question about outside rear view mirror shaking

Hello All, the passenger side rear view mirror works fine from the control on the drivers door, however when at speed, above 35/40 the mirror is getting blown around by a quarter inch or so which can make it a bit of a challenge to check the right side. More of a concern is the mirror it self detaching. I can see no way to get to whatever holds the mirror in place. When stopped mirror moves smoothly. Do I have to replace the entire mirror unit and have it re sprayed black?

Many Thanks,

Richard.

Not sure if you are referring to just the internal mirror/motor assembly or that and the housing. I have seen cracked mirror housings toward the outer edge or at the base and this is from the mirror getting hit by something. That being said, it is more likely the mirror assembly mounting tabs which have broken. They are terribly delicate and are very difficult to glue /repair. The mirror assembly can be taken apart by pushing the mirror to one side and then the other. This will give you access to the Philips screws (3 total )

Kit

Richard,

The mirror snaps onto a pivot ball on the mirror motor along with two "pistons" controlled by the motor, 1 for each axis of movement. Most likely the motor has gotten loose. It mounts with three screws into standoffs molded into the mirror housing. Either one or more of the mount tabs on the motor have broken or one or more standoffs have broken off causing vibration at speed. These parts are all plastic so breakage is not unexpected.

You can manually push on the surface of the mirror to move it to its extremes then look in behind it with a flashlight to see the mounting points. I've found it is best to remove and install the motor with the glass attached as it is nearly impossible to snap the mirror onto the pivot and retain alignment of the two pistons all at once when the motor is already attached to the mirror housing. To do this you will need a long #2 phillips screwdriver, a good work or flash light and a steady hand. I might add it is much easier to do off the car.

If there are mounting tabs broken on the motor you can use a thin stainless or brass flat washer (don't use anything that will rust) about 1/4 to 3/16 OD with the screw to reinforce the mounting tab. If you have broken standoffs, may be better to replace the mirror as it is difficult to repair ABS plastic with any real structural strength such that it won't fracture again.

KDirk

If you have broken standoffs, may be better to replace the mirror as it is difficult to repair ABS plastic with any real structural strength such that it won't fracture again.

I beg to differ.

If the part in question is truly ABS plastic, it can be repaired and even made stronger than the original with the use of ABS cement found in the plumbing section of most home supply stores. The cement bonds with the part and with layers of build up, the repairs become stronger. Viewing the photos below, you can see two examples of some of the repairs I've made and have lasted. The hood release handle is a very good example of the strength of the repair, what with all the pulling and yanking on it.

It's a permanent fix.

John F.

I have tried to repair broken tabs with two ton epoxy and correctly sized washers and have succeeded but the repair is still kind of delicate and iffy. The mounting tabs are very thin and don't have a lot of meat. My advice would be to obtain a used mirror/motor assembly that has unbroken tabs. You're better off...

Kit

I have tried to repair broken tabs with two ton epoxy...

Well, there you go. The "two ton epoxy" doesn't bond and become one with the plastic whereas the ABS cement does.

The ABS won't repair other plastics or vinyl, just ABS.

I can understand if a person doesn't want to mess with effecting a repair and just wants to R&R the part but, I want people to understand that a repair can be done on ABS. At $3.58 (plus tax) for a 4 oz. can of ABS cement, it might just be a bit less expensive.

John F.

While not looking to argue the point, repair of ABS is hit or miss in my experience. I think it depends largely on the surface area of the two pieces involved as well as what kind of forces are exerted on the piece after repair.

Yes, successful repairs can be done but this tends to be true with larger mostly flat stock. Small diameter round or irregularly shaped items are more difficult to get right especially when they are subject to mechanical force or strain.

As an example, I work in plumbing. Houses in STL built in the late 1970's used ABS piping for stacks and drains. I have seen more failed glue joints on ABS piping than PVC (which has been used since ABS was phased out here in the 80's) by many multiples.

I worked in one house that settled so much it pulled the 4" stack clean out of the 90º embedded in the floor. Not broke, but came apart cleanly as if there was never any glue on it at all. The glue line above where the pipe went into the fitting hub was clealry visible. Not exactly a great chemical bond there, unlike what is achieved with PVC pipe which is a solvent weld process that results in much stronger glue joints.

ABS is a versatile material but has many shortcomings (brittle, burns openly and does not self extinguish when exposed to flame, difficulty in bonding for repair just for a few) that are overlooked due to its relative low cost. There are better plastic compounds available, including those more easily repaired. Of course, when the Reatta was designed and built plastics technology was not as advanced as it has become now. A lot of progress has been made in 25-30 years on that front.

I may have belabored the point writing all this, but wanted to be clear that there was a reason for my caution on repairing a broken standoff. Since it is not the easiest job to do and very well may fail again, I was suggesting a course of action thar would less likely cause wasted time and effort and could be dealt with only once.

KDirk

Thank you all who have taken time to give me several ways of fixing my problem. I will move the mirror to the end of travel and have a look with a flashlight, then decide on how to proceed. This is hands down the best car forum I have ever used, and I have had quite a few unique automobiles. Once again, thank you for taking the time to help me.

Best Regards,

Richard.

As Kit stands by his tool, I stand by my ABS repair info.

If any of the repairs I've done fail, I will post that fact, provided I haven't died of old age first.

John F.