The 'E' Type Forum

I’m often impressed with the engineering that went into my S3, though I’m convinced British mechanics are born with an extra joint in their fingers and the ability to see around corners in the dark. But – why, oh why did they put the control knob for the remote outside mirror in the invariable path of the driver’s feet when entering or exiting? These are so frequently broken that a repair knob is available (Moss part #BD40822/1), designed to slip over the remaining portion of the control’s shaft. In my case, there was no remaining shaft – all broken off. And, the very expensive aftermarket mirrors are defective and worthless – they can’t be adjusted to show the adjoining lane, and shouldn’t be sold – but they are.

However, I was able repair my original mirror. I – VERY carefully – drilled about a quarter of an inch into the end of the control cable where the shaft had broken, using an eighth inch bit. I then inserted a 1/8 X 3/4 inch steel spring pin into the hole. I had to slightly compress the pin in a vise first, and gently tapped it in until seated. Then I inserted the other end of the pin into the Moss part described above. A tight fit, but secure, and the whole thing seems quite sturdy.

Good to know, for when it happens to me ...
I have remote mirrors on both doors. The controls can be mounted so that the levers are pointing forward or backwards. I have mine pointing forwards, I believe this is correct, mirror movement is more intuitive and the lever is slightly more out of the way of stray boots ...