Driving a little too close to something can damage or tear off the passenger side mirror on your Jeep Cherokee XJ. If you want to save a little money on the repair costs, you can replace the mirror yourself. If you want to save even more money, you should visit your local used auto-parts store and get a used replacement mirror that matches the one that you broke off of your car. Here is how you can replace the car mirror in an hour or two on a weekend afternoon.
Remove Inside Door Panel
The first thing you should do is remove the four Philips-head screws holding the inside panel on the door to the door frame. One screw is behind the door handle and the other three screws are along the armrest.
The outer edges of the panel are held to the door frame with plastic clips. Use a thin flathead screwdriver to pry open one corner of the panel from the clips. You can then grab the panel with your fingers and gently pull back on the panel until it releases from all the clips around the door frame.
(Tip: The plastic clips can break easily. You should buy some replacement clips while you are at the parts store).
Remove Mirror
There is a small triangular-shaped plastic cover up at the top of the panel by the window. The screws that hold the mirror to the door are located behind this cover. You will see the Philips-head screw holding the cover to the door once you have removed the door panel. Remove the screw and take off the cover. There is a small piece of triangular-shaped insulation behind the cover. Remove the insulation.
Disconnect the wire harness for the wires running through the door frame to the mirror. The harness is located right below the mirror cover. There are three torque screws behind the insulation. Remove the screws with a torque screwdriver. A torque screwdriver has a head that is star-shaped. Remove the screws.
On the outside of the door is a rubber grommet that holds the wires in place. You can pull the grommet out with a pair of pliers. You can now pull the mirror out of the passenger door.
Attach New Mirror
Slide the wires through the hole in the door and push the new grommet into place. Go to the inside of the door and use the wires to pull the mirror into position. Replace the torque screws and reconnect the wires' harness. You should turn on the car and check to make sure the mirror controls still work. If they don't, make sure the harness is properly connected together. Place the door panel into place and push the edges down until you hear them clip into position. Replace the screws for the door panel.