Mirror removal - 2008 Hyundai Accent

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Yesterday I removed my passenger side mirror and I figured I'd share a couple tips that could save a bit of time (or at least a bit of exploration) if you own the same vehicle. Whether or not it's worth it I'll leave to you to decide. This is for manual (unpowered) mirrors.

1) Roll down the window and use a putty knife to gently pry off the inside covering that the control arm is poking through. This can be done without harming anything pretty easily.

2) Now you should see three bolts. It is possible to remove them without taking the inside door panel off, but it's tedious. Here's how I did it:

a) The top bolt can be reached with a socket wrench, so leave it for the moment. Having one tight bolt will keep things from jiggling.
b) Use a fixed 10mm wrench (adjustable wrenches and sockets won't fit) to loosen the lower two bolts. One of the bolts is accessible with a philips head screwdriver (bolts have philips recesses in them). The other will be slow going owing to the close quarters, with only a small fraction of a turn being possible before repositioning the wrench. Just get them loose for now, don't remove them.
c) Once they are loose, use a magnetic retrieval tool (or magnetized screwdriver, etc.) to ensure you don't drop the bolts and washers down into the door. Then slowly back them off the last little bit. I suppose you could do this by just being super careful or using a pair of needle nose pliers, but it's a pretty tight fit. If you have any child labor at your disposal, their small hands would come in useful at this stage.
d) Now use a 10mm socket to remove the upper bolt. The mirror won't crash to the ground or anything as it's retained by a one-way plastic clip.

3) Remove the philips head screw holding on the plastic one-way clip. The mirror shouldn't fall out, but be careful.

4) Gently guide the control arm back through the hole in the frame and remove the mirror.

You now have an unsightly recess where the mirror was, a hole that noise and weather can come through, and an aerodynamically bad transition. You're on your own for covering it in an attractive, smooth fashion. I'll let you know what I wind up doing. You can put the inside cover back on if you want, of course. Plugging the hole the control arm went through shouldn't be too difficult. Some extra foam in there to deaden noise is probably a good idea.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

With a little care you can remove the plastic base of the mirror. This should serve as an excellent base for constructing a cover plate. Unfortunately, the cast metal support block has an arm for supporting the mirror, so that can't be used (unless you're willing to cut it off). Since the forces involved with just a plate should be minor, nuts and washers placed in the plastic based and extended through the original holes should be more than adequate. You could also use fender washers and a bigger bolt that attaches through the hole the control arm had.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Forget about the mirror cover plate. Discovered that with my rear hatch up to carry stuff sticking out I really need that passenger mirror as the rearview is totally blocked. Doesn't happen often, but often enough.

At least I know how to replace it if it ever gets busted!

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Just got the mirror back in. Installation is pretty much the reverse of removal, save for one thing. The bolt that's the least accessible is going to be pretty much impossible to reinstall unless you've got a magnetic retrieval tool (or magnetic screwdriver, etc.) to hold it and its washers while you get it started. Even then it will take a while unless you get very lucky. The quarters are just too tight. Make sure not to tighten the other two bolts pretty much at all so the assembly can shift the small amount needed to align the various holes. If you haven't got anything magnetic and don't want to buy something, you'll probably have to remove the inner door panel. You're on your own for that one. You could try using a pair of needle nose pliers to hold the bolt while starting it, but it'll be very tough. The other two aren't very bad and can be started using the philips head recess in them (I'd use a wrench for the final tightening).

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Talked to my mechanic and he says that interior mirrors are legal in VT, so I'm going to try the mirrors Basjoos went with. Curious to see if they're good enough with the rear view blocked. I guess I could cook up some sort of removable mirror for the times I'm transporting things, since that's rare. Who knows how long it'll be until I'm near a Walmart, but I can check my local places to see if they have anything similar (doubtful). I figure I'll run them for a while with my mirrors still in place to see if I like them. Guess I better cover up my existing mirrors or I'll probably "cheat".

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Walmart didn't have exactly the same mirror, but one that was pretty close. I'll make a sheet metal mount that I'll bend to the correct angle. I did some experiments and I'll definitely need outside mirrors (or a camera - yeah, right) if my rear view is blocked when carrying a load. In a perfect world My exterior covers where the mirrors will be removed would hinge back and have a mirror in it. In the real world, I'm going to make the cover attach with magnets (or velcro) and have a removable small mirror I stick on in those situations. Again, I'll make a custom sheet metal bracket for it (although more reinforced to resist winds).

[theholycow]

How about a cover that you don't have to remove, so the mirror can be attached more quickly? You could leave a couple bolt-holes in it or some kind of clip.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

I tried to think of a good way to do that. Bolt holes maybe could work, assuming I can water seal them. Thumbscrews to attach the bracket, perhaps. I was worried a clip wouldn't be aerodynamically clean. I am aware that's a little crazy... Maybe I should browse around McMaster Carr's hardware pages. I'm totally open to suggestions!

[GasSavers_maximilian]

A mirror with a padded bracket I could close the window on to hold might be possible. Need to think.

[theholycow]

The bolt holes don't need to be large. Weld or glue a nut on the inside, and a cap over that so that water can't go any further. Not much water will get in. Or, allow water in and make sure it runs down the inside of the door to the drains at the bottom of the door.

Another option would be some sort of dovetail mount, like a rifle scope or a modern bicycle speedometer. I've got a vision in my head of one that's the perfect size and shape but I can't remember where I've seen it.