Car glass for wing mirror left and right

How to detect the side mirror glass failure

Sometimes it is sufficient to visually inspect the components to detect their malfunction. Cracks, chips and scratches indicate the necessity to install new components. If the mirrors are equipped with heating, a multimeter is required to check them. You need to connect its probes to the appropriate contacts of the mirror heating element, and check whether the resistance exists. If it is absent, then the circuit is open. You also have to check power wire integrity by connecting the multimeter to the connector terminals and measuring the voltage: it should be 12 V.

You may identify that the side mirror glass requires inspection by the following symptoms:

• mirrors mist up;
• frost builds up on the components surface in the cold season;
• during driving, especially on poor-quality surfaced roads, abnormal sounds are heard from the side mirrors;
• the image lacks clearness;
• plastic parts of the mirror housing are melted on the surface.

The causes of the side mirror glass failure

Most malfunctions of the side mirror glass result from mechanical damage, for instance, due to inaccurate parking, or hitting the components by foreign objects while driving, excessive effort when releasing the locks during installation/removal, or due to collision with other road users.

Temperature changes, high humidity, malfunction of the heating, or the part low quality often cause the mirror reflecting layer to peel.

Reduction of the mirror reflective power can result from improper care of its surface, in particular, the habit to clean dirt from its surface with a dry cloth without using special agents or with the use of alkaline-based solutions.

Malfunctions of electrical components of the side mirror glass often occur due to loss of tightness of the housing: moisture and dirt, getting inside, cause oxidation of the contacts.

Replacement of the side mirror glass

You can easily replace the side mirror glass on your own. For this it is necessary to adhere to the following sequence of steps:

1. Using a flathead screwdriver, pry up the glass and then release the retaining clips that fasten it.
2. Take the glass out of the housing.
3. Disconnect the wires, first marking their position.
4. Install a new mirror by following the procedure in the reverse order.