Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Replacement mirror glass?

[Gary - K7GLD]

WELL, I managed to put the first "ding" on the new truck - broke the glass in one of the stock RV/towing mirrors...



AND, the friendly folks down at the local dealership can't sell me just the $5 piece of glass I need to fix it, nope, THEY hafta have about $175 for the ENTIRE mirror assembly!



Now, I'm sure SOMEWHERE out there, someone ELSE has busted and replaced JUST the broken glass - there's GOTTA be a source for the glass ONLY - anyone able to help point me in the right direction?



Yeah, I know, the local Automotive glass repair MIGHT be able to either find a source, or perhaps fabricate one - But I'm hoping someone here might have a better solution...



'course, a random piece of mirror and some duct tape might work...

 

[lsenus]

I turned on my mirror heaters one cold mornig while up in Connecticut, and BANG! My driver side mirror near exploded on me! I guess it didn't like my little spot mirror on there!

Well, that little adventure cost me $249 at the dealer to replace the whole assembly. Apparently it's not "just a piece of glass. " It appears that there are heating elements embedded in the mirror itself, not just applied to the back of it.

 

[RThompson]

Hope someone has some answers for Gary on this one. I find the drivers side convex mirror annoying and would like to get rid of it.

A convex mirror inboard from the towing mirrors would be ideal.

 

[Joe G.]

Just go to a glass shop. One of the first things I did when I bought my truck was to go to a glass shop and get the fun house passenger side mirror replaced with a flat one. The glass guy just broke the glass with a hammer, scraped out the left over pieces, cut a new piece, and put it in. $15 out the door, time and materials.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

JOE, the glass in mine is sort of an odd shape, since it dodges around a smaller convex mirror, has rounded corners - and is by no means a relatively plain 'ol square-sided job - (it's NOT heated, either!) so wonder if your glass shop was able to match the original shape properly - or was your mirror a square one?

 

[Joe G.]

My mirrors are the standard power mirrors on the '95. Not square, but close. Rounded corners. They had a book with the shapes in it. The glass guy just pulled the page out with the right shape and used it as a template to cut the new one. Fit perfectly. If I were you I would go talk to the people at the glass shop. Even with the built in convex portion they have to be cheaper than the dealer.

 

[illflem]

One of the first questions I asked when joining tdr was what to do about the fun house mirror, dealer told me it was impossible, had to buy the whole thing. Joe G told me otherwise, glass shop replaced it with a real mirror for $12. Rounded corners and not square at all.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Thanks guys - especially Joe - the bit about the glass houses having templates on hand to match shapes is VERY reassuring - I'll head for the nearest one tomorrow!



THEN, I'll try to be more careful when backing outta the garage!



Normally, the mirror woulda simply folded back outta the way - but it managed to get hung up between the garage door track and the door jamb - no damage except for the larger flat mirror...