Recently noticed rain water remaining on drivers door mirror glass, whereas passenger mirror is clear and dry?

The motor can be activated and move the drivers mirror around without any problem.

 

I know leaving the door control in its central position will automaically operate mirror heaters for a short spell.

As said passenger door mirror clears any moisture and that mirror motor also works fine.

 

The two wire connections are clean and secured in place, that plug-into rear of mirror.

 

The only fuse I can find is number F38- 5amp fuse for the electric mirror, and nothing for the heater element.

Is there some sort of check I can carry-out to see if electric is reaching spade connectors?

 

Can anyone throw some light on the subject.

 

I'm thinking of buying some after-market blue-tinted door mirrors which also has the heater element..

If you have a multimeter put it on continuity and check the heating circuit hasn't broken.

It might look ok but be damaged where you can't see.

Remember that you are looking for a very low resistance if the heater tape is still okay, a very high resistance value means the heater tape has burnt out and it is just the charred backing material that is conducting.  If I remember correctly, a few ohms is good, a few 100 or 1000's ohms means new mirror needed. I never played chicken with these things after successfully burning out both mirrors on my MY2001 B5 Passat, mine only ever get switched on if I need them, then off as soon as the glass has cleared.

It must be common for Vauxhall vectra ones to randomly pop and smash. Used to get them quite often at work.

Measure for (12) volts on the wires too if you have a meter.

Broken wire near the door hinge must be possibility.

To add to the above, measure for 12V with the wires connected, checking voltage on a wire that is not loaded could give you a false idea of what was going on.

Will check-out your idea's when it bloody stops raining...(roll-on another heat-wave).. LOL

Have now changed both mirrors (drivers & passenger) for after-market blue-tinted heated mirrors.

Same problem persists, passenger clears wheras drivers mirror doesn't, so it's down to the wiring..... 

Check where the wires go from inside the car to the door between the two hinges, they can break.