Is the rear view mirror hard to remove/reinstall?

[crazie.eddie]

I'm planning to have tinted windows put on tomorrow, which includes the front windshield (visor only). The only thing is, the part where the rear view mirror is glued on is a white adhesive. I think it would look kind of ugly having black tint, with a white part in the middle of it. I was thinking of removing it and then using some rear view mirror adhesive/glue (from PepBoys) to stick the rear view mirror on. I just had a few questions...

- Will it be a real pain to remove the rear view mirror?

- Any probability of damaging the windshield?

- Are the aftermarket adhesives for rear view mirrors just as affective as the OEM ones? Or will I have trouble with the mirror falling off during extreme heat/cold?

[OneBadCruiser]

I don't know about removing the mirror button but I have reinstalled them a few times.

The glue specifically designed for this seems to work OK -sometimes. I don't know how it decides to work well or not. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the installation though.

The best thing I have found is silicone sealer/gasket maker. Just make sure you clean the window with rubbing alcohol first. You can get blue, red, black, clear, maybe others. I put a mirror back on an old Rabbit with this stuff. When the car was finally on its way to the junkyard I removed the windshield. Some time later I needed the mirror button for another ride and ended up breaking the windshield trying to remove it.

[MichaelDay]

eddie, I haven't tried the silicon sealer/gasket maker to attach mirrors but I have not had very good luck with the aftermarket adhesives. They will work for a while then one day you find the mirror on the floor. Very hot days with the sun shining on the rear of the mirror seems to be a big problem for the adhesive.

You might consider not having the dark tint go below the top of the mirror adhesive. If the tint goes down very far, it is going to reduce your visibility some, especially seeing traffic lights.

[jmack]

Eddie my friend had this happen on his Grand Prix and had no clue how to fix it. Here is my advice. Go to Pep Boys (or whatever you have in your area) and ask for a Rearview Mirror kit. They will know what you are talking about. The key to this, is that the Small metal piece will not make a secure bond with the windshield if the directions are not followed VERY CAREFULLY. Here is what I did:
1. Wear rubber gloves. That way none of the oil on your fingertips can contaminate the Epoxy.
2. Make sure that you take some glass cleaner or alcohol and "prep" the piece of metal and the area of the windshield it needs to be on. Im sure from handling it, you have gotten oil from your fingers on it.
3. The kit I had had a small bulb that you burst and the fluid drained onto the tip. This is the prepping solution so make sure you apply it evenly. I applied it to both the piece of metal and the windshield.
4. When you apply the epoxy and hold the metal piece to the windshield, you will probably get an arm cramp, but you need to hold it there for about 2 or 3 minutes. Apply pressure if you can. If there are any air bubbles it wont stay adhered.
5. I also reccomend doing this in the shade.
6. If all else fails, take it to your dealer and they can do it.

!Good Luck!

[crazie.eddie]

Thanks for the info. The only problem is I will not put the mirror button on the glass itself, but on the windshield tint, after it's been appllied. I was also thinking about using 3M auto tape. I'll probably try this first, since it's least damaging to the tint. If that doesn't last throughout the year, then I'll try the silicone sealer/gasket maker. Would I be able be able to pick the silicone sealer/gasket maker up at any hardware store or just the automotive store?

Regarding the window tint, the law requirements for the front windshield tinting is a max of 6", although this is way too long, I will probably only have about 5" or so. Unfortunately, the rear view mirror looks like about 2" - 3".

[MichaelDay]

Eddie, you may want to rethink trying to attach the mirror to the window tint. I don't think that will hold very well no matter what you use and if it does come loose, it may very well take part of your tint job with it.

[crazie.eddie]

Yeah, I guess I should. I just tried removing it using a very flat screw driver with no luck. I also tried squirting some of the strong fluid that removes adhesives and still no luck. I think I may have scratched the surface of the glass a bit, which is why I stopped.

[quicksilverdon]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelDay

Eddie, you may want to rethink trying to attach the mirror to the window tint. I don't think that will hold very well no matter what you use and if it does come loose, it may very well take part of your tint job with it.

My thoughts, also. Settle for tinting around the "button".

[crazie.eddie]

I also called an windshield repair shop and asked them if there was anyway to remove it, which they said no.

[jmack]

You can always do what I do Eddie. I mean mine has a "factory" tint stripe and I find that satisfactory. I dont really care for aftermakert tint stripes because it it just such a drastic change from light to dark, at least the factory tinted glass has that nice blending effect.