126 THE CAR WHISPERER...

I bought Abbie in the autumn when the weather was changeable - it didn't know whether it would be warm, cold, sunny, or rainy. Because of this, I had no need for heated rear windows or mirrors. The recent cold snap has changed everything, and I've found some things on the car that need attention.

Firstly, my heated rear window works...mostly. One of the veins isn't heating up, so I'm left with a misted-up line across the back. This isn't the end of the world, and I'm happy to put up with it.

The heated mirror is more annoying, though. The driver's side mirror heats up and clears frost perfectly, while the passenger side doesn't work at all. The mirror will move using the electric controls, so I know the electrics going to it are okay, but the heating element isn't playing ball.

After some research, it is suggested that the heating element is gone but isn't a serviceable part and needs replacing. Where the hell am I going to find a replacement passenger-side mirror with a heating element for a 2012 Abarth 500? Amazon actually. For just £14, I could buy a replacement, compatible device and have it shipped within the next couple of days.

When the part arrived, I watched a YouTube video about how to remove the old glass (terrifying; it needs a lot of pressure to pop it out of its clips, so I was sure it was going to shatter and cut me into ribbons - spoiler alert, it didn't). I managed to get it out and saw that the heating membrane was coming away from the mirror - there was the problem.

I carefully disconnected the electrical cables that didn't want to come out and offered the replacement part. The wires would not reconnect, which was frustrating; they kept falling out. I 'fettled' the cables with a screwdriver, jammed them on, and then pinched the cable with some long nose pliers, and hey presto, they stayed put.

Reattaching the mirror to the clips was a bigger issue. After much pushing, shoving, and swearing, I snapped it back in. Afterwards, I noticed it was sitting a fraction lower than when it came out of the factory. This is annoying, but the thought of strongarming the mirror off again fills me with dread. One for another day.

I fired up the engine and checked that I could still move the mirror with the electric controls - I could, so the connections had stayed in place - result. I then hit the heated rear window button, which activated the mirror heater. I raced around to see if I could feel any heat coming off the glass - double result.

I'm pleased I completed this easy job, as I'd usually pay someone else to do it. Not only have I saved a ton of money, but I've also learned a bit more about my little car, which, in the immortal words of Blur in their seminal track 'Parklife', "gives me a sense of enormous well-being."