Mirror proximity warning light issue

Has happened to others. Was a thread on this some time back. See: Blind spot warning LED "fell off" back of mirror | PriusChat

 

Super easy to get at. Get yourself either a nylon trim removal tool or something else with a tiny bit of give(so you don't mar any plastic like you could with something metal). You'll also need a small flat tip screwdriver or something like it.

You don't need to remove the mirror cover, you need to remove the mirror glass. Stick your removal tool under one of the bottom corners of the mirror glass and pry up(away from the mirror housing) with considerable force. It's going to feel like you're going to break it, but it can take it. Once one bottom corner pops free, move to the other bottom corner and repeat. Then the two top corners. Don't pull the mirror away from the housing yet, since there's one more wire harness attached.

Once the mirror is free and you've got a little play to work with, it's time to remove the heated mirror connector. It's thin and rectangular, so put the tip of your screwdriver under one end and twist or pry upwards. You'll feel a little pop when that side frees itself. Repeat on the other side and the connector will release easily. Remove the mirror glass for a moment.

Now find the BSM lamp housing that should be just hanging down. There'll be a rubber plug around the wires to keep moisture out. Work that backward for a bit to reveal the connector. Use your screwdriver to push in the tab and pull the connector free. Now take your lamp housing and reattach it to the mirror. I can't guarantee how long it will last, but you can start by just re-sticking it to the same spot. If it doesn't stick very long before falling off again, you could try cleaning both surfaces carefully with something like isopropyl alcohol or GooGone and using a piece of weather resistant, transparent, double-sided tape to stick the lamp back to the mirror. The lamp self-centers in its opening, so don't worry about that.

Now put it all back together again. Start with the BSM lamp harness because it's the trickiest. Push the connector in until it locks and slide in the rubber plug. Now plug the heater connector back in. It's a little fiddly since you don't have much space to work with, but not terribly difficult. Finally, center the mirror glass and push each corner in HARD until your hear and feel a strong click. Repeat on each corner. If you can't get the first corner to click, try another one; eventually one will work and the rest will go quick after that.

If I've done everything correctly, there should be photos below this showing some of the process.

 

This is NOT something a new car owner should be required to do themselves lol. I would blast the service center until they relented - all the way up to the GM.

If you break something while DIYing......

 

Yeah, if all they were doing was re-sticking and not putting on new adhesive, it shouldn't take a tech more than 5min to fix. To do it properly would involve ordering a new mirror glass($130 MSRP) and the same 5min of labor.

I just showed how to do it if they wanted to because I've torn apart and rebuild my mirrors about 10 times over the last couple months, and I had all the needed spare parts within reach from my chair. lol

 

Don't attempt to repair parts that are still under warranty. Have the dealer do it for free and without time wasted on your end.

 

If escalating doesn't help, try another dealership, and cut-and-paste your initial post in an email to Toyota USA; those jokers are just giving you the brush-off.

 

Especially with the example of the other owner that had the problem and that person's dealer just went ahead and fixed it.

 

My suggestions are speaking with the general manager of the dealership and/or trying another dealer. Also consider filing a complaint with the NHTSA.

 

Can also try Toyota corporate.

 

I'm currently in the middle of a project to add turn signals and power retracting motors to my mirrors(using Japanese OEM parts). I've had my mirrors apart half a dozen times as I've learned about what I needed, what worked, and what didn't work. I've got a thread in the accessories and mods sub-forum about my "adventure". (Speaking of which, I need to finish my next post about the advanced wiring.)

I will say that I did knock off the BSM light the very first time I disassembled the driver's mirror. I just stuck it back on and it hasn't fallen off yet(>4 months). I would agree with the others that it's best to first try pushing a dealer into fixing it, but I gave you the info because you said you had tried that already and you might not have a second dealership option depending on where you live. Also, it's a 10 min fix, so you have to balance how much your time is worth fighting the dealership, getting an appointment, getting the vehicle there, waiting an hour or more for them to fix it, driving home, etc. You could end up wasting many hours of your time to have something fixed that could take 10 min to do yourself in your garage/driveway with no supplies other than a trim tool that you might already have. Both choices are valid, it's just up to you.

 

I'm the one who had the same problem (passenger side mirror) here's what I remember about the dealer interaction.

When I dropped it off for the 10K mile service I told them about it and that I could still see the glow around the edges of the mirror but it looked like it detached from the back of the mirror.

They said they would investigate, but also wrote up the initial estimate at $245 which they said was to cover diagnosing in case it wasn't a warranty issue, they did the same thing when the 12V battery needed replacement under warranty. It's a CYA process, and one thing they mentioned both times was "rodent damage" as a cause that would be outside of the warranty. When the car was ready, there was no BS or negotiation, they covered it, and they also explained what they found, that it was held in place by double sided tape, and "fell off". That really surprised me and seems like a design issue, I'm pretty used to EVERYTHING on a car snapping or locking into place. They also said that if it happens again just bring it back, as if they too had some doubts about the reliability of it staying in place.

I don't know if they use the same mirror parts on other models or if it's a new design for 2023, and wonder if the LED might get knocked loose through normal usage when folding and unfolding the mirror. There's a pretty strong whack to the enclosure when it locks into it's unfolded position.

I was going to upload a scan of the paperwork but uploads don't seem to be working. So here's what they wrote.

CUSTOMER REPORTS RIGHT SIDE MIRROR BLIND SPOT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE.
PLEASE INSPECT AND ADVISE.
CAUSE:
120 ENGINE MECHANICAL
127 WT93 (N/C)
10172 CHECKED FOR RIGHT SIDE BLIND SPOT MONITOR LIGHT ON SIDE
MIRROR IS NOT LIGHTING UP. CONFIRMED COMPLAINT. CHECKED FOR CODES NO
CODES SET AT THIS TIME. INSPECTED MIRROR ASSEMBLY AND FOUND THAT THE
LED WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE GLASS BUT IS WORKING. ATTACHED LET TO GLASS
ASSEMBLY AND RECHECKED. NOW ILLUMINATING AT THIS TIME.

 

I would guess they don't give a damn about repeat business.