October 2, 2022
Mirror, mirror on the door, why is my vision there so poor? Well, you could have a broken outside rearview mirror that's disabled your blind spot vision there and endangering your ability to see some of the traffic around you.
Outside rearview (or door) mirrors are important safety devices that are thoughtfully designed to help drivers see. And there are a variety of ways those door mirrors can develop problems.
One is when the glass is broken in them. Sometimes it's caused by an accident or vandalism. But without your ability to see in that mirror, you could be driving blind, unable to see drivers approaching from the rear in adjacent lanes. Sometimes it's as simple as having the glass replaced. You'll greatly enhance your safety if you do.
Then there's the door mirror that you can't adjust. First, let's look at a common scenario in later models, the power mirror. They're great when they're working, awful when they're not. Sometimes the motor fails, the switch goes bad or the wiring fails to deliver power.
Or how about the manually-adjusted door mirror that has either frozen up or just flops around? In this case, the mechanism has corroded, jammed up or a part has broken. In both power- and manually-adjusted door mirrors, it sometimes can be hard to keep them in the right position. Plus, every time there's a driver change, it may be hard to adjust those broken mechanisms by hand.
Finally, heated door mirrors can be extraordinarily useful in eliminating fogging or icing up in certain weather conditions. But those heating elements can fail, switches can break or wiring can go bad. Suddenly your fogged over, frozen mirrors aren't doing you any good at all.
Good drivers use those outside rearview mirrors all the time. They should be working the way designers intended, to provide the driver with vital traffic position information. That's the kind of safety device you should get fixed or replaced sooner rather than later. It's well worth it if you prevent even one little accident.
Tuffy Auto Service Center Elgin
395 S. Randall Rd
Elgin, Illinois 60123
847-717-4682
June 9, 2025
If your vehicle isn't starting or doesn't sound like it used to when you crank it, the culprit may be the battery. You may have left a light on, or something plugged into one of charging ports. Maybe you accidentally left your vehicle in the "on" or "accessory" position when you last got out. M... More
June 2, 2025
Whether or not your exterior light bulbs are all working probably is not at the top of your list when you think about your vehicle. But those exterior lights are more important than you think, and they're vital to your safety and that of other drivers near you. Headlights are important. Not onl... More
May 25, 2025
A driver brought her vehicle into the shop the other day and told us how she was getting lousy fuel economy and that the engine was running rough. Plus, the Check Engine light was on. Our technician checked the code the engine had generated (why the Check Engine light was on) and found the prob... More