Rear view mirror mounting...help!

A month or so ago my '99 Alero was sitting out in extremely hot sunlight for an extended period of time and the adhesive holding the rear view mirror on my windsheild melted and the mirror itself fell off, dangling now by the cord that powers the map reading lights. I bought a mirror remounting kit which has a black plastic bracket and adhesive; the idea is to apply the adhesive to the bracket and glue it to the windsheild, let it set for 18 hours, then simply slide the mirror base into the bracket. However there is a metal piece that is currently in the base of the mirror that I can’t seem to remove. This prevents me from using the remounting kit. Is there some trick to removing the metal piece, or should I be using an adhesive only on the metal part and the windsheild? Thanks…

Usually, you can remove the mirror from that metal nubbin by releasing a latch with a paperclip or skinny screwdriver. Or, there may be an allen-head (hex) set-screw somewhere.

You don’t need any extra plastic bits, and I’ve never seen any extra bits packaged with automotive mirror adhesive before. Get the windshield and the metal nubbin perfectly clean - use a razor blade to scrape off any remaining adhesive. Forrlow the directions that come with the adhesive to mount the nubbin, paying attention to which side of it is up. Hold it firmly in place for at least two minutes, then leave it alone for at least overnight so the adhesive can cure. Putting the mirror back on immediately tends to cause the adhesive to fail prematurely - often very prematurely.

If you can’t get all of the glue off of the metal piece, you can soak it in acetone or nail polish remover overnight and it should dissolve.

The best kit I ever had used a 2-part epoxy. It came in a little vial and you had to bend it to crack the piece inside, which let the 2 parts of the epoxy mix together. It had a felt-tip applicator and once the epoxy had cured, it stayed put for good.

The metal piece will be held by a set screw.

Am I the only one who saw the thread title and thought “hmmm…new sex position?”

Yes. Yes you are. Please seek help. :wink:

Yes. I had forgotten it even happened, but my '00 Alero did the same thing. There’s a set screw, you need an “Allen” wrench to remove the old mount.

What is wrong with these defective Olds’ mirror mounts??? :dubious:

:stuck_out_tongue:

You may want to ask someone at the auto parts store if you can’t find a tiny set screw or a place to insert a small screwdriver to slide it.
Once you get that metal piece out the key is to slightly preheat the area of the windshield with a hairdryer, and hold it longer than it says, and leave it without weight longer than it says. You may be anxious, but a day’s wait will keep it from falling off when you need it.

Thanks, everyone!