Mirror Cap Replacement

syuan92 · 11-10-2019, 02:26 PM

Does anybody have any advice for replacing the Cerium Mirror Caps? I'm going to tackle this project tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have a good feeling that it's not going to be as easy as the grille replacement that I completed yesterday.

teaston · 11-10-2019, 02:46 PM

It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.

chicagofan00 · 11-10-2019, 03:20 PM

Swapped mine out. Super easy as teaston mentioned.

syuan92 · 11-10-2019, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

chicagofan00 · 11-10-2019, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

I removed the glass but probably isn't necessary.

syuan92 · 11-10-2019, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

I removed the glass but probably isn't necessary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

I removed the glass but probably isn't necessary.

Did you tilt the mirror to its most upward position and then just pry it up from the bottom gap?

chicagofan00 · 11-10-2019, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

I removed the glass but probably isn't necessary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

I removed the glass but probably isn't necessary.

Did you tilt the mirror to its most upward position and then just pry it up from the bottom gap?

I used a wide trim removal tool and just popped it off. Didn't move the mirror at all before doing that.

teaston · 11-11-2019, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

Definitely don’t remove the glass, totally unnecessary.

arciga18 · 11-11-2019, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

So you didn't need to remove the glass mirror first and then undo the three mirror cap tabs before pulling the cap off?

Definitely don’t remove the glass, totally unnecessary.

Yea not necessary.

Climb Mode · 11-11-2019, 06:15 PM

Where are most of you guys getting your mirror cap replacements from? Need to do this ASAP. Cerium looks terrible on Carbon Black

chicagofan00 · 11-11-2019, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Climb Mode

Where are most of you guys getting your mirror cap replacements from? Need to do this ASAP. Cerium looks terrible on Carbon Black

Got mine from IND.

syuan92 · 11-12-2019, 04:29 PM

I attempted the replacement earlier today and gave up as soon as a broke one of the existing clips... not sure if it's worth it anymore :/ I got my M style gloss black mirror caps from Amazon. It had free prime shipping and free returns so I figured it was worth a try. Maybe I'll change my mind later this week and decide that it's worth ripping off the old mirror caps and breaking all the tabs.

teaston · 11-12-2019, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

I attempted the replacement earlier today and gave up as soon as a broke one of the existing clips... not sure if it's worth it anymore :/ I got my M style gloss black mirror caps from Amazon. It had free prime shipping and free returns so I figured it was worth a try. Maybe I'll change my mind later this week and decide that it's worth ripping off the old mirror caps and breaking all the tabs.

I’m not sure how you could break a clip, they’re not that type of clips! Did you start at the very outermost corner?

syuan92 · 11-12-2019, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

I’m not sure how you could break a clip, they’re not that type of clips! Did you start at the very outermost corner?

I did! I took off the mirror and unclipped the two main clips from inside the mirror which released the top of the mirror cap. I then worked my way around each side but half of the outermost bottom clip detached from the mirror cap. Not entirely sure what went wrong. I wish there were videos of someone performing this mod on YouTube because I definitely think I did something wrong.

teaston · 11-12-2019, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

I did! I took off the mirror and unclipped the two main clips from inside the mirror which released the top of the mirror cap. I then worked my way around each side but half of the outermost bottom clip detached from the mirror cap. Not entirely sure what went wrong. I wish there were videos of someone performing this mod on YouTube because I definitely think I did something wrong.

Do you mean you took the glass out?

CRuben09 · 11-12-2019, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Does anybody have any advice for replacing the Cerium Mirror Caps? I'm going to tackle this project tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have a good feeling that it's not going to be as easy as the grille replacement that I completed yesterday.

Any chance that you'll be selling the cerium caps?

syuan92 · 11-12-2019, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

Do you mean you took the glass out?

Yes I did, I popped the glass out to get access to the two main clips, however, there are three smaller slips at the bottom of the cap that can't be accessed from inside the mirror.

syuan92 · 11-12-2019, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRuben09

Any chance that you'll be selling the cerium caps?

I was originally planning on celling my cerium caps and cerium grille but I need to figure out a way to get the caps off without breaking the lower clips.

freshxdough · 11-12-2019, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRuben09

Any chance that you'll be selling the cerium caps?

I was originally planning on celling my cerium caps and cerium grille but I need to figure out a way to get the caps off without breaking the lower clips.

Take off the mirror glass. There are 2 tabs behind there. Then there are clips on the bottom portion of the mirror cap too. It was difficult to get mine off but I did end up succeeding. I replaced with carbon fiber ones.

syuan92 · 11-12-2019, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freshxdough

Take off the mirror glass. There are 2 tabs behind there. Then there are clips on the bottom portion of the mirror cap too. It was difficult to get mine off but I did end up succeeding. I replaced with carbon fiber ones.

Did you use some sort of tool to undo the lower bottom clips or did you just pull and hope for the best? The two tabs behind the mirror glass weren't a problem, I just had no way of undoing the bottom three clips

teaston · 11-13-2019, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syuan92

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

Do you mean you took the glass out?

Yes I did, I popped the glass out to get access to the two main clips, however, there are three smaller slips at the bottom of the cap that can't be accessed from inside the mirror.

As said earlier, you don't take the glass out!

tonyb15re · 11-13-2019, 07:01 AM

I replaced the caps on my M140i a couple of years back, I used both options, first time I pulled the caps off without taking the mirror out, I managed to break one of the clips doing it that way, second time I took the mirror out, tilted it to one corner and gently pried it off, didn't take much pressure, once off you should be able to simply push the clips out a little without breaking them.

11-10-2019, 02:26 PM	#1
syuan92 Member 25 Rep 237 Posts Drives: '20 BMW X3 M40i Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Massachusetts iTrader: (0) Garage List 2020 BMW X3 M40i [0.00] 2013 BMW ActiveHybr ... [0.00]	Mirror Cap Replacement Does anybody have any advice for replacing the Cerium Mirror Caps? I'm going to tackle this project tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have a good feeling that it's not going to be as easy as the grille replacement that I completed yesterday.
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11-10-2019, 02:46 PM	#2
teaston Banned 10994 Rep 32,881 Posts Drives: X3 M40d Join Date: May 2012 Location: The High Seas iTrader: (1)	It is extremely easy, lift the outer corner with a plastic pry tool then yank the cap off. I've taken mine off many times and never broken anything.
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11-10-2019, 03:20 PM	#3
chicagofan00 Major General 19062 Rep 7,991 Posts Drives: 2024 X5 M60i Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Phoenix iTrader: (1) Garage List 2024 BMW X5 M60i [10.00]	Swapped mine out. Super easy as teaston mentioned. __________________ Instagram: @Phxrisingphotography Current - 2024 G05 X5 ///M60i in Java Green Past - 2005 E53 X5 3.0i in Titanium Silver; 2008 E92 335i in Montego Blue; 2019 G01 X3 M40i in Glacier Silver; 2022 G80 M3 Competition in Twilight Purple
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11-11-2019, 06:15 PM	#10
Climb Mode First Lieutenant 119 Rep 322 Posts Drives: G01 X3 M40i Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: USA iTrader: (1)	Where are most of you guys getting your mirror cap replacements from? Need to do this ASAP. Cerium looks terrible on Carbon Black __________________ Currrent: MY2020 G01 X3 M40i Carbon Black on Cognac Past: MY2017 F30 340iXdrive 6MT
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11-12-2019, 04:29 PM	#12
syuan92 Member 25 Rep 237 Posts Drives: '20 BMW X3 M40i Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Massachusetts iTrader: (0) Garage List 2020 BMW X3 M40i [0.00] 2013 BMW ActiveHybr ... [0.00]	I attempted the replacement earlier today and gave up as soon as a broke one of the existing clips... not sure if it's worth it anymore :/ I got my M style gloss black mirror caps from Amazon. It had free prime shipping and free returns so I figured it was worth a try. Maybe I'll change my mind later this week and decide that it's worth ripping off the old mirror caps and breaking all the tabs.
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11-13-2019, 07:01 AM	#22
tonyb15re Second Lieutenant 97 Rep 271 Posts Drives: i4 M50 Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: england iTrader: (0)	I replaced the caps on my M140i a couple of years back, I used both options, first time I pulled the caps off without taking the mirror out, I managed to break one of the clips doing it that way, second time I took the mirror out, tilted it to one corner and gently pried it off, didn't take much pressure, once off you should be able to simply push the clips out a little without breaking them.
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