Hello. My folding mirrors make quite a groaning sound when folding / unfolding. Assume they need some lube (gt85) squirting down the hinge area. Cars only done 1400 miles. Are the hinges lubed at the factory?

They are lubricated at the Factory but it is quite common for them to groan on opening/closing. Best way I've found is when the mirror is in the unfolded position, manually pull it towards the front of the car and spray the hinge mechanism with a silicon spray or lightweight grease. If nothing else is available WD40 also works for a short time.

Thanks for that. I'll try it

This works well , mine kept juddering and what ever I used it would soon return after a week or two, but this seems to work long term.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...yId_255223 p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

3 in 1 fine but even better (I think anyway) is something llke the copper grease that places like Halfords et al sell as an aerosol spray for just a few quid. It will carry on lubricating the mechanism for quite a while compared to oil.

I don't know what material the mechanism is made of but it is one of my obsessions to keep telling people not to use silicone spray on any metal to metal surfaces. It can completely seize them up and very quickly at that. Silicone is brilliant for lubricating plastic / nylon joints or running surfaces but is a serious problem for metal bearing surfaces which it causes to "spall" that is become very rough and burr up. I have seen some VERY expensive bits of kit seized solid within a few minutes as a result.

Pretty sure it's mostly plastic inside the mirrors.

In that case silicone would be just fine. I must have a look at mine before they start creaking!

Yup - not metal to metal so silicon is fine. I spray mine occasionally as a preventative measure and so far have had no problems with the mirrors.

Thanks everybody. Tried a few squirts of GT85 (a bit like 3in 1 with teflon)and has done the trick short term.
Used to use copious quantities of this on my mountain bikes.

Read on here somewhere that sinply working the mirror back and forth as far as it will go sorts it out.

ah, see here: https://www.freel2.com/gallery/albums/user...20fold.pdf

Have done it to mine and certainly there is noticeable improvement.