PS Mirror Cover removal help

edco · #1 11-12-2013, 06:33 PM

Yep- I searched. And I found a couple of posts including a video of someone removing (an apparently broken clips) outside mirror cover by popping clips with his fingers. My mirror got smacked in a parking lot but I was able to find one on EBay for a good price, but with a different cover. I was able to find my old cover and it's in surprisingly good shape and can be reused.

I have been trying for a couple of hours to separate the front black ring from the rear cover with no success.

Can someone give me a tip or technique so I can avoid breaking the clips on either the ring or the cover ?

Many thanks

Ed in NJ

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mcurcio1989 · #2 11-12-2013, 11:09 PM

I just did it yesterday for the first time. This is the diy I was following and the first step in there is for removing that cover. http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...lem-fixed.html

It was surprisingly easy to do and popped of easy the first try.

TerminatorX5 · #3 11-12-2013, 11:56 PM

if you have done it already, then all is good...

if, on the other hand, you still need help...

take 3 old credit cards.

there is a seam separating the back car colored (in most cases) cover and the front ring, that is usually black (or titanium). this seam runs on the outside and on the inside of the housing... slide the credit cards, one at a time into the INNER seam at the bottom and spread them over the entire bottom - the cover and the ring will pop open...

for the purpose of this tip, the "back" of the mirror assembly refers to the solid plastic part that is facing towards the front of the car, and the front ring refers to the part that surrounds the mirror that you are looking at...

admranger · #4 11-13-2013, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

if you have done it already, then all is good...

if, on the other hand, you still need help...

take 3 old credit cards.

there is a seam separating the back car colored (in most cases) cover and the front ring, that is usually black (or titanium). this seam runs on the outside and on the inside of the housing... slide the credit cards, one at a time into the INNER seam at the bottom and spread them over the entire bottom - the cover and the ring will pop open...

for the purpose of this tip, the "back" of the mirror assembly refers to the solid plastic part that is facing towards the front of the car, and the front ring refers to the part that surrounds the mirror that you are looking at...

Ooooh, this information would have been useful a couple of weeks ago when I was struggling removing mine using the method described in the previous link!

Great trick and I can see where this would work.

puddinboo · #5 11-13-2013, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

if you have done it already, then all is good...

if, on the other hand, you still need help...

take 3 old credit cards.

there is a seam separating the back car colored (in most cases) cover and the front ring, that is usually black (or titanium). this seam runs on the outside and on the inside of the housing... slide the credit cards, one at a time into the INNER seam at the bottom and spread them over the entire bottom - the cover and the ring will pop open...

for the purpose of this tip, the "back" of the mirror assembly refers to the solid plastic part that is facing towards the front of the car, and the front ring refers to the part that surrounds the mirror that you are looking at...

good heads up I have to fix my limit switches in my mirror sometime. I have a credit card laying around from taking off the wood trim on the door pannel it worked awsome for that.

edco · #6 11-13-2013, 02:03 PM

Well I totally screwed the pooch on this one....

I found a perfect replacement (except for color) mirror assembly including mirror and all the bits, and in the process of trying to take off the cover I managed to break the mirror !!! I am so PI$$ED at myself !

So I decided (among other things it's 28 degrees in NJ today) to take it to a pro. I'll need to spend another $100 for a mirror, plus $50 for the paint to match the A11 green paint.

It's my fault, and I am posting to let anyone else clearly as clumsy as I to be careful.

I hate when I screw things up.... Life goes on....

ed

TerminatorX5 · #7 11-13-2013, 02:37 PM

ouch!!! did you try the credit card method I mentioned above? it did not work out? it worked before like a charm on couple of E53s... For the money that you are talking about, have you priced already painted cover? and since you are getting a new mirror glass, you may consider an aspheric mirror, even just for the passenger side...

mcurcio1989 · #8 11-13-2013, 02:46 PM

When you say you broke the mirror what do you mean?? what actually broke? IMO most of this mirror is fairly easy to service on your own. It seems like it would be a lot harder than it is. I just hate to see you spend money if you dont have to.

edco · #9 11-13-2013, 05:12 PM

@Term - No, but if you had only written sooner :-) - just kidding. I have a local, former BMW employee who is a friend (usually only when I need help with one of my cars), who I called last night after UPS dropped off the part. I told him that I needed to remove the cover and he convinced me that in order to get to the clips, I needed to remove the mirror. Maybe he was distracted by his young kids in the background, or I just didn't understand the instructions, but he told me to push the mirror down, and the pull it off, grabbing at the 12 o'clock position. Immediately I heard a crack. At that point I was like "well screw it, let's keep going" at which point I broke off the tabs on the motor. So other than the back cover and front ring, this was an expensive lesson.
The good news, is that I took it to my local body shop. He confirmed that the tabs on the existing motor were still intact, so now it's just buy the mirror (already ordered), and repaint the cover.

@mcurcio - Thanks but the mirror glass was completely destroyed as I tried to remove the glass from the housing. It cannot be recovered. Fortunately I only have heated and not electrochromatic mirrors. Else it would be a VERY expensive lesson.

So $150 later, a lesson learned.... Know what you know, and know what you don't know...and know when to seek professional help...

ed

mcurcio1989 · #10 11-13-2013, 06:17 PM

huh yeah he must have been distracted. . .In the orientation the mirror would be in the vehicle. The glass should be pushed up using some kind of wide plastic putty knife. Then tilt the mirror down as far as it will go and push it up the rest of the way it should be effortless to remove. I know its to late for you but for future readers that is how it comes out. That's a bummer you messed it up tho.

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