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DIY Guide on How to Fix a Broken Side View Mirror

DIY Guide on How to Fix a Broken Side View Mirror

Maintaining a clear field of view around your car is essential in terms of safety. Even though most new vehicles are fitted with reverse cams, parking sensors, and other gizmos, a mirror is still the best awareness tool you have while driving. That’s one of the reasons why broken mirrors are a significant safety issue. We’ll show you how to fix a broken side-view mirror today, covering two types of repair. We’ll also discuss the tools you might need and more!

Different Types of Side View Mirror Damage

Side view mirrors are probably one of the most easily damaged parts of the car. After all, they’re the only thing sticking out on an average car. Most people who do a lot of city driving have been on the receiving end of a side view mirror love tap or were the ones issuing said love taps. Bottom line, there’s a lot of broken side-view mirrors out there.

Fixing one can be simple or slightly complicated, depending on the type of inflicted damage. We’ll cover the two most common repairs that include replacement of a broken mirror element and the replacement of the entire side view mirror. Both fixes are something you can easily do at home with a few specialized tools.

Let’s start with the mirror element replacement as it’s arguably the easier of the two.

Replacing the Mirror in Your Side View Mirror at Home

Did you recently notice that your side view mirror is not as clear as it used to? A simple wipe might solve the problem, but what if it doesn’t?

As it so happens, the mirror element in your side view mirror can get damaged without suffering physical damage to the glass part. Most modern rearview mirrors are coated with a protective layer that tends to wear out over time.

You’ll see flaking, fogging of the material, and other issues start appearing once the mirror has had enough of environmental effects. Even though the glass underneath is still good, the only solution is to replace it. Today’s patient is a SAAB 9-5, but the process is more or less the same on most other car makes and models.

Step 1 – Position the Mirror

The very first step is to position the mirror as far away from the car as you can. What you’re looking for is enough room to grip the rear of the mirror element with your fingers.

Broken Side View Mirror

Step 2 – Pull the Mirror Off

Once you’ve created enough room to stick your fingers behind the mirror, start by slowly pulling on one side while supporting the other, as shown in the picture above. The mirror is held in place by a set of snap clips that will give way once enough force is applied. Make sure not to yank the mirror out as you risk damaging the heating element wiring.

Broken Side View Mirror at eEuroparts

Step 3 – Remove the Heating Element Wiring

Next, remove the heating element wiring. With the mirror entirely out of the plastic housing, it might be a good time to clean the whole thing properly.

Replacing the Mirror in Your Side View Mirror at Home

Step 4 – Install the New Mirror

All that’s left now is to reinstall the new mirror element. Start by reconnecting the heater wires. If you don’t remember the exact placement, it won’t be an issue on most cars. As long as both wires are connected, the heater should work.

This type of side view mirror repair is super easy and requires no tools. However, what if the whole side view mirror is busted?

Step 3 - Remove the Heating Element Wiring

Step 4 - Install the New Mirror at eEuroparts

Replacing the Whole Side View Mirror

If the plastic housing is broken along with the mirror, the only repair is the whole unit’s replacement. To replace the entire side view mirror, you’ll need a few specialized tools and a good understanding of how the side view mirror works on your car.

We’ll describe how it works on most vehicles. As far as tools go, you could get the whole job done with a Philips head and a flat head screwdriver. That being said, we highly recommend a trim removal tool as well. Although more complicated than the mirror replacement, this repair is definitely doable at home as well.

Step 1 – Remove the Trim Pieces

To get the job done, we need to access two things: the mirror mounting point and the wiring harness. The former sits behind the triangular trim piece that’s on the opposite side of the mirror. The wiring harness is hidden behind the door panel trim.
Locate and remove the triangular trim cover using a trim removal tool. This should reveal a set of screws that hold the mirror in place.

Step 2 – Remove the Door Panel

Most door panels are held in place by a set of plastic fasteners positioned all around the panel. However, before you start removing those, make sure to remove the door handle bezel as it’s often an anchor point as well. Both the bezel and the fasteners should easily snap out of place using the trim removal tool.
As always, be cautious as some of these pieces might break. Fasteners are not a problem as you can get the replacement ones for cheap. The door handle bezel might be a bit more expensive, though.

Step 4 – Remove and Replace the Mirror

With the harness out of the way, all that’s left to do is remove the screws that hold the mirror in place, remove the old one and replace it with the new. Make sure to route the new mirror’s harness the same you’ve found the original one, and you should be good to go.

Where to Find Aftermarket Side View Mirrors?

If you happen to drive a car made by any leading European manufacturers, you’re at the right place. Simply head over to our online store, input your car’s year, make and model, and our system will show you all of the parts that match your inquiry. We carry OEM, Genuine, and aftermarket parts for a wide range of vehicles made in Europe. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us by filling out the form on our contact page! Our customer support reps are standing by to offer assistance.

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One thought on “DIY Guide on How to Fix a Broken Side View Mirror

  1. Great, but I have the dichroic mirror and a previous boneheaded owner replaced it with a plain mirror. in his bull in china shop fasion he apparently ripped the one connector off from the connector block , so when I looked at it after his mirror fell off, I had the block with one connector inside and one wire without connector threaded through and wrapped around the connector. So my question i scan anyone find this stupid plug so I can restore this- I already have the over $150 mirror glass, and might end up soldering the one wire to the lug on the mirror if I do not find one soon.
    Previously I sat and carefully tediously cleaned he heating element of the old adhesive and re-adhered it to the plate glass mirror ($35) and just attac hed the heating wires which look just as in your pics- Tried to lube adn push clips onto housing – and new mirror broke , so I just went to pep boys and bought an $8 mirror that most closely fit inside the perimeter of the original and peeled and stuck it on top- it still gets heated, if I ever get the connector for the auto dimming circuits, I will use adnothe rmiror face to face to equalizer the pressure when reinstalling it again.–DOOH!

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