This is a follow up post from about a year ago when I disassembled my drivers side mirror to figure out why the retract/fold feature was no longer working. I could hear the motor running and feel the vibration within the mirror. So, I took the entire mirror off of the truck and started into the disassembly process. Removing the mirror from the truck is not difficult at all but getting inside the internals requires some patience and knowledge to keep from breaking the glass and the frame. Both break rather easily. Once I had the entire mirror apart and , I located the the sealed motor unit that drives the retraction feature. I removed the three pins holding it inside the mechanism and pulled it free. Knowing that the motor is working, I was certain that something inside the unit was broken. I got the motor locked into a vise and pried it open revealing the gear mechanism. Keep in mind this motor and gear unit is spring loaded and is NOT designed to be serviceable or taken apart. (It doesn't even have a part number) .....but with the right tools and knowledge it can be done. It was clear very quick what was wrong. There is a plastic gear about the size of a dime that is fused onto a metal shaft. That plastic gear becomes brittle and breaks over time. Once the gear breaks, you no longer have the folding feature that keeps jack-wagons from throwing a shoulder into your mirror in the parking lot on the way to their jalopy.
The update is this: THERE IS A FIX COMING SOON !!!
There is a company that is in the final stages of developing a replacement unit that made entirely of metal and will not break. For those that are willing to take their mirror apart, the replacement gear will be available for about 50 dollars. For those that are not mechanically inclined or do not have the tools, time or patience to complete the retrofit themselves, I will be offering a service that will get your mirror back up and running. I am tossing around a few different ways to accomplish this including the following:
Option 1 - Mail customer replacement gears directly from part manufacturer.
Option 2 - Have customer remove entire mirror and mail it in for retrofit. In this instance the customer would go without mirror until I can turn it around.
Option 3 - Customer pays a core charge and I send them a replacement mirror with new gears. Core charge refunded when I receive your broken mirror.
Option 4 - Customer pays core charge for a replacement motor fitted with new gears. Core charge refunded when I receive the broken motor.
Pricing is still TBD as I wanna make this affordable for the Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Denali/Escalade community but I will be spending time and effort doing it. I would be open to what people think this is worth based on what a new mirror costs from the dealer and the hassle of trying to find a used one that will certainly face the same issues down the road. Ideas and opinions welcomed
The update is this: THERE IS A FIX COMING SOON !!!
There is a company that is in the final stages of developing a replacement unit that made entirely of metal and will not break. For those that are willing to take their mirror apart, the replacement gear will be available for about 50 dollars. For those that are not mechanically inclined or do not have the tools, time or patience to complete the retrofit themselves, I will be offering a service that will get your mirror back up and running. I am tossing around a few different ways to accomplish this including the following:
Option 1 - Mail customer replacement gears directly from part manufacturer.
Option 2 - Have customer remove entire mirror and mail it in for retrofit. In this instance the customer would go without mirror until I can turn it around.
Option 3 - Customer pays a core charge and I send them a replacement mirror with new gears. Core charge refunded when I receive your broken mirror.
Option 4 - Customer pays core charge for a replacement motor fitted with new gears. Core charge refunded when I receive the broken motor.
Pricing is still TBD as I wanna make this affordable for the Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Denali/Escalade community but I will be spending time and effort doing it. I would be open to what people think this is worth based on what a new mirror costs from the dealer and the hassle of trying to find a used one that will certainly face the same issues down the road. Ideas and opinions welcomed
