Removing rear view mirror cover

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Razzman

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Got a 2020 2500 Limited non-digital mirror, need to pull the cover to tap for dash cam power. Anyone remove one of these? Looks like you pull the vertical panel first but I can't get the blasted thing off. Tried all the seams but the only place it actually budges is the bottom around the mirror stem, feels like it's going to break.

mirror_housing_2.jpg
 

Pudge

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I just took mine off last week. Easy once I knew what to do. That long narrow plastic piece directly up from the base of the mirror is the first thing to remove. Go to the very top of it and use a pick of some sort that let’s you pull from the back of it, straight out perpendicular to the slant of the plastic piece. It pops out.

Once that’s out, the remaining cowl has 4 tabs, all metal so near impossible to damage anything. If you look against the window on bottom of the cowl on the passengers side you’ll see a gap about an inch long that lets you put a tool under and pull out. That’s where you start. The cowl should be pulled straight out, perpendicular to the slant of the window. Start with the first one, and you‘ll pull it enough out that you can work all four sides. You can’t hurt it, just keep pulling it out with your tool you used to start the first corner.

I can take a picture of the back side of the cowl for you tomorrow morning. Mine is still off. I’m installing a dash cam too.
 

BossHogg

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I can take a picture of the back side of the cowl for you tomorrow morning. Mine is still off. I’m installing a dash cam too.
I would really appreciate a picture. I'm getting ready to install a dashcam on my new 2022 Longhorn.
 

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241A5B16-D7CC-430C-AF54-71C1BE9C2D06.jpeg
 

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Razzman

Razzman

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I just took mine off last week. Easy once I knew what to do. That long narrow plastic piece directly up from the base of the mirror is the first thing to remove. Go to the very top of it and use a pick of some sort that let’s you pull from the back of it, straight out perpendicular to the slant of the plastic piece. It pops out.

Once that’s out, the remaining cowl has 4 tabs, all metal so near impossible to damage anything. If you look against the window on bottom of the cowl on the passengers side you’ll see a gap about an inch long that lets you put a tool under and pull out. That’s where you start. The cowl should be pulled straight out, perpendicular to the slant of the window. Start with the first one, and you‘ll pull it enough out that you can work all four sides. You can’t hurt it, just keep pulling it out with your tool you used to start the first corner.

I can take a picture of the back side of the cowl for you tomorrow morning. Mine is still off. I’m installing a dash cam too.
Awesome thank! I happen to have a hook tool so I'll try that today. I need to get this off to measure for a mini usb cable. And yeah a picture might help thanks!
 
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Razzman

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Yup hooked the top then used the same trim tool to pop the middle clips and came right off! Thanks for the assist.
 
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Razzman

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Well that went like a t**d! Received the Dongar Technologies 10-pin connector and went to pop off the big cover. One side popped right off but the left side just came loose from the windshield mounts and all. No way to separate the two as it can't be accessed smh. Off to the dealer I guess or a glass shop.
 

John Jensen

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Well that went like a t**d! Received the Dongar Technologies 10-pin connector and went to pop off the big cover. One side popped right off but the left side just came loose from the windshield mounts and all. No way to separate the two as it can't be accessed smh. Off to the dealer I guess or a glass shop.
Not sure what you are saying, but I have a hunch as I had the same problem. If you look at my post #5 you need to twist the entire mirror assembly off of its mount. Hope this helps
 
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Razzman

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Not sure what you are saying, but I have a hunch as I had the same problem. If you look at my post #5 you need to twist the entire mirror assembly off of its mount. Hope this helps
The base glued to the glass seems to have come unglued from the glass hence the clip cannot be removed from the base on the left side. Look at Pudge's post and you can see the four tabs on the backside of the cover. I can lift the left side and feel inside and feel the glued surface. I can look in and see the clips still sticking through the holes they go into and it's definitely off the glass. Doesn't seem removing the mirror is going to resolve that, was yours the same exact cover or a different style?
 

John Jensen

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The base glued to the glass seems to have come unglued from the glass hence the clip cannot be removed from the base on the left side. Look at Pudge's post and you can see the four tabs on the backside of the cover. I can lift the left side and feel inside and feel the glued surface. I can look in and see the clips still sticking through the holes they go into and it's definitely off the glass. Doesn't seem removing the mirror is going to resolve that, was yours the same exact cover or a different style?
Bummer! My hunch was wrong, my mount did not come unglued from the windshield. Yep, a trip to a windshield replacement shop is the fix.

Can't tell from the pics if mine is the same or not.
 

BossHogg

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If you look at my post #5 you need to twist the entire mirror assembly off of its mount.

I may be wrong but I believe there is a significant difference between the removal process of the rearview housing between the gen 4.x cabs and the gen 5 cabs. The housing on my 2015 came off like you described John, but my 2022 is a totally different process like described in post #6.
 

John Jensen

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I may be wrong but I believe there is a significant difference between the removal process of the rearview housing between the gen 4.x cabs and the gen 5 cabs. The housing on my 2015 came off like you described John, but my 2022 is a totally different process like described in post #6.
My 2020 3500 4.5 Gen build date was March 2020. And like you, the mirror mount is the same as my 2016 1500 Eco. Thanks for the info, good to know not to advise a Gen 5 owner with 4.5 info.
 
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Razzman

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Went to the best Auto glass shop in town and he confirmed the base pulled off the glass on the drivers side. And as expected there's only two options, 1) muscle it and hope it comes apart without breaking anything or 2) place some super strong and thin double sided tape under the base and press it back on, says it will hold and gave me some free. All good BUT I still need it off to run power for the dash cam! Going to call the dealer and see if the part number is available for the cover, might just cut it off since it's replaceable without removing anything else.
 

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Went to the best Auto glass shop in town and he confirmed the base pulled off the glass on the drivers side. And as expected there's only two options, 1) muscle it and hope it comes apart without breaking anything or 2) place some super strong and thin double sided tape under the base and press it back on, says it will hold and gave me some free. All good BUT I still need it off to run power for the dash cam! Going to call the dealer and see if the part number is available for the cover, might just cut it off since it's replaceable without removing anything else.
Too bad they haven't a way to take it apart easily.
Hope you get it done.

On my 2016 I just left the covers off. Can't see them much anyway, and not noticeable that they ate gone.
 
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Razzman

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Too bad they haven't a way to take it apart easily.
Hope you get it done.

On my 2016 I just left the covers off. Can't see them much anyway, and not noticeable that they ate gone.
Well this thing is a beast and covers not just the mirror but all the electronics for the auto dim headlights and other stuff. Found the cover online for $28 so no big deal. Going to cut it off leaving just the pieces attached then I can get them off and re-attach the base to the glass.
 
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Razzman

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Geez this is turning into a nightmare, all to connect a dash cam! lol. The mirror cover is on national backorder with no projected date of arrival. Good thing I didn't cut the old one off yet! So i'm just going to use the tape the glass guy gave me to re-attach to the glass on the one side and push it all back on and do it when it is available.
 

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So heating the windshield glass & plastic just a bit & then using fishing line to cut through the glue would not work ?

If it did, then you could work easier on a bench or table

Well, i found this video that may help

 
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Razzman

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So heating the windshield glass & plastic just a bit & then using fishing line to cut through the glue would not work ?

If it did, then you could work easier on a bench or table

Well, i found this video that may help

No that's not the problem. It's already off the glass with the cover still attached. To get the cover off it has to be glued to the glass still hence the reason it needs to be cutoff. But since I can't get a replacement cover, I can't cut this one off. BUT, yesterday I used the two way tape the glass guy gave me yesterday to re-attach the one side to the glass. This stuff is super thin and real strong, in fact I actually think it's stronger than the glue. Had to insert the discs with tweezers and it now has more contact patch than the factory glue. I might actually be able to get it apart now but too scared to try lol.
 
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