04:52 PM
Admittedly not, been so busy with work and family lately, do people still want me to build this? I thought interest waned due to people posting links to howtos.

HMG1K
21-12-2009, 04:55 PM
I fancy it... otherwise I was going to ask my auto-electrician to do it when I (get around to it - but i want to treat myself for Christmas!) buy a bluetooth kit for the car.

Flix
21-12-2009, 05:53 PM
I'm still interested.

Davezj
21-12-2009, 08:00 PM
i have designed one of these floding mirror modules with the option for windows up as well. but i was going to do it on locking and unlocking the car. the dodgy bit is that i believe there is a collapsable power supply that feeds the mirror motors and if you power it off a 12V feed. the mirror will not stop closing when they reach the limit of movement.
i have not built my first prototype yet, but my citcuit design is sound. i would have to add a chip to the window switch panel to make the window close option work but i have swap out window switches available to do this via post.

just thought i would let you know it is not as easy as it sound to do this mirror close open properly. it takes a bit of thinking about.

miller
21-12-2009, 09:51 PM
£50 was a guesstimate, this covers my development time, costs to buy in the parts, my time to assemble it and go to the post office, and then perhaps about £5 profit.

I would ideally like to get it down to £30 but by that point I'm pretty much selling it at cost and not getting paid for my own time put into it. By the time I've factored in R&D time, assembly and taking the time to go and post them, that's about 2 hours.


Jason,

Dont get me wrong in what im about to say :inquisiti

I guess what people are getting at is that as a Club a lot of people put in their own spare time and effort into other projects and dont take a profit.

Jeez Kierans article on how to remove centre console is so popluar that he would have a nice bank account now if it was so taken that it cost to read said article, then imagine the funds for who ever wrote the article on how to flush the gearbox too.... :scholar: :pimp2: :pimp2:


I would love to have auto folding mirrors but not £50 love it. Though i can see the benefit of having someone else fit it.

Like everything there are pro's and con's to it.

Good luck and i will be watching the results closely.


Cheers

Mike

MarkSanne
21-12-2009, 10:39 PM
I'd happily pay 50 pounds for it (twice! so I'll have it on both cars).

foxdie
22-12-2009, 08:52 AM
£50 was a rough estimation, after factoring my time to assemble it, despite wishing I was, I'm not a robot that can quickly mass assemble thousands of circuits a minute.. that's AncientOfMu's job ;)

HMG1K
22-12-2009, 09:01 AM
Me too - £50, I'm more than happy to pay.

Roberto
22-12-2009, 12:40 PM
Foxdie, if £50 was a guesstimate, any idea what an actual is?

It seems people are interested, but up to you to drive it on.
And again up to you if you see it as a good profit maker or as a break-even job and give the benefit to ClubVR4.

Roberto
23-12-2009, 01:39 AM
I'll follow this up for now.

Just ordered:
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270486329683

Good price to include proper connections and quantity.
It'll be the New Year before I get to look at this any more though.

scc
23-12-2009, 08:38 AM
I think auto folding mirrors are a great idea!

However, I find the noise of them rather annoying, eeeEEEeeeeEEEEeeeE!

Perhaps this suggestion is rather far fetched, but if the mirrors fold-in when you're doing high speeds on motor way journeys then I'm pretty sure there's a saving to be made on fuel :D ?

cheers!
scc

elnevio
23-12-2009, 08:44 AM
I think auto folding mirrors are a great idea!

However, I find the noise of them rather annoying, eeeEEEeeeeEEEEeeeE!

Perhaps this suggestion is rather far fetched, but if the mirrors fold-in when you're doing high speeds on motor way journeys then I'm pretty sure there's a saving to be made on fuel :D ?

cheers!
scc
Not terribly far-fetched, but the slim advantages are somewhat outweighed by the reduction in visibility, IMO!

foxdie
23-12-2009, 08:58 AM
Not terribly far-fetched, but the slim advantages are somewhat outweighed by the reduction in visibility, IMO!

:smartass2

The problem I have right now is time, or rather the lack of, due to it being xmas, my best bet for working on this is to wait until after xmas, if not the new year.

Someone fancy cloning me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcK-My1j9Hg) so I can do my work AND have a social life? ;)

Maxus
07-01-2010, 12:06 AM
Count me in for a set of these - would be great to have the folding-functionality!

Forever forgetting to flip that little switch when i park up, and despite being fairly new to owning a VR4 i have drove off numerous times only to discover i forgot to re-extend the mirrors out again!! So this would be awesome if you could work on something, i will shower you in chocolate malteser goodness if you make them....deal? :D

Kryton
18-07-2010, 12:07 PM
I'm interested in this. I have seen it done plenty of times on the FTOoc & always fancied doing it but never had the time!! If anyone ever got round to finishing this project, let me know how easy it it to connect up a pre-made unit & I'm sure I will be up for one.

HMG1K
18-07-2010, 06:21 PM
I'd totally forgotten about this thread!

What's the latest on it? It seems nothing has moved along. :-(

andyleaves
18-07-2010, 07:26 PM
I'd go for the extra £10 as well to have them fitted...
Could do it myself, just don't trust myself to get it right without breaking something.

foxdie
19-07-2010, 12:58 PM
I'd admittedly forgotten about this too, I'll start looking into it again but there's a couple of other projects that need to take priority, one of which is the non-flash flashchat.

I'll try and keep people updated.