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Old 04-25-2003, 12:05 AM
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raffi
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Post sun visor mirror/lid fix

My visor's mirror lid was not staying up when I opened it. I took out the mirror, the lid seems to not come out. Well, anyhow I can see that 2 hinges fell out of place, I suppose I can glue them back but cant figure out how to get the lid off so I can glue to right spot. Id appreciate any help
Old 04-25-2003, 11:52 AM
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P1CR
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I have the same problem.

How did you get the mirror out?

Have you checked the price of a replacement?
Old 04-25-2003, 03:30 PM
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raffi
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there is a small connection on the bottom of the mirror, dead in the center, pry it open with a putty knife or plastic piece as to not mar the visor, then there are some hooks on the side that will pull out with a gentle tug. once you open you will notice 2 small metal hinges that the lid glides on, dont drop or lose them, one or both may have fallen. I took apart the other good visor to see how it should be, it can definitely be glued but i cant get to the right spot without removing the lid. I would replace it but I have full leather option with graphite grey I dont think its so common to find used, Id rather glue the stupid lid shut then pay for new one.
Old 04-25-2003, 04:05 PM
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996 AERO
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I had the same problem with BOTH visors. Could not figure it out either. Took it to the local dealer and they replace both visors, mirrors and all, under the warranty!!
If you are still under warranty give it a try.
Old 04-26-2003, 03:03 AM
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raffi
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I figured out a way to do it, if anyone is gonna try to do it on their own since warranty is up, please ask, pretty simple fix if you know how.
Old 04-29-2003, 08:36 PM
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Thom1
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Boxster Visor Mirror Cover Fix & Decal Removal:

Major Findings:
Gently pry between visor mirror housing and surrounding vinyl or leather to release housing from visor
Denatured alcohol softens decals and adhesive for removal without damage to vinyl.

Discussion follows:

hey thom, just make sure you dont mess up the leather or vinyl on the visor, taking out the holder was not too easy on mine cause it is covered in leather. locate the fallen hinges they look like C shaped metal pieces, glue them back in holes, they should fit perfectly unless if the plastic hole is broken (mine was I just glued that too).

This is a common problem. You can replace just the mirror/lid or the entire visor. If the hinges are not brolen you can take the thing apart and glue the hinge back in place. Jeff

i pulled out the mirror, the lid doesnt look like it will come out. i saw that there are 2 brackets that fell out of place.

I glued the hinges without removing the mirror holder, only took out the mirror and somehow fit the hinge back in place and glued it

there is a small connection on the bottom of the mirror, dead in the center, pry it open with a putty knife or plastic piece as to not mar the visor, then there are some hooks on the side that will pull out with a gentle tug. once you open you will notice 2 small metal hinges that the lid glides on, dont drop or lose them, one or both may have fallen. I took apart the other good visor to see how it should be, it can definitely be glued but i cant get to the right spot without removing the lid.

Thanks Raffi,

My visor mirror has no lights, and no bottom center clip. I removed the entire mirror assembly from the visor. I pried up on the mirror housing outer lower edge with a gasket scraper. (When I say up, I am looking into the mirror as if I am sitting in the car seat.) My 4 plastic clips are inflexible, molded parts of the housing. I pried the visor vinyl down and away from the lower edge of the housing to release a sticky clamp. Then, I just pried the upper edge of the housing down to slide the entire assembly off the top clips and out.

The springs are thin flat c shaped metal strips directly behind the visible hinge pivot points. The problem is that the springs are not pushed far enough into their housings to supply adequate pressure on the hinge pivot points. When I pushed the springs back into their slots, the plastic back piece of the slots broke away. The thin plastic was already cracked. The plastic no longer held the springs in their original configuration. I put some Duco Cement down into the slots, inserted the springs, and used c-clamps to hold the springs in place. When this dries I will tape a thin metal strip inside the visor to wedge the springs in place a little tighter. I am pretty sure that the glue won’t hold forever. The metal strip should provide the pressure to keep the springs engaged regardless of further minor plastic failure. The metal strip has to be thin enough to keep from breaking the housing clips.

That is exactly what I did minus the metal strip, that was a good idea. No matter how much i manipulated the C clasp, I couldnt get the visor to open more. It opens enough for the light to go on and see in mirror but does not spring as open as much as the passenger side visor which has no problem. The c clasp should hold the lid up (open) to the highest possible position (at 90 deg to visor). I'd like to hear if you were able to achieve this. The funny thing is that after a year and half of driving this car I've never really used the mirror. since i took the visors off i also took the airbag warning stickers off too with denatured alcohol and goo gone adhesive remover.
Raffi
Hi Raffi,

The hinge acts like your door catches. The pressure of the spring holds the irregularly shaped tube of the plastic hinge at various positions. If the spring does not push hard enough against the tube, the tube will roll due to the force of gravity. I have my springs forced to the bottom of their slots so they will provide adequate pressure. That area has some flex in the plastic interfaces. That is why I think there is a gap to fill to provide pressure in case of further plastic failure.

Another alternative is to close the spring some. I tightened up the radius of the c shaped curve of the spring, and held it in place. It held the mirror cover properly. But, it was too tight. I was afraid that that would put too much force on the already failed plastic for glue to hold.

My visors are black vinyl. I used Goof Off to remove one sticker from the bottom side of the visor. It bleached some color out of the black, softened the vinyl, and caused the vinyl to stretch/wrinkle. There is still a shiny spot where the label was. Is denatured alcohol less corrosive, and more effective? Should I forget about removing the sticker from the hard plastic? Will a silicon product like McGuires Natural Shine blend back in the slight color and sheen irregularities? (I am reluctant to use silicon there because I may need to repaint the visor.)

The stickers I spoke of where on the visor mirror lid (painted on), i spilled alittle goo gone on my grey leather by mistake and it also softened and discolored, I first used alot of alcohol let it sit on top of sticker on lid with cotton, it did not cause any damage, i did spill a drop of goo gone on my grey leather and it softened and discolored it. basically I used the alcohol to remove sticker and goo gone to get rid of shiny adhesive that remained on lid only, Not on front part of visor. i heard people using those black again products.
Raffi

Thanks Raffi,

<a href="http://www.Leatherique.com" target="_blank">www.Leatherique.com</a> has Porsche paint codes. I rejuvenated and re-dyed my graphite gray leather seat inserts, vinyl backs, and vinyl sides. It looks like new. I did the shifter **** too. I can use that black for the visors. The test area is a little shiny. However, I may just brush on color without the topcoat. I used the topcoat only on the shifter ****. But it lost its sheen a little.

Hi Raffi,

It turns out that I was using Goof Off when I got the discoloration. I am trying Goo Gone soaked on a paper towel on the painted decal now. It had not softened that paint after 5 minutes. Maybe it is time to try the denatured alcohol. How long did you let it sit in the cotton? How did you scrape off the paint?

Never Mind

The denatured alcohol worked within a few minutes. I followed up with Goo Gone. But, there are still some barely visible traces of the old label, adhesive, or paper towel. I will paint the whole visor.

The springs are working perfectly. I would advise you to pull the mirror housing. Use a couple of small c-clamps to squeeze the springs as far into their slots as possible. The old adhesive will probably break as you tighten the c-clamps. But do not over tighten. Then re-glue them.

I mention the Leatherique products because they really work, and are reasonably priced. You can rejuvenate the leather periodically. You can proceed from that step to touchup painting the leather where it got spotted – I think. Call Kristy with a K. She can give you good advice, and the Porsche special. Tell her I sent you.

Thanks again for the good tips.

Hey Thom,
I guess you are almost done now but let me tell you exactly how i took off the sticker. I just left alcohol on it and it slowly softened 15-30 minutes, I started pulling the sticker up and applying alcohol underneath the sticker that was still attached. I did get little particles but used goo gone water based citrus cleaner to take care of that and the shiny adhesive. Everything should come off if you wait long enough for adhesive to soften and rub with terry cloth towel, do not scrape, as soon as the alcohol gets under those remaining sticker pieces it will come off just be patient. my visor is graphite grey and the lid is black vinyl (like yours i guess) so i dont really have a problem with matching the color, maybe if you repaint it the lid will look more like the rest of the visor. btw thanks for the leatherique advice it was very interesting, i didnt get the discoloration on my visor leather on the exterior visible parts, it was under the housing so i was lucky! . But i already had a cheap vinyl/leather repair kit i use to touch up little nicks in leather, i bought the car used and the entire thing is in supple graphite grey so it nicks very easily, that product works good i will consider leatherique for bigger jobs though. What is the cost for the smallest amount.
Do you have clear headlights? I just found a way to remove the plastic orange housing of turning signal bulb so it will be totally clear, newer models use orange turning bulb 99's had a plastic orange housing over clear bulb. Also Loren from 996 forum has an amazing DIY page, all maintenance is diagrammed and explained, oil, brakes, filters etc...
Thanks Raffi

The Rejuvenator Oil then Pristine Clean can be used periodically, or as preparation for re-dye. 16 Ounces each, $24+$16, -$10 PCA discount, Use 4 ounces per seat.
Solvent Prep before dye, 4 Oz, $7.5
Porsche Black dye 4 Oz, $9.95
Graphite Gray dye 8 Oz, $30.25

Thanks alot for the info Thom, I also redid the visor and put a little piece of metal behind the hinge, It opens almost as well as the side that was ok. Its much better than flapping around though.
Raffi
<img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />
Old 04-29-2003, 08:44 PM
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Dirk Tanner
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A little off-topic, but GEEZ, can't Porsche fix these things?? I remember this same recurring post in 1997, when Boxster mirror lids were flapping in the breeze all over the country.
Same goes for radiator caps...seems everyone had a defective one, just like the one on my '02 Carrera. OK, so this water-cooling thing is a little new, but it's not THAT new! C'mon Porsche, it's a $90K car.
OK, I feel better now...
DT
Old 04-30-2003, 01:34 AM
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DoubleNutz
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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by raffi:
<strong>I figured out a way to do it, if anyone is gonna try to do it on their own since warranty is up, please ask, pretty simple fix if you know how.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"> Please post this fix for me Raffi.

TIA
Old 04-30-2003, 02:09 AM
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Thom1
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Pat,

I just expended countless hours to fix visors and document the process for fixing the visors that Raffi and I worked out together in a post above.

Please read the post, and ask me specific questions. I thought I had already provided plenty of help down to the nat’s eyebrow. But, I will be happy to clarify any confusion.

The essential solution is:
Pry out mirror housing
Clamp springs deep into their sockets
Glue springs back in place
Tape thin spacers beneath springs
Reinstall mirror housings
<img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />
Old 04-30-2003, 02:39 AM
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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Thom:
<strong>Pat,

I just expended countless hours to fix visors and document the process for fixing the visors that Raffi and I worked out together in a post above.

Please read the post, and ask me specific questions. I thought I had already provided plenty of help down to the nat’s eyebrow. But, I will be happy to clarify any confusion.

The essential solution is:
Pry out mirror housing
Clamp springs deep into their sockets
Glue springs back in place
Tape thin spacers beneath springs
Reinstall mirror housings
<img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">OIC, Thanks Thom. I read down to Raffi's post , then hit reply and and then cycled back to something else and did not read quite far enough down to see your post. But I've got it now.
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
Thanks
Old 01-07-2017, 09:49 PM
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Found this on 986forum.com

FYI: I also found this

Visor Mirror Flap Won't Stay Up

Diagnostic: The sun visor mirror flap won't stay up.

Cause: Adhesive loosened on metal clips that provide friction on the hinges of the mirror flap.

Details: When the adhesive loosens, the clips slide out of two holes in the assembly and no longer provide the friction necessary to hold up the flap.

Time in Shop: Five minutes

Repair Instructions: For the dealer to fix them under warranty they need to follow the directions in the Porsche technical bulletin labeled Improved Sun Visor Mirror Cover [grp6 1/98 6823 5/14/98].

For you to fix them, you need to pop the mirror encasement out of the sun visor. There are four plastic lips that hold it in place. Take a small screwdriver and carefully pry the mirror encasement from the sun visor. It should just pop out.

Once you pop the mirror encasement out of the visor, you should find two U-shaped clips. Be careful as the metal clips may fly when you remove the mirror encasement from the visor. If you don't find two, shake the visor around. If you hear something moving, it is likely the clip stuck in the innards of the plastic of the visor. Keep shaking it around until they fall out.

Take the metal clips and place a drop or two of super glue on them. Force the clips back into the holes where they belong with the tapered part of the clip with the "nubs" on it back into the hole and the flat part against the mirror cover hinge. You can use vise-grips to gently hold the clips in place for about five minutes until the super glue dries. You should probably protect the visor from the vise grips with something so it doesn't leave marks.
Old 12-29-2019, 11:21 AM
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wkf94025
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Just seeing this thread after years of dealing with floppy / broken mirror covers. Does anyone know a source for the clips? Can anyone post a photo? Fairly sure mine are long gone. Also, the passenger side cover is broken clean off. (No, I didn't divorce her over this tragic event.) Any suggestions for repair/replacement of a broken hinge?

Old 12-29-2019, 11:57 AM
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Originally Posted by wkf94025
Just seeing this thread after years of dealing with floppy / broken mirror covers. Does anyone know a source for the clips? Can anyone post a photo? Fairly sure mine are long gone. Also, the passenger side cover is broken clean off. (No, I didn't divorce her over this tragic event.) Any suggestions for repair/replacement of a broken hinge?
Expensive -
https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/EUROMIRROR.html
Old 12-30-2019, 07:39 PM
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wkf94025
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Originally Posted by jhbrennan
Wow, no kidding. Repair definitely the order of the day on this nit...
Old 12-30-2019, 10:21 PM
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Default LED Replacements for Sun Visor Vanity Mirror

Great instructions for getting the case opened up. I was able to get mine apart damage free and was looking to install LED replacement lights. The ones at autozone I found were the same length but much larger in diameter and wouldn’t fit. Are there any replacement options out there for the festoon style bulbs that do work?


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