Which Wing Mirror Should I Buy?

Wing Mirrors Buying Guide

 

The Importance of Wing Mirrors

Wing mirrors (also known as door mirrors or side mirrors) are important safety features of any vehicle. They assist the driver by enabling them to see areas to the side and behind the vehicle which is outside of their peripheral vision.

Due to their important safety feature it is crucial that they are fully functioning at all times, this is why they are checked during the NCT (National Car Test). They can result in an NCT failure for the following reasons:

1. Missing.
2. Reflecting surface deteriorated or broken so as to impair the driver's view.
3. Head or mounting loose.
4. Mirror not adjustable.                                                                    

   Source: http://www.nct.ie/

On MicksGarage.com we sell

1. Complete Wing Mirrors (incl. cover, mirror glass and interior housing)
2. Wing Mirror Glass
3. Wing Mirror Covers

In many cases, only part of the wing mirror needs to be replaced rather the complete wing mirror itself. By getting familiar with all the components you can identify which parts need to be replaced. For example, if the mirror glass and cover are damaged you do not need to purchase a complete wing mirror, you can simply order these parts individually.

Once you have read the guide you can enter your registration number in the 'ID your car section' of our Wing Mirrors page and use the filtering options on the left hand side to select the parts you require.

Damage Diagnosis


1. Complete Wing Mirrors

If the entire wing mirror has been damaged similar to the wing mirror in the photograph, then a complete wing mirror is required.

A complete wing mirror includes the mirror glass, cover and internal housing. The housing also includes all the relevant wiring, plugs and connections for the heating elements and electronics where needed.

2. Wing Mirror Glass

In some cases only the wing mirror glass can become damaged while the other components remain intact. It is recommended that you double check that all the other components are still working such as the mirror adjustment or mirror heating element.

Watch our How To Video on Mirror Glass replacement.

3. Wing Mirror Cover

Wing mirror covers are prone to becoming cracked or falling off completely in minor accidents as in the case in the photograph to the left. If all other parts of the wing mirror are still intact and functioning then consumers can purchase a cover on its own.

How to choose the wing mirrors or wing mirror parts for your car

 

1. Complete Wing Mirrors

 

Wing mirrors differ from the driver's to the passenger side so it is important that the correct wing

mirror is purchased for the side that needs replacing. Here are some things to find out before you purchase a complete wing mirror:

• Driver Side (RH) or Passenger Side (LH)?
• Foldable or Fixed Wing Mirror?
• Mirror Glass Manually or Electrically adjustable?
• Built in Indicator Light?

These features are fully explained in the sections below.

2. Wing Mirror Glass

 

Wing Mirror

Naturally, the mirror glass is a fundamental part to any wing mirror unit. The convexity or the flatness of the mirror varies from one side of the car to the other i.e. the driver's side mirror glass is usually flatter than that of the passenger side. So it is crucial that consumers purchase the correct mirror for the side that needs replacing. On our website the fitting position of the mirror appears in the title of the product and in the product details.

Some cars now come with electrically heated mirrors to prevent frost build-up from obscuring the drivers view. Cars with heated wing mirrors will usually have an internal control switch or the mirror glass itself may have a small symbol indicating a heating function. See Figure 1 for examples of each.

Figure 1: Heated Wing Mirror Symbols and Controls

In most cars the mirror glass can be adjusted to suit drivers of varying height levels. They can be either manually or remotely adjusted. Manually adjustable mirrors are connected to a knob inside the car to allow the driver to alter the position of the glass as seen on the left hand side of Figure 2.

Figure 2: Manual vs Electric Mirror Adjustment

 

Remote or electrically adjusted mirrors have buttons inside the car that the driver can use to adjust the mirror as required as seen on the right hand side of Figure 2.


The type of adjustment will be clearly stated in the product details on our website. See image below for an example.

 

3. Wing Mirror Cover

 

Cover for Wing Mirror with Built in Indicator

Wing mirror covers are used to protect the housings of the wing mirrors i.e. the internal mechanical parts behind the mirror. Covers vary from the driver to the passenger side so it is important to make sure you select the correct one. Our covers come in grey primer and they are ready to be painted to match the colour of the car.

If your car has wing mirrors with built-in indicators then you will need to select a mirror cover that allows for this. See image to the left for an example.

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