QuestionQUESTION: My inside mirror control to adjust the outside mirrors does not work. My neighbor said it might be a blown fuse, but AutoZone can't find a fuse for the mirror control. Does it have one or is this a problem only a dealership can fix?
ANSWER: On most models, every electrical circuit in the vehicle is controlled by a fuse. So, yes, I expect it could be a fuse.
There are no problems with the mirror system that only a dealership can repair. For best results, however, the mechanic looking at the problem should be competent in electrical diagnosis.
If you provide the following information, I may be able to give you common issues resulting in your symptoms and help you find the fuse:
1. What is the year and model of your vehicle?
2. Do the mirrors move at all when you attempt to adjust them? If so, tell me which mirror moves and how it moves in relation to the switch input.
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QUESTION: It is a Hyundai Sonata 2003 and no, the mirrors do not respond to the inside control. Autozone said it must be in the electronic system itself as everything else on the arm rest works. Thank you for your help.
ANSWER: I cannot stress enough that people should not accept automotive repair advice from AutoZone (or any other parts retailer that is not also a service facility). Unless you come across a very rare situation, the people employed in these stores do not know how automotive systems work and have no experience with diagnostic work. The likelihood of receiving correct diagnostic information from someone working in a part store is very low. The most reliable advice they can typically give is that they sell a lot of a certain part for a certain vehicle.
As an example, in this case, the power windows and power locks do not share a fuse with the power mirrors. So it's not particularly relevant that these functions work normally.
On your vehicle, the cigarette lighter is on the same fuse as the power mirrors. If your cigarette lighter isn't working either, then you almost certainly have a blown fuse. Most frequently, this fuse blows because of a problem with the lighter or with a device plugged into the lighter. Check the fuse in the dash fuse block. There should be a diagram on the cover telling you where each fuse is located. If my diagram is correct, it'll be the the 15A fuse in the bottom row second from the left.
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QUESTION: In the answer I received below, it seems that you didn't understand the problem. It is not the cigarette lighter; it's the button on the arm rest that is supposed to adjust the mirrors without getting out of the car. That is what I'm concerned about. I understand about the cigarette lighter and have the fuse for it. But the mirror adjustment control won't work. As you can see in the response below, that was never mentioned. Diane Kelly
http://www.allexperts.com/user.cgi?m=6&catID=815&expID=73295&qID=4942147
Original QA: QUESTION: My inside mirror control to adjust the outside mirrors does not work. My neighbor said it might be a blown fuse, but AutoZone can't find a fuse for the mirror control. Does it have one or is this a problem only a dealership can fix?
ANSWER: On most models, every electrical circuit in the vehicle is controlled by a fuse. So, yes, I expect it could be a fuse.
There are no problems with the mirror system that only a dealership can repair. For best results, however, the mechanic looking at the problem should be competent in electrical diagnosis.
If you provide the following information, I may be able to give you common issues resulting in your symptoms and help you find the fuse:
1. What is the year and model of your vehicle?
2. Do the mirrors move at all when you attempt to adjust them? If so, tell me which mirror moves and how it moves in relation to the switch input.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: It is a Hyundai Sonata 2003 and no, the mirrors do not respond to the inside control. Autozone said it must be in the electronic system itself as everything else on the arm rest works. Thank you for your help.
ANSWER: I cannot stress enough that people should not accept automotive repair advice from AutoZone (or any other parts retailer that is not also a service facility). Unless you come across a very rare situation, the people employed in these stores do not know how automotive systems work and have no experience with diagnostic work. The likelihood of receiving correct diagnostic information from someone working in a part store is very low. The most reliable advice they can typically give is that they sell a lot of a certain part for a certain vehicle.
As an example, in this case, the power windows and power locks do not share a fuse with the power mirrors. So it's not particularly relevant that these functions work normally.
On your vehicle, the cigarette lighter is on the same fuse as the power mirrors. If your cigarette lighter isn't working either, then you almost certainly have a blown fuse. Most frequently, this fuse blows because of a problem with the lighter or with a device plugged into the lighter. Check the fuse in the dash fuse block. There should be a diagram on the cover telling you where each fuse is located. If my diagram is correct, it'll be the the 15A fuse in the bottom row second from the left.
AnswerI understand that you are not asking about the cigarette lighter. I brought that up because it can be used in this case for diagnostic information as follows:
1. The lighter fuse is also the fuse for the power mirrors.
2. If the cigarette lighter is working, we can assume that the fuse is not the problem and we should next remove the mirror switch to check whether we have power at the mirror switch.
3. If the cigarette lighter is not working, it's likely that the fuse is blown. This is likely because it would be a single problem causing both symptoms.
