Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics how to remove side mirrors?

i am interested in painting my mirror bases to match the body. i searched the archives with no success, so i'll ask the question-

how do you take off the outside mirrors ('98 mystique ls with power mirrors)?????

thanks for the assistance.......lakeside

Well, I wouldnt know either but youre asking a question where you want help from. You should post this question in the "troubleshooting" forum not here.

-dan

i personally dont think this is troubleshooting material, but its not up to me. anyway, on with the original question.

on the interior trim panel when the mirrors connect there is a little plasic plug. remove this plug and you should find a phillips head screw in the hole. remove this screw, and the trim should come off. there are 3 torx screws holding the mirror assembly on. these are removed from the inside (they were hidden by the cover you removed ). also there is the electrical connection, which i would undo before unscrewing the mirror (it has a wire retaining clip around it, which you push on the top i think and then pull out on the plug. it should come out pretty easily). so undo the connection, then the 3 screws. the mirror housing is now free. it may be kinda stuck, as the foam underneath gets kind of tacky. no big deal, just pull. the mirror should still come off easily. hope that helps. this was a quicky how to, but its pretty straight forward.

how to remove sside mirrors:

Step 1 get into car
step 2 start car and put into reverse
step 3 back out of garage and watch passenger side mirror so you don't hit side or garage
step 4 proceed to hit side of garage with passenger side mirror and continue backing up in horror
step 5 stare at what used to be the location of the passenger side mirror...wondering WTF happened
step 6 stop car....get out and curse out the heavens then pick up busted mirror and throw it on the passeneger side floor mat.

You now know how to remove the passenger side mirror. To remove drivers side insert (drivers side) whereever applicable good luck to you I have none

The MOST important step of the mirror removal/replacement process was skipped . MAKE SURE IT IS RE-SEALED WHEN YOU RE-INSTALL !! Learn from MY first-hand experience (one of many problems I had with my SVT early on) . If it's not sealed , you will have gallons of water on your front floor !!
From the factory (bought my SVT new) , my driver's side mirror wasn't sealed correctly and every time it rained my mats were floating . It was a PITA to track THAT leak down . After many , many trips to the dealer & several seals & adjustments , I figured it out with a bucket & some water . I re-sealed the foam & from then on out ... NO LEAK ! Remember , it doen's take much of a "hole" to make a great big leak !

how did you reseal them? now im worried, though after a few car washes and a light rain or two ive never seen a drop of water on the inside.

IIRC , I used a bodyshop "rope caulk" around the holes lurking behind that foam seal to just sort-of "tighten up" the seal a bit . I used that stuff so it would be removable & wouldn't harm anything . It worked like a charm .

What was happening was the rain would run in through the holes behind the mirrors , it would travel down the INSIDE (read-wrong side) of the vapor barrier (behind the door panels) , and would run into the car on the wrong side of the door jamb seal at the bottom .