White plastic strips on back of side view mirror

[ironmike]

07 volvo xc70

Replacing mirror glass. What are those two white plastic strips for? They were binding and preventing side to side movement of the glass, removed them and works fine now.

[ironmike]

Friend at a dealership tells me that the techs said, "You need those or the mirror will get cockeyed." Something like that. Anyone know definitively?

[Aviator]

You need those white plastic strips to be in place...they keep the mirror glass from going out of position. If you look on the plastic base that the glass is mounted to, you will see two slits in the base closest to the mirror base. All you do is angle the strips to line them up with the slits, slowly guide the strips into the slits, then snap the mirror into place. The strips are an important part of the mounting of that glass. They also prevent vibration and wind buffeting of the glass while driving.

Dave.

[ironmike]

Dave, thank you very much! I will not carefully remove the mirror and put the strips back on/in. I had first mounted the glass and then the glass wouldn't move side to side with the strips in. I determined the strips themselves were hanging up in the slits, so I pulled off mirror and removed the tabs. Techs at the place I ordered (great guys but far from me) said they grease them prior to install. I didn't know that.