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Side Mirror Housing Replacement

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by jamesprius, Apr 25, 2023.

  1. jamesprius

    jamesprius Member

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    Someone snapped the driver's side mirror housing on my gen 1. It's just hanging by the wire right now. The mirror seems to be still intact.

    Is there a way to unplug it from the mirror side instead of removing the door panel from the inside?

    I was trying to remove the plastic cover on the back of the mirror housing but it's a bit difficult without breaking the plastic.

    I was just hoping to replace the black plastic piece that holds the housing to the door, everything else seems fine. It looks like 3 bolts on the door side and 3 screws on the housing side.

    If I just replace the entire housing, I'll have to repaint the cover. The previous owner custom painted the entire car.
     

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    #1 jamesprius, Apr 25, 2023
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2023
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Look up how the mirror glass is removed and replaced. It's easy: once you aim the mirror as far up as it goes, you can find the two marks one little hole on the lower edge indicating where one of the clips are is. Twist a screwdriver in those two places to release the bottom clips, then hinge the glass outward at the bottom until those top clips can be pulled free.

    [​IMG]

    Once the glass is removed, you have easy access to the clips that hold the color cover onto the "back" (or is it the front?) of the mirror housing, and you can just push those with your fingers to pop the color cover off. It's easy, you won't break it that way. You might, if you try to remove it without releasing the clips from inside.

    If I remember right, you don't have to remove any more of the inside door trim than the plastic piece directly behind the mirror. But I might be thinking of another car.
     
  3. jamesprius

    jamesprius Member

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    thanks this helps. earlier I tried to reach behind the mirror to access the clips for the cover. might have bent one of them. removing the mirror should be easier

    the indoor plastic piece only covers the 3 bolts that hold it in place, the wire passes through the indoor plastic piece and into the door panel. i can take a pic.
     
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Oh. Yeah, maybe I remember that. Might get by with just popping a few of the door panel clips near that corner.
     
  5. jamesprius

    jamesprius Member

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    Taking off the mirror before trying to remove the shell definitely helped. Although your picture seems to be another generation. My notch was in the middle.

    I also was not able to remove the door panel entirely. The plastic rectangle piece around the inside door latch was extremely hard to remove. I removed the screw next to the lock and it still would not come off.

    Luckily the cable from the mirror housing was short so I only had to remove some of the fasteners and was able to disconnect it coming from the bottom behind the panel.
     

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