How To Take Apart Jeep Wrangler Mirrors

by Scott Ammerman
Torque Correspondent

If you want to see what's going on behind you, either on the street or the trails, side-view mirrors are crucial equipment.

Of course, incidental impacts with trees, rocks, garage door frames, or other objects can cause damage to your mirror easily equally they are fabricated primarily from ABS plastic. It doesn't take much force in the incorrect management to knock the mirror head completely off, or suspension the base enough that information technology rattles.

On JK and JKU sport model Wranglers with manually adjustable mirrors, replacing one is as elementary as removing ii bolts on the inner part of your door. Still, if y'all take ability adjustable or heated mirrors, this chore becomes a lilliputian more difficult — particularly with the 2011 and up Wranglers with updated door panels as some of the fasteners are hidden backside trim panels. The entire inner door panel must be removed to re-route wiring down into the door, and to the door harness connector.

Fear non, this process is not a especially complicated job with the right tools, simply there are quite a few steps.

Please NOTE:

When y'all pull the wires into the door, you should have something tied to the harness to pull through with the wiring — information technology will make replacement of the mirror much faster, as you won't have to fish wires through the blind conduit in the door. This can save you a substantial corporeality of time. I was in a hurry, and was removing my mirrors to accept the doors polished, and but dealt with it later. This did involve a coat hanger and a lot of frustration, though.

Tools required:

• T-40 Torx tool for the mirror bolts
• T-25 Torx tool for the lower door panel bolts
• #ii Phillips head screwdriver
• Plastic trim tool (sparse) or a putty knife for door handle trim removal without harm
• Plastic trim tool (thick) for prying the door panel off if it is stubborn
• A piece of paracord, other potent cordage, or even a kicking lace (that'south what I used)

Offset past removing the two T25 Torx bolts from the leading edge of the lower door console.

Even though the door handle trim panel has two silver allen bolts, these do non agree the trim to the door panel, and do non require removal. Pry the trim out on both ends with a thin pry tool and set it aside.

Behind where the ii silver ornamental bolts were, in that location are two #2 Phillips head screws that exercise need to be removed.

Behind the inner door latch is a small trim encompass that can be removed by hand, but it needs you to take the latch partially open to do information technology.

Apply the #ii Phillips head screwdriver and T-25 Torx to remove the fasteners backside it.

The entire door panel is rested on the upper ledge beneath the inner window scraper seal, and held into the door sheet metallic and window regulator with plastic post/safe socket clips. These require a little forcefulness to remove, simply work slowly effectually the bottom edge first until you experience a few brainstorm to release — piece of work your way around the outside of the panel, noting that the top edge is hung over the door.

There are viii in total if I recall correctly. I marked all of their locations on this picture (aside from one slightly out of frame. You can see its corresponding post on the console):

The power door lock switch plug is the just thing remaining to be disconnected for the door panel to be free from the door.

Beneath this foam section are the 2 plugs for the mirror. The plugs on the 2011-2018 power mirrors without oestrus are all going to be the same.

The smaller plug for the heating circuit is for the 2011-2013 version in these pictures, but is slightly dissimilar for the 2015-2018. As such, there are different part numbers for each variant.

Disconnect both plugs and push the rubber grommet into the conduit within the door canvas metal.

NOTE: This is where I messed up in my haste. I didn't have annihilation to get out in the door equally a puller, so I ended up removing both side mirrors, wiring and all, only to have to fish some cord through the conduit to get them back on the adjacent day. My driver's side mirror was broken and rattled, and so I cut the old plug and harness off so I could just commodities it in place to bulldoze domicile, where I reassembled everything with the new mirror.

If you're smart about things, you can necktie a boot lace or paracord to the harness before y'all pull the mirror off, then use the same cord to pull the new mirror's harness and plugs back through. Much easier, and less frustrating.

I wasn't being smart, so I got to play around with a coat hanger for a while. It isn't the end of the earth, but an ounce of foresight here would have cutting down a proficient portion of the mirror replacement time.

Once that wiring is inside the door, you can remove the two T-40 Torx bolts that hold on the mirror. Rolling the window down before this step volition assist with the juggling of tools, wiring and a mirror and then you don't end up scratching your pigment. An assistant would also exist perfect to have for this pace, although not required.

Installing the new mirror is rather quick if you accept everything within easy attain — just tie the lace or string to the new wiring harness plug, and pull it back through the door.

Bolt the new mirror in place once you have the wiring pulled through, and reassemble everything. Remember to plug in the i or 2 mirror harness plugs equally well as your power lock switch (if equipped).

This same process tin be used to remove the door panel for other tasks similar outer handle removal, door latch repairs or regulator removal, although each one requires additional steps.

Source: https://www.quadratec.com/c/howto/how-to-replace-your-jeeps-power-mirror

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