Hi everyone
Well today is my birthday and I received a pair of black and white checkered mirror caps for my birthday. Being that I do most of my work myself, I figured, how hard could it be putting a pair of mirror caps on. First I looked for this tread telling how to remove the mirror glass and could not find it. So, I tried removing the mirror glass from the side and of course the mirror cracked, but didn't come off. So, I said OK, I'll do like many of the posts say and replace the caps with the glass left in place. They say too use a spoon or screw driver etc. In my case I found a sharp knife slid under the tabs the best and getting the old cap off was not much of a problem at all.
But, putting the new caps on became a disaster as the new caps are black inside so even with a flashlight you can't see much. So, of course I broke off the tabs on the top. Then I finally found the instructions on removing the mirror glass in a thread on Mini2.

Push the mirror in at the top all the way.
Then from the bottom, pull off the mirror. it should snap out.

If you have fat fingers as I, getting your fingers in under the mirror glass to pull out at the bottom was tuff but I was successful. Now you can really see what is going on.
Quite upset at first about the broken tabs in the cap, I fell back on my coal miner ingenuity and figured out how to salvage the cap. First I drilled a hole in two of the solid tabs sticking out inside the cap itself. Then I found some of that plastic coated wire they use to hold toys to the cardboard box. Threaded the wire through the holes in the tabs I had drilled, put the cap in place feeding the wires through the holes where the original tabs were to go and then twisted the two sets of wires to gether with a pair of needle nose pliers until snug. Pushed the excess wire back through the tab hole, popped the broken mirror glass back in place and it was done. After popping the mirror glass out of the passenger side mirror, I was able to get the old cap off and the new one snapped properly in place with in 5 minutes.

Interesting thing is as others have complained about, the passenger side cap is loose even though all tabs are locked into place. The drivers side cap which I wired into place is snug and tight as the originals.
So, once I get the new mirror glass and decide to take time to fix the mirrors, I will pop the passengers side cap off, drill the tabs and wire it into place also.

 

Happy Birthday.....Sound like a PITA to install. Do you have pictures of your mirror caps? Thanks for the write-up.

 

If you are buying a new mirror for the drivers side, consider getting a passenger side instead. I have read that they are physically the same, interchangeable and you will have a wide angle drivers mirror just like European spec. The only difference is you will have the "Objects Appear....." message on both sides.

Bill

 

No pics yet

I'll have to blow the dust off the Fuji and see if it still works.

 

I have replaced mine twice and did not run into these issues; I think the trick for removal is to start at the bottom tab closest to the door, work your way out and up. Install the new one starting at the top, work your way out and down...

 

I have taken off and reinstalled a mirror cap and didn't run into any of your issues either. It did not require removing the mirror. I followed the instructions and photos on MINI2 DIY FAQ: http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?f...ng_mirror_caps

I have also removed mirrors under a separate circumstance. I used the official MINI instructions with no problem: rotate the mirror pointing to the maximum inward position. Reach in and pull the mirror off the actuator.

 

I'm sure it quite possible to get it done without removing the mirror glass, but I'm also sure that anyone that has removed the mirror glass to install the caps will tell you it's a ton easier install the new caps when you can clearly see those tabs.

 

I don't know, I swiched caps in 15 minutes without touching the mirrors....

 

Just changed my caps today and did not take the mirror out, although that is what the manual says to do.
As others have said, just get a thin screw driver or two and work around the mirror. Do the bottem to first, then the top closest to the door and work out. It is not ver hard if you take your time.

 

I have read (I think in the detailing forum) that the MINI's side mirrors are not glass but mirrored polycarbonate plastic so when you wash them they can get scratched and swirled....were your's actual glass?

 

Mini were actual glass.

Also, there is a top and a bottom to them.

Although you would think the mirror would install with the writing on the back side right side up, it's actually just the opossite. The distance between the edge of the mirror and the round attaching point is wider at the top than the bottom.