Side View Mirror Removal

[uss656]

Hello,

My wife poped a mailbox last week so to avoid paying $650 for a new one I ordered a replacement mirror from a salvage company. They promise it's in like new condition. I am saving three times the cost of a new one so I'm pretty happy. The old one is just cracked a little on the housing and the plastic bracket that the mirror snaps into broke.

When the new one shows up I need to figure out how to get the current one off. Can anyone please tell me how to get it off or stear me to something/someplace that will?

Thank you very much in advance for your help.

2005 ES330 Right Mirror

Best Regards,

Darryl

[gbhrps]

There are only 3 bolts that anchor the mirror to the door. You'll find them under the triangular shaped plastic cover in the upper corner of the door. Tape up a flat-bladed screw driver (to prevent scratching the panels etc.) and carefully pry the piece straight off. Under there you'll see the three bolts and the wiring harness that operates the mirror. Unfortunately the inside door panel has to come off to give you access to the wiring harness. Typically you pry up the entire switch panel section that holds the window and door lock switches. Reach under this panel and disconnect each harness connector at the switches so that you can remove this switch panel entirely. Don't worry about getting them back in the right place when assembling them later, as they can only go together one way. Each connector is unique to a certain switch. You should then find another large screw or bolt or two that hold the door panel to the door now that the switch panel is gone. Then look at the inside door release handle. In behind the handle you'll see that its back plastic panel is an insert cover. Using a small taped flat screwdriver pry it out. Underneath will be another screw or bolt. Now starting on the bottom rear corner of the door panel, slide the screwdriver between the door panel and the steel door its self and slide it along the bottom of the door until it stops against a plastic plug. (I usually do this while lying on the floor of the garage looking up at the bottom of the door. Much easier to see where the plugs are this way.) Then pry the panel away from the door until the plug pops out. Repeat this all along the entire bottom of the door panel, then up both sides of the door panel to the glass. At this point the door panel should be ready to come off .... UNLESS.... there is another hidden screw or bolt you have removed yet. You'll know when you try to lift the entire door panel up, as its top section (right along the window glass) is clipped over the top edge of the steel door, again all along where the the glass rises out of the door. If it doesn't lift easily, or refuses to move at all THERE IS ANOTHER FASTENER SOMEWHERE that has to come out first. Don't pull the door panel too far from the door until 1. you fold back the interior door handle to clear the opening in the panel and until 2. you reach in behind the panel and disconnect the wiring to the lower door light. With the panel off you'll be able to trace the mirror harness to find where it disconnects, and you may find that its behind the plastic weather sheet that glued to the steel door. Don't forget to test the mirror BEFORE you put the door panel all back together. Good Luck!

[uss656]

There are only 3 bolts that anchor the mirror to the door. Good Luck!

Thank you bghrps - I really appreciate the time you have taken to explain this!!! You are the first person that has answered this in this forum going back as far as I could look. I just received the replacement yesterday and plan on putting it in tomorrow. This will really help me! I will post pictures of the process so that others can use this in the future when they go through the same repair.

Best Regards

Darryl

[uss656]

There are only 3 bolts that anchor the mirror to the door. You'll find them under the triangular shaped plastic cover in the upper corner of the door. Tape up a flat-bladed screw driver (to prevent scratching the panels etc.) and carefully pry the piece straight off. Under there you'll see the three bolts and the wiring harness that operates the mirror. Unfortunately the inside door panel has to come off to give you access to the wiring harness. Typically you pry up the entire switch panel section that holds the window and door lock switches. Reach under this panel and disconnect each harness connector at the switches so that you can remove this switch panel entirely. Don't worry about getting them back in the right place when assembling them later, as they can only go together one way. Each connector is unique to a certain switch. You should then find another large screw or bolt or two that hold the door panel to the door now that the switch panel is gone. Then look at the inside door release handle. In behind the handle you'll see that its back plastic panel is an insert cover. Using a small taped flat screwdriver pry it out. Underneath will be another screw or bolt. Now starting on the bottom rear corner of the door panel, slide the screwdriver between the door panel and the steel door its self and slide it along the bottom of the door until it stops against a plastic plug. (I usually do this while lying on the floor of the garage looking up at the bottom of the door. Much easier to see where the plugs are this way.) Then pry the panel away from the door until the plug pops out. Repeat this all along the entire bottom of the door panel, then up both sides of the door panel to the glass. At this point the door panel should be ready to come off .... UNLESS.... there is another hidden screw or bolt you have removed yet. You'll know when you try to lift the entire door panel up, as its top section (right along the window glass) is clipped over the top edge of the steel door, again all along where the the glass rises out of the door. If it doesn't lift easily, or refuses to move at all THERE IS ANOTHER FASTENER SOMEWHERE that has to come out first. Don't pull the door panel too far from the door until 1. you fold back the interior door handle to clear the opening in the panel and until 2. you reach in behind the panel and disconnect the wiring to the lower door light. With the panel off you'll be able to trace the mirror harness to find where it disconnects, and you may find that its behind the plastic weather sheet that glued to the steel door. Don't forget to test the mirror BEFORE you put the door panel all back together. Good Luck!

As promised - I hope this helps those that inquire in the future.

You will need the following tools:

Phillips-head screw driver

Flat head screw driver - Masking tape at the end to protect the paint

10mm Socket Wrench (mine was deep and was perfect)

Something 1 foot high to rest the door panel on when it's removed - I used an empty plant bucket

Follow gbhrps's directions to the letter and you should have no problems! I only had the two screws that were exactly where described. Along the bottom of the door get right under the clips and apply preasure - they will come right out. Remember to pull the door and lock control cable back through the hole before fastening the panel back in place otherwise you will have to pop the door panel back off to get to it.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2282.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2283.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2284.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2285.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2286.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2287.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2289.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2288.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/USS656/122_2290.jpg

Again - Thank you very much for the help. It made it very easy to have the instructions!

Best Regards

Darryl

[gbhrps]

You are most welcome! Thanks for the comment, and thank you for adding your findings and pictures to the thread. There are lots of reasons to have to pull inner door panels (window motors, broken lock mechanisms, etc.) and everyone will benefit from your generosity. (Duh! That sounds so sweet, I think I just got a cavity.)

[CUMan]

I have a question. Was there no way to disconnect the wiring harness inside the mirror assembly, thereby eliminating the door panel removal?

I ask this because I have disassembled the outside mirrors on my 93 LS, and noticed that the wiring harness can be disconnected from the mirror assembly.

[uss656]

I have a question. Was there no way to disconnect the wiring harness inside the mirror assembly, thereby eliminating the door panel removal?

I ask this because I have disassembled the outside mirrors on my 93 LS, and noticed that the wiring harness can be disconnected from the mirror assembly.

Not on my 2005. Inside the mirror assembly the cable goes 3 or 4 different ways and cannot be disconnected. I tried to take the one apart that I removed just to see if I would have spare parts. It looks like it will be easier to buy another from a salavage yard than to try and get anything out of the old one.

The wiring harness is attached to the door frame and the harness has a locking tab you need to press when you disconnect it. Really, once you have the instructions to pop the door panel, the added work only takes a couple minutes.