Is there any way of removing the mirror button (the piece glued to the windshield to which the mirror itself mounts), so that another larger button can be used?

JamesC

 

Yes you can usually remove those but my suggestion is to take it to a glass shop and let them do it. The bad part is there is about a 50/50 chance your gonna break the glass doing it.

 

Removal technique?

JamesC

 

Hey, what I did was use a professional heat gun on the button and made sure the old adhesive started to get soft and gummy. Then I gently twisted the button with a needle nose. Now I removed a button that was not installed with the factory adhesive so I do not know if you will get the same results.
Hope this helped.

 

I would definitely let someone in the business take care of it. I pulled a chunk of glass off when I tried it the first time and it is now webbing out across the windshield. The second time I tried it though, I used Fingernail Polish Remover, a razorblade, and a an hour or more, SLOWLY working it off. A heat gun sounds like a good idea too...wish I'd thought of that earlier.

 

Hey, dsaint and all,

Thanks for the PM's. Here's the scoop. I read in several places, here and on the net, that a heat gun was the way to go. Long story short, I spoke with the owner of an auto glass repair shop who said that heat was the answer. He had an old windshield at hand (which had been sitting in the sun so that the glass was already warm). He applied a torch to the button itself for perhaps five seconds. The button came off with ease! After witnessing that demonstration, I went home and, after letting the car sit in the sun for a bit, used a propane bottle. Nothing after five seconds. I hit the button for another five and it peeled off with no difficulty whatsoever--no twisting, no gouging, no cursing.

JamesC

 

Ok, so call me crazy, but I just yanked the mirror and button off of the windshield, it worked for me. Seeing how I've knocked a couple mirrors off in my time with my shoulder, I saw no reason to waste a lot of time with a razorblade and or heat gun.

-Jesse

(if I did break the windshield, I am going to get a new one soon anyways, so it wouldn't bother me)

 

I used heat gun while simultaneously pulling on mine to get it off, took about 15 seconds.

I had to lower my mirror a few inches so I could get a better view around the top bar of my roll cage.

 

if it's cold where you live, then place the car in a heated garage for a while before you use the heat gun. otherwise, you're likely to crack the glass.

 

Yes, and use as little heat as possible, the pulling part is the most important.