Side View Mirror Repair

Can you imagine a world without mirrors? Well, one certainly can't, considering that it is an essential contributing factor to human vanity. Besides promoting narcissism, a mirror lets you shave without cutting yourself and most importantly, it lets you keep a watch on the road passing behind you, when you are driving. There are not one but three mirrors installed in your car front to help you get the missing 180 degree perspective of the road behind you. Both side view mirrors are extremely helpful to a driver and if damaged, they need to be repaired as soon as possible.

The fact that the side view mirror protrudes on one side of your car, makes it highly vulnerable to damage from many external factors, like vehicles driving too close. Sometimes, the mirror is smashed by passing motorbikes or it simply becomes a victim of vandalism. Whatever be the case, there are ways in which you can repair the side view mirror back again. All it takes is a bit of an effort to get all the requisite materials and spend about a half an hour of your time. The mirror repair instructions that I provide here are entirely concerned with replacing cracked side view mirrors only. In case of any other structural damage, you will have to go for an entire side mirror replacement.

Side View Mirror Repair Procedure

You need not replace the entire side view mirror if its glass gets shattered. The far cheaper alternative is to replace the glass only. It will save you a substantial amount of money. In the following lines, you will find the procedure for side view mirror glass replacement.

First and foremost, you need a replacement for your mirror glass. You must ensure that it has the right dimensions or else it won't fit in the old mirror. You can shop for mirror glass in hardware stores in your area or buy it online. Another thing that you will need is an adhesive which will stick the new glass in place. One of the best adhesive mixtures is Sugru, which will be available in local hardware stores. It is clay like, easy to spread and cures within a day to fix the glass the surface on the side view mirror panel. You will need to assemble these things, before you can begin the actual procedure.

Once you are ready with these materials, wear gloves and eye protection to remove the remaining glass pieces in the smashed mirror. You may have to smash these pieces out with a hammer and then remove any pieces that stick. Be careful not to damage the surface of mirror panel while doing so. Light taps with the hammer should do the trick.

Then spread Sugru on the back of the mirror evenly. See to it that you cover as much of the mirror back area as possible. Once it has been spread evenly, stick it into the now vacant mirror panel surface and hold it that way for some minutes. Pack the mirror securely with rope and plastic for a day, so that it is not exposed to wind and water. In about a day, the Sugru will have solidified and you will have a brand new side view mirror in place!

Make sure that you go for a side view mirror replacement, if it so happens that the mirror entirely is smashed out entirely, along with the holding mechanism. It is good practice, to close the mirrors when the car is parked which will save it from any accidental impacts that may cause damage. It is advised that you do not drive without your side view mirrors in place, as it will be risky overtaking on roads without the mirror in place.