broken, damaged, or improperly adjusted mirror can affect the safety of the driver, passengers, and other motorists. Rearview mirrors allow you to see the area behind your vehicle, ensuring good visibility when driving or maneuvering.

What is the purpose of a rearview mirror?

Required by law as part of a vehicle's equipment package, exterior and interior mirrors are most often used to anticipate hazards, check safety distances before braking, or check for obstacles when backing up. In short, just like good shocks, they're essential to road safety. That's why it's important to keep them in good condition and ready for use. If your mirror is cracked or broken, here's how to choose and buy a new one. Rearview mirrors must provide good quality vision, whether at a distance or up close. As soon as a crack appears, you need to think about replacing the defective mirror or the entire mirror, depending on the extent of the damage.

Keep in mind that when the mirror's image becomes less accurate, it's time to replace the mirror. The type of mirror you choose depends on the make of your car. There's a wide variety of rearview mirrors available in stores and online. You're sure to find what you're looking for without having to go to your mechanic. Mirrors can be flat or convex, manual or electric, heated or defrosting. If the case is broken or damaged, it may be necessary to replace the entire mirror.

Types of mirrors

There are several types of rearview mirrors:

• Flat mirror
• Convex mirror, suitable for panoramic mirrors
• De-icing mirrors

Most mirrors are flat, but convex mirrors can be used to increase the driver's field of vision. They can be mounted on panoramic mirrors. What's more, some rearview mirrors, especially on newer or higher-end cars, have a heating feature to defrost the glass, ensuring the driver's visibility in cold weather.

In any case, the rearview mirror is always adjustable. Adjustment can be manual or electric. The mirror can also be switched to night mode to prevent the driver from being dazzled by other cars' headlights.

What are the signs of wear on a rearview mirror?

A number of symptoms can indicate wear and tear on your mirrors:

• Darkening of the rearview mirror
• The presence of scratches or cracks on the rearview mirror

It's also possible for your rearview mirror to break completely, preventing you from seeing what's going on behind your vehicle. This can be caused by a quality defect in the selected part, an impact, an accident, etc.

How do I adjust my vehicle's side mirrors?

Side mirrors are located on both sides of the vehicle. Their function is to widen the driver's field of vision so that he or she can see to the rear. However, exterior mirrors need to be adjusted according to the morphology of the driver and the number of doors on the car.

For a 3-door car, the lower inner edge of each mirror should be oriented to see the rear wing of the car. Make sure the left and right mirrors are adjusted in the same way.

On a 5-door vehicle, the lower edge of the mirrors should be adjusted to view the rear door handle. The mirrors can be adjusted manually or electrically, depending on the vehicle model.

How do I replace a rearview mirror?

For road safety reasons, it's important to replace a damaged mirror. However, if the shell is not damaged, it's possible to replace only the mirror. However, make sure that the adjustment system is still working and that your new mirror is compatible with your existing one.

Step 1: Remove the old mirror

Once you've verified that your new mirror is compatible with your existing mirror, remove the old mirror. Use a screwdriver to pry the mirror out of its housing. Depending on the mirror's locking system, you may need to use a different method if there's a tab to pull.

Step 2: Connect the electrical connections

If your mirror is defrosting, you will need to disconnect its electrical connections: there are usually two wires. Again, this depends on your mirror: there may be more if it's equipped with turn signal repeaters, for example. Next, plug in the connectors for the new mirror.

Step 3: Install the new mirror

Clean the mirror area before installing the new mirror. Apply sealant, then glue the new mirror in place, making sure it doesn't touch the edge of the mirror. Finally, check the fit by gently tapping the edge of the mirror.

Now you know everything there is to know about rearview mirrors! As you can see, it's easy to replace the mirror yourself or glue it back in place if it moves. However, if the shell of the mirror is also damaged, you'll have to go to your local auto repair shop to replace the entire mirror.