Quick question for you Mazda3 guys...
 

First, let me start off by saying hello. I don't own a Mazda vehicle but I have nothing against them at all and think they are a great value when it comes to buying a car. I personally own a 2005 GTO which I daily drive and a 2001 10th Anniversary Firehawk which sits under a cover (only 139 were made).

Now that you a little bit of my background, I would like to ask a question and would appreciate any replies. My brother recently purchased a very nice '08 Mazda3 5-speed. It looks great in person. The color is Copper Red Mica. Anyway, some deviant decide to break his passenger side view mirror for no reason :nono:. The enclosure itself is fine but the glass is busted but some pieces remain intact. Does he have to get a whole new enclosure that includes the glass or can the glass itself just be replaced? I am thinking he will need a whole unit that comes pre-painted but I want to make sure. Thanks for the help guys.

Man, that sucks about the vandals. I'd probably bring it to a glass shop and have them take a look. :)

Tell your brother congrats on the new car!

I'd bet you can get just the glass mirror piece. On my buddy's Honda it entailed removing the mirror housing from the body, and then just popping the mirror off from a ball-joint like piece.

Mind you, in this case it was a manual adjustment mirror. I'd say it would be a good idea, if possible, to disconnect the motor from the gear set. If you take the mirror, and tilt all all the way outwards, look between the housing and the inside edge of the glass panel. If you see a ball joint (not in the axle sense, but like your hip/shoulder joint) with the ball and the mirror attached to it, then the above advice may work.

Thanks for the help guys. He ending speaker with the service department and they said it all comes as one unit so he placed an order for one that matches his car. I am sure how much he paid and I don't want to :). Thanks again.

I'll keep that in mind.

The Mazda3 has to be the hardest, mass produced car I've ever searched with, to find a friggin FSM or parts catalog online for....:lol:

Edit: After looking at the FSM, it is possible to just replace the glass piece. But hey, if he's got the whole pod on order, whatever works