Golf 7 exterior mirror glass is coming loose

Hello!

"For the past few days, I've been experiencing increasingly intense vibrations in the exterior mirror glass whenever I drive faster than 60-70 km/h." Today, I looked into it more closely and noticed that the glass on both (!) exterior mirrors of my G7 (manufactured 11/15) is coming loose from the mounting plate.

Does anyone have a tip about, or what I can use to reattach it? Or should I put in new ones?

And if there are new ones available, are there any manufacturer recommendations? With original parts (which, by the way, aren't cheap), I can assume that they will eventually be replaced. Are there improved versions available now?

The problem doesn't seem to be unknown. I have read about people whose rearview mirror glass fell out while driving or while closing the door.

Greetings to everyone!

Hello,

I suspect you have auto-dimming rearview mirrors because the ones without cost less than a case of beer.

"On my old A6, the heating film was double-sided adhesive. With a hairdryer, caution, and a lot of patience, it can be carefully peeled off the mirror glass."
Is the film peeling off the plastic backing, or is the mirror glass separating from the film?

Important: Degrease the carrier plate (plastic) using a solvent like acetone. Be careful, as some plastics may be dissolved by this solvent. Therefore, do not simply pour it over the plate. If the heating film is no longer adhesive, you can buy a cheap, non-tinted mirror and use the heating film from it.

It's important to always use the hairdryer to heat it properly, and avoid touching it with greasy fingers, otherwise it will stick.
There's also double-sided tape for carpets that sticks very well. I sealed the edges to prevent water from getting in using acrylic construction adhesive. It lasted for over 100,000 km on both sides, even when I sold the A6.

See also:
Okay, I'm ready. Please provide the German text you want me to translate.

Best regards, Rainer.

Hi,

At the G7, this is a common problem. In any case, any random solution will not lead to success, even if it might seem obvious at first. The glue will become visible later, reflected in the mirror.

I replaced the rearview mirror glass with a replacement part from Alcar. It costs significantly less than 20€. However, it distorts the image slightly more where it transitions to the aspherical part compared to the original. A genuine aspherical, heated rearview mirror glass from VW costs around 50€.

Please take care of this promptly, as broken glass can easily leave expensive scratches in the paint of the door or other surfaces. Side panel.

I once had that on a Passat 3C (heated, but not auto-dimming).

Since I had to commute to work by car, I temporarily stuck it down with carpet tape.
Surprisingly, it remained for sale for two years. It became shaky again towards the end, however.
I don't remember seeing any tape residue on the mirror.

As a temporary solution, it's relatively useful. But probably not permanently.

The tape won't leave any visible marks, in case that's what you were concerned about. It's pre-glued from the factory.

However, with liquid adhesives, this problem almost always occurs, which is why I mentioned it.

Hello!

I had the same problem with my Passat 3C. Non-glare, heated.
First one side, and then after a year, the other. The lenses were only hanging on the outer corner, and the adhesive on the mirror side was completely hardened and dried out. The adhesive on the other side was nicely sticky.
Here's the translation:

"The solution has been working for a few years: First, remove all adhesive residue from both the dried-out side between the mirror glass and the heating pad using IPA (or adhesive remover). The black layer on the mirror glass must remain, otherwise light will shine through. Then, apply a thin, even layer of Uhu Endfest 2K adhesive to the heating pad and reattach it to the mirror glass. Finally, attach the plastic backing plate to either the still-tacky adhesive on the heating pad or using Uhu Endfest adhesive, and allow it to cure for a full 24 hours. Uhu Endfest is specified for use up to 100°C." That's why I chose it.

Greetings.
Christoph.

Roger wrote:

Hi, The glue will become visible on the mirror later.

That's right. I had the same problem with my Passat before, and instead of replacing the mirror glass, I reattached it using gray body adhesive (Liqui Moly 6154). I just happened to have some on hand at the time. You could sometimes see the adhesive in the mirror glass under certain lighting conditions, but it wasn't a major issue.
Above all, it has stood the test of time.

Hello,

Here's another tip for readers: The mirrors that don't automatically dim cost around 20 EUR (and sometimes less than 10 EUR) when purchased from parts suppliers.

I'm just going to say it: if you don't have any glue lying around, there's absolutely no point in even trying.

The automatically dimming mirrors may not be available from general parts suppliers (they weren't for my Audi A6 4F at the time) or may cost several hundred EUR per piece.

Best regards, Rainer.

Sure, gentlemen.

I finally had some time to take care of it. I carefully removed the two mirror glass panels from the heating film, which was still fully adhered to the plastic backing (as you can see in the pictures, there was only a minimal amount of adhesive left on the glass).

Then I removed the plastic backing with the heating films from the mirror housings, cleaned them with isopropyl alcohol, and applied double-sided tape over the entire surface, then trimmed it to shape all around with a utility knife: Tesa Extra Strong laying tape, extra strong adhesive, No. 05686-00018 - suitable for wet rooms and underfloor heating - Sticks like crazy .

It remains to be seen how long this will last, or whether the mirror heating will be able to handle it . "Definitely, nothing is loose anymore, and nothing from the tape seems to be showing through the glass – it's completely covered."

Quote:

I suspect you have auto-dimming mirrors because the ones without cost less than a case of beer.

They can only be heated. Original VW glasses for both sides together, over 100 Eumel . The Tesa adhesive tape: 5 Eumel .

Quote:

Another tip for readers: The non-automatically dimming mirrors cost 20 EUR in parts stores, and sometimes less than 10 EUR

.

Are there no quality differences between the original and...? Are the glasses a replica?

Quote:

Are there no quality differences between original and replica lenses?

So, you mean original lenses that might fall off after a few years, versus aftermarket lenses that, in the worst-case scenario, might also fall off after a few years?

It's not rocket science; it's just a mirror with a heating film and a backing made of plastic injection molding. Are there still any cars with unheated rearview mirrors?

That's why the heated (non-auto-dimming) rearview mirror for the Audi A6 4F back then only cost the equivalent of one case of beer.

I can't understand why they're making such a fuss and not just attaching a new glass. Hourly wage: 4 EUR.
It's a different thing when you're supposed to earn 200-300 EUR and have to work for 2 hours.

dieselschrauber wrote:

Quote: Are there no quality differences between original and replica lenses? So, you mean glasses that fall off after a few years (original) versus, in the worst case, glasses that fall off after a few years (accessory)?

No, I mean differences in the glass itself - distortions, imperfections, and things like that...

dieselschrauber wrote:

I can't understand why they're making such a fuss and not just attaching a new glass. Hourly wage: 4 EUR.

Simply for the enjoyment of the work and because you can .

If there's anything wrong with the mirrors, we will, of course, provide replacements from our accessories range!

So, I once glued the glass in place using a very small amount of conventional sealant. It has been working for years, and there is nothing disturbing to see on the mirror surface .

Instructions:

Okay, I'm ready. Please provide the German text you want me to translate.

I wouldn't use silicone sealant for gluing because it's highly acidic. It attacks all metals.
Just a tip. X