Today as my son was pulling out of the driveway, his rear view mirror fell off!
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| My Rear View Mirror Fell Off! How Can I Fix It? |
This is the same 13 year old Toyota Matrix that just underwent a door check strap replacement (details on how I saved $160 by doing this repair myself are in my post from last week).
So now, I had an opportunity to learn how to replace a rear view mirror that has fallen off.
The key to success is to remove the "button" from the rear view mirror assembly. The "button" is a flat metal part that is attached with adhesive to the windshield.
The general procedure to re-attach a rear view mirror is:
- Remove the "button" from the mirror assembly.
- Using a razor blade, carefully remove the old adhesive from the windshield and the "button"
- Clean the windshield where the "button" will be attached
- Apply the activator to both the windshield and "button" and wait 5 minutes
- Apply a drop of adhesive to the "button" and press it in place against the windshield for 1 minute
- Wait at least 15 minutes for the adhesive to cure, then reattach the rear view mirror
Here are the tools and materials you'll need:
- Screw driver to remove rear view mirror from "button". Mine had a screw that took a star driver to remove.
- Razor blade to remove old adhesive from "button" and windshield
- Glass cleaner and paper towel or rag to clean windshield
- Gloves to wear when applying the adhesive
- And of course you'll need rear view mirror adhesive, I used a product from 3M that cost under $10, see picture below.
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| Rear View Mirror Adhesive |
3M 08749 High Bond Rearview Mirror Adhesive - 0.02 fl. oz.
The set includes a tube of activator and a tube of adhesive that are designed to attach the rear view mirror to the windshield.
Here is what the rear view mirror "button" looks like:
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| Rear View Mirror "Button" |
The button is a flat piece of metal that is glued on to the windshield. The rear view mirror assembly has an opening that fits the shape of the button. It very difficult to re-attach the rear view mirror without removing the button. You'll want to remove the button, re-attach that to the windshield, and then hang the rear view mirror assembly back in place.
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| Rear View Mirror Button Back In Place |
Next, wait at least 15 minutes for the adhesive to cure.
Finally, hang the rear view mirror assembly in place on the button and attach it with a set screw to hold it in place.
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| Hanging the Rear View Mirror on the Button |
With the rear view mirror attached again, the car was ready to drive. This repair took about 30 minutes and was pretty easy to do. I don't know how much a body shop would charge for this, but I would guess around $50.
Stay tuned to see what breaks next on the old Toyota Matrix...
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