Hi all,

The passenger side mirror's chrome is in less than great shape, so I'm looking at a replacement perhaps. I've searched these forums and couldn't find the exact answer to my question so I thought I'd post it here. I did find how to remove the mirror, but can I replace it without having to remove the door panel? My concern is the wiring... will it pull out through the top with the mirror making it a simple fix? Or do I have to remove the door panel and fish around in there with the wires?

Thank you in advance for any help!
Ryan

 

Ryan,

It is possible to remove the mirror without disturbing the door panel. A couple of suggestions:

- There are 2 plugs. You need to gently ease one through the door hole then disconnect it, then do the same with the other, BUT

- ensure you tie a bit of string to the plugs before you disconnect them as there is not a lot of slack and when they fall back into the door, you won't be able to pull them out again! So you MUST have some string attached to pull them back through for when you fit the new mirror.

- the wiring plugs can make a really annoying noise if they tap around inside the door panel. When refitting them, try and tape them inside the door. It's fiddly but worth trying to do.

- change the o-ring around the door hole whilst you've got the mirror off.


Good luck

Paul

 

It will pull thru thru the top without taking the door panel off. You will have to snip off the zip ties holding the male/female connectors together to have a little to work with. i have mirrors but from late 80's cars. I suspect yours has heated mirrors that these don't...if that matters to you in SC.

 

Ryan,

They are quite different plugs on the facelift mirrors of your car to the earlier 80s cars mentioned by BradCat. Your mirrors use 2 lgreen plugs, one large, one smaller, that support the motor, heat and memory functions of the mirrors. The plugs can be quite fiddly to pull apart so go carefully.

Paul

 

Thanks to everyone for the great answers! A few more questions if you don't mind...

- How much slack is in the wires? So that when they come through the door mirror hole how much length do I have to work with?
- Are the wires currently taped inside the door? How would I do this procedure, kind of like a surgeon through the mirror hole?
- What is the o-ring around the door hole you speak of? Is this visible to me once the mirror is removed?

Thanks again,
Ryan

 

Ryan,

There's not much slack on the wires once carefully pulled through the hole. That's why you must tie a bit of string to them as they will easily fall back through the hole once unplugged!

There should be an o-ring around the hole to prevent the wires chafing on the metal hole edge. If it's missing, maybe put some tape or similar around the hole edge to achieve the same purpose.

If you can't easily tape the plugs just inside the door hole, then consider wrapping them in some sponge or similar to avoid them rattling against the door skin once refitted.

Good luck

Paul

 

I thank you sir! I will give it a go soon as I locate a suitable mirror replacement.
Ryan

 

Ryan,

URGENT update!

Apols, I think I might have misled you!

I've just looked up one of my club articles on fixing mirrors and also a thread on this forum and now realise that I DID remove the door cards!
Perhaps it was because the wiring door plugs are affixed to the door so not easily accessible from outside?

Have a look at this thread and my photos and you'll see what I mean:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ghlight=mirror

Perhaps its worth trying from the outside to see if the plugs can pull through? But unfortunately I suspect that there was a good reason that I removed the door cards and did it that way.

Apols again!

Good luck!

Paul

 

Thanks Paul, that was an interesting read. The moral seems to be, leave your mirrors alone! Honestly I could care less about power mirrors, heated mirrors, etc. I set them once and never touch them again. I'm sure I could handle the door panel but I''m just weighing how much the mirror bothers me vs the work and expense involved to replace. I'll give that calculus some further thought.

BTW I notice in one of your photos it looks like you have a wood parking brake handle. It also looks like your handle is reversed from mine. How's that work? I'd like to get one of those wood handles myself, do you know where I could find one?

Thanks again,
Ryan

 

 

Ryan,

Removing the door card really isn't that bad. There's only one slightly awkward bit which is gently easing back the leather collar at the end of the armrest to expose the screw head. If you then use a trim removal tool to ease out the press clips around the edges, it's ok. I've had the door cards off many times over the years. Definitely don't let that put you off if you want to change your mirror.

As regards the handbrake lever? Sadly it isn't!! Remember, I've got a RHD car. That's just my Yankee ratchet screwdriver that you can see in the pic! But it's a nice idea!

Cheers

Paul

 

I think I still have a set from my 94 parts car if you are interested.
When you try to pull the harnesses you might destroy the vapor barrier foam gasket.
It also may already have been wrecked by the previous owner(s).
Very possible that the harnesses are attached to something inside.
It's not that big a deal to get into the door via the interior panel.
Also an opportunity to do some lubrication and preventative maintenance.
There are a few hidden bits of hardware you should get familiar with before you start.