I've noticed over the past few years that many Z3 owners have broken their mirrors attempting to remove them. I wanted to take a little time and provide two methods, one of which I now feel is safer to our aging ABS mirrors than the common method recommended.
NOTE: I have borrowed from many other threads to create this, so I am not taking credit for it... just putting it one thread
Method 1 - "Pull & Twist" (May NOT be safer than Method 2)This is the most common method recommended
Many people have broken their mirrors trying to remove them in this manner... I'm pretty sure the problem is rooted in attempting to twist the mirrors without first
pulling them away from the base. The swivel is sometimes corroded and the result is ripping the internal metal structure away from the ABS housing. Regardless, this is how you are supposed to do it:
Here are instructions:
1) You access the allen head mounting bolts that connect the mirrors to the body from the outside of the door by:
- Pulling the mirror out a few millimeters from the base
- Then gently turning the mirror down and away (90 degrees) from the direction the mirror glass is facing
- You can actually turn them up or down, doesn't matter which way... pick the way that gives first
2) Now you can access the mounting bolts with an allen wrench
Method 2 - "Disassemble Internals"Due to the fragile ABS mounting points inside the mirror, I feel this is safer, even possibly for this with mirrors that rotate freely. Over time, these mounting points will undoubtedly break with age.
This is also the only way I am aware of to get access to the allen bolts if the
mirror has been shipped to you in the original 'locked' position like this:
(1) Remove
Mirror Glass by tilting the
mirror glass all the way up to get a small screw driver to separate the black teeth from the white base tabs (circled in
red). I believe some have also broken these tabs, but I feel this is still safer than Method-1. Also separate the heating element wires connected to the tabs circled in yellow/
yellow.
(2) Unscrew 4 phillips head screws from the
blue locations
(3) Unscrew 4 T10 torx head screws from the
orange locations
(4) ABS
Mirror housing is now completely free and can be rotated out of the way exposing the allen head mounting bolt holes circled in
green.
NOTICE: Look at the upper right mounting point in the ABS... destroyed... and the other 3 were also cracked... will have to epoxy that back together.
NOTICE: Look at this massive spring you are pulling/twisting against in Method 1. All of your pulling and twisting force is applied at those last four little ABS mounting points circled in
orange above.
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