I had my passenger side view mirror stolen and when they ripped it out of the side view holder one of the wires got stripped. I am looking to find what goes on the wire so I can connect it to the new mirror I just bought.
2020 Sorento?
Don’t you have full coverage insurance?
Tester
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Yes, but my deductible is $500, which basically leaves me paying for it 100%. This is my first car and I didn’t know much about anything. I have now changed my insurance to have $50 deductible but its too late for them to cover the theft. I already purchased a new mirror and want to install it but I need to fix the one wire that is stripped and missing the connector. I just need to know what it is called so I can buy it and fix it myself.
Also, it is a 2018 sorento not 2020. That was a typo.
A stripped wire can be insulated with tape or shrink tubing.
If the connector inside the door is missing you may need to buy a door wiring harness.
Maybe a picture would better show what I am talking about
If you look close, the wires have something on the end of them to connect them to where they need to be. This is an older picture of when both of my mirrors were stolen a different time. This time the red wire is missing this connector piece, and I want to know where I can buy this to fix on my own. Thank you for the help.
You are installing a mirror glass, not a complete mirror.
The red wire is for the defrost/heated glass, you might be able to live without it.
It is a generic connector, you should be able to find a connector that will work in an assorted connector package.
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Why go through trouble and expense of a connector you may never disconnect again? Cut and splice with a crimp butt connector that’s waterproof after sealing with heat gun. You can probably buy one or two at a marine store parts counter. Or just use a wire nut and backfill with RTV. No need for originality here…
Tester
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There are no wires on the mirror glass to splice, there are two 1.5 mm spade connectors. A female connector to fit the pins on the mirror glass shouldn’t be difficult to find.
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To be fair, wire nuts can be used in automotive applications, provided that they are the right size and type, and that the connections are properly made and secured. I have owned several used cars which had the factory stereo replaced by an aftermarket unit, and usually the idiots who did the install cut off the factory molded plug(s) meaning that in order for me to put back a factory unit, I also needed to replace the original wiring harness from a junkyard.
I have done this without problem, using wire nuts which are the same size as the little gray ones, but they are colored black and have a copper spiral rather than the steel spiral used in standard wire nuts. After making the connections nice and tight, each one is individually wrapped with electrical tape to prevent it from coming loose. I have used this same technique to replace damaged pigtail connectors for engine/transmission sensors. None of these repairs have ever failed during the remaining life of the car.
Of course, I am just a DIYer working on my own vehicles. I cannot say if this would be an acceptable practice for a professional mechanic working on someone else’s vehicle as a business.
When you do this on your own vehicle you take the risk.
But when you tell someone else to do hack job on their vehicle, they take the risk.
Not you.
Tester
what you just described would certainly not “be an acceptable practice for a professional mechanic working on someone else’s vehicle as a business.”
Wire nuts . . . ?!
seriously . . . ?!
The only times I’ve ever seen that is when hacks had worked on the vehicle
What’s next?
zip ties instead of hose clamps on your radiator hoses . . . ?!
You guys are really something else. The OP is not a professional nor are most people here. Is the wire nut the best solution possible? Of course not. But most people don’t have the tools to do it perfectly. They can do a reasonable job that can outlast the life of the vehicle if you’re not a moron. The wire nut isn’t used to make the connection. The wires should be pre-twisted together. Then the nut is lightly screwed onto the connection as a cap. It prevents them from coming apart and helps seal the connection. The added RTV completes the seal. Wire nuts go wrong in ALL applications when they are used to make the mechanical connection. Used properly, they can do no harm. Just about anyone can make this fix for a couple bucks if done with the right process. Or they can spend time and money finding the original parts and tools to make a professional repair. I think a lot of people will opt for the former…
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Yes!
Some of us are professionals!
Not amateurs.
Tester
I looked it up and that is exactly what I need. Now I just need to find these spade connectors. thanks!