Door mirror assembly replacement O/S

ACTIVE8 · Post by **ACTIVE8** » 03 Dec 2010, 14:39

Is the O/S complete mirror assembly repacement on an Xantia, and easy job to do?

Also is it any different on an Activa?

I would assume it isn't different as it's a trim part, and should be the same.

Will it require the door interior trim panel to be removed, or can it be done without taking it off?

handyman · Post by **handyman** » 03 Dec 2010, 15:25

Not a difficult job, if you have the right tools, Torx drivers, etc. Should be completed in under thirty minutes.

You need to take off the arm rest, the plastic window switch trim, the internal door lever trim, watch out for the little screw holding it in, as it is not obvious and the door lock button. This can be removed by extending it and pressing the little clip with a small screw driver. Check for any screws you may have missed. Once these are off, pop the door card clips off, located around the bottom and sides of the card, some will break.

Push the card up to lift it away from the glass and inner door panel.

Take off the little trim that is located inside, at the back of the door mirror. Locate the wiring and disconnect at the plugs. Unscrew the exposed screws holding the mirror assembly in place and it will come off.

Assembly is the reverse, as it says in the BOL.

Whilst you have the inner door exposed, check the drain holes at the bottom of the door skin and clear out any crud.

Hope this helps and I apologize in advance if I missed anything, but it is a job anybody could do in their sleep.

If you have knocked off the door mirror assy due to the foul weather, it is worth checking, when you fit the new unit, that it is flush to the door frame, as they can twist if they suffered a violent impact. A little gentle persuasion normally sorts it out.

The mirror assembly should be the same as the VSX, heated and all electric.

If you need any of the door clips, I keep them in stock, just PM me.

Finally, send me your old mirror assembly, with all the bits and I'll try and weld it up.

Handyman,

addo · Post by **addo** » 03 Dec 2010, 20:11

There is a plastic plug or two in the triangular "wing" part of the mirror outer that presses into a nylon grommet in the door frame - care needs to be taken when removing the good mirror from a donor, not to break this bit (it's fragile).

Also in the door guts, there is a little clip to restrain the wiring beside the forward glass lift channel.

When refitting the lock button, I recommend following my "handy hint" posted elsewhere.

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 03 Dec 2010, 21:54

I knew there were some piccies i took of a mirror replacement somewhere
Adam!!

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=26462

Andrew

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 03 Dec 2010, 22:01

The lock plip - now there's a little sh!t that takes some getting the knack of.

Door closed. Little lug in window depressed and the separate sliding inset
positioned with it's peg below the open square on the front face. Press the
lock mechanism rod down to the locked position and offer the plip into it's
slider 'track' and push the plip down onto the rod, then hey presto (ish) if
the tiny gripper inset carrier is in the correct position to actually hold the
lock rod.

Andrew

addo · Post by **addo** » 03 Dec 2010, 23:09

As we can see in that Ebay photo, one or more of the lugs I refer to has been broken...

Lock button is easy if you boil the insides. Try it.

ACTIVE8 · Post by **ACTIVE8** » 03 Dec 2010, 23:53

Thanks for the replies, and link to the other thread with the useful pictures.

Although looking at the picture showing the door trim removed, and the mirror assembly, and mirror trim still in place. It looks like the job could maybe have been made even easier, by Citroen attaching the trim where the alarm sensor sits so as that it could come off without the need for door trim removal.

Then as all the Torx screws are accessible with the sensor cover off, and with a simple connector design it would have made a very "simples" job as Alexander would say!

Don't get me wrong I can see by the replies to the thread that it appears to be an easy job, but it could be even easier if it were as I described above.

Surely easier to strip, means easier to assemble, thus on the production line it's easier to manufacture, and therefore brings costs down.

handyman · Post by **handyman** » 04 Dec 2010, 09:19

Adam, it is a much quicker job if you just pry off the little traingular trim, bend back the top of the door card and snip through any cables you find.

I had an idiot ask me to resolve this problem, after he had tried this direct approach, as he said he could not get the mirror adjuster to subsequently work!

I think all Xantia or Citroen owners can offer design solutions, after the event, but I am sure the empirical nature of PSA would not allow us mere mortals to interfere.

H