06-19-2023, 11:52 PM | #1 |
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G30 Mirror Cap Swap Difficulty
Hey guys - almost every video online suggests either prying behind the tilted mirrors, or gently removing the mirrors prior to removing the caps.
I’ve found one video where the person states no mirror removal or prying around it is required, he just uses a prying tool on the outside. Is this really that simple to do? What am I missing here? I’m looking to swap caps out soon for my m550i build and I’m trying to determine what route to take it. I have broken mirrors before trying shortcuts and don’t want to be misled by another possible one. See video here |
06-21-2023, 06:49 PM | #2 |
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Here are a couple of examples that are a little more detailed. Once you get the first one the second one will go a lot quicker:-). I also swapped out the turn signals for the sequential ones.
https://autotecknic.com/products/aut...ontent=product |
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06-21-2023, 07:38 PM | #3 |
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I just did this a couple of days ago. Moving the mirrors to the far down position helped expose the clips. I found the clips closer to the car were the ones that helped initiate the cap to start popping off.
Id say it was 1/5 difficulty. Only issue I found was getting the aftermarket ones to fully clip in. I found myself pressing the cap hard into place. Fitment of the aftermarket is key and I heard good things about autotecknic and didn’t mind spending more $$. Gluck should be pretty simple. |
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07-07-2023, 07:16 PM | #4 |
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Just finished the install myself. I used Youtube which helped immensely. The tricky part for me was removing the covers, particularly getting the right tool to bend (not break) the clips nearest to the door. The driver side mirror was the toughest. Visibility is tough but my wife held a flashlight for me and I got it done. Install is a snap - no pun intended.
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07-11-2023, 01:01 PM | #5 |
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So I appreciate the feedback here from you all, it gave me confidence to try myself.
I just finished the install, a couple quick comments because it seemed very easy… I purchased pry tools from Harbor Freight. One piece in particular was angled in a way I could reach behind the mirror without putting any pressure on it, but still was able to put pressure on the clip to disengage it. I also used a normal wedge like you get from wrapping vinyl, and I pushed that wedge between the cap and mirror housing in the outside corner on both caps. That created some force on the cap to pop out. Here’s a pic of the tool I used and the final install: |
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07-11-2023, 02:14 PM | #6 | |
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Quote:
I have watched many videos on removing the mirror caps and that vinyl tool you used would have been my first choice as well. Best $8 bucks I ever spent on Amazon on the five piece kit. I would never stick a screwdriver anywhere to pry unless I absolutely had to.
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Graaf_Autowerks364.00 NRoyalone52.50 |
07-11-2023, 04:25 PM | #7 | |
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Quote:
I had the dealer install the caps for my m340i. They actually chipped a mirror and told me it was part of the risk of install. I wrote a letter to BMW and they eventually asked the service manager to cover a replacement, which they did. So I was paranoid if a BMW tech damaged a mirror what I would do. That tool was big time help for sure. Thin enough to get in and angled to press down. Worked great. |
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Joe-BMW337337.50 |
11-18-2023, 06:16 PM | #8 |
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I've been at it for the past hour and I haven't even gotten anywhere close. I'm able to move the clips up and down but I having difficulty prying the cover off while Im moving the clips.
I have a pry tool jammed against the cover while I'm moving the clips too. The thing just won't budge. |
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