2015 A6
I meant to turn off the automatic folding mirror function before the winter, but I didn't.

With the storms this week, ice and snow, I have one inch thick solid ice at the mirror connection on the passenger side.
I'm concerned about starting the car and having the mechanism strip. Not going above freezing until tomorrow - 10 degrees this morning.

Are these mirrors clutched so that this (stripping mechanism) would not happen?

I'm thinking of using a hairdryer to melt the ice in this area. What do you think of this idea? would it hurt the paint?

 

hair dryer will not hurt the paint, go at it