Driver's Side Sun Visor Problem

[SixPonies]

OK, I've had my 2011 Explorer LTD for a few months now, and a few of the common problems I've seen discussed here are starting to surface. One of them is the driver's side sun visor. The vanity mirror light doesn't work, nor does the garage door opener. From the research I've done in these forums, the fault seems to be some sort of short in the visor's wiring, and the only fix is to replace the whole visor assembly. Here's what's puzzling: When I looked up the visor on FordParts.com, several come up with/without illuminated mirror, with/without the universal opener. But the ones with the opener are listed at close to $400! And the best price I found for one on eBay is $295 from Gaudin Auto Parts! The non-opener models are either $42 or $131. $150-$200 more for just the stupid little opener??? Really Ford? I'm seriously considering getting the cheaper non-opener model as a replacement and just using my old Genie garage door opener, or buying a Gentex auto-dimming mirror w/Homelink and still come out cheaper than the cost of the mirror w/universal opener.

Something else happened that I was curious about: Shortly after the mirror died, I lost all of the "on demand" interior lights and the passenger visor light. Figured it was a blown fuse. I checked, and sure enough, the #4 10a fuse was blown. I replaced it, hoping that was the cure to everything, but alas, the driver's visor is still dead. Could the short or whatever in the driver's visor have blown that fuse also? Anyone else with the driver's visor problem experience this?

 

[peterk9]

Since that same fuse also is for the visor lights, if you do have a short in the driver's visor I would think that would likely cause that fuse to blow.

Peter

 

[sobsmb]

OK, I've had my 2011 Explorer LTD for a few months now, and a few of the common problems I've seen discussed here are starting to surface. One of them is the driver's side sun visor. The vanity mirror light doesn't work, nor does the garage door opener. From the research I've done in these forums, the fault seems to be some sort of short in the visor's wiring, and the only fix is to replace the whole visor assembly. Here's what's puzzling: When I looked up the visor on FordParts.com, several come up with/without illuminated mirror, with/without the universal opener. But the ones with the opener are listed at close to $400! And the best price I found for one on eBay is $295 from Gaudin Auto Parts! The non-opener models are either $42 or $131. $150-$200 more for just the stupid little opener??? Really Ford? I'm seriously considering getting the cheaper non-opener model as a replacement and just using my old Genie garage door opener, or buying a Gentex auto-dimming mirror w/Homelink and still come out cheaper than the cost of the mirror w/universal opener.

Something else happened that I was curious about: Shortly after the mirror died, I lost all of the "on demand" interior lights and the passenger visor light. Figured it was a blown fuse. I checked, and sure enough, the #4 10a fuse was blown. I replaced it, hoping that was the cure to everything, but alas, the driver's visor is still dead. Could the short or whatever in the driver's visor have blown that fuse also? Anyone else with the driver's visor problem experience this?

My XLT didn't have the remote (HomeLink module) and I thought it was cool so I ended up adding one. If you remove the lighted part most of the wires you can see right behind it. Also there is a guide that I posted (http://www.raptorforumz.com/showthread.php?t=13814) that will show you how to add the HomeLink, and COULD also help show you where your short is, without replacing the visor. I got the HomeLink module from eBay for about $20 and it works great, but it all depends on how comfortable you are with electronics, and working on things yourself.

 

[jmr061]

If the Visor had been removed for any reason the wiring could have been pinched when putting it back in. I would pull it out and carefully inspect the harness from it that goes into the headliner area.

 

[esandye]

My drivers side visor was replaced once in warranty and now, at 49000 miles, has failed again. I took the visor off and the wiring has plenty of slack. The short appears to be in the visor itself, possibly the sliding portion that extends for better sun coverage. Both the mirror light and the homelink don't work now. I use my visor quite a bit. I'm back to the clip-on garage door opener. I really don't want to spend anothr $300 for a 2nd new visor. Sorry it is such a problem. Sounds like a very poor design. How many of you have had this problem?

 

[peterk9]

...... How many of you have had this problem?

I could be wrong but I believe these have only been the 2 posts on this particular issue.

Peter

 

[esandye]

I could be wrong but I believe these have only been the 2 posts on this particular issue.

Peter

I didn't see other threads about this. Having the same problem twice is ridiculous!

 

[esandye]

At least we are not having our sun visors catch on fire like the Grand Cherokee and other FCA models. (in the USA today on this date!)

 

[sheltonfilms]

OK, I've had my 2011 Explorer LTD for a few months now, and a few of the common problems I've seen discussed here are starting to surface. One of them is the driver's side sun visor. The vanity mirror light doesn't work, nor does the garage door opener. From the research I've done in these forums, the fault seems to be some sort of short in the visor's wiring, and the only fix is to replace the whole visor assembly. Here's what's puzzling: When I looked up the visor on FordParts.com, several come up with/without illuminated mirror, with/without the universal opener. But the ones with the opener are listed at close to $400! And the best price I found for one on eBay is $295 from Gaudin Auto Parts! The non-opener models are either $42 or $131. $150-$200 more for just the stupid little opener??? Really Ford? I'm seriously considering getting the cheaper non-opener model as a replacement and just using my old Genie garage door opener, or buying a Gentex auto-dimming mirror w/Homelink and still come out cheaper than the cost of the mirror w/universal opener.

If you go the new mirror route just get one from a junkyard. 99% of the auto-dimming mirrors in OEM vehicles are made by Gentex (probably because of all their patents on autochromic mirror technology).

If you have a U-Pull yard it is like 10-15 bucks. Just get the mirror and about 10 inches of harness and the wiring cover.

Gentex makes a few "universal" mirrors for OEM's (all they change is the mounting).
You can get just autodimming, ones with temp, ones with compass, ones with temp and compass, ones with compass/homelink, etc.

I would get the 5 button design without compass (3 homelink buttons, 1 off, 1 on).

Only have to wire 3 wires, constant on, ignition on, and ground.

This is the one with compass, the non-compass has another button that separates the on off switching.

BTW Gentex owns the homelink technology now since they bought the rights from Johnson Controls over a year ago. JC developed the technology and Gentex kept trying to make changes that they thought were better but kept having to have JC approve them. Well they got tired of it.

 

[peterk9]

Just FYI, the 2011 doesn't use 'Homelink'. It uses the 'Car2U' system. The 'Homelink' wasn't used until the 2014 models came out. Not sure if that makes any difference.

Peter

 

[SixPonies]

If you go the new mirror route just get one from a junkyard. 99% of the auto-dimming mirrors in OEM vehicles are made by Gentex (probably because of all their patents on autochromic mirror technology).

If you have a U-Pull yard it is like 10-15 bucks. Just get the mirror and about 10 inches of harness and the wiring cover.

Gentex makes a few "universal" mirrors for OEM's (all they change is the mounting).
You can get just autodimming, ones with temp, ones with compass, ones with temp and compass, ones with compass/homelink, etc.

I would get the 5 button design without compass (3 homelink buttons, 1 off, 1 on).

Only have to wire 3 wires, constant on, ignition on, and ground.

This is the one with compass, the non-compass has another button that separates the on off switching.

BTW Gentex owns the homelink technology now since they bought the rights from Johnson Controls over a year ago. JC developed the technology and Gentex kept trying to make changes that they thought were better but kept having to have JC approve them. Well they got tired of it.

Thanks for the info. I'm very familiar with the Gentex mirrors. I upgraded/installed one with the Homelink buttons in my 2008 Mustang. The wiring harness was already present in the car from the factory, so it was a total plug-and-play installation. My positive experience with it in the Mustang is what's leading me towards installing one in the Explorer. But, I may see if I can find and OEM used Ex mirror from a junk yard too.

 

[SixPonies]

Just FYI, the 2011 doesn't use 'Homelink'. It uses the 'Car2U' system. The 'Homelink' wasn't used until the 2014 models came out. Not sure if that makes any difference.

Peter

Thanks. I was aware of that after reading the owner's manual and doing some research on here. I don't think it makes a difference. Basically the same product from two different manufacturers that performs the same function. Not sure how long "Car2U" has been around, but Homelink's been an option in most cars for going on 20 years, if not longer.

 

[SixPonies]

Well, I got my visor fixed. The Explorer suffered some pretty severe hail damage in April, and I finally got her in to have that repaired this week by a paintless dent repair guy. In order for him to fix the dents in the roof, he had to remove the headliner, visors, moon roof, etc. So I had the shop troubleshoot the visor also. After determining that 12v power was good to the visor and that the visor wouldn't work when hooked to a different power source, they disassembled the visor and found a cut wire inside the visor's sliding rod (likely from the sliding/extending feature of the visor). So they ran a whole new wire in the visor and now everything's working perfectly! I was thrilled, because it saved me time and possibly a lot of money to buy a new visor and replace it!

 

[Sam finfrock]

OK, I've had my 2011 Explorer LTD for a few months now, and a few of the common problems I've seen discussed here are starting to surface. One of them is the driver's side sun visor. The vanity mirror light doesn't work, nor does the garage door opener. From the research I've done in these forums, the fault seems to be some sort of short in the visor's wiring, and the only fix is to replace the whole visor assembly. Here's what's puzzling: When I looked up the visor on FordParts.com, several come up with/without illuminated mirror, with/without the universal opener. But the ones with the opener are listed at close to $400! And the best price I found for one on eBay is $295 from Gaudin Auto Parts! The non-opener models are either $42 or $131. $150-$200 more for just the stupid little opener??? Really Ford? I'm seriously considering getting the cheaper non-opener model as a replacement and just using my old Genie garage door opener, or buying a Gentex auto-dimming mirror w/Homelink and still come out cheaper than the cost of the mirror w/universal opener.

Something else happened that I was curious about: Shortly after the mirror died, I lost all of the "on demand" interior lights and the passenger visor light. Figured it was a blown fuse. I checked, and sure enough, the #4 10a fuse was blown. I replaced it, hoping that was the cure to everything, but alas, the driver's visor is still dead. Could the short or whatever in the driver's visor have blown that fuse also? Anyone else with the driver's visor problem experience this?

I’ve got the same problem on my 2011 Explorer Limited. Hard to find a used part. New is unbelivable.

 

[peterk9]

I’ve got the same problem on my 2011 Explorer Limited. Hard to find a used part. New is unbelivable.

Welcome to the Forum Sam.
Have you verified that the fuse is good?
Driver's side visor with garage door opener $279.88.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/5th-gen-w-led-light-bars.441984/#post-3575776

Peter