How to remove the interior triangle trim for door mirrors?

[TerryA]

I went thru the HOW TOs and didn't see anything. I have bought a set of interior upholstery tools off of Amazon. I want to change my mirror boots but first I must remove the interior plastic parts. I would like to get these interior parts off without breaking them if possible. I know a few of you have done this successfully.

Can any of you tell me the method to your madness? What is the correct sequence to start removal?

Thanks for any suggestions.

BTW, are these parts still available just in case?

 

[2phast]

You need to pry from the top down. The bottom is hooked into the door panel. Be careful, these tabs break easy.

 

[Jlaa]

Good luck! Also mostly NLA. So easy to break!

 

[Sam SL]

I will post some pictures of the backside of the trim piece so you can see the orientation of the tabs. There is one push-in toothed stem that is often missing because it is easily broken if not pulled straight out during removal.

 

[gerryvz]

Basically, Terry, here's what you need to do:

1) At the top of the triangle (about 3/4-1 inch down) use your tool and prise the top of the triangle straight OUTWARD (perpendicular to the ground). This will release the top-most plastic tab.

2) Further down toward the bend, use your tool and prise again, very gently, straight outward. This will release (if the previous step did not) the skinny plastic tab.

3) Lift the triangle straight upward, while pivoting it outward away from the door, toward you. This will remove it from the door safely.

Installation is the reverse of removal, except you can do everything with your hand-fingers.

You want to be SUPER careful that you don't break the top-most and skinny plastic tabs upon removal. The top-most one is the one that often gets broken off.

 

[TerryA]

Thanks guys. That’s a big help.

@gerryvz, Your blue for sale set really helps w/ the orientation of the tabs. If I flub it, I may have to paint a blue pair black. Ha, Ha!

I practiced with my new tools on my Wife’s 2005 DeVille by replacing the right front window tract a couple weeks ago. This model Caddy has what they call a “Pop & Drop” problem wherein a cheap piece of plastic breaks in the WDW tract with a loud pop and the WDW just drops. It’s a PITA to fix but the part is under $50. Anyway this is the 3rd one I have replaced on two different 2005 DeVilles and with my new tools the only one that I haven’t had to JB Weld plastic tabs back on. BTW, My wife is obsessed with the 2005 Caddy DeVille. My guess is when this one finally is gone we will be looking for a third one.

After the practice on the Caddy, I hope I can be as successful on my 500E.

I will let you all know how it turns out. I will try and take some pics.

 

[gsxr]

The larger top plug is what most often breaks, and is most critical to holding the trim in place. The smaller round tab further down generally doesn't break and also doesn't matter much if it does.

As mentioned above, pry VERY GENTLY, VERY SLOWLY at the large top plug. If you can get it to come out a couple MM, try squirting some lubricant on the tab to help it slide out. If you can get the trim off with the large tab unbroken, you have mad skillz.

Tip: Once removed, you can file down the edges of the tab which make it grip so damned tightly. With the edges filed appropriately, it should be far easier to remove in the future. I never install one of these triangle trims without first filing the tab.

If there's any Pick+Pull near you with 124's, go practice on a junkyard car first.

 

[Sam SL]

@TerryA, Hope these help to make full clarity of what have been written. Detach the top of the trim first by working/unlocking the toothed top tab, using even force so the tab does not break off while coming out of the female socket.

 

[Jlaa]

@TerryA - you might want to get a spare clip - this one. Mine shattered when I removed my sail panel trim, so I got a pair of extra clips. (part 29 in the diagram)

 

[TerryA]

Basically, Terry, here's what you need to do:

1) At the top of the triangle (about 3/4-1 inch down) use your tool and prise the top of the triangle straight OUTWARD (perpendicular to the ground). This will release the top-most plastic tab.

2) Further down toward the bend, use your tool and prise again, very gently, straight outward. This will release (if the previous step did not) the skinny plastic tab.

3) Lift the triangle straight upward, while pivoting it outward away from the door, toward you. This will remove it from the door safely.

Installation is the reverse of removal, except you can do everything with your hand-fingers.

You want to be SUPER careful that you don't break the top-most and skinny plastic tabs upon removal. The top-most one is the one that often gets broken off.

View attachment 118086

@gerryvs, I’m trying to remove the driver’s side triangle. I was trying to slip the pry tool in the top side if the triangle (by the rubber gasket) It doesn’t seem to go in up there.

I can get the tool to insert on the window tract side (vertically) but am afraid to pry not knowing if this is correct.

Also in post #9 Jlaa broke the white piece with the elongated slots. Does the long pin have to move downward to the large opening at the bottom end?

 

[gsxr]

Don't worry about the white clip breaking, you can replace that. But you don't want to break the tab that pokes inside the white clip... read post #7 again, and look carefully at the photos in post #8. That top tab is the problem child.

 

[TerryA]

Don't worry about the white clip breaking, you can replace that. But you don't want to break the tab that pokes inside the white clip... read post #7 again, and look carefully at the photos in post #8. That top tab is the problem child.

Dave,

My question was do I pry from the vertical window tract side OR pry down on top from the door gasket side?

 

[gsxr]

Dave,

My question was do I pry from the vertical window tract side OR pry down on top from the door gasket side?

Either / or. Whatever you can do to slide in a thin pry tool, so you are prying directly at the base of the tab, bending the triangle surface as little as possible.

I'm thinking prying from the side may be better (window rolled down) as it should provide more surface area. Again - very slow, very gentle, and once you get a 1mm gap, squirt lubricant on the tab to help it break free from that bear trap of a white clip.

 

[TerryA]

Either / or. Whatever you can do to slide in a thin pry tool, so you are prying directly at the base of the tab, bending the triangle surface as little as possible.

I'm thinking prying from the side may be better (window rolled down) as it should provide more surface area. Again - very slow, very gentle, and once you get a 1mm gap, squirt lubricant on the tab to help it break free from that bear trap of a white clip.

I’ve lubed it w/ Teflon Spray. It’s a tough nut to crack. Still working at it. Prying from the window tract seems the best approach.

 

[TerryA]

I BROKE IT. It didn’t budge just broke.
The one tab that I shouldn’t have.

Of course the white piece is still in tact. But I’ll have to remove it to get the tab out. I’ll try to JB Weld it or Super Glue it.

Anyway, Bummer

 

[gsxr]

DRAT!

If it makes you feel any better... I've broken a LOT of those damned tabs. Mostly on junkyard cars, but some of mine as well.

File it down before re-installing. MB made that tab lock far more aggressive than it needed to be.

 

[Jlaa]

I BROKE IT. It didn’t budge just broke.
The one tab that I shouldn’t have.

Of course the white piece is still in tact. But I’ll have to remove it to get the tab out. I’ll try to JB Weld it or Super Glue it.

Anyway, Bummer

Its ok...... mine broke too. Jb weld, velcro, or junkyard part to the rescue.

 

[TerryA]

DRAT!

If it makes you feel any better... I've broken a LOT of those damned tabs. Mostly on junkyard cars, but some of mine as well.

File it down before re-installing. MB made that tab lock far more aggressive than it needed to be.

10-4 Good Buddy

But I don’t feel any better

Some body was in there before me.

 

[Sam SL]

@TerryA That tab is easy to break and is almost always missing when I see used ones for sale. When I removed mine with the intention of installing a new one which I bought, I managed to salvage the old one once I found the broken tab inside the white clip. I used Rapid Fix, it's a combo 2-stage super glue with silica. The silica allows you to build a strong base when contact area is so small and extra reinforcement is helpful.

Pictured also is the 3M Scotch Weld plastic and rubber glue which works really well for repairs that have to be invisible.

Either product will work for you. I never had luck with JB Weld.

 

[gerryvz]

Check the parts for sale. There are plenty of unsold ones for sale. I have several. They can be recolored if needed.

 

[TerryA]

@TerryA That tab is easy to break and is almost always missing when I see used ones for sale. When I removed mine with the intention of installing a new one which I bought, I managed to salvage the old one once I found the broken tab inside the white clip. I used Rapid Fix, it's a combo 2-stage super glue with silica. The silica allows you to build a strong base when contact area is so small and extra reinforcement is helpful.

Pictured also is the 3M Scotch Weld plastic and rubber glue which works really well for repairs that have to be invisible.

Either product will work for you. I never had luck with JB Weld.

View attachment 118862

Sam,

You stopped me in my tracks. If you hadn’t posted this stuff it would have been Super Glued.

Trying to find the Rapid Fix locally but Sunday night not the best time to be looking. It looks like a great product.

If I can’t find it locally i’ll order it from Amazon.

Thanks for posting

Take Care

 

[Sam SL]

Sam,

You stopped me in my tracks. If you hadn’t posted this stuff it would have been Super Glued.

Trying to find the Rapid Fix locally but Sunday night not the best time to be looking. It looks like a great product.

If I can’t find it locally i’ll order it from Amazon.

Thanks for posting

Take Care

At 4:50 of the video is a demo of a similar kind of repair that you will be tackling.

 

[TerryA]

Well, I got the mirror boot on the driver's side but I still have to repair the triangle. You would think that with all of these tools that something would work to get the damn'd thing off.

 

[dionphaneuf]

I broke mine today. Reinstalled door trim, missed the bottom hook on first install of this, tried to take it out to try again, broke it. It's being JB welded as we speak...

 

[speedy300dturbo]

You can place a strip of heavy-duty Velcro or similar material on the highlighted area, and no one (but you) will ever know it's there.

 

[gsxr]

Nice work, Aaron! I need to try the Velcro trick...

 

[TerryA]

You can place a strip of heavy-duty Velcro or similar material on the highlighted area, and no one (but you) will ever know it's there.

View attachment 118880

@Aaron, Thanks for the tip. If the Rapid Fix doesn’t work I will give it a try.

 

[TerryA]

@ Sam SL,

Thanks for the tip on the "RAPID FIX" I have finally done the repair and it seems very solid. I still have to do a little trimming on the glue but it should not affect the strength. I had to reinforce the tip which had a crack about an inch down from the point. This was damaged by some other person before I owned the car. I would recommend the "RAPID FIX" to anyone doing this repair or similar ones.

BTW, Repairing something this small should require 3 hands. It is kind of difficult to hold the 2 parts together and apply the welding powder but I finally got it right but I had to scrape off the glue after the first try and reglue it a 2nd time.

Also, I have to file down the nub a little per gsxr so that it won't be so hard to remove.

Some pics of the repair.

 

[gerryvz]

Looks good Terry. I'd say that about 95% of the cars that I see, have this part broken. It's always a real "find" to have one of these triangles that isn't broken. And yes, having the upper tip broken about an inch down is also a very common problem.

 

[DerFuror]

I went thru a similar process 9 years ago. The fix lasted until this past Spring. The connection tabs & surrounding material are still old plastic becoming more brittle each passing day. The tabs & first fix had a good run (9 years). My follow-up fix was the velcro application similar to that shown in post #25. Uncomplicated. Works great. Holds firm. Noiseless.

I'll be using the velco fix in any similar future situations.

 

[TimL]

Well, I got the mirror boot on the driver's side but I still have to repair the triangle. You would think that with all of these tools that something would work to get the damn'd thing off.

Hello Terry, does your car have the manual driver side mirror or the electric one? I believe I might have a brand new triangle for the electric mirror somewhere in my boxes that I could try to retrieve if it’s right for your car

 

[TerryA]

Hello Terry, does your car have the manual driver side mirror or the electric one? I believe I might have a brand new triangle for the electric mirror somewhere in my boxes that I could try to retrieve if it’s right for your car

Hi Tim,

My car has electric mirrors on both sides. Let me know if you find it.

Thanks

 

[TimL]

Hi Tim,

My car has electric mirrors on both sides. Let me know if you find it.

Thanks

Excellent Terry! Since I have no use for it, I would send you the part for free if I find it. Better than collecting dust in some boxes...

I will let you know once I found it and then you can PM me your address so I can get it on its way

 

[TerryA]

Wow! What a Guy Even if you don't find it!

Thanks for looking

 

[TimL]

Wow! What a Guy Even if you don't find it!

Thanks for looking

@TerryA, I was looking for the door triangle and found one, although it’s not the black one I was looking for (that one must be in some of the other boxes in storage)....

The one I found (see photos) is also brand new and I’m happy to give it to you if you are ok with having to get it dyed black.
PM me your address if you want the part and I’ll get it on its way.

 

[TimL]

Dropped it off at the post office today, Terry. Hope it helps you resolve your mirror triangle odyssey...

 

[TerryA]

Dropped it off at the post office today, Terry. Hope it helps you resolve your mirror triangle odyssey...

Thanks Tim

Again, Much Appreciated