C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

ever wanted to see inside the side view mirror joystick controller?

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Old 06-09-2017, 02:53 AM
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VikingTrad3r
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Default ever wanted to see inside the side view mirror joystick controller?

I lost the up-and-down for both sideview mirrors in my 86 that I am refurbishing.

seeing as I have the entire interior part, I thought I would test for continuity in the switch. There is a ground and for signal wires. For directions for each mirror I assume.

sure enough I only had continuity in two out of the four positions. That right there told me I most likely need a new joystick switch.

I decided seeing as I am in a mad scientist mode, I may as well pull it apart and share. The problem for me originates on the small circuit board. I dialled it down to a problem probably on the soldering on the tiny miniature board.

I will find a used switch that is verified to work, I just thought I would share these photos as it is an interesting style of switch!

this kind of slows down my interior we install as I do not want to pull apart the consul all the way down to the skeleton again!


one wire location has a plug in it. thats the stub.

i was able to pinpoint it was the green and blue wire that have no signal. fried mini board trace i guess.





Last edited by VikingTrad3r; 06-09-2017 at 03:03 AM.
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Old 06-09-2017, 10:06 AM
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Silver85
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That's cool! Good info. I always wondered. Mine takes a good bit of pressure in all directions for it to work. I'm waiting on it to crap the bed soon.
Old 06-09-2017, 11:09 AM
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billschroeder5842
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Interesting. Thanks for the pics!
Old 06-10-2017, 04:17 AM
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LWesthaver
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Does the switch come apart easily? Or do you have to break the housing? Just wondering if they are serviceable.
Old 06-10-2017, 09:34 AM
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VikingTrad3r
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I am about to find out if they are serviceable!To take it apart I heated it up with a heat gun and then slowly pounded it out on the joystick the rubber seal inside breaks apart though.I got a replacement switch from a local Corvette salvage yard and unfortunately the problem is not fixed. my up and down on both are still not working. What are the chances. low.

The method I thought it was accurate for testing switch what is false according to this post here which I found late last night.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c4-general-discussion/2779200-power-mirror-problem-and-windshield-wash-pump.html

""
Did you check the switch that controls which mirror you are adjusting.
The following is from an '87 FSM, your '85 might be different.

Measure voltages at the joystick first:

When telling the mirror to go down, you should see +12 at the Dark
Blue wire and Ground at the Black with White stripe wire. When you
tell the mirror to go up, it will be the other way round. If that
all happens, the joystick is good.

Now measure continuity on the mirror select switch. When set
to LEFT, you should have continuity between pin B (Dark Blue wire)
and Pin C (yellow) and also between Pin E (green) and pin F
(White). When set to RIGHT, you should have continuity between
pin B and pin A (light green), and also btween pin E and pin D
(light blue).""



I will test according to that post and report back here.
Old 06-10-2017, 10:24 AM
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the replacement joystick passed the test. my guess is the original that i tore into was fine as well.

also this time i unplugged the antenna motor relay. its. roken and always on. i could hear the deiver side click click click when moving up and down. must be seized. ill use my 50/50 atf and acetone on it and see if i can repair and return to service.

the passenger side was completely quiet. ill look for a test that checks that the motor is receiving voltage on passenger side.
Old 06-10-2017, 02:48 PM
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Default gee. i wonder what the problem is.

One of them is completely rusted out. That happens to be the vertical adjuster.

im guessing the joystic was just fine the whole time and i happen to have two rusted out vertical motors.

they are on the bottom and perhaps if these cars are parked facing downhill water collects in the mirror shroud and they rust out.

Old 06-10-2017, 06:18 PM
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DMITTZ
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Thanks for sharing this info VT. Its always cool to take things apart and actually see how they work.

That one motor was really bad, amazing how rusty it was!
Old 06-10-2017, 09:34 PM
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ok so here is what i have found about my mirrors and why they were stuck.

1. switch was fine.

2. BOTH mirrors...vertical electric motor was frozen.

3. DS mirror was replaced with a newer unit at one point that has a 1996 date printed on the back. difference between them is the 1986 version comes apart with screws. the 1996 version is glued together and there were rubber accordian seals over the 2 rotating studs that move the position of the mirror.

4. i used a heat gun and a knife and split the case to discover internals were exactly the same and ...even with the glued/sealed (?) unit.....yet again the up/down motor was seized. note the up/dwn motor is the lower motor when positioned in the mirror housing.

5. there are heaps of these little motors available online BUT few of them have the long drive shaft required for this application. advertisements for these dc motors range anywhere from 30,000 rpm to 3,000 rpm, varrying with voltage. i am going to go out on a limb and assume they are more or less the same, and the purpose of the big orange resistor soldered onto our electric motors are to step down the voltage to bring the rpms of these motors down.

ive placed an order for 4 of these suckers for a grand total of $9.00.

ii'll be transfering the two good motors over into the same unit and re-installing just so i know im right on the failure point here and i can get back to installing my interior which was. eing held up because i thought my position joystick switch was the issue.

oh, and even though i cut into the sealed one, i intend on reusing it with rtv.

$80 each for new mirros just for the internals? homey dont play that. [img]webkit-fake-url://ca693009-6cac-4885-b1a4-2449d22c7389/imagegif[/img]





Old 06-10-2017, 09:40 PM
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Tom400CFI
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Awesome dissection.
Old 06-10-2017, 11:42 PM
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Default success!

snipped wires from one good one, combined with the other. success. problem solved. both dimensions of power mirror fixed.

IT IS CLEAR THAT THE LOWER MOTOR WHICH CONTROLS THE UP DOWN SITS IN A BATH OF WATER AND RUSTS.

ive seen a few threads of people complaining the up/down is stuck. its because they sit in water. you can even see the water line on the metal housing of the lower motor.

im going to take a wild guess and say its most common in cars that...sat outside in the rain which i know mine had. mine was also an east coast car so salty air may have been a component.

my car had already had one motor replaced so my guess was this was common.

im contemplating just packing the entire assembly full of dielectric grease to keep the water out. thoughts? or drilling a small drain hole in the lowest corner location of the assembly. ???

clean the casing halves up and remove all grit/rust. dont lose track of how it goes together.
thhi is the orientation behind the mirror. the motor that powers the lower stud sits in a bath of water.
this is the connection to undo behind the mirror. its been packed with dielectric grease from the factory is my guess. i gently used pliers on each half to seperate.
if tou do like me and snip/solder/sheinkwrap, be smarter than me and do the job further car-ward up the pigtail so the extra thickness doesnt interfere with the case halves coming back together flush.



see the waterline?? this is the orientation behind the mirror in the case.
Old 06-12-2017, 01:05 PM
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LWesthaver
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Originally Posted by VikingTrad3r
...there are heaps of these little motors available online BUT few of them have the long drive shaft required for this application...
MCM Electronics has a selection of small DC motors some of which have long shafts:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...887A-/58-18165
Old 06-12-2017, 02:09 PM
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Default here are dims we need. note the decimal places are likely wrong

that is CHEAP wow.



unfortunately, the body housing is too long.

ive sent a few emails asking if they can match up the dims below. if you find a source to match the specs let me know. i had irdered 4 but then realized the length of the body is wrong. everything else matches but body is too long. (same 30mm size yours shows).

i can find matches to this dim
i can find matches to this dim
2mm dim matches no prob
i can find matches to this yes
keep in mind the corrosion is going to result in caliper not being exact
THIS IS THE DIMENSION I CANNOT FIND.

everything i find that matches above is 30 mm long. and they will not fit in the black plastic motor enclosure.
Old 06-14-2017, 07:58 PM
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Details on how the mirror comes apart?

I did my switches shortly after i bought my car, did not touch the joy stick.

I had to adjust my mirrors by pushing on them for about a month, now my drivers side has a little rattle to it.

I keep thinking i could maybe tighten it up, or maybe a rubber isolator to prevent the shakes...
Old 06-14-2017, 08:31 PM
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ToniJ1960
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Originally Posted by VikingTrad3r
that is CHEAP wow.



unfortunately, the body housing is too long.

ive sent a few emails asking if they can match up the dims below. if you find a source to match the specs let me know. i had irdered 4 but then realized the length of the body is wrong. everything else matches but body is too long. (same 30mm size yours shows).

i can find matches to this dim
i can find matches to this dim
2mm dim matches no prob
i can find matches to this yes
keep in mind the corrosion is going to result in caliper not being exact
THIS IS THE DIMENSION I CANNOT FIND.

everything i find that matches above is 30 mm long. and they will not fit in the black plastic motor enclosure.
Go for it open them up and see if they can be saved, if they don't smell burned up.
Old 06-16-2017, 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Gibbles
Details on how the mirror comes apart?

I did my switches shortly after i bought my car, did not touch the joy stick.

I had to adjust my mirrors by pushing on them for about a month, now my drivers side has a little rattle to it.

I keep thinking i could maybe tighten it up, or maybe a rubber isolator to prevent the shakes...
Gibbs, just pull/pry out. there is always a risk of breaking the old plastic you will see what i mean when you do it. move the mirror all the way to one side, then you can see in behind with your cell phone light or similar.
Old 06-17-2017, 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted by VikingTrad3r
Gibbs, just pull/pry out. there is always a risk of breaking the old plastic you will see what i mean when you do it. move the mirror all the way to one side, then you can see in behind with your cell phone light or similar.
Thanks, I'll give it a try once i decide it's really bugging me. ​​​​​​​

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