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Ka Mk2 passenger mirror and rear light problems


Flyingrodent
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Hi,

I was wondering if I could get some advice. I bought a used Ka MK2 (2012 model) from a finance company in March. I initially dealt with a friend of a friend in the company who gave me a good deal. When the car was delivered it was by a colleague of his and we noticed straight away that the electric passenger mirror wasn't working. The colleague didn't seem to think that it was a problem and said that maybe it was a fuse. He also said that because it's only me driving it I could move the mirror manually!

The same guy came to have a look today after I got back in touch. All the fuses appear to be ok. We discovered that the wiring (which is covered by a plastic tube in the hinge of the door) was damp and concluded that the problem was probably a faulty wire. The guy from the finance company tried to take the door panel off but couldn't manage it. He said that he didn't want to scratch the veneer on the inside door handle and then asked how important was the mirror. When he left he said he would mention it to the body workshop and try and find out more by Googling the problem!

Another issue is that the driver rear light casing has condensation in it. He said that this is a common problem with new cars and the only way is to drill a small hole in the side of the casing under the boot to let air in.

My questions are as follows:

1) Am I within my rights to insist that they fix the problem with the mirror? I was only given an invoice when the car was delivered and no warranty paperwork.

2) Does his solution to solvie the condensation problem sound like the right one?

I hope someone can help!

Thanks,

Mike

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The reason its got condensation is because its either got a crack in the cluster plastic or the rubber seal around the bulb insert or rubber protector has come loose so could be a quick fix.

Light cluster problems can be a real pain to fix - you could take it out and use a hair dryer, rice or absorbent silica to clear the condensation out the cavity and ifs just the rubber seal replace it or make sure its fitted properly - it usually happens when the garage replaces a light bulb but cant be bothered to make sure the rubber grommet or rear protector is installed properly - as long as the bulb works who cares - thats modern garages for you and why i do all my own car mechanics.

You would need to make sure there arent any cracks in the light cluster and fix it with either fibreglass resin or an epoxy resin but in all honesty for the price of a new one £10-15 on eBay second hand i would just buy one if you cant be bothered with the hassle. Drilling a hole lol it might clear the problem in the hot weather but as soon as it gets wet it will fog back up and new cars dont come with this problem only older cars so whoever is telling you these fixes is having a laugh!

Mirror problems are usually down to the switch in the door panel rusting or getting water ingress into the switch itself - if both switches (drivers side and the passengers switch) fail to move the mirror its probably the motor. The fuse would probably affect both mirrors! Wiring is a long shot but easy to check if you have a multimeter or even a cheap 12v bulb type screwdriver tester.

Water getting into the doors is common in the UK where it rains all the time and having the electronics mounted on the door armrest is always a bad design - My Rover suffered from it badly as does the Streetka!

As already said the parts are cheap off eBay second hand - I just bought a fuel pump for £15 and its sorted all my starting and running problems, when a new Ford one would have cost over £150 and even a non ford part would have cost £90 - did my own mechanics removed the tank and fitted it - Garage wanted £450 for the job - total cost for me to do it £15 for the fuel pump and £5 for some Jenolite and cheap spray from the pound shop to clean up the rusty fuel tank and give it a spanking new look. If you are willing to learn you will save a fortune - I reckon i have probably saved AT LEAST £20,000 over the last 30 years doing my own car mechanics - worth thinking about.

The door panel can be a bummer to remove without breaking the clips but usually removing 3 screws - bottom of the panel , one in the centre of the door handle is the tricky one and there is another at the front i think then its just a matter of sliding the door card backward to pull it  off the retaining plastic pins. If you want to fix the problem you WILL have to take the door panel off.

I would forget about the small problems - the passenger mirror isnt a biggie and neither is the light cluster and you might lose a friend!

Without paperwork its caveat emptor and after watching a few episodes of THE BAILIFFS ARE COMING its not worth the hassle unless the car has a realyl serious running issue!

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i would take it back to dealer and insist they have it sorted or they authorize you to get it sorted and they pay the invoices for mirror work and rear light.

i have just got a brand new car and there is no fogging on my lights. as its been said dont drill holes as it dont really work and you will lose any warranty if you do anything to the car yourself.

i would insist they get it sorted. an auto electrician should do it not a mechanic

 

if you do attempt to do the repairs yourself look up on youtube for the fiat500 door panel removal as its the same car pretty muck same for the light

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thats ok if he had mk1 ka , he has mk2

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Didnt know they were that different - Both heaps of rusty cr@p - my bad!
But door card removal isnt exactly that different from vehicle to vehicle - I am only trying to help but you seem to have an issue with me?

Do we have a problem Ian?

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sorry, not a problem at all , was just pointing out he had mk2 and that vid wouldnt help him. all door cards have there own hidden screws etc and different trims to prise off in a certain way so as not to break when removing.

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Thanks for all the help guys. I took it to my local garage who pretty much confirmed all you said. The company I bought it off have agreed to collect it and try to fix the problems.

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Seriously though , do yourself a favour and buy a Toyota Yaris or a Ford Fiesta instead - the entire Ka range are a bunch of Italo-ripoff, rusty, junkheaps full of substandard components and bad design!

If I had known what i know now i would never have bought my pregnant skateboard!

 

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