Technical Ducato Wing Mirror surround

[DucatoPearl]

Hi there,
Sadly our driver's side wing mirror was hit whilst we were stationary. Although the glass is still intact, the plastic surround has a chunk missing from the thin trim section that surrounds the mirror unit.
Is it possible to just replace this bit of trim rather than the whole mirror?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Reg 65]

As far as I know you can't get just that bit. I have similar damage - (caused by councils not doing their job we pay them for cutting back the trees growing out into the public roads they are supposed to maintain) My mirrors get bashed so frequently in this way I fix them up with good quality black gaffa tape - sticks really well to plastic and can last many years.

 

[DucatoPearl]

Thanks. We have the details of the van driver, so can go through an insurance claim - but as the little rim bit looks like it would lift off I just wondered if maybe I could get hold of a replacement- I might try a few breakers yards ... you never know!

 

[Communicator]

Thanks. We have the details of the van driver, so can go through an insurance claim - but as the little rim bit looks like it would lift off I just wondered if maybe I could get hold of a replacement- I might try a few breakers yards ... you never know!

As the mirror is most probably electically operated, check that the adjusting mechanism is still fully functional before spending time on a search. The adjusting mechanism uses tiny nylon gears, and racks. The impact may have stripped the teeth from these.

 

[RS3100]

Difficult area to repair on that edge. I suspect it will be a whole mirror housing if you can find one and swap the internals over, otherwise a new mirror.

My driver's side mirror cover was cracked badly after being hit twice by approaching drivers on narrow Welsh roads within 2 days, when my van was fairly new. I fitted silver Mirrorguard covers on both mirrors instead of trying to repair the damage. They were a revelation. It's obvious that the original black mirror covers don't register with many drivers, they only see the width of the van body itself. That was around 6 or 7 years ago and ever since, approaching vehicles slow and pull over most of the time, and I've never had a mirror hit again. But if it was to happen I'm pretty confident that the Mirror guards are a lot stronger than the original thin plastic.

 

[Reg 65]

Yes - many years ago I read a survey where people were asked to judge the most visible of several different coloured cars in various traffic conditions. White was judged most visible - even when one of the scenes was in snow. Ever since then I have only ever bought white vehicles - and a bonus is you can touch them up with cheap and readily available generic white paint.
I really don't like the current fad for grey cars that match the road surface and grey misty conditions - they are apparently the least noticeable. People will say they can see grey cars ok, well I have my eyes tested every 2 years to check I still meet the eyesight requirements for driving but its not whether I can see them - its whether others can see me.

 

[airwave]

It's obvious that the original black mirror covers don't register with many drivers,

I'm not sure i would totally agree with that , it's more likely they think you have stainless steel mirror guards instead . As a truck driver , i frequently have to dive into the curb , to miss other people's mirrors , and have had more than one removed by other heavy trucks . However , one truck in the fleet has got these stainless guards fitted , and like you say , it's a revelation . Mind you , judging by what my left hand mirror can survive , even after quite hard impacts from hedges or bushes , I can't say i blame them .
I have had one clash with someone else's mirror , despite being hard against the curb , and mine survived . I don't know about the other , as he never stopped . Being quite a hard impact , it folded my mirror in . I would guess his mirror got wiped out .

 

[RS3100]

I'm not sure i would totally agree with that , it's more likely they think you have stainless steel mirror guards instead . As a truck driver , i frequently have to dive into the curb , to miss other people's mirrors , and have had more than one removed by other heavy trucks . However , one truck in the fleet has got these stainless guards fitted , and like you say , it's a revelation . Mind you , judging by what my left hand mirror can survive , even after quite hard impacts from hedges or bushes , I can't say i blame them .
I have had one clash with someone else's mirror , despite being hard against the curb , and mine survived . I don't know about the other , as he never stopped . Being quite a hard impact , it folded my mirror in . I would guess his mirror got wiped out .

No, the two times my mirror was hit I had pulled over as far as I could and stopped. Both cars came barrelling on without moderating speed or position and smashed into the mirror as they passed. The Mirrorguards aren't a bright silver, more of a silver grey that matches the Ducato Aluminium Gris quite well. But from the moment I fitted them the behaviour of ALL oncoming drivers was totally different. They slow, pull over where they think it necessary, and some even tuck right in and flash me through. They just make the van look much wider to approaching traffic, whereas I'm convinced that the black mirror just didn't register - a lot of drivers just saw the body of the van and that was that.

Of course some drivers might think they are stainless steel guards, but outside of truck and van drivers, I would imagine the number of car drivers whose first thought is stainless mirrorguards or even any type of mirrorguards is quite small. They just see the mirrors and hence a much wider van than was apparent before. Not one instance of anyone even coming close to hitting them in the last 6-7 years.

Anyway, whatever the reason, the only thing that matters is that they work