What to stick a rear view mirror back on with?

Cuchulain · 10 May 2010 at 13:59

My wife handed me the rear view (internal) mirror from her car yesterday, apparently it just "fell off"....

Anyway, I got rid of the old pad that was stuck to it/windscreen, cleaned it up with some acetone, went to Halfrauds and bought a couple of pads designed to hold it back up, heated up the windscreen/pad with a hairdryer and stuck it on, the pads are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard and the mirror is wobbly.

What's the best thing to use? Don't want to use superglue or epoxy resin, too messy, it needs to be some kind of pad that'll go solid rather than stay spongey when cold, any ideas?

Scania · 10 May 2010 at 14:01

Imo, don't **** about, pop into your local windscreen company and ask them nicely to do it for you, they will probably not charge you and save you a world of pain!

Trust me, in my experience, NOTHING sticks the sodding thing back on bar a professional!

sigma · 10 May 2010 at 14:04

Pads are useless IME the mirrors just seem far too heavy. Instant contact adhesive and some temporary tape to hold it in place whilst it dries.

Jez · 10 May 2010 at 14:07

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Imo, don't **** about, pop into your local windscreen company and ask them nicely to do it for you, they will probably not charge you and save you a world of pain!

Trust me, in my experience, NOTHING sticks the sodding thing back on bar a professional!

Ditto, speak from experience.

Pointless mirror though, our focus doesnt even have one atm and i dont notice it one bit.

Cuchulain · 10 May 2010 at 14:07

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Imo, don't **** about, pop into your local windscreen company and ask them nicely to do it for you, they will probably not charge you and save you a world of pain!

Trust me, in my experience, NOTHING sticks the sodding thing back on bar a professional!

I was going to run it down to our local RAC windscreen place tomorrow if all else failed.

paradigm · 10 May 2010 at 14:07

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Imo, don't **** about, pop into your local windscreen company and ask them nicely to do it for you, they will probably not charge you and save you a world of pain!

Trust me, in my experience, NOTHING sticks the sodding thing back on bar a professional!

Oh, I don't know, SikaFlex won't come back off in a hurry.

Scania · 10 May 2010 at 14:09

paradigm said:
Oh, I don't know, SikaFlex won't come back off in a hurry.

Noted for future reference....

thedazman67 · 10 May 2010 at 14:11

I had some glue can't rememeber which that held the rear view mirror on my mondeo on without any fuss.

PhillyDee · 10 May 2010 at 15:01

Jez said:
Ditto, speak from experience.

Pointless mirror though, our focus doesnt even have one atm and i dont notice it one bit.

You do know thats illegal . . . . ?

(At least, I am 99% sure it is)

Any independant car place, Halfrauds is not the bet place, putting profits before, well, anything else tbh.

sigma · 10 May 2010 at 15:04

Isn't it legal as long as you have 2 out of 3 mirrors? Or should that include the rear view mirror?

ajstan · 10 May 2010 at 15:08

Jez said:
Ditto, speak from experience.

Pointless mirror though, our focus doesnt even have one atm and i dont notice it one bit.

How on earth can you not notice it?

Burlsey · 10 May 2010 at 15:30

The last time this happened on the mk5 fiesta I popped into halfords and got a glue/pad solution. The trick is to make sure both surfaces are clean, I even gave the mirror a going over with some wet and dry, followed the instructions and the mirror stayed on, we got rid of the car after about 18 months, it lasted that long.

malfunkshun · 10 May 2010 at 15:35

Legally, you need a drivers side exterior mirror and either passenger side external or interior rearview.

Zip · 10 May 2010 at 15:43

Weatbix, Porridge or cooked egg.

Have you ever tried to get any of those 34 things off a plate once they go hard?

PhillyDee · 10 May 2010 at 15:44

Burlsey said:
The last time this happened on the mk5 fiesta I popped into halfords and got a glue/pad solution. The trick is to make sure both surfaces are clean, I even gave the mirror a going over with some wet and dry, followed the instructions and the mirror stayed on, we got rid of the car after about 18 months, it lasted that long.

Would that not have damaged the mirror?

Jez · 10 May 2010 at 15:45

PhillyDee said:
You do know thats illegal . . . . ?

(At least, I am 99% sure it is)

A lot of vehicles dont even have one

It is most certainly not a legal requirement, nor an MOT failure.

ajstan said:
How on earth can you not notice it?

Because its not necessary at all, a lot of vehicles dont even have one, and i would never naturally look into it. You dont need a rear window (and thus internal mirror) to drive a vehicle.

Sirrel Squirrel · 10 May 2010 at 16:03

When I had my Discovery the previous owner must have stuck the mirror back on with strong glue as I knocked it one day and smashed the whole freakin' windscreen. So I'd advise against glue

Fr0dders · 10 May 2010 at 16:41

Jez said:
A lot of vehicles dont even have one It is most certainly not a legal requirement, nor an MOT failure.

exactly

how do you think white van man manages.

you cant see a lot out of a rear view mirror pointing at the back of some van doors ! granted some have glass in them but most dont.

Sin_Chase · 10 May 2010 at 17:19

Pointless mirror?

Hardly.

Legality aside, I use it very often, like - all the time.

Either looking at hot birds behind or simply knowing what is directly behind me, much clearer image than the wing mirrors also.

Begbie · 10 May 2010 at 17:23

Sin_Chase said:
Pointless mirror?

Hardly.

Legality aside, I use it very often, like - all the time.

Either looking at hot birds behind or simply knowing what is directly behind me, much clearer image than the wing mirrors also.

This is the mirrors main use! (thought I was the only one too)

That and checking people right up your **** whilst there on there phone/putting makeup on! And making a bit of clearance between them.