How to Replace a Ford Van Mirror
by Allen Moore
Aside from a cracked windshield, a damaged rear-view mirror on either side of your van is one of the harder things to ignore while driving. You need the mirrors to safely operate your vehicle, and having damaged mirrors is not only unsightly, but it can be downright embarrassing. However, instead of going to the dealership and paying an arm and a leg for labor, simply pick up a new mirror at the local Ford parts department and install it yourself.
Step 1
Take the socket set and remove the bolts holding the door panel on. There should be one in the pull handle area and a few others in that general vicinity, depending on the year and model of your van.
Step 2
Slip the trim pin removal tool under the bottom trailing edge of the door panel and unseat the trim pin from the mounting hole in the door. If you do not have a trim pin removal tool, you can use a stiff putty knife, but be careful not to tear the door panel trim--or your own skin. Remove the rest of the door trim pins, just as you did the first.
Step 3
Lift the door panel up and away from the door just far enough for you to reach in and disconnect the wiring harness to your power lock and window switches. When you are done, or if you have manual windows and locks, simply put the door panel inside the van to keep it safe during the rest of the repair.
Step 4
Remove the nuts holding the mirror to the door frame. You may need a deep-dish socket for this, as the nuts are on studs protruding from the back of the mirror. If this is a power mirror, you will also want to disconnect the wiring harness at this time.
Step 5
Move around to the outside and slide the mirror outward, away from the door until the studs clear the door holes.
Step 6
Place the new mirror on the door by sliding the studs into the door holes in the opposite manner that you removed the old mirror.
Step 7
Move back to the inside of the door and put the nuts back on the studs that hold the mirror to the door; tighten down. Reconnect the power mirror wiring harness at this time, if the mirror is powered.
Step 8
Reconnect the window lock and switch wiring harnesses, if so equipped, and put the door panel back on. You may need to smack the trim pins back into the holes by hitting the door panel directly over the trim pins with the side of your fist.
Step 9
Clean the mirror with the glass cleaner and you are done.
Things You'll Need
- Socket set
- Trim pin removal tool or stiff putty knife
- Replacement mirror
- Glass cleaner and rag
Writer Bio
Allen Moore's career includes awards in poetry and creative fiction, published lyrics, fiction books and nonfiction articles as well as a master certification in automotive service from the Ford Motor Company. Moore is a contributing writer for RF365.com and various other websites, a ghostwriter for Rainbow Writing and has over a dozen works of fiction currently in print.
