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How to remove the 2010 prius side mirror glass ?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by ucsmfu, Jan 13, 2012.

  1. ucsmfu

    ucsmfu Senior Member

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    does anyone know how to to remove the side mirror glass ?

    It's not in the Toyota manual book

    what about the black frame that goes around it ?

    thanks :)
     
  2. Turdblossom

    Turdblossom Junior Member

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  3. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    The mirrors are held on with two snap-in clips on the bottom and two hinge-like tabs on the top, plus some white mastic-like adhesive in the middle of the mirror back.

    Tilt the mirrors up and look for two notches in the lower edge of the mirror frames. You can insert a flat-bladed screwdriver into the back of the mirror along those notches and pop the mirror off its mount. Be very careful to not touch or contaminate the white adhesive on the back of the mirror, or the mirror will tend to pop loose later after you reinstall it.
     
  4. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    +1000 and be careful not to remove any of that stuff like I did. Now my mirror pops off if it hit hard bumps. :( I wonder where I can get some more of that stuff?
     
  5. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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  6. ucsmfu

    ucsmfu Senior Member

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    thanks man, that really helps, soo a flat screwdriver and some microfiber towels should do the job right ?

    thanks
     
  7. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    Me too. I'm now using yellow hot-melt glue, but that is showing signs of not holding. Yellow hot-melt glue is supposed to stick to nylon, which is what I'm guessing the mirror mount is made of.

    I've tried a bunch of different adhesives, but I'm about to try Gorilla Glue. Don't think the mirror will ever come off after that.
     
  8. ucsmfu

    ucsmfu Senior Member

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    i spent 45 minutes, soo no luck in removing it ??
     
  9. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    I am thinking about using a couple of drops of Gorilla Glue, super glue on the white stuff to see if will bind it together but sill leave the possibility of removing it in the future. It is was so darn cold up here (-18F and 34 in the garage) I would have tried it this weekend.
     
  10. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    The first time is the most difficult. You're working against about 1 square inch of adhesive. Keep trying, and twist the flat head screwdriver. Don't pry up. The illustration posted earlier shows the lower clip design - use that as a guide.
     
  11. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    Our best bet may be to just get new mirrors. I think I saw them on-line for about $35 each.
     
  12. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Good idea, I could get the blue tinted ones. I wonder if they come with that tacky white stuff?
     
  13. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    Probably, the white stuff is covered with a piece of wax paper.

    I'll post when/if I get new mirrors.
     
  14. ucsmfu

    ucsmfu Senior Member

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    haha, so I got the mirror off, except i broke 3 of the black clips, this is way harder than the instructions from the manual. LOL, I used a blowdryer to remove the oem glass from the black frame, and I replaced it with the blue heated tinted ones I got from asia.

    I will post pics up really soon, if those clips fall off than ur mirror mechanism cannot move up, down, left or right.

    My mirror can only move left and right at the moment, I have to adjust it manually to go up and down, lolll
     
  15. GoldPianoGarden

    GoldPianoGarden Bling Meister

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    So, does anyone see any reason I can't carefully remove the heating element from the back of our mirror glass and put it onto the blue mirror glass I have from Japan (with the running LED signal lights behind it)? I was just supposed to take my mirrors home overnight last Monday and do this replacement, then run them back to the bodyshop the next morning.....but they're still sitting here and I've been unable to get any response/help from anyone I've asked for help on this.... Another member (XMAN LIVE 360) did this same mod, but he hasn't been on the forum for months, so don't know where he disappeared to. Anyhow, I've gotta try to do something this evening when I get home from piano-ing, whether I screw everything up or not....

    UCSMFU, which method did you end up using to pop the mirror glass out of the actual mirror (not the black piece that goes on the back of the mirror....I know how to do that.....just don't remember how you get the mirror glass OUT of the actual mirror housing...)? Seems the bodyshop guy showed me that you'd just tilt the glass out at the bottom, then with your hand under the bottom of the glass you'd carefully "pop" the glass out of the mirror housing. I read about others using a flathead screwdriver and all these other things, but I'm pretty sure he told me you just tilt the glass back, slide your hand under the bottom of the glass, then you can carefully pop it out. That was over 2 weeks ago when he was showing me, though, then I took the mirrors home a week later, then they've just been sitting here ever since while I've been praying someone would answer my emails....but no luck. Then I ran across your thread this morning. Any suggestions?
     
  16. ucsmfu

    ucsmfu Senior Member

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    i tilt it downwards and end up breaking the mirror motor, and had to get my whole left side mirror replaced.

    Luckily I knew a buddy that works at toyota and he popped them off for me and helped me install my new JDM blue mirrors.

    Even with his expertise he told me that it's a 50/50 chance you can break a clip or damage the mirrors.

    good luck !!!, I've learned the hard way, needing the replace the whole side mirror ><
     
  17. GoldPianoGarden

    GoldPianoGarden Bling Meister

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    Sounds like anything you do regarding the mirror glass is a gamble! I hope mine work ok after doing this folding mirror, blue mirror/running LED, plus the JDM signal covers modification process. These 3 different projects on one set of mirrors have almost made me mental! lol
     
  18. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    I don't believe that. Experienced installers take them out all the time without breaking them.

    It's just like removing the front dome covers to change the bulbs. A number of members have broken the covers because they didn't know what to do or how to do it correctly, but I can pop them off 100 times in a row without damaging them.
     
  19. GoldPianoGarden

    GoldPianoGarden Bling Meister

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    I just successfully removed the 2nd one, worked the glass out of the black frame it is tightly mounted inside, and just finished getting the defroster removed from the back of it. SO, now I can begin trying to remove the old remaining adhesive from the backs of both defroster/heating elements, mount the running LED strips on both of the new blue mirrors, adhere the defroster units to the backs of each blue mirror, then mount everything back together and hope the defroster still works! And, YES, the bodyshop finally called this morning wanting to know where the mirrors are.... They are finally mounting the SilkBlaze spoiler to the top of the hatch, mounting the Beatsonic shark fin antenna, and waiting for the mirrors to be finished by me (did I mention that the adhesive has to cure for 48 hours?), and to mount the LED emblems and chrome rear bumper protector (a la CT200H)...and then I can probably drive it on home! BUT, that still leaves all the electrical stuff being wired in by the electric guy (LED lights I added, rear fog, emblems, etc.), the coilovers, wheels, tires, stereo system, LED door sills.....man, it never seems to end. Makes me tired....
     
  20. ucsmfu

    ucsmfu Senior Member

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    haha, if i take a road trip down to Cali, maybe you can show me how to pop those mirrors

    I heard you guys have quite a few Prius meets down there ?