How to Install a Side View Mirror on a Honda Odyssey

Although you may not be able to see how it's attached to your door, replacing the side view mirror on your Honda Odyssey is not as hard as it seems. Forget the body shop or expensive local service station. With a couple of household tools you can do this job yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • Small angled pry bar or straight edged screwdriver 3/8-inch ratchet with a 3-inch extension and a 10 millimeter socket Telescopic magnet (recommended; very inexpensive at an auto parts store and quite handy)
  • Open the door wide and roll the window all the way down.

  • Remove the black (most common) triangular molding cover on the upper corner of the door (opposite from the mirror). This is simply removed with a small angled pry bar or straight edged screwdriver. It simply snaps in place by a squeeze clip. The bottom of the molding will be held in place by a lip/ridge that sits down into the window cavity slightly, maybe 1/4 of an inch.

  • Peel down any plastic, insulation, or foam plugs that may be present. Plastic or insulation can be re-adhered and the foam plugs can be reinserted into the holes.

  • Trace the wire harness for powered mirror and unplug. You may need the straight edged screwdriver to convince the lock clip on the plug to release. Skip this step if it's not a power mirror.

  • Remove the three nuts located in the door cavity using the ratchet, the 3-inch extension and the 10 millimeter socket. It is recommended that if you have a telescopic magnet, to place it alongside the socket as you're removing the nut to catch it and deter it from falling into the cavity of the door.

  • Remove the mirror. The weather stripping under the mirror and the fixed bolts may need to be convinced to remove the mirror form the door.

  • Insert the new mirror and screw on one nut at a time. Reach the easiest one to get at while holding the mirror and then let the nut hold the mirror in place while you use the magnet and ratchet to apply and tighten the other two.

  • Plug the cord back into the wire harness if a powered mirror. Test the mirror with the power button before closing the panel.

  • Replace any foam plugs, plastic, or insulation.

  • Reinsert the triangular molding, placing the tab into the window cavity first and press firmly until it snaps into place.