Mirror / window passenger black plastic melted

[Mike_OB304]

I just saw that the black plastic piece which is attached to the door where the mirror is has melted. The aftermarket rain guard and plastic mirror case has not, and the paint on the door is still good. This indicates to me that something inside overheated. The only thing I can think of is the motor that controls the mirror.
Anyone else know about this problem?

 

[outback97]

Never seen that before, that's wild. I don't know how the wiring could cause something like that since I believe it's all routed through the lower part.

Is it possible it was heated from the outside? I have seen crazy things from window reflections concentrating the sun, particularly with low-e glass.

Glare from energy-efficient windows can melt siding, vehicles

Energy-efficient windows make up more than 90 percent of all new window installations in the U.S., according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders. But they can become problematic for homeowners when sunlight bounces off the windows and is so intense that it can melt siding on...

www.wral.com

 

[RamblinRover]

The motor is behind the glass and like Outback said the wires are probably lower down. It looks kind of like the mirror shaded a portion of it. There appears to be a shinny line that looks like the contour of the mirror that below is fine and above is melted and same for the wind deflector below it is not melted.

 

[Mike_OB304]

Thanks for the info about the wiring location. I have not had a door taken apart.
looking closer at it I also see the areas shaded by the rain guard, which indicates an external heat source. Th article is interest, I’ll have to see if the place I recently moved into has the low-e windows. The carport is situated in a prime spot to receive a reflection from some windows.
Cheers.

 

[outback97]

I have an interest in this phenomenon because we had a customer that was blaming a product we make for scorching the cushions on their deck. I never had the opportunity to see it in person, but based on photos we reviewed, it was definitely not caused by our product, but was very likely caused by a confluence / concentration of reflected light.

See also the "Fryscraper" in London and the Vdara hotel in Las Vegas.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcBOWdKlfsA

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-hV_AawLSE


These are extreme large scale examples, but you can definitely get the effect on a residential home.

Low-E Windows and Combustion - GreenBuildingAdvisor

I've read a couple of articles that suggest low-e windows can cause fires. It sounds like the low-e coating (or a film, the articles weren't clear) is capable of reflecting and focusing sunlight in a way that can cause materials outside the house to combust. Does anyone have an explanation for...

www.greenbuildingadvisor.com

It's rare but definitely happens. IMO if a double pane window develops a little negative pressure and bows inward slightly like )( instead of || you can get a concave reflector, and that's what really ramps up the temperatures if the angles are just right.

 

[XterraRising]

The motor only received voltage when the mirror adjustment switch is on. And it's a very low amount of current. The wires are way too small to cause that kind of damage. I'd think they would burn up, blow a fuse, or short to ground before they did something like that. I'd say that damage is from an external source.

 

[Prime]

The motor only received voltage when the mirror adjustment switch is on. And it's a very low amount of current. The wires are way too small to cause that kind of damage. I'd think they would burn up, blow a fuse, or short to ground before they did something like that. I'd say that damage is from an external source.

I had the power mirror switch catch fire in my Mustang once. So.... It could be a thing

 

[CHUG]

Reflection Melt would be good.. would suspect many Vehicles in Southern sun belt to be showing those effects..

interesting.. But nice to hear the findings on this one...

neighbor kid developed first Ever proto-type Ray gun.. and you were grazed...

 

[XterraRising]

I had the power mirror switch catch fire in my Mustang once. So.... It could be a thing

I won’t rule out the possibility. Not without seeing beneath it.

 

[outback97]

@Mike_OB304 any update on this? Curious if you figured out what it was, whether internal wiring or some external heat source.

 

[Mike_OB304]

@Mike_OB304 any update on this? Curious if you figured out what it was, whether internal wiring or some external heat source.

The evidence points to an outside heat source. I may try to take that trim piece off, but I’m concerned it’s too deformed to get back on. I’ll look into getting a new one at some point.