My 24 year old son owns a very nice Pontiac Bonneville.  It’s not new, but it’s not broken down, either, in fact, broken in would probably be the best way to describe it.  It’s a nice shiny black with luxurious black leather interior and power everything including a sun roof that opens and closes at the touch of a button. This isn’t to say that it hasn’t had its share of flaws, odd noises or occasional needed repairs, like tires that go flat every few days (more about that in another post), but it runs well, looks good and fits him well (the kid is 6 foot 6 inches tall, so ample leg room is an absolute necessity).

Over the last few weeks however, something has bothered me about Jules (that’s the car, not the girlfriend).  Jules has been missing her rear view mirror and truth be told, it’s driving me nuts.  Oh sure, there are two side mirrors, so my son isn’t without proper viewing, but the fact that the rear view mirror has taken a slide off the windshield and is now lying on a heap in the backseat really doesn’t sit too well with me. I’ve reminded my son that there is a real possibility that he could be fined for not having the mirror in its proper place should he be pulled over, but so far, he just rolls his eyes and says he’ll take care of it.

Well you guessed it – it’s been weeks and Jules is still without her rear view mirror and I’m still complaining about it.  That said, perhaps if the Number One Son reads this, he may get around to taking care of it – and the sooner, all the better.  

Reattaching the rear view mirror is easy, in fact any one can do it.  If like my son, you too have a rear view mirror laying in the backseat, here’s how you reattach it:

1. Purchase a rear view mirror installation kit at your favorite auto parts supply store.

2. You’ll need to make sure to park your vehicle in a shady area or do this when the temperature is somewhere between 50 and 70 degrees.  You can do this in your garage as well, just not when it’s overly hot or humid.  If it’s a hot day or too cold, you’ll find the adhesive glue will refuse to cooperate because the windshield is not the correct temperature.

3. Remove the metal button from the rear view mirror. You may have to enlist the help of a screwdriver to do this. Keep in mind that most cars don’t have rear view mirrors that attach directly to the windshield, so you’ll be gluing the metal button directly to the inside windshield, instead.

4. Be certain to mark the metal button in a way that will distinguish right side up from wrong side down.  We don’t want to place the glue on the wrong side, so use your fingernail to place a small scratch or mark on the button.  This way you’ll be able to tell which is right side up.  We don’t want to mark the side which will be facing the glass.

5. Exit the vehicle and using a piece of tape or a washable marker, we’re going to pinpoint exactly where the button should be placed on the windshield.  Place the piece of tape or draw a small circle on the outside of the windshield.  You can use any excess glue you see on the windshield as a guide to determine where the metal button should be placed.

6. Back inside the vehicle, use a razor blade to scrape off any excess glue which may still be on the windshield and on the metal button.  Wipe down the windshield area with a cloth and cleaner to remove any fingerprints and leftover residue.

7. Open the new  glue from the kit and squeeze a generous amount onto the metal button.

8. Press the metal button, glue-side facing the glass, onto the windshield, using the area you marked on the outside of the windshield as a guide.  Apply a small amount of pressure and hold for at least a minute maybe two.  You’ll want to make sure the metal button is going to adhere to the windshield, so give it at least a minute.

9. Most directions advise that after 30 minutes, it’s time to reattach the rear view mirror, but I prefer to wait at least two hours, so use your best judgment here.

10. All that’s left to do is to reattach the mirror. If you have a setscrew-style, hold the mirror with one hand while you use the setscrew with the other.  Make certain the mirror is on nice and snug, but it needn’t be overly tight.

11. If you need to reconnect any wires, now’s the time to finish up; just reconnect and that’s it you’re done!

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