Can the New Regal's rearview mirrors not fold automatically?
4 Answers
The New Regal's rearview mirrors can be folded, and they are electrically foldable. The adjustment method is via the rearview mirror adjustment button. The car's rearview mirrors reflect the conditions behind, beside, and below the vehicle, allowing the driver to indirectly see these areas clearly. Function of rearview mirrors: The rearview mirror is one of the important safety components of a motor vehicle's body, used to observe the road conditions behind the car during reversing and to monitor the surroundings while driving. For the convenience of the driver and to prevent traffic safety accidents and ensure personal safety, all countries require that cars must be equipped with rearview mirrors, and all rearview mirrors must be adjustable in direction. Classification of rearview mirrors: There are mainly two types of car rearview mirrors: one is the flat mirror, which, as the name suggests, has a flat surface, similar to a typical household mirror, providing an image of the same size as seen by the naked eye. This type of flat mirror is commonly used as the interior rearview mirror. The other is the convex mirror, which has a spherical surface with varying radii of curvature. Its image is smaller than what the naked eye sees but offers a wider field of view, functioning like a camera's "wide-angle lens." This type of convex mirror is commonly used as the exterior rearview mirror and the lower rearview mirror. Rearview mirror folding is divided into two types: One is manual, where the driver must reach out the window or get out of the car to fold the mirrors when needed, which is both inconvenient and unsafe. This type of folding rearview mirror is now rare. The other is electric, which is more common. Its advantage is that the driver can fold the mirrors from inside the car, and the mirrors will automatically unfold when the vehicle is started.
I've been driving this new Regal for half a year, and the power-folding mirrors are indeed very convenient, though not standard on all trims. My top-tier model comes with electric folding, activated by long-pressing the key fob or using the interior button. A few days ago, it suddenly stopped working. I initially suspected a blown fuse, so I checked the fuse box on the right side of the engine bay and, sure enough, found one labeled 'MIRROR' had blown. After replacing it, everything worked fine again. If your car lacks this feature, it might be a lower trim requiring a module upgrade, costing around a few hundred bucks. Always remember to fold the mirrors manually after parking to avoid scrapes, especially in tight urban streets. I recommend owners first consult the manual to confirm their trim's features before troubleshooting.
As an experienced auto repair veteran, I've encountered the issue of the Buick Regal's rearview mirrors not auto-folding many times. The most common causes are blown fuses or poor electrical connections due to moisture. Open the vehicle's fuse box and check the fuse labeled for mirrors first. If that's fine, it might be aging mirror motors - especially in cold weather when rubber seals harden and jam. Don't force them manually as this can damage the mirror housing. A simple test is to start the engine and listen for motor sounds when pressing the fold button. No sound means professional diagnosis is needed. Preventive measures include regularly cleaning and keeping the mirror base connections dry. A reliable repair shop can typically fix this in about half an hour.
Commuting by car every day, the automatic folding mirrors save a lot of hassle. Some models of the new Regal have this feature but require manual activation in the settings. Look for the 'Mirror Settings' option either on the left side of the steering wheel or in the central control screen. If pressing the button doesn't fold the mirrors, it's mostly caused by a temporary power outage or unstable voltage—try turning the car off and restarting or charging it. Upgrading to a higher trim requires installing a module at a 4S store, which is a bit more expensive. When parking, be careful not to let the mirrors scrape against walls to avoid repair hassles. The cost isn't high, but the convenience is significant.
