hydral

I'm just wondering whether anybody else had the same problem as I do with their rear view mirror. Basically, the ball socket on the mirror that sits on the handle attached to the windshield shuttered to pieces leaving the mirror dangling on the wires. I'm guessing it was caused by the low temperature and the plastic shrinking, or just a defective part period. My wife was trying to adjust it when it happened. I was sitting next to her and so I saw how she did it: I know that she did not bang it or even apply any force to it. She just tried to adjust the angle while driving.
OK, so this sucks, but I can live with it. I decided that I’m not gonna bother with it myself and that I’d take the car to the dealership to have the mirror replaced. As it turns out, the extended warranty does not cover the mirrors. I was really expecting this answer anyway, so again, too bad, gotta pay for a new mirror since it is one assembly and th broken part cannot be replaced by itself. Great. But what they told me now, is that the windshield is also cracked right in the place where the mirror is mounted. The problem is that it wasn’t this morning. I think what they did is that they tried to remove it in order to attach the new one, and they cracked the windshield in the process. Now they now that if they continue, they will break the windshield all the way, so they decided to ask me whether I am ready to cover the cost of a new windshield if it happens to break, which undoubtedly it will.

Does anybody know how one would remove the rear view mirror? My guess is you just pull on it, or push it sideways hoping that you don’t crack the windshield. Well, that would explain a lot. In any case, I’m just entertaining the possibility they screwed up and are trying to make me pay for a new windshield, which obviously is becoming a rather expensive fix.

Any ideas how to approach the dealership? I mean, if the crack on the windshield was indeed there before I dropped off the car (and I should be able to tell once I see the car), then fair enough; I’ll have to pay up. But that would mean the fracture in the glass in tiny and is hardly visible. But if it’s easily noticeable then it definitely was not there before they had a go at it. And really suspect the latter….

Once I have some updates, I will follow up.

hyral

fsttyms1

I would confront them and tell them it was not like that before you brought it in. I wouldnt be stuck paying for a new windshield.
As for removing it

Basically, you pop off the plastic piece above the mirror, then slide the mirror down and it comes off. Before you do all this, you have to remove the sunglass holder/light plastic trim. This is done by first poping off the map light lens and then removing the 2 screws inside the lens area and the 2 screws inside the sunglass holder. once this trim is removed you can access the plug for the mirror.

hydral

Thanks, fsttyms1! So it looks as it's unlikely that they would have tried to forcefully 'break it off' the windshield. It's good to know though, how to do it myself.

As far as the follow up to the situation with the service department, they are for now waiting for the tech's version of events. They insist that the windshield must have cracked before they even looked at the car and may be the result of the temperature change between the outside and their heated garage. The service manager also insists that we must have banged on the mirror for it to break like that and cause the damage to the windshield. I do understand his interpretation of the events and yes, I have to admit it does make sense. However, I was right there in the car when my wife was trying to adjust the mirror and so I saw that she did not bang it in any way. Besides, other then the plastic in the back that surrounds the metal ball on the lever the mirror is intact. When I was trying to establish what happened to the mirror, I examined it thoroughly, so I am 100% convinced that there were no cracks in the windshield at that time either. I am at a loss trying to explain why it broke as it did, but I just blamed it as one of those one in a million defects, and cursed under my nose.
Now when you look at the car, as I saw it yesterday at the dealership, the windshield is cracked few inches down from the base of the mirror in a concentric pattern ... Not something you can miss even if you don't look for it.

Well, we'll see what happens next. I'll keep posting until this situation is resolved one way or another.

later
hydral