Hi all, hope this question doesnt seem to stupid but I am stumped. I recently noticed my rearview mirror on the driver side appears to be smokey or dark as compared to the passenger side. It almost appears like it is burnt, I dont seem to remember this always being this way, am I loco or what?

 

You must have the monochromatic option on your car - I do too. When the mirror no longer adjusts to the change in lighting such as with night driving the mirror fails to the smoked lens. Replacement mirrors are available from vendors here on the CF - the replacements snap in. There are several posts that show how.

 

The Electrochromatic mirrors have a long history of failure. You can replace just the glass and plastic surround without removing the housing from the door. I got mine from Corvette Central and replaced my bad glass about 4 years ago. Except for auto dimming you would never know the difference. You can get replacement electrochromatic mirrors but they are MUCH more expensive and still prone to failure. Here is the DIY I developed.


Removing the C5 Mirror Insert

This guidance is for removing just the mirror insert (with plastic surround) in cases where the actual mirror has an issue or you need to access the motor assembly behind it.

The mirror housing can be left attached to the door

Before you start, place a blanket under the door so if you drop the mirror it will not break and if any of the positioner pins come out they will not be hard to find, There are 4 of them.

Move the mirror all the way up or down so you can get your fingers behind the mirror.
Placing some tape around the housing edges before you start so as to not scratch the housing paint would be a good idea.

The mirror connects to the motor assembly with 5 snap in connections.

One is the main pivot ball in the center, The other 4 are smaller with one above, below, left, and right of the large center pivot.

The 4 smaller ones are driven by the motor assembly to position the mirror.

Have a friend hold the mirror housing while you pull on the mirror insert.

The mirror insert should “pop” out and be released.

Note: Now you will have to remove the heated mirror wiring connector and if equipped, the connector for the auto dimming.

One or more of the position pins may come out with the mirror insert or just fall on the ground. This is OK and not an issue.

If any pins come out they should have a spring attached to them so don’t lose the springs. The pins actually are inserted into the springs.

When I removed my mirror insert one pin came out with the spring still attached to the mirror insert. I simply removed it from the mirror insert just reinserted it into the motor assembly before I put the mirror insert back on. Everything worked just fine after I finished.

The mirror insert has “cupped” like connectors that the pivot and pins fit/snap into.
Use a good silicone type lubricant on the pins, pivot, and mirror insert connectors to make reattaching the mirror insert easier.

Please note the 4 pins have a small protrusion that has to be aligned correctly to match the mirror insert connectors . Not hard to “eyeball” the correct alignment but if not close the insert will not snap back onto the pins.

You should now be ready to reinstall the mirror insert.

Reattach the one or two wiring connectors.

If your new mirror does not have the electrochromatic feature (and the original did) just tape the wires off and make sure they are stuffed back so they don't interfere with the mirror motion. It will be apparent which wires are for the heating element versus the auto dimming.

Have a friend support the housing so it does not move when you press the mirror insert back in.

I recommend (must do or similar) cut a block of wood to cover as much of the mirror as possible so when you press in back on so you distribute the pressure and don’t break the mirror. Also place a small towel or soft material between the block and the mirror so as to not scratch the mirror.

As you start pressing the mirror insert in, try to put move the mirror insert and motor assembly so it is not tilted like you did when you removed it. You want all the pins and pivot to snap in at one time.

It takes a good amount of pressure to snap the mirror insert into place. That is why you need a friend to hold the housing and you need to lubricate the pins/pivot and the mirror insert connectors.

If it does not snap in with “reasonable force”, remove the mirror and double check the alignment of the 4 pins. I found out that I had not correctly aligned them all and had to redo that and then it snapped in.

When I reinstalled my insert I did not have a friend to help so I had to press with one hand while I held the housing with the other. It takes good amount of pressure to snap it in but I did it with one hand.

Good luck.

PS:
Remember if you are replacing the motor assembly there are 2 types. One with Memory and one without. The one with Memory has 2 connectors, not one. The one with memory has an additional 4 pin connector.

Also, you can see what the inside of the housing looks like in this link. Look at Post 5.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1589124524



Mr. Sam

 

yes, you can replace the glass with just regular mirror type glass, but to do the electrochromic glass is going to cost much more.

 

Yes like $360- more. Peel and stick $16- Guess which one I went with?

 

Can you tell me where to get one of the peel and stick mirrors?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251471600677?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT