Broken RH Side Mirror Hinge on 97 S500 - Help!
 

Another car hit my right side rear view mirror and the metal hinge inside broke, and now the mirror either hangs from the cable, or slumps while held in place with duct tape. From what I have been able to find searching for parts, the price for a new mirror insides, without the cover, is over $1000, which is ridiculous. I have seen lots of posts about bad wiring, but nothing about a broken hinge. Any thoughts about what I might do? I need concrete suggestions about what parts to buy and where to buy them, and whether I can do this repair myself (I'm handy). I'm stuck, so I will appreciate any assistance.

www.pgauto.com

Sixto
93 300SD

Thanks for nothing, please don't kill my post
 

Sixto, posting a dumb link to a place that doesn't have what I need just kills the thread, and I need real advice, not stupid time-wasting bs. If you just want to shill for someone take it somewhere else with your 8,048 posts, and god help the forum if they're all as stupid as the one above.

I'd try a place like that if I didn't want to pay for new parts. I've found them to be helpful. Maybe you caught them on a bad day.

"I'm handy" doesn't tell an idiot like me or a guru like Donnie much about your abilities with regards to repairing a mirror. Do you have a factory service manual? Do you have an alldatadiy.com subscription? Does your PC display mb.braingears.com pdf's? Have you tried v12uberalles.com/index.html ?

If you only want the steps then be specific in your request. It will discourage knownothing riffraff like me.

Someone posted a question about removing the front passenger airbag in an S320. I provided what step-by-step info I could find. He might end up getting his head blown off by the airbag but it won't be from a lack of good intention. You have the advantage of knowing to not pay attention to me.

Sixto
93 300SD

tough crowd!

tom w

Unless it's not exactly what I want. In that case, I'll tear you a new one.

Congratulations, you just stepped into the "no-help zone". :behead:

You killed your post all by yourself.

Paul
1998 E300
btw, I have fixed a similar mirror.

Usually thats a total loss on that car... suggest adding more duct tape as a possible solution... or try to drive in the rightmost lane so as to avoid caring about what is displayed by the device.

P.S. I saw some bolt on after market cromed mirrors down at my local auto parts store for less than 20 bucks.

So this is what passes for help these days?
 

I'm not taking the engine out, and the link sixto provided is to a place that doesn't have my part. How about instead something like, hey, I had the same problem and here's what I learned through the process of solving it. Instead I get multiple replies that suggest I purchase this and that guide to taking my car apart. I should have posted if you don't have specific experience with this particular problem please keep your general and useless observations to yourself. Sixto says he provides specific step by step instructions, well, I guess he knows airbags, and that's good, but instead I got a link a to place without the part, and then people think that's the answer. Search the forum for my problem and you will see that there is not a single posting where someone actually solved their problem and shared what they learned about doing it. That's what this is supposed to be about, no? Sixto has 3.5 posts per day, which means he really, really likes posting here. Before I wrote my complaint I looked at his last twenty, and they were all just like what he did to my thread. Attitude about how he's the one with the knowledge, but nothing helpful to the people with the problem. Maybe he's just going through a bad time, and he used to be great. Whatever...

Sixto = Sonny Liston
Foleydb = Cassius Clay

This is your time baby! and you ARE the greatest!
...but you've got to float like a butterfly ~down to the junk yard.
(after you call them all, and find one with the part you need)
Because without the right part you're a boxer without a heart.
Best get down to buisness and lay a serious lickin on that mirror.
"You're gonna annihilate that mirror, even though it's so pretty it's gonna be a shame to do it"
(will be easier with the part in hand so you can see how it's bolted up)
Its not every man that has a chance to take down a legend like an S500. Thats why they don't understand you. But you cant give up... you won't give up! You've got to show the world how pretty a champion can be. If there is somepart in your way you've got to knock it out! (...or remove it.)
and keep on knocking out challengers until you come to the champ.
The media (that's you posting you're progress) will eventually recognize you, and someone who knows the W140 passenger side mirrior like the inside of a well worn boxing glove might come around and tell these people whats up.
Good luck Cassius, I'm behind you all the way... oh and remember," you have no beef with the people of Vietnam"...

http://www.***********************/bizshop/bp/o5050-75677/ulo.html?apwcid=Z1136984651W43c5024b9ce6d&apwkwd=ULO+Mirror+94-96+97+98+99+Mercedes+Benz+S320+%23O5050-75677&ClickType=Shop

There you go, or you can buy a used one for about $200 if you look. Found a few for about that price for my friends S320.

If you are handy you can remove the guts and fix it with some aluminum parts and epoxy.

For the benefit of someone who might find this post in a search:

Here is what Donnie has to say about W140 side mirror replacement -

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/66156-98-w140-s-class-sideview-mirror-help.html

This fellow in FL might still be in the mirror rebuilding business -

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-used-parts-sale-wanted/61429-wanted-buy-96-w140-passenger-side-mirror.html

And yes, someone doing a search would find those other posts too :)

Sixto
93 300SD

Thanks Mr. Hatterasguy
 

Yes, sixt0, I saw both the links you refer to in my full search of this and other MB forum websites before posting, and others that you didn't link to. But, of course, my problem is not getting the cover off since the whole assembly is hanging off the car and the internal hinge mechanism is broken, snapped right off, not repairable with extra super duper epoxy, spit, bailing wire or chewing gum. Your second link suggests to get in touch with "mikey" in Florida who can solve all problems, but alas that too is a dead-end thread with no resolution.

Mr. Hatterasguy, was kind enough to post a working link to a site where they sell the entire mirror assemby for $402 and some change. I note that Overnight Autoparts sells the same thing for $396 though. Is this the only option then? Its not possible to buy and replace just the $5 hinge? Is it troll all the junkyard sites (other than the initial one that sixto refers to which doesn't have it) in search of another entire used mirror assembly (that might well have the wiring problems that my mirrors do not have)?

And no one has any suggestions about how hard or easy it will be to install this for someone who has tools and can tackle most such jobs? Any warnings about how I will need a special tool that only a dealer might have, or some secret connector that you have to subscribe to a special website or buy a special manual to learn about? Thoughts about how long it might take or how hard someone found it to be? Etc, etc., etc.?

I just don't like throwing away $400 for an entirely new mirror assembly when I only need a small but crucial part of this whole rig. Heck, $40 bucks for the hinge would be fine compared to $400.

96- or 97-up 140 sedans use the same mirror assembly as the 210 sedan so that might widen the pool of available parts. I don't know if the part you're looking for is part of the door or part of the mirror.

Sixto
93 300SD

Yes. I have a few of those in my garage... but don't really want to part with them.