How do you replace the whole side view mirror assembly on a 2003 Dodge Caravan?

Answer 1

I have a 2003 Town & Country, so I assume it would be the same for the Caravan. There is a plastic cover on the mirror itself that has to be pryed up and out to access three large screws that hold the mirror to the body. Once the cover is off the top two screws are visible, and then you have to open the door to see the third one at the bottom of the mirror mount. They are TORX [star] head screws, # 25 I believe [definitely].

The hard part is accessing the wire that feeds into the van. You have to remove the A-pillar trim, [this is the plastic cover that runs diagonal from the dash up to the roof on the inside along door edge] ( dig under the rubber door seal and it pops off, out and upward, no screws; you can use your fingers), then pop off the dash/speaker cover. [Once the A-pillar trim is off, you can lift the dashboard cover off no problem. Do not try to pop the dashboard cover off without rooming the side / A-pillar trim, otherwise you will crack the dashcover :-( ]. I was able to pull up just the driver's side of this cover to access the wiring harness that wraps around the left side dash speaker and plugs into a main wiring harness on the right side of the speaker. [You do not have to take off any coverings off the lower section.]

You will find that the wire looms around the speaker and clips into a clip on the left side of the speaker, then wraps around to the right side and into the plug. The plug may be wrapped with a foam cover [it is], but I was able to sneak a flat blade scewdriver in and depress [definitely a press, not a lift like other connector clips] the 'clip' on the side of the connector plug, to release it from the female side of the plug on the main harness.

[For me, I connected a piece of spare wire ( you could use a string ) to the mirror wire before I pulled it out to use as a snake to pull the new wire through -- at this point you'll understand what I mean...] Pull the mirror and cable out of the holes in the body, and feed the new wire back through the holes in the body and set one screw (loosely) to hold the replacement mirror while you hook up the wire inside.

From there it's just a matter of fishing the wire of the replacement mirror through the holes in the body, snake the wire back around the speaker and plug it in to the female side of the plug on the main harness, then set the 3 screws on the outside of the mirror back into the body. Snap the triangular cover back over the mirror mounting base, and then re-install the A-pillar and dash speaker cover after you test the mirror adjustments. Putting the replacement back on will be more intuitive once you have removed the exiting one.

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I just replaced the passenger side mirror on a 2002 Town&Country.

• Remove the old mirror as described above.
• There's a small panel on the side, approximately at the same level with the glovebox. You have to open the door to get access to it. It has three catches - one at the bottom and two at the top. Pop it off.
• Using a flat bladed screwdriver, carefully pry up the panel that covers the speakers at the top of the dashboard. This is NOT the small panel that covers the speaker itself, but rather the large panel that stretches all the way across the dashboard. Pop it up enough to get your hand underneath it. It catches with some spring posts, so you won't break it.
• Reach up thru the access panel with your right hand and identify the mirror cable. Follow it to the plug, which is attached to the metal dash housing. At the same time, reach under the speaker panel with your left hand so both your hands can reach the plug.
• With a fingertip on your right hand, press down on the clip on the plug and pull with your right hand. The plug will come apart
• Put it back together. Done!

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I used the first answer above to replace the driver's side mirror on my 2007 Caravan. I am so happy! I have been looking all over trying to figure out how to connect the wires under the dashboard. Once you pop off the A-pillar trim on each side, the speaker cover lifts right off. The dealer wanted $165 for a new mirror. I ordered one on the internet for $30 and spent about $10 on a torx T27 driver and fixed it myself. I had my daughter pull the old wire from outside the door so I could see which one to unplug and she helped me fish the new one through the hole in the body and wa-la, working mirror again. Hallelujah!