Rear View Mirror fell off today after hitting a small bump. WTF?

[romnation]

I was driving down the road today in my 135i and hit a small bump and my rear view mirror and mount completely fell down off the windshield. It looks like it was just glued on there. Is this how the mirror is normally installed from the factory? Or is this possibly an aftermarket windshield?

Pics:

View post on imgur.com

It looks like hardly any glue was used, and when it fell it actually took out a chunk of glass with it. If you look closely in pic 2 you can see said piece of glass stuck to the metal circle.

What is the best route to go about fixing this? Also in the last pic there is another little circuit board piece that fell down that also has glue all over it. Where does this reattach at and what purpose does it serve? Is this possibly the "condensation sensor" I've heard about some cars having?

[champignon]

Originally Posted by romnation

I was driving down the road today in my 135i and hit a small bump and my rear view mirror and mount completely fell down off the windshield. It looks like it was just glued on there. Is this how the mirror is normally installed from the factory? Or is this possibly an aftermarket windshield?


It looks like hardly any glue was used, and when it fell it actually took out a chunk of glass with it. If you look closely in pic 2 you can see said piece of glass stuck to the metal circle.

What is the best route to go about fixing this? Also in the last pic there is another little circuit board piece that fell down that also has glue all over it. Where does this reattach at and what purpose does it serve?

Just guessing, but wondering if this is a windshield that was replaced by a former owner, using generic glass and installed by some clownish operation like Safelite, or one of the cheap windshield repair and replacement outfits preferred by an insurance company?

Something is not right; it's either the result of some sort of dodgy repair, or something else that happened to the car after it was manufactured.

[romnation]

Originally Posted by champignon

Just guessing, but wondering if this is a windshield that was replaced by a former owner, using generic glass and installed by some clownish operation like Safelite, or one of the cheap windshield repair and replacement outfits preferred by an insurance company?

Something is not right; it's either the result of some sort of dodgy repair, or something else that happened to the car after it was manufactured.

Not only did it take the chunk out, but it also left about a 6" line crack leading down from where the chunk came out that is visible from the outside. I'll take a pic later once I'm home. Beyond pissed now.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by romnation

Not only did it take the chunk out, but it also left about a 6" line crack leading down from where the chunk came out that is visible from the outside. I'll take a pic later once I'm home. Beyond pissed now.

Of course, all of this is supposition.

Having bought a number of used cars over time, every one of them had at least one unexpected expense after I bought it :-) I usually budget around $3000 for this every time I buy a used car.

You might be able to get your car insurance company pay for the windshield replacement, after any deductible you might have.

[Ufamizm]

Highjacking an old thread:

My mirror fell off after hitting a sizable pothole. There's no adhesive on the glass or on this bracket. I CANNOT find the original part anywhere, and it seems like the only part I can find from BMW is quite a bit different than the piece on my car. Is it supposed to be shiny? or is that BMWs way of applying this piece? the metal looks too rough to be able to adhere to glass though. Anyone else have to deal with anything similar?