The trick is… the glass must be removed. And I nearly removed the glass without breaking it.
From what I found researching, in order to remove the glass properly, one should take a heat gun to its edges to soften the adhesive that holds the mirror glass in place. I had an edge so I tried to walk it off slowly. Once it broke, it was time to get this thing figured out.
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It is importance to note that in order to remove the motor, it is necessary to de-pin the connector. Pretty easy compared to others I’ve done on other connectors - use a small flat head screwdriver or a pick to lift the release tab from the mating face of the connector. With the tab lifted, the terminal can be removed from the back side of the connector. Make note of the order of the wires going into the connector! You can always refer to the wiring diagram but snapping a picture here is an easy way to get it put back together correctly later.
Those (3) Phillips screws I mentioned in my previous post? Remove them and separate the mirror housing from the mount. The connector must be de-pinned to allow the wires to slide through and allow the two halves to fully separate. Be aware!! When you separate the mount from the housing, there are (3) steel balls that ride in notched races on either piece to locate the mirror properly. The balls are quite small and you do not want to lose them.
Once the two pieces, the mount and the housing, are separated, there is a small trim piece that encloses the housing on the car side. It pops out relatively easily as well.
Worth mentioning at this point this is a non-heated mirror; heated mirrors may differ. Underneath the glass, there is a single screw in the center of the glass mount pad. Remove it and the spring underneath the screw head. That allows you to pop the glass mount pad off the positioning motor.
The motor is held in place in the mirror housing by (4) Phillips head screws. Remove those and the motor can be wiggled out of the housing. My issue was the spring and retaining ring were loose and the only way I could see to correct that was to remove the motor from the housing.
So, housing removed, I needed to press the retaining ring with the spring underneath it back over the protrusion to a point where the retaining ring locks. In hindsight, I could have ran the wires through after the fact but in the moment, I used two O2 sensor sockets that have a cutout for wires to pass through and an 8-inch C-clamp.
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Also in hindsight, I’m sure there is a proper install height to get adequate rigidity of the assembly while still allowing “easy” folding of the mirror assembly. I didn’t pay this any mind and went to town. The spring isn’t little so I anticipated some resistance while seating everything. In the end, I probably overdid it but I wasn’t really concerned.
With the retaining ring in and seated, the motor needs to be mounted and secured back in the housing. Four screws. But wait! Route the wires from the motor through retaining ring, spring, and protrusion if you haven’t already. The little trim cover for the housing can be reinstalled after the motor is mounted back in the housing
Then it is time to put the two halves together. Remember, these are the two halves with races where the steel balls roll. I used some grease on one race to help keep the balls seated. Fish the wires through the mount first. Once they are clear, align the two halves together and reinstall the three Phillips screws that I recommend the P2 bit to remove. I actually replaced these on this housing as the heads weren’t in great shape after my first go with this thing. They are M5x0.8 and 18mm long. I used 20mm long socket head cap screws with a lock and flat washer.
That done, grease up the connecting points of the mirror pad to the motor. Snap the pad back into place on the motor. Place the spring back over the center hole. Reinstall and tighten the screw that secures the pad to the motor. You took note of the wire order in the connector before you de-pinned it, right? Insert each terminal back into the connector in its appropriate spot until you feel / hear a click that indicates the terminal is locked in place.
Now the assembly is ready for a new mirror!
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I ended up replacing mine with heated mirrors so I really wasn’t concerned about what happened with this one. It is snug like a bug in a rug but it does still fold as desired. Just figured I’d share in case this happens to someone else.