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Replacing heated glass passenger side mirror?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by rubia, Nov 25, 2017.

  1. rubia

    rubia New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2017
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    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I have a 2012 Prius IV and the glass on the side mirror shattered - the housing seems fine. It shifted a little out of place, but I clicked it back in. The mirror housing should have folded in on impact (brushed a plastic trash can that was set out, in an attempt to swerve away from the jamoke who was driving right at me) but instead the glass shattered. Ok.

    From looking on the forums, I get a general sense of how to replace by scraping off the glass and gluing a new one in. I also think I can pop the housing off, but I'm not confident about what to do if it's heated, which mine are supposed to be. (I know I should know this, but I just got the car recently, and we've been in a heatwave the majority of time since, so I haven't tested it. It's on the specs sheet but those are not always 100%.)

    Anyway, can I do the scrape-and-replace without heated glass? If I forget and use the heaters down the road, am I compromising the glass or the adhesive?

    OR do I need deal with the wires and do the more complicated replacement? Why? What am I buying when I'm buying this?




    It looks the same as this -
    - but is $50 more.


    *Clear* instructions, recommendations to decent well-priced sellers, first-hand accounts, links - all appreciated.

    THANK YOU!
     
  2. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2017
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    3,268
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    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    The sales brochure for the 2012 Prius (PDF) says “Color-keyed heated power outside mirrors with folding feature” were standard on all grades sold in the U.S., so it’s unlikely that your car was built without them.

    Toyota’s Electronic Parts Catalog also shows only one, heated version of the mirror in Figure 87-01. If only the glass is broken, not the mirror assembly or cover, the replacement part is the OUTER MIRROR, RIGHT, part number 87931-47180, list price $69.70, for sale at Norwalk Toyota for $47.36, plus tax and shipping.
    If you buy the Toyota part, the removal and installation instructions are in the Repair Manual, available in the ChiltonLibrary service, to which the Los Angeles Public Library sponsors free access for its patrons. Click the ChiltonLibrary link on that page, log on with your library card number and PIN, select 2012 Toyota Prius, and then click Repair > Body > Exterior > Mirror (EXT) > Outer Rear View Mirror Glass > Removal (2012 Prius From 12/2011). There is another topic for Installation, of course.

    You’ll need a molding remover; if you don’t already have one, the ones sold as a set on Amazon.com for $9 or so are fine. I’d also suggest cut-resistant gloves for handling the broken glass.
    It’s not much more complicated to install the heated mirror, but if you decide against it, you should disconnect and properly insulate the wires, to reduce the risk of moisture or vibration shorting out the circuit. If there were a short circuit, hopefully it would blow only the MIR HTR fuse, but there’s a small chance that a larger fuse or fusible link might blow first, affecting other important equipment.
    One says it’s heated, and the other doesn’t; for anything else, you’d have to ask the Amazon seller.