When I got there, the truck was embedded firmly into the brush, still locked up. Oddly the drivers-side mirror was folded against the side of the truck. After a brief inspection, I unlocked the truck and drove it back to it's parking space.
Shortly after, I found the culprit -- the end had come off the parking brake cable where it attaches to the pedal. By the way, the Department of Transportation keeps track of such events. If you have a brake failure of any sort, you should report it.The sudden stop is what caused the mirror to fold up, and in the jolt, a small
clip broke. It looks like about 15 cents worth of plastic -- but I'd been willing to pay a couple bucks for it. But you cannot buy just the clip, you must buy the whole $235.00 mirror assembly. I tried junk yards, but none locally had one.So here is how to replace a mirror.
Get out your tools. I used a flat head screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, a 1/4 inch drive ratchet, socket driver, extention, and sockets sized 7/32, 9/32, and 7/16.
- Roll down the window.
Remove mirror nut cover. This is just pressed into place. Grasp firmly and pull it straight out from the window. Set the cover off to the side.
- Remove grommets and cut openings in the adhesive padding.
Remove the Switch panel from the armrest. Grasp near the front and pry it up and back. There is a tab on the back that catches under the rest of the armrest. Disconnect the wiring junctions from the switch panel. Set the panel off to the side.
Pry the reflector off of the lower corner of the door -– I used a flathead screwdriver -- exposing the bolt. Set the reflector off to the side. Remove the 9/32 bolt and set it off to the side.
Remove the 9/32 bolt from the rear of the switch panel opening and set it off to the side.
- Grasp the door panel and lift it straight up and off the door. Be careful of the lock tab that pokes out the top to make sure you don't get hung up on it. Set the door panel off to the side.
Remove the door speaker. If there is not a quick disconnect for the wiring stick the speaker magnet to the door.
Reach in through the speaker opening and disconnect the mirror power control wires. I found it is easer if I pull it off the mount in the door first.
- Remove the four 7/16 nuts holding the mirror on to the door (they are behind the holes you cut and the grommets you removed). If you take them out from the bottom up, the mirror will be supported better until the last one is removed. As you remove the final nut, reach through the open window to support the mirror so it does not fall.
- Carefully extract the wiring from the opening in the door.
- Set the old mirror aside.
There are no nuts in the mirror kit, so if you drop the nuts into the door, you will need to do the two steps below to be able to get them out. If you do not, you can skip the next 2 optional steps. (optional) Loosen the plastic cover on the lower rear of the door by removing the 2 Phillips screws
- (optional) CAREFULLY peel the adhesive padding up exposing the openings in the lower portion of the door.
Preparing to reinstall the new mirror.
Install the adapter. Ford decided that using a single type of connector was too simple, so when you install the new mirror, it has a different connector on it than the old one. So you have to start by installing the adapter.
- Zip-strip the adapter to the other wires in the door to keep it from falling into the window track.
- Reverse the step above.
51 comments:
I bet it would have been cheaper to leave it in gear as well as using the brake...
I normally do leave it in gear as well. I cannot explain why it was not in gear this day.
thanks so much for the ford mirror install how to. it was fantastic and my change out went like clockwork thanks to the descriptive pics and common sense text. Tip : one of the step cautions about dropping the nuts that secure the mirror into door and losing them inside the door. To avoid this just line your nutdriver or socket with a small sheet of paper or plastic and that will hold the nut so it does not fall. It worked great for me....thanks again..tc
Glad it helped! That is a great tip on the sockets and nuts.
i had the same part fail on my brake cable. when i reinstalled it i must have done something wrong cause it doesnt work right. the cable will get tight but not enough to engage the brakes. any toughts?
Make sure you report the brake component failure to the NTSB.
The area that is most complicated it where the cable connects to the bell crank, wraps over the top, and then down through the floor. My guess it there is some binding in that section. If you can, disconnect the cable in the middle from where it splits out to the hubs, and see how much resistance you are getting at the pedal. That will at least point you to which end needs attention.
Thank you very much for the tips. I almost ripped the door panel off before I came in and checked my handy dandy computer. As far as the screws falling in, I used a telescoping magnet that I got from the $1 bin at the hardware store. best $1 I ever spent. Thanks again for the pics and tips!
JF
Thanks for the great pictures! They helped a lot!
Have to say I wouldn't have been able to figure how to get the door panel off if I hadnt' found your post, Thanks for taking the time to do and the pics
Thank you, your tips and pictures made it a very easy job. I bought an after market mirror (on ebay) for $75 including shipping. It fits and looks the same, but it does vibrate a little at 65 mph. Thx again.
Wow! Your help was worth a million Dollars! Thanks.......(Put in on my bill)
Thanks for taking the time to write up these instructions. I really wasn't looking forward to figuring out how to get the door panels off without breaking any tabs.
Some notes from my install. I bought 2 replacement mirrors for my 2001 F250 Superduty from a retailer on Ebay. The mirrors had round plugs on them, my truck uses rectangle plugs. As a result, I opted to cut the connectors off both the old and new mirrors, and splice the original rectangle plugs onto the new mirrors.
The passenger side had the same wire color to match the original plugs, purple, green yellow,
The driver side original wiring was red, blue yellow. The correct pairing for mine was red+green, blue+purple, yellow+yellow.
Thanks for the write up. I have a 2006 and the plug was located well above the speaker, but all in all same/same. The internet is a beautiful thing!!!
Roger:
This is great information!
I've had my mirror knocked off (while parked) by passing driver.
I was a little hesitant at first about having to pry off the door inner panel (as in old days). Your post provided the impetus to move ahead. I found that the mirror replacement was a lot easier than I would have ever thought.
where do i purchase the electrical connector for the mirror?
My mirror came from the dealer with the adapter.
Great! I followed the instructions without any problems. My electrical connection fit without additional connectors. My only (stupid) problem was I didn't realize my new mirror already had bolts for me to use (not from Ford) - one I realized that, no problems!
Great job on the pics and instructions. I purchased some aftermarket mirrors and they had no instructions in the box. (odd) I surely would have broke something without your help.
Just another thanks for mirror replacement instructions, this is Jan 2010, 3.5 years after you posted them! Just bought a 2006 F250 with cracked passenger mirror. Your post helped me swap in a new one in 15 minutes. Would have taken me a while to figure out how to remove the door panel without your help. Just fyi got the whole "kool vue" replacement assembly with heater and turn signal lights and all online for about $170 and am happy. Good day! Phil P.
Hi. I have a 1999 F-250 superduty and my passenger side mirror hit a street sign and broke so I need to replace it but I was wondering if I would be able to put say a 2003 or 04 mirror on it because I want the signal in my mirror. Do you think it would fit properly even though it is a few years newer?
My mirrors on my 2001 f250 don't work, with the exception of the passenger side, which will only turn in towards the truck. What is usually the problem in that situation? The motors themselves, or the switch?
Thanks!
Tim H
It's now March 2010 and your instructions are still paying dividends. Some one smashed my mirror with a object, along with the tailight. Replacement went great except for the square original plug, round replacement mirror plug. I spliced following FlakRat's wiring schematic:
"The correct pairing for mine was red+green, blue+purple, yellow+yellow."
I had two yellow wires on the original plug, just twisted them together and spliced. It's all working great. Thanks for posting.
Don
Tim,
Just guessing, it is the switch. My mom's Volvo had similar problems, and it was a bad switch.
Don,
I have been AMAZED at how frequently folks have left comments on this page. This is the single most active post on my blog, and it was grown out of an accident.
I'm sure people have used this entry and not commented, so each person who has, represents the many more who have been helped by this. I am pleased to have been able to have helped so many.
Roger
1999 F-250 superduty--My mirrors seem to be okay via the controls but clogged and partly seized up mechanically. Anyone had a fix on this yet? I hate to order new ones if I can get these back in working order.
Excellent pictoral help. Slight differences for the location of mirror connector for 2004 F-250(upper inside of door behind weather paper).
John, take a look at the photo just above step 1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/av8or/244186188/ in it you will see little motors that spin threaded holes the white split screw thingy-jiggers (it's a technical term) fit into. As those motors spin they tip the mirror in and out. My guess is one of:
1) the motors are not running, or
2) they are full of dirt, or
3) the switch is not connecting any more.
if it is the motor not working, I have a couple from my repair still :)
Roger
Yet another 2010 entry: a young, hired helper backed my F-250's mirror into a fence post. So I too searched and found your detailed posting. I can not thank you enough for making this job a straight-forward, simple task. I also bought an aftermarket mirror which came with the three wired, round plug. I spliced as "annonymous" above: "The correct pairing for mine was red+green, blue+purple, yellow+yellow." I also paired the two yellow wires from the original plug to the one on the new mirror.
I hope 2010 finds your F-250 still running as strong as my 2001 model. Thanks again!
Mel Hughes
Sparta, TN
Thank you so much for posting such great directions! Much to my husband's dismay, I hit mirrors with someone on a narrow bridge. I finally ordered the new mirror off of Ebay and was worried when it came without instructions. Then I found this post. Everything was just as you posted! Like other's have said, I was very perplexed as to how to get the door panel off. Your help was invaluable. The plug was the correct plug, no adapter needed, thankfully. I was able to install the mirror by myself with the help of my son holding the mirror while I attached it. Easy as pie. My dear husband will be so happy when he goes to drive it this weekend with a new, working mirror! Hooray! Thanks so much!
Thank you for posting this.
With these instructions replacing my driverside window was a breeze despite the connector change red to green, blue to purple and yellow to yellow which I simply spliced and all was working perfectly.
I have a 2001 F-250. The instructions worked fine with hardly any difference. I'm not sure why you went to the trouble of posting this, but thank you. You saved me $190 and a boatload of probable frustration. You're a saint.
Great help with the mirror install..what is the connections for the passengers side ....my 2002 f-350 has the 3 wires..black,green and purple...the purple and the green respond to the switch as far as movement..nothing from the black wire...my new mirrors have 3 wires..green,purple and yellow...whats the connection?
Hi Roger,
I smashed the passenger mirror on my 2005 Harley F250, (easier to do here in the UK), and managed to order a Kool Vue replacement from the US. Your blog was extremely useful, saving me loads of trial-and-error-and-breakages time. The mirror even had the rectangular plug and the nuts.
Thanks a lot.
wow its 11/19/10 and your article is still helping people. you saved me lots of time and aggrevation. when i seen i had to remove door panel i said oh boy! this is gonna be a project. went online seen your article and your couple tips made it a snap thank you!
This was very very very helpfull!! Good Job!!
Awesome! Your instructions are very clearly written and easy to follow. The photos are a big plus! Thanks for the tip on the tape and the nuts, that was very helpful.
Here it is Feb,2011 and your Sept,2006 blog is helpful to me.Thanks for publihing the tricks for one to know.
2/26/11 - instructions worked like a charm, even for this dummy. If I can do it, anyone can. Thanks for the perfect instructions.
March 3, 2011 - Great detailed instructions, thanks saved time and frustration. Tim - Wisconsin
Great instruction thanks. Took about an hour didn,t break anything and didn,t need an adapter (99 F250)
my speakers took 1/4" socket,I like the tip about using paper or plastic i used plastic wrap in socket.
Great Instructions
I would like to add 1 comment
Before removing pig tail wires
tie a string to the wire as you remove and pull string out with wire, then tie string to the new wire to pull it back through.
Thanks again
Charlie Smartt
Kudos! I called a buddy and he said he was busy replacing his mirror. So I found your post and was halfway thru reading it when he called me back seeking advice. I was able to walk him thru like a pro...BEFORE he broke something!
Thank you so much...I had ordered new mirrors as the ones that came with the truck were micro tiny for pulling a trailer and the new ones came with no instructions. I hadn't considered needing to disconnect the power when I ordered them!!
Funny how a useful article is good for years.... anyway this article worked great for me and my 04 Lariat. And fortunately with the aftermarket mirrors i got the plugs in the truck and on the mirror were both square. many thanks for this article, 15 mins later i had a shiny new mirror!
Thank you sir, July 2011 and the install on my 03 F250 went really smooth. Already knowing which socket sizes to have cut at least 5 minutes of trial and error out of the process. Thanks again!
July 2011 - Thanks for the step-by-step, super easy and quick replacement. The instructions that came with my after market mirror consisted of a green sticky, with the web address of your blog on it, stuck to the inside of the box!
Is the wiring for turn signals and clearance light in wiring harness even if truck not equipped originally
Thank You!
Dec 25 2011 THANK YOU!
Feb 2012 still helping This is the best instructions ever Thank you so much
Thanks for putting in the effort to put up so very detailed instructions - very helpful!
Well put new mirrors on today , took a hour or so , followed you instructions perfectly! Thanks again !! 2019 lmao wow
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