Fiat X290 heated mirrors

[mikebeaches]

I purchased a new Rapido V68 Van in the summer based on the Fiat X290 Euro 5 chassis.

 

According to the 2016 Rapido Van brochure it states: Standard equipment - 'Wing mirrors electric, de-icing'

 

However, hunt as I might, I haven't yet found a switch to operate the heated / de-icing function!

 

Our previous van, a Chausson 2010 coachbuilt on an X250 chassis had a switch on the centre console, but not on the new van?

 

I've looked in the Fiat owners' manual and with reference to the mirrors it indicates the following: Defrosting / demisting - (for versions / markets, where provided) - The mirrors are fitted with resistors that operate when the heated rear window is activated (by pressing the XXX button) [The button is illustrated]

 

I recognise the button illustration, but I can't find it!! The location indicated for the rear window and mirrors de-icing button is just a blank on my van.

 

Is there any other way to check if I have heated mirrors? And has anybody else had a similar problem? I assumed heated mirrors were standard on all right-hand drive Fiat Ducatos these days?

[Gerry McG]

the heated mirrors in my BMW are linked to the exterior temp sensor and the windscreen wiper switch - they are programmed to work as follows

 

Automatic heating*

At outside temperatures below a certain limit, both exterior mirrors are automatically heated while the engine is running or the ignition is switched on.

 

If the battery state of charge is low the heating will not be switched on, this also applies to HRW, seat heating, steering wheel heating and heater fan (speed reduction).

 

Mirror heating Temperature in °C wipers off

 

-10 = 100% -10 to 5 =75% 5 to 15 = 50% 15 to 25=0% 25 to 35=0% 35+=0%

 

Mirror heating Temperature in °C wipers ON

 

-10=100% -10 to 5 =100% 5 to 15 = 75% 15 to 25=50% 25 to 35=25% 35+=0%

 

maybe the X290 uses ome similar lojic, so no button / manual intervention is required.

 

Re testing them - touch the mirror ? my F31 BMW ones are hot to touch when heating is on.

I'll be able to test my new X290 mirrors next week :)

[mikebeaches]

Very interesting Gerry - thank you for that information.

 

I will need to investigate further...

 

On my old van, I used to switch on the heated mirrors just to clear rain drops from them ie not temperature-dependent - worked quite well too. Obviously used it to demist or de-ice them as well.

 

Perhaps that's why the brochure refers to 'de-icing'? As mentioned, will need to investigate further, but again thanks for that suggestion.

[Derek Uzzell]

My 2015 Ducato-based Rapido has a switch for the heated door mirrors. it’s one of the several switches below the heating and ventilation controls exactly as shown in the drawing in my Ducato Owner Handbook. (My Rapido is LHD, though I wouldn’t have thought that matters.) To the best of my knowledge there’s no heated-mirror automatic function with Ducato - the driver just manually presses the switch, which then lights up and stays lit for 20 minutes or until the switch is pressed again.

 

If you’ve got a blank where the switch ought to be, either your Rapido hasn’t got heated mirrors or it has but the switch has been omitted. Try prising up the blank to check if there’s any likely-looking connector underneath.

 

It sounds like you’ve been ’short changed’ standard-specification-wise (I’ve come across this happening before) and you really need to ask the vendor of your vehicle about this.

[mikebeaches]

Thanks Derek. I reckon our van before the last one - a 2004 Rapido coachbuilt - had heated mirrors!

 

And I know exactly where I'd expect the switch to be, and would recognise it if I saw it, but as mentioned, it is just a blank!

 

I didn't know it was possible to prise out the blank buttons, so that might be my next step if I can do it without causing any damage.

 

Failing any success there, I might drop a note to Fiat with the chassis VIN and see what they have to say.

 

And then a conversation with the vendor, as you suggest.

[euroserv]

DON'T DO IT!!!!

 

You must not try to prise the blank cover off. There will be nothing behind it and you will break it as it is not designed to be removed!

 

The switch module is a CAN bus controller and if you don't have a 'rear window' switch, you don't have heated mirrors fitted to the vehicle. The complete module is specific to the vehicle being built and can only be swapped for an identical one. You can't even buy a module with the right switch and fit heated mirrors because the main CAN controller will not recognise it, and can't be reprogrammed.

 

It seems that the vehicle is not as described by the maker. Whose fault that will be is dependent on the order that was put in to Fiat for the base vehicle. It might have been incorrect, or Fiat may have built it incorrectly.

 

I think your best chance is to ask the dealer for a pile of free accessories!

 

Nick

[mikebeaches]

euroserv - 2017-01-05 3:02 PM

 

DON'T DO IT!!!!

 

You must not try to prise the blank cover off. There will be nothing behind it and you will break it as it is not designed to be removed!

 

The switch module is a CAN bus controller and if you don't have a 'rear window' switch, you don't have heated mirrors fitted to the vehicle. The complete module is specific to the vehicle being built and can only be swapped for an identical one. You can't even buy a module with the right switch and fit heated mirrors because the main CAN controller will not recognise it, and can't be reprogrammed.

 

It seems that the vehicle is not as described by the maker. Whose fault that will be is dependent on the order that was put in to Fiat for the base vehicle. It might have been incorrect, or Fiat may have built it incorrectly.

 

I think your best chance is to ask the dealer for a pile of free accessories!

 

Nick

 

Wow, thanks Nick!!

 

Fortunately, I hadn't attempted to prise off the blank switch, but it does sound something of a bummer.

 

I've no idea where this will all go, but I'll just have to follow it through and see what happens....

 

Anyway, greatly appreciate your response.

[Keithl]

Nick,

 

A question, can you get the build spec from Mike's VIN via any of your contacts? I got a full 'Data Card' for my Merc from a friend at a dealers when I bought it which has been really useful.

 

Keith

[mikebeaches]

Keithl - 2017-01-05 5:42 PM

 

Nick,

 

A question, can you get the build spec from Mike's VIN via any of your contacts? I got a full 'Data Card' for my Merc from a friend at a dealers when I bought it which has been really useful.

 

Keith

Must say something like that would be very helpful Keith.

 

I'm struggling at the moment to even find a suitable email address for Fiat to make an inquiry.

 

Mike

[Robinhood]

..mine is registered (by VIN) on the Fiat Camper/My Ducato system:

 

https://owner.mopar.eu/uk/en/camper/registration?market=uk&lang=en

 

It provides access to a limited amount of the vehicle specification, but mine (In German) does show electrically adjustable and heated mirrors as part of the specification.

[mikebeaches]

Robinhood - 2017-01-05 6:00 PM

 

..mine is registered (by VIN) on the Fiat Camper/My Ducato system:

 

https://owner.mopar.eu/uk/en/camper/registration?market=uk&lang=en

 

It provides access to a limited amount of the vehicle specification, but mine (In German) does show electrically adjustable and heated mirrors as part of the specification.

 

Thanks and again, that's interesting information.

 

My van is registered on the Fiat Camper/My Ducato system, but unfortunately, whenever I try to access the specifics of the van it comes up repeatedly with the message: "Sorry, the system is currently unavailable. Please try again later." So I'm a bit stuck at the moment, but I didn't realise it would provide me with that level of detail - so helpful if I can get the website to work.

[dshague]

the parts department at brownhills , my dealers gave me the build number of my van.

[Robinhood]

mikebeaches - 2017-01-05 6:30 PM

 

.... it comes up repeatedly with the message: "Sorry, the system is currently unavailable. Please try again later." .

 

Mike,

 

I get that as well, but work past it..

 

Dismiss it (with the "X").

 

Select the "Care and Maintenance" section on the resulting page. That should give you brief details of your vehicle AND a drop-down selection further down denoted "Standard Features and Options".

 

Selecting the drop down gives me more vehicle details (and as I say, mine does show the mirror status).

[mikebeaches]

Robinhood - 2017-01-05 6:58 PM

 

mikebeaches - 2017-01-05 6:30 PM

 

.... it comes up repeatedly with the message: "Sorry, the system is currently unavailable. Please try again later." .

 

Mike,

 

I get that as well, but work past it..

 

Dismiss it (with the "X").

 

Select the "Care and Maintenance" section on the resulting page. That should give you brief details of your vehicle AND a drop-down selection further down denoted "Standard Features and Options".

 

Selecting the drop down gives me more vehicle details (and as I say, mine does show the mirror status).

That's very helpful - thanks! Interestingly, most of the spec is in French (French converter Rapido), but some of the spec is in Italian. :-D

 

Anyway, I can find no mention about the mirrors. However, there are various 'packs' listed such as 'Pack Camping Car C', which could include anything as far as I'm concerned. And' Pack Intégral' and 'ADATTAMENTI COMM.LI 22 (ADAPTATION COMM.LI 22)??

 

Nothing about mirrors, unfortunately.

[Robinhood]

Mine is as attached, with the mirrors (adjustable and heated) at the top of the second column.

[mikebeaches]

Robinhood - 2017-01-05 8:00 PM

 

Mine is as attached, with the mirrors (adjustable and heated) at the top of the second column.

 

Really appreciate your help. And yes, I can see it clearly in the list.

 

Which suggests mine probably doesn't have heated mirrors from Fiat's spec/perspective.

 

But the Rapido brochure is very specific on the subject, so need to speak to the dealer I guess, and see where we go from there.

 

Thanks again!

 

Interested to hear from anybody else who has a 2016 or recent Rapido Van V68, V55 or V56?

[thomasplc]

Hi my 2015 Ducato has heated mirrors page 26 of Fiat handbook states that mirrors are activated by heated rear window switch which is on the LHS of the switch bank below the climate control dials

Hope this is of use

[Robinhood]

..one question I can't see the answer to in your previous posts is whether you have electrically adjustable mirrors fitted (I appreciate the "heated" switch appears to be missing).

 

Whilst converters seem to be able to order most things that aren't on the standard "consumer" spec, the latter (in the UK and Germany at least) delivers both electrical adjustment and heating as an inseparable package.

 

If you don't have heating, but do have electrical adjustment, it would look quite non-standard.

 

(specs change from time to time - and as mentioned above, it is possible that mirror heating has gone "automatic" - my car does that - but even the very latest Ducato manuals indicate it is switched as per the handbook entry you quote (the switch that is present on my Globecar)).

[mikebeaches]

Robinhood - 2017-01-05 9:29 PM

 

..one question I can't see the answer to in your previous posts is whether you have electrically adjustable mirrors fitted (I appreciate the "heated" switch appears to be missing).

 

Whilst converters seem to be able to order most things that aren't on the standard "consumer" spec, the latter (in the UK and Germany at least) delivers both electrical adjustment and heating as an inseparable package.

 

If you don't have heating, but do have electrical adjustment, it would look quite non-standard.

 

(specs change from time to time - and as mentioned above, it is possible that mirror heating has gone "automatic" - my car does that - but even the very latest Ducato manuals indicate it is switched as per the handbook entry you quote (the switch that is present on my Globecar)).

 

Yes, the van does have electrically adjustable mirrors - the controls are on the driver's door, exactly the same as on our previous X250.

 

I think there is a glitch somewhere between Fiat and Rapido, but which partner has messed up I don't know.

 

Unfortunately, there is some unrelated history between my dealer and Rapido.

 

In October 2015 I ordered a different van from the one we have now. It was a Dreamer (made by Rapido), with a comfortmatic gearbox specified. Fast forward 8 months to mid-summer '16 (instead of March/April delivery) and the vehicle that arrived had all the various specification we requested, EXCEPT the comfortmatic ie it came with a manual gearbox!

 

I rejected it and came to agreement with the dealer to buy the van we have now, with a decent discount. It was painful at the time, but we are now pretty much happy in all respects (apart from the heated mirrors). And to be fair to the dealership, it worked hard to make amends.

 

However, we never got to the bottom of who was at fault. The dealer intimated it was Rapido and Rapido believed it was the dealer; meantime I had a copy of the order that clearly stated 'comfortmatic gearbox' and there was an appropriate extra charge against the upgrade. So was it Rapido at fault - I've no idea?

 

But I have a similar feeling now (on a much smaller scale) about a possible mix-up between Rapido and Fiat!

[mikebeaches]

thomasplc - 2017-01-05 8:53 PM

 

Hi my 2015 Ducato has heated mirrors page 26 of Fiat handbook states that mirrors are activated by heated rear window switch which is on the LHS of the switch bank below the climate control dials

Hope this is of use

Thanks Thomas - is your 2015 Rapido a coachbuilt or panel van conversion?

[Robinhood]

..there are a good number of new V68s listed for sale on mobile.de

 

Most have dash pictures associated where the "heated rear window" button associated with the mirror heating function can be clearly seen.

 

I haven't perused them all, but haven't found on where the dash is clear and the button doesn't feature.

 

You have a mystery...

[thomasplc]

Hymer should this make any difference ? the mirror heating is aFiat spec

[mikebeaches]

Robinhood - 2017-01-05 10:59 PM

 

..there are a good number of new V68s listed for sale on mobile.de

 

Most have dash pictures associated where the "heated rear window" button associated with the mirror heating function can be clearly seen.

 

I haven't perused them all, but haven't found on where the dash is clear and the button doesn't feature.

 

You have a mystery...

 

Hey, you are right!!! That is amazing - they are all clear to see. OK, they're left-hand drive and I think manual gearbox - ours, as I mentioned, has the comfortmatic gearbox, but that shouldn't make any difference.

 

Very useful to have as much information as possible to get my 'ducks in a row'. B-)

[Derek Uzzell]

Mike

 

UK versions of Rapido’s “Van” brochures for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 model-years (that all relate to vehicles built on the Fiat Ducato X290 chassis) can be downloaded from the “Rapido” part of this webpage

 

http://www.brownhills.co.uk/rapido.html

 

In the “Standard specification” section of the 2015 brochure all models (V55, V56 and V66 for the 2015 model-year) were said to have "Electric de-frosting side mirrors”.

 

In the “Standard specification” section of the 2016 brochure all models (V55, V56 and V68) were said to have "Wing mirrors electric, de-icing”.

 

In the “Standard Fittings” section of the 2017 brochure all models (V43, V55 and V68) are said to have “Electric heated mirrors”.

 

There’s no doubt whatsoever then that a UK buyer of a 2015, 2016 or 2017 Rapido “Van” should anticipate it having heated mirrors. RHD rather than LHD should make no difference, and the review of a RHD V55 in the August 2016 issue of MMM shows the heated-mirror switch on the dashboard.

 

I also happen to have Highbridge Caravans’s Rapido 2015 price-list that covered ‘coachbuilt’ and “Van” motorhomes.

 

With Series 8 and Series 6 coachbuilt models (eg. my Rapido 640F) electric and heated exterior mirrors were a £210 option, though every right-thinking buyer would have specified the Series 6/Series 8 ‘pack’ as this included electric/heated mirrors plus several other useful options (cruise control, passenger airbag, radio, etc.) for an overall cost of £249.

 

In the “Van” options section of the Highbridge price-list there is no reference to electric/heated mirrors. A ‘pack’ was available (for £249) that provided six options (cruise control, passenger airbag, radio, etc.) but electric/heated mirrors were not included in the pack.

 

Although there might have been argument about who was responsible for the Dreamer not having ComfortMatic as this was an option, as mirror-heating is clearly part of a Rapido Van’s standard specification there’s no way for a Rapido dealer to specify it as an option or delete it from the standard specification. It might reasonably be asked how Rapido and the UK dealership both failed to spot that the mirror-heating dashboard switch was missing, but such things do happen.

[StuartO]

My new (ish) car has a logoc system which controls whether the heated door mirrors come on (and prevents them staying on for more than 30 mins) which I deduce is aimed at preventing them from self-harming (and maybe other reasons).  I've had to get one mirror glass replaced already on my new car because the heater element failed, so presumably there is some vulnerability in them. 

 

But heated mirrors have been a standard fit on some high end MHs for a long time, although not consistently.  My ten year old Hymer B Class doesn't have them, even though the mirrors are electrically adjustable.  I doubt that Fiat would have built a fancy control system for heated mirrors into X290s (essentially a commercial van) and would assume, if they are fitted, they would be switched separately from anything else, as they were on my previous car.  Heated door mirrors are extremely valuable as a safe driving aid (at least in the UK climate) so the sooner they become a universal fit the better.  Pity it's not easy or cheap to add the feature to a MH.