Rear View Mirror Shake Rattle and Roll
#1
Anytime baby!
Thread Starter
Rear View Mirror Shake Rattle and Roll
As of late my rear view mirror has been shaking quite a bit while driving down the freeway, having the effect of blurring the images in the mirror. Very annoying. So I took of the little lens (held on with 3M tape) and took off the mirror assembly, as the screws there were not loose.
Turns out the metal "arm" of the mirror comes down to a plate....this plate then "clips" or "sanps" into the plastic base plate that screws into the body of the car. This is where the vibration comes in it seems, as there is differential movement between the base of the arm and the plastic baseplate. Just a little but amplified by the length of the arm.
Personally I think it's a rather sloppy design by Mazda. Unless the rear view mirror is designed to collapse upon impact (with my head) then why didn't they just screw the mirror all the way into the car? I may try to drill holes in there to firmly attach the two plates, but for now I stuck a bit of 3M tape in there....
Anyone else have the rattling mirror problem??
Right on.
Turns out the metal "arm" of the mirror comes down to a plate....this plate then "clips" or "sanps" into the plastic base plate that screws into the body of the car. This is where the vibration comes in it seems, as there is differential movement between the base of the arm and the plastic baseplate. Just a little but amplified by the length of the arm.
Personally I think it's a rather sloppy design by Mazda. Unless the rear view mirror is designed to collapse upon impact (with my head) then why didn't they just screw the mirror all the way into the car? I may try to drill holes in there to firmly attach the two plates, but for now I stuck a bit of 3M tape in there....
Anyone else have the rattling mirror problem??
Right on.
#2
roadkill hats rock
Join Date: Jul 2001
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theres supposed to be a rubber bushing that fixes that wobble. ive heard of people cutting fuel hose and using that to stop it from rattling.
anyone have pics of the bushing? hmmm maybe mazdatrix has it....
gamble
(still lookin around)
anyone have pics of the bushing? hmmm maybe mazdatrix has it....
gamble
(still lookin around)
#4
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The mirror in my 79 does that after it has been sitting in the hot *** texas sun. Actually it isnt that bad im used to hotter, but my car isnt. But once it cools down it stops shaking, and is no longer a problem.
#5
Seven Is Coming
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I have that rubber piece, I used some 3.5mm(?) rubber hose from an old rats nest that I had laying around and made my own . I dont have a camera, otherwise Id show you. Funny enough, I did it on the side of the road too. It just go so annoying that I couldnt stand it anymore. I pulled over, grabbed the spare rats nest (convienantly in the back, lol), pulled out my knife and took a slice off after some "carefull" measurments, wedged it on there, and its still there today . My Dads GSL-SE has the stock one, it actually says "Mazda" on the side of his...lol
~T.J.
~T.J.
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#8
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Mine's screwed in, looks stock. Maybe there was a recall?
EDIT: In the kind-of-related-okay-not-really category:
The light cover on both of my cars had the snap pegs bent or broken to the point of you goota be kidding. So every time I went over railroad tracks or a good sized bump, that light lens would fall out and land somewhere in the passenger footwell.
I bought a coil of foam tape (basically thick black foam rubber about 1/4" thick and 1/2" wide with a sticky backing), stuck it to the front and sides of the lens in a U shape, trimmed it to fit, and jammed the lens back in. The foam tape creates enough pressure to keep the lens in unless you want to pop it out to change the bulb, and because it's around the sides of the lens the foam is hidden in the crevasse between lens and black plastic overhead console.
EDIT: In the kind-of-related-okay-not-really category:
The light cover on both of my cars had the snap pegs bent or broken to the point of you goota be kidding. So every time I went over railroad tracks or a good sized bump, that light lens would fall out and land somewhere in the passenger footwell.
I bought a coil of foam tape (basically thick black foam rubber about 1/4" thick and 1/2" wide with a sticky backing), stuck it to the front and sides of the lens in a U shape, trimmed it to fit, and jammed the lens back in. The foam tape creates enough pressure to keep the lens in unless you want to pop it out to change the bulb, and because it's around the sides of the lens the foam is hidden in the crevasse between lens and black plastic overhead console.
Last edited by Manntis; 08-27-02 at 12:18 AM.
#10
Anytime baby!
Thread Starter
Originally posted by FD Racer
Get some longer screws and some washers. Rock solid.
crappy picture, but you get the idea.
Get some longer screws and some washers. Rock solid.
crappy picture, but you get the idea.
Where doses this piece of stock rubber go though? Please post pictures!
Right on.
#11
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If you look on the back of the mirror, you'll see a little stud. Get some fuel hose or thick vacuum hose that will fit tightly to that and then cut to length so that it just touches the windshield for a little pressure. You vibration problem will be solved. If that explanation doesn't help, I'll post a pic tonight. I tried it after reading peejay's post on the subject some time ago...
#12
Tennis, anyone
You might try the junk yards,,and look for that rubber
piece,they are on 2ed gens, alot more 2ed's have them
then 1st's. and they work great.. and your right, the design is pretty weak.
piece,they are on 2ed gens, alot more 2ed's have them
then 1st's. and they work great.. and your right, the design is pretty weak.
#13
Anytime baby!
Thread Starter
Originally posted by mar3
If you look on the back of the mirror, you'll see a little stud. Get some fuel hose or thick vacuum hose that will fit tightly to that and then cut to length so that it just touches the windshield for a little pressure. You vibration problem will be solved. If that explanation doesn't help, I'll post a pic tonight. I tried it after reading peejay's post on the subject some time ago...
If you look on the back of the mirror, you'll see a little stud. Get some fuel hose or thick vacuum hose that will fit tightly to that and then cut to length so that it just touches the windshield for a little pressure. You vibration problem will be solved. If that explanation doesn't help, I'll post a pic tonight. I tried it after reading peejay's post on the subject some time ago...
The 3M tape seems ok, though I haven't really driven much with it yet. It did prevent the mirror from positvely snapping into place because of the extra thickness though. So I like the hose idea better.
Right on.
#15
sold the FD...kept the FB
Originally posted by Manntis
So every time I went over railroad tracks or a good sized bump, that light lens would fall out and land somewhere in the passenger footwell.
So every time I went over railroad tracks or a good sized bump, that light lens would fall out and land somewhere in the passenger footwell.
By the way, those clear plastic dome light lenses are less than $10 for a shiney new one.
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