Do all car mirrors fold in?

In the modern era automobiles and almost all vehicles have side mirrors designed in a manner to fold in to avoid damage. And some mirrors also have the flexibility to bend in opposite directions.

If your car has an automatic power retracting mirror don’t worry it will fold in remotely using the controls on the dash, on the other side if you are driving an older or a budget car, then maybe it is possible that the power mirror feature is missing in your car and you have to adjust and close your mirrors manually.

In older days few cars have a side mirror which doesn’t have the flexibility to fold in due to this it becomes very much difficult to pass those cars from a narrow passage and they are more prone to sustain damages during minor touches to side walls or any other object, but this issue has been fixed now in modern-day cars.

What is the basic purpose of folding side mirrors?

The basic purpose of folding side mirrors is to keep them safe when your car is being parked or when you are visiting an auto car wash facility because the spray jets or rotating brushes can damage the side mirrors.

It is always safer to fold in your side mirrors every time you park your car because it is easier to park in tight spaces when your mirrors are closed, and if in case you don’t have auto-retracting mirrors then make sure to open them up when you are about to reverse your car from a parking space.

Another reason why the folding of side mirrors is necessary while parking the vehicle is the safety of the side mirror itself if you left your car parked with unfolded mirrors on a busy street or some narrow parking lots then there is more chance that you may find the mirror damaged once you get back.

What is the Auto Retractable side mirrors?

The auto-retractable mirror will give you the luxury of folding your side mirror automatically.

when you lock your car from the remote having the auto folding button activated then both side mirrors will automatically be folded and similarly when you unlock the car the mirrors will again unfold, and you don’t need to do it manually one by one.

Does auto side mirror can be folded manually?

Yes, it can be folded manually but there is a possibility that it will not work properly when the auto mode is reactivated, you must have to re-adjust the mirror by again manually opening and closing it so that the internal gears should be realigned to work in harmony again.

 

As we are discussing the folding and Safety of side mirrors, it is important to learn that some side mirrors are a little bit more expensive, and their replacement will cost you more as compared to normal mirrors due to some additional features like a heating function.

 

what is the purpose of heating car side mirrors?

Some cars have the luxury of heating side mirrors which helps in cold weather to reduce fog and icing of the mirror, in some cars the heating process in side mirrors activates automatically when they sense the cold weather or if defrost function is activated it will also activate the heating function.

Most cars don’t have these heated side mirrors, but you can easily find the after-market mirrors on various online and offline car parts suppliers.

The heating mirrors are a blessing for people living in colder regions. These mirrors serve as a life-saving tool as during the drive in cold weather the heating function prevents the side mirror to become foggy and keeps the vision of the driver clear all the time.

Do heating mirrors can be used only in colder regions?

The heating mirrors are not only useful in colder regions, but these heated side mirrors are also very much helpful in rainy conditions, because due to excessive moisture in the air the mirrors become foggy in rainy weather and this fog can easily be wiped out if your mirrors have the heating function.

It has been observed that during the rain most of the time the drivers trying to clean the fog on the side mirrors by using some cloth or tissue which is very much irritating and due to this the driver’s concentration on the road also compromised.

Thanks to heated mirrors this problem is now solved and now you can enjoy a smooth drive in the rainy weather having coffee and let the heated side mirror resolve your vision issues.

How to know that car side mirrors have a heating function?

In a random survey, it has been noted that most of the drivers don’t even know that their car’s side mirrors have a heating function in them.

The question is that how do we know that the mirror has a heating function? most of the drivers did not notice the buttons on the dash, the heating button can be found next to defrost or defogger button.

If you examine the side mirror closely you can see the heating icon printed on the corner of the side mirrors , have a look on your side mirror if you see that icon, cheers your car have the heating function.

What are defogger car mirrors and how do they activate?

If your car has factory-fitted heated mirrors, then its function may be attached to your back window defogger button whenever you turn on the defogger button it will automatically activate the heating of side mirrors.

In case you have installed an aftermarket heated side mirror then you may have to turn on this function separately or alternatively you can take your vehicle to a professional who have an expertise to adjust the connections in a way that both functions will start with a same button.

What is the use of a defogger in a car?

The windshield defogger works similarly to the heated side mirrors, the core function of the defogger is to create a clear view as and when required for safe driving. It helps to wipe out all the fog and mist during the cold weather and create an improved vision.

The Rear window defogger also helps to clear the rearview and almost all cars these days have this function.

Why do the car windows get foggy?

Your car windows will always become foggy if the inside cabin temperature of your car is greater than the outside temperature. Due to the cold weather outside, the glass surface becomes colder, when the hot air circulating inside the cabin touches the glass it will convert into fog which obstructs the view.

 

Final Thoughts

In this article, we have learned that the folding of side mirrors, while your car is parked, is a must-do thing to keep them safe from damage, if it looks difficult to fold them whenever you park your car then you also have an option of after-market retracting mirrors.

The folding of mirrors can surely save you some bucks which you need to spend on them in case of damage and broken by colliding or clipping with another car passing close to your car in a busy parking lot or in a narrow street.