Removing a Manual Driver's Side Mirror

[Speedyox]

Someone broke my driver's side mirror off last night while I was asleep and I need to know how to get the dangling assembly off so it doesn't ruin my paint while I figure out how I am going to fix it. I see that there is a 10mm nut I can get to whith the door open that seems to hold the mirror on but it doesn't release the mirror. How do I get the little triange with the adjuster knob off from the inside? I'm assuming that If I can get that off, I will find another screw/nut/bolt holding the mirror on.

The mirror is fine but the screw holes in the outside triangle that it mounts are broken out. Will 2 part epoxy hold this back together at highway speeds?

[Twin_Cam]

There's three 10mm bolts holding the mirror itself of, if I recall, and there's a small set-screw that holds the adjuster thingie on. You have to unscrew the sail panel (that little triangle piece of plastic) and flip it over to get to the set-screw. The adjuster then pulls through the sail panel, and you can take the mirror off.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong there......it was a while ago when I had the mirror off....

And if the mirror itself is broken, try e-Bay or a junkyard. Much better than gluing it. They're not expensive at all.

[Speedyox]

I dont see any screws at all in the plastic piece that holds the knob. The only screw I can see is the one on the door. I posted a couple pictures in my gallery. http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/12777

[bennett9000]

Its a tiny hex-head set screw DEEP DOWN in a little hole, right at the neck of the lever.

[Twin_Cam]

Hmm. I was describing the procedure for a '91-'94 car. Oops. Didn't see you cars after that. You'll have to wait for someone else to respond, I've never taken the mirrors off in the newer-style interior....

[Speedyox]

I got it off. The triangle piece pops off if you force it toward the passenger door. Then you can turn it over and loosen the set screw as you described. Once inside, 2 more nuts hold the mirror assembly on. Unfortunately, Saturn doesn't sell the ouside triangle piece. You have to buy a whole new mirror. Anyone out there have an extra outside triangle piece laying around after replacing a broken mirror?

[bennett9000]

They are glued from the factory. New mirror is the only way to go. Check eBay, there are always replacements on there.

[Kevin94SL]

Looking at teh subject, I was going to be the smartass and say "WITH A SHOPPING CART". That is the way mine was removed on my first nite going in to work (DAMN WALMART EMPLOYEES... leaving carts all over the lot)...

Anyways, besides that, I'd say that it's pretty much covered how to properly remove the mirror

[sierrap615]

Originally posted by bennett9000
They are glued from the factory. New mirror is the only way to go. Check eBay, there are always replacements on there.

if you have no other choice, heres a how-to to remove the glued-on glass from the housing, and hopefully keep it in one piece (be careful, its very easy to brake something. i've only done this on a 94 maunal)

1. assuming the housing is going in the trash(if it isn't this won't be easy), take wire cutters and cut the three little cables used to aline the mirror.
2. there should only be a small plastic pivot point holding the housing to the mirror backing. mine was already broke so i just ripped it out, disconnect by your own means :hmpf: (sorry)
3. preheat oven to 350 F.
4. place glass/backing on old cookie sheet and COOK!
5. after a few minutes pull out the cookie sheet and while its still hot, CAREFULLY use a large flat-head screwdriver to pry off backing, if it doesn't come off easilly bake some more and repeat. if you need to, you can pump up the heat a liitle, don't go over 400 F
6. heres the real trickly part. see all the glue on the back side? heat the glass up again! after a few more minutes, pull it out and use the flathead (assuming its in good shape, flat, blunt, yet has a straight edge) and VERY CAREFULLY scrape off the glue, this will be a very slow project, and will require time and many reheats, it took me almost two nights. also, make sure your scraping tool is not sratching the glass, my uncle didn't think using a screwdriver was a good idea, as soon as i left he took a old razer blade to remove the glue, i didn't leave one mark with the screwdriver, him and that razor blade almost destroyed the whole back side.

anyway, with any luck you'll have one clean piece of glass, sorry if you broke it :(

7. assume your other housing is fine with only a bad mirror, brake/scrape out the old mirror (remember its going in the trash, and the backing won't brake as easilly as glass. remove the old glue also and clean up the mounting area
8. glue and mount(i used some type of RTV silicon, i can't remember the name)

[Speedyox]

I got the outside triangle piece epoxied back together last night and it made the 40 mile drive this morning. Hopefully it will hold.

Thanks for all the info. Some of you are confused. The 97 SC has a 2-piece casing for the mirror. The mirror and all its guts are mounted into the mirror casing and then that is screwed to a triangle piece of plastic that is then bolted to the door. All the other saturns I've seen (except one other G2 coupe I saw this morning) have a one piece mirror assembly. My plastic triange was broken but the mirror, its guts, and its plastic casing are all fine.

I glued the broken out screw holes back together on the triangle piece so that I could screw it to the mirror body. If it doesn't hold (and I'm lucky enough to not loose the whole mirror on the freeway), I'll just epoxy the mirror body to my triangle piece directly which will leave my mirror casing all one piece like most other saturns. Thanks again for all your help.