Not the most exciting mod but I’m forever leaving my heated mirrors switched on - and then noticing a few days later and switching them off. As you know these elements burn out, so I added an LED to the switch to remind me to turn the buggers off!

The heating elements only come on when the rear demist is on as well.

 

No rear demist = no mirror demist.

 

Unless your Fabia is somehow different to mine of course.

55 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

The heating elements only come on when the rear demist is on as well.

 

No rear demist = no mirror demist.

 

Unless your Fabia is somehow different to mine of course.

The switch on the mirrors? I thought they were independant to the rear demistor on mine, could be wrong though.

Mine are independent of the heated rear window (‘03 Elegance estate if it matters)

19 minutes ago, AliBongo said:

Mine are independent of the heated rear window (‘03 Elegance estate if it matters)

 

How can you tell?

Nice idea.

 

There is another way though. I haven't tried it on the Fabia, but on 9N Polo you can go into one of the adaptation channels of the Central Electrics module (09) with VCDS and pick whatever time you want them to be on for, from engine start time.

 

You can change the timeout of the rear screen heater too; can't remember what the default is but it's a lot longer than necessary. 

 

I'd be pretty surprised if you can't do the same in Mk1 Fabia. 

16 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

How can you tell?

Turn on the mirrors without the rear window, wait a few minutes and touch the mirror with the back of your hand 

18 minutes ago, Wino said:

Nice idea.

 

There is another way though. I haven't tried it on the Fabia, but on 9N Polo you can go into one of the adaptation channels of the Central Electrics module (09) with VCDS and pick whatever time you want them to be on for, from engine start time.

 

You can change the timeout of the rear screen heater too; can't remember what the default is but it's a lot longer than necessary. 

 

I'd be pretty surprised if you can't do the same in Mk1 Fabia. 

Handy, didn’t know that. Having said that I only have VCDS Lite - not sure if that’ll do it 

 

This is simply a 12v LED soldered into one of the black wires feeding the heater element and earthed out to a regulator panel bolt. Probably could have done it by probing the switch contacts but that was a bit fiddly with the switch plugged in 

Ok, so are they on all the time or not if the switch is left in the middle position?

 

Edit: and do the elements really burn out? Because I've had Fabias with heated mirrors since 2008 and never had a single heater failure and I leave the switch in the middle position permanently.

Edited 15 January, 20215 yr by sepulchrave

The registered version of VCDS Lite will do it.

I've had elements go on both Fabia and Polo.

Left in the centre position they’re on - and I’ve had them go on a Passat

AFAIK the mirrors and rear demist are independent of one another, you can alter the ON time in VCDS, and get it to automatically shut down after so long, google it.