BMW E46 Wing Mirror Glass and Cap - Removal and Replacement

Got a scuff on your E46's wing mirror cap? Has your heated mirror glass discoloured with age?

Keep reading to learn how to remove and replace your E46's wing mirror glass and cap.


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Tools Required

• Plastic Trim Removal Kit
• Small Screw Driver

If you haven't already added a trim pulling kit to your tool collection, I'd highly recommend getting one, they're dead cheap and come in handy for all sorts of jobs.

I've got this Neilsen one, which has a good range of profiles and does the job nicely.

Disclaimer: Any information given in this guide is to be used at the readers own risk. I take no responsibility for injuries to the reader or damage to their vehicles. If this guide is followed correctly, no harm should occur to either the reader or the car.

Please read through the entirety of this guide prior to undertaking any work, and do take care when following this guide.

NOTE: There are two types of mirror glass attachment used on E46 3 series, one where the glass is simply pulled off and another where a tab must be rotated to release the clips holding the glass. The screw driver is required for the latter.

Step 1

Identify which type of mirror you have. To do this, rotate the glass so it is pointing furthest most upwards. Look in the gap beneath the glass, if you can see a tab in the centre with a slot in the middle, you must skip to step 3. If not go to step 2.

Step 2

Only if you do not have a tab, take your trim puller and as gently as possible pry the mirror glass from the housing.

It will take a fair bit of force to pop it out of the clips, but be careful as the glass ise prone to shattering. Once the glass is loose, move to step 4.

Step 3

Only if you do have the tab type, insert a small screw driver in the slot and press it rightwards. This should release the clips.

The glass may still be retained by double sided sticky foam but should come away fairly easy.

Step 4

If you only want to remove the wing mirror cap, you can skip to step 5.

If you have heated wing mirror glass, you will need to disconnect the two electrical connections to the glass before the glass will be completely free of the car. The electrical connections simply pull off.

Step 5

To remove the wing mirror cap, you must release the four clips holding it in place, these are highlighted below.

Step 6

Refitting is just the reversal of the steps you followed to remove each part. Note, if you followed step 3, when refitting you'll need to move the slot to the left to secure the glass.