Vehicle mirrors are one of the most crucial safety features that you have to constantly make sure are functioning properly, because it is your safety, the safety of other road users and your wallet because you can be fined if you have a defective mirror. This is the circumstance we will focus on in this article, you have dealt with a crash, one of your mirrors is broken and you are now wondering how to change a side mirror on your Kia Optima? You are at the right place, we will detail all the steps to help you replace it correctly. First of all, we’ll examine what attracts you in this article, how to change a complete side mirror on your Kia Optima, and then how to replace only the mirror glass.

change-side-mirror-kia-optima

How to replace a complete side mirror on my Kia Optima?

Let’s go, we begin this guidebook with the part that almost certainly concerns you the most, how to replace a side mirror on my Kia Optima? This procedure is very simple and you should be capable to do it on your own with a minimum of tooling. You will just need to remove the plastic cover inside your car’s cabin, it is in general clipped on the door. For power mirrors, make sure unplug the power connector that you will see at the rear of the cover. Finally, you will have to unscrew the screws that hold the mirror, commonly there are three, a simple screwdriver should do the trick to allow you to complete this step of changing the side mirror of your Kia Optima. Be sure to keep the mirror on the outside of your car when unscrewing the last screw, so that it does not fall out. Finally to install your new side mirror, you will simply have to fit the new one in the 3 screw axes, screw it back in, reconnect the electricity if it is electric and to finish put back the plastic cover. That’s it, you’ve just discovered how to replace the side mirror of your Kia Optima, you see it wasn’t that difficult.

How do you just replace the window of the side mirror of my Kia Optima?

In the event that you only need to replace the window of the side mirror of your Kia Optima, you will first need to identify the sort of locking of your mirror. To get this done, the quickest strategy is to have a look at the fixing system on the replacement glass.

Side mirror glass replacing: tongue-locking glass

  • If you need to replace the side mirror glass of your Kia Optima and it uses a tongue and groove system, you are lucky, it is the least complicated system to remove. All you have to do is to use a plastic thing to remove the window “by force”.
  • To reposition it, do the same and push it back in place with force. To check that it is perfectly placed, move it around.

Side mirror glass replacing: metal spring locking glass

    • With this locking system, to replace the side mirror glass of your Kia Optima you will need to find the locking spring, turn the glass in the opposite way to give you access to it, disassemble it.
    • Be sure to keep the spring because it is possible that you have not one provided it with your new window, change it on your new window, take apart the old one paying attention to the electric cables in case of defrosting system

.

  • Stick to the positioning guide (notch) and delicately push it into its housing so as not to break it. Examine that it is well placed by moving it around.

Side mirror glass replacing: swivel tray locking glass

    • You can locate the location of the swivel plate of the window to be changed on the side mirror of your Kia Optima, most of the time it is at the bottom behind the window

.

  • Turn the glass in the opposite way to give you much easier access to the device and using a screwdriver, rotate the mechanism.
  • If your mirror is built with a defrosting system, do the reverse procedure to reattach it and check that it is perfectly fixed.

If you have any additional questions about the Kia Optima, do not hesitate to consult our Kia Optima category.