Removing the Glass from Mirrors

[1984Turbo]

Hi all
My wing mirrors (1984 Turbo) aren't moving correctly when I try to adjust them. How do you remove the glass from the mirrors to check the motors? Thanks in advance.
M

[lotusguy]

1984Turbo said:

Hi all My wing mirrors (1984 Turbo) aren't moving correctly when I try to adjust them. How do you remove the glass from the mirrors to check the motors? Thanks in advance. M

M,

First, you will need to remove the surround on the mirror. This is lightly glued on and will come loose with a little gentle prying. Next, you need to separate the mirror from the mirror carrier. To do this, insert a butterknife behind the mirror and gently pry away the mirrorglass from the double-sided tape securing it. It's likely this will break the fragile mirror glass, so plan on replacement ($25 from and auto glass company). Once the mirror is out, you'll see the black ABS carrier which has 4 holes, one in each corner. These are the access holes for the phillips head screws which mount the entire motor assembly to the mirror shell.

If your mirrors aren't moving correctly, your options are extremely limited. If you have confirmed that the switch and wiring are good, then the problem is most likely a burnt solenoid. The 'G' cars did not use motors to move the mirrors, rather they used 4 solenoids, mounted in pairs along the two axis (up/down, in/out). If your solenoids have burned, they cannot be replaced and rewinding them is cost prohibitive. You cannot replace the mirror as no stock replacement is available. This forces you into an aftermarket mirror, which was described to me as not looking 'too bad', and cost $250.00 apiece.

My solution was to retrofit the motordrive from the mirrors of a 'junked' 1990 Nissan Maxima into the existing shells. This cost me about $65 and they have a stock appearance while offering the infinite adjustablility of motor driven mirrors over the jecky, imprecise adjustment available from the solenoid drive. This conversion also requires that a switch, capable of reversing polarity, be substituted for the stock switch. But I found a GM stock part which is a near identical match.

If you find that the solenoids are burned out and wish to retrofit more modern motordrives, email me offlist for a parts list and instructions. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE