450 Mirror Too Low
Difficulty
Credit
Evilution
Cost
£20
For
Old Style 600cc For2
Old Style 700cc For2
Old Style 700cc For2
450 Mirror Too Low
Options for the Rear View mirror on the Mk7 Smart which sits far too low
Options for the Rear View mirror on the Mk7 Smart which sits far too low
So low, in fact, I considered it dangerous, a great expanse of the windscreen was obscured
which became more evident when you are driving along a motorway or an 'A' road and
people are coming on from slip roads and you just couldn't see them.
I calculated you would have to be about 5 feet tall to see safely under it so
short of removing a section of my own torso it had to be replaced ASAP.
What Solutions Are Available?
The original one is easy to remove, hold the main stem and twist anticlockwise
a quarter of a turn and the the entire mirror will be loose in your hand.
You now have a choice: you can cut a section out of the stem and glue the 2 sections together, replace it with a 3rd party mirror, or buy an adapter for the standard mirror.
Fix #1
If you choose the replacement, then off to Halfords.
Most Halfords stores will stock a few kinds of rear view mirror, they either
stick to the windscreen or use a sucker with twist base to secure.
Don't be tempted to superglue the new mirror to the windscreen. Superglue will damage
the glass and because it expands at a different rate to the glass, can cause it to crack.
I chose a very small suction mirror, initially designed for checking the kids in the
back seat. As the glass isn't flat the view can take a bit of getting used to but
being able to see out the front is a welcome change.
Fix #2
David Braybrook gave me the name of a German company/person selling smart parts,
one of which was an adapter to make the standard rear view mirror sit a little higher.
The adapter is available in either brushed or polished finish - below is the brushed version.
Doesn't look much, does it? However, it really works, looks great and is simple to install.
Installation
Remove the standard mirror as described above.
You should be left with the fixing bracket onto which the adapter will be attached.
Using a T20 bit remove the screw from the middle of the bracket. The original
bracket should stay in place as the new section interfaces with it.
Put the adapter together, and screw it into place. It has ridges inside
so that it is held in place by the bracket and doesn't move about.
In place, it looks a lot neater than the bracket that was left behind by fix #1.
Remove the standard mirror from the plastic 'arm' by giving it a good yank or bending
it backwards. Then push it onto the ball joint of the adapter, and hey presto!
n.b. the German instructions advise you to dab water on the ball and NOT to coat the
ball with grease before pushing the mirror on (thanks matt001)
This is the view from behind, you can see how much closer to the roof (and therefore out
of your way) it is. The only drawback is that you can't see as far behind you because the
high level brake light enclosure dips down in the rear window.
Job done!
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