Exterior mirror Help

[PDACPA]

My drivers outside mirror was moving freely and someone suggested undoing the torx bolt and retightening.

Well as I undid the bolt I hear the backside of it fall down in the door. The mirror has the electrical cable and is sitting on the post but I have nothing to tighten the torx screw with and I am sure the mirror is not fixed.

Is the only way to get at the torx nut that fell in the door by taking the door panel off?

If so, does anyone have a DIY on how to do that? Also, is it worth getting the tool that removes the door panel clips?

Once I get that done, I still need to figure out why the mirror is not locking into position. It basically just spins the 180 degrees. The firm locking in postion is what felt like it gave way and caused me to get into trying to fix this.

Thanks for the help.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Yes, you will need to take the door panel off, and even that might not help. It's possible for something to fall into the door in a way that traps it in a virtually inaccessible space at the front of the door, although I don't think this is a danger with mirror hardware.

Stephan

[masraum]

The door panel is not too hard to take off, from memory here is a rough outline of what needs to be done.

1) remove screws around bottom, front and rear edge of door pocket. Remove pocket
2) pop center cap out of door lock knob and remove screw, pull out knob, and then screw off black plastic depression that knob sits in
3) remove two screws from back end of door pocket lid and remove door pocket lid
4) pull door open handle as if you are opening the door, behind you'll find a rod that clips to back of handle. Pop rod up out of clip.
5) pop power window switches out of door, remove wires (labeling or mapping where they go so you can get them back correctly)
6) Remove door speaker(s)
7) I believe there are one or two screws at the bottom of the stock door pull, remove those
8) remove the small black plug at the rear of the door panel cap to get to the screw that is hidden underneath, remove screw.
9) at front edge of door is a black plastic cover held on by one screw, remove screw and cap, underneath you'll find another screw for the door panel cap, remove that screw too
9a) I don't remember exactly how the sideview mirror adjustment joystick comes out, I think there might be a plug that you disconnect from underneath once you lift the cap off in the next step.
10) At this point I believe you should be ready to remove the cap that run along the top of the door panel, it should just lift off (it may take some fidgetting to get it off)
11) I believe taking the door panel cap off should have revealed a screw or two at the top of the door pull, remove that/those screws.
12) I think you should be pretty close to ready to remove the panel at this point.
13) Hopefully I didn't leave much out, once you get the door panel off there will be some plastic material stuck to the inside of the door, I usually only unstick the bottom edge, so the plastic is still stuck to the door when I am done.
14) Once you are done replacement is the reverse of removal.

Good luck, it's not hard.

[masraum]

And, yes, there is some space at the front edge of the door that you could only get to by taking the door off or turning the car upside down and shaking it (assuming you don't have a cutting torch )

[PDACPA]

Thanks for the info guys. Does anyone know what could be keeping the mirror from moving freely? So that once I have the door apart I can fit it as well? Thanks