Toyota 4Runner Mirrors

The ever-changing weather, rough road conditions, and daily driving circumstances can be harsh on your Toyota 4Runner mirror. Built to help you see blind spots and tailgating vehicles more efficiently, your SUV mirror wears out relatively faster than other automobile parts do. When damaged, the mirror would no longer be able to give you a clear visual of the road behind you. You're in for a little bit of troubleshooting if you notice any of the issues below in your Toyota 4Runner mirror:

Water spots

Washing your vehicle regularly may rid it off the nasty dirt and debris from daily driving. However, the water that you use contains mineral deposits that create unsightly spots on the mirror's surface. The water spots look like white, rounded dirt that won't come off even if you rub the mirror's surface with a cloth. What you need is a good automotive window cleaner and microfiber cloth in removing the stubborn spots. If the specks cannot be removed by simple wiping, use white vinegar and a steel wool pad to scrub gently the spots off the mirror.

Scratches

Scratches on the mirror's surface may not be as severe as an engine malfunction, but it's something that you still need to fix. The scratches can obscure your vision of the road. Moreover, they also look unsightly. Applying non-whitening toothpaste or jeweler's rouge usually helps in reducing the appearance of mirror scratches. You can also use a buffer to even out the mirror's surface. However, deeper and larger nicks may require a mirror replacement.

Retracting failure

Power mirrors are great for drivers who don't want to be bothered adjusting their automotive mirrors from the outside. However, power mirrors are known to have some problems, and one of those is a retracting issue. The hitch could be due to a loose wiring or a blown fuse. To check if there's any loose connector, you need to remove the mirror bolts from the inner-door panel. If you find any loose connection, take it off and securely attach it back to the assembly. If it's a fuse problem, replace the one that's damaged. However, if none of those things helps, the issue might be with the mirrors, which need to be replaced.

The Toyota 4Runner is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufactured and sold around the world since 1984. Like other Toyota vehicles, it has a high predicted reliability rating and comes with tons of safety features. This vehicle model also provides excellent off-road performance and top-notch handling that can rival other mid-size SUVs.

Although the Toyota 4Runner has a high reliability rating, it still needs proper maintenance to maintain its good running condition. Some of its parts and accessories may fail over time. If you don’t want them to lead into bigger problems down the road, make sure to replace them as soon as possible. One important component that you need to keep an eye on is the Toyota 4Runner mirror.

Mirrors play an important role in ensuring your safety while driving. But just like any other car component, they are susceptible to damage and deterioration. If you want to be able to rely on your mirrors when you are on the road, be sure to replace them when you notice the following signs of damage or failure:

Broken mirrors

Mirrors can easily break. They can get damaged from getting side-swiped by another vehicle or by hitting another object. If you have broken mirrors, it’s not advisable to drive your car as it can put your safety at risk. You need to eliminate blind spots while you are driving, which is the main function of your mirrors. Be sure to make the necessary replacement before you get back on the road.

Scratches and dents

Scratches and dents can keep you from seeing the reflection on your mirrors clearly. These kinds of damage, especially on your side mirrors, are often caused by flying road debris. Since you need full visibility of the areas around your vehicle to drive safely, it’s best to replace your damaged mirrors sooner rather than later.

Hard-to-adjust mirrors

Whether you have power mirrors or manually adjusted ones, you need to be able to move them at a certain angle to properly see the areas surrounding your vehicle. If your mirrors are stuck or difficult to adjust, it’s probably because of rusty internal components. You should immediately have these components checked by a professional mechanic when this happens to know if they require replacement or repairs.

Faulty heating function

Some mirrors are equipped with a heating system that prevents them from fogging up when the weather is cold. This is to make sure that you will have full visibility even when it is snowing or raining. If the heating system fails, you need to replace them immediately if you don’t want moisture or ice to get stuck on your mirrors.

You can typically get a Toyota 4Runner mirror for a price that falls anywhere between $3 and $113. Most aftermarket mirrors are sold as a single component or in sets of two. You also have plenty of choices when it comes to various features, such as auto-dimming, blind spot detection, built-in signal light, and more.

Looking for a specific Toyota 4Runner side view mirror replacement? Be sure to use our website’s filter bar to find the parts that you need without any hassle. If you need a 2017 Toyota 4Runner side mirror replacement, for example, just provide your vehicle’s year, make, and model to narrow down the search results to applicable components.

Use gentle automotive glass cleaner on the mirrors.

Auto glass cleaners usually contain harsh chemicals that could damage the mirrors' surface. Before purchasing a commercial cleaner for your mirrors, check first the ingredients. Anything that contains ammonia or alcohol should be avoided at all costs-those components can trigger a chemical reaction on your SUV's mirrors, making them brittle. The backing could peel off, leaving you with unsightly marks across the mirrors' surface. You can actually save money from purchasing cleaning products by using staples from your kitchen. Vinegar mixed with water works well in cleaning the mirror's surface and in removing stubborn water spots.

Do a regular visual inspection for scratches and water spots.

Your SUV's automotive mirrors are constantly exposed to various environmental elements. Rock chips and other sharp objects on the road could nick the mirrors' surface and cause nasty scratches. Additionally, rainwater could leave traces of minerals on the mirrors-this creates the annoying water spots, which are often difficult to remove even with regular cleaning.

Check the electrical connections in the assembly.

The electrical wirings are essential to keeping your power mirrors in working condition. When one of these wirings has become loose, your mirrors might not retract or heat up properly. Always check the connections if they are intact. If any of the wirings has become loose, reconnect the wiring securely.

Don't forget to clean the crannies of the mirror assembly.

You might not notice it right away while cleaning your vehicle, but dirt accumulates in the recesses of a mirror assembly. When dirt builds up on the crannies, you might have a difficult time adjusting your mirrors. This is true for both manually operated and power mirrors. To remove stuck-on dirt, use a soft-bristled brush to scrub the dirt off gently.

The Toyota 4Runner is one of the most popular Japanese SUVs in the market today since it was launched back in 1984. Driving this huge vehicle is easy, but you need to make sure that all parts are working perfectly and that includes your mirrors. Old mirrors that are adjusted manually are easy to troubleshoot, but newer models are now equipped with electric mirrors and they come with their own set of problems. Troubleshooting Toyota 4Runner mirrors is pretty easy, so just go through our short guide and find out how.

Blown fuse

You can easily adjust both side mirrors from the driver's side thanks to a couple of switches on the armrest. But once they develop problems, then you might have to adjust both mirrors manually until you get them fixed. Other features like automatic heating and dimming mirrors can be narrowed down to electric problems as well. If none of the switches for your mirrors are working, then the first thing that you should check would be the fuse box. A blown out fuse is quite easy to replace, so go through your manual and find the one for your side mirrors. If your mirrors still aren't working, then you might have a loose connection and would need to open the housing itself.

Loose wiring

Your vehicle's mirrors simply won't work if they've got a bad connection. Check your mirror's wiring for voltage using a multimeter or a test light to rule out any other problems. If there is no voltage coming from your wires, then you probably have a loose wire somewhere and would simply need to patch it up. If there's voltage coming through your wires, then your mirror housing might be broken and you'll have to replace it instead. Your vehicle's manual would have a diagram for identifying your mirror's wiring so you could perform this test correctly.

Unfortunately, most mirror assemblies are sealed units and cannot be repaired. You can ask a mechanic to make a thorough check of your mirror assembly before you consider getting a replacement. Installing replacement Toyota 4Runner mirrors is pretty easy and you could do it at home on your own.

Cleaning chrome mirrors

Some owners opt for chrome mirrors, and they can get dirty fast if you don't clean them regularly. A quick and easy way to keep your chrome mirrors nice and shiny would be to use some household items like white vinegar or alcohol. Begin by washing your mirrors normally with car shampoo or dishwashing liquid, but instead of drying it off after the rinse, you'd want to rub it with vinegar or alcohol first. This will remove all traces of car shampoo or dishwashing liquid from the chrome mirror, allowing you to polish it to a nice shine.

Scratched mirrors

You really can't avoid damaging your side mirrors, even if you're very careful while driving. Your side mirrors extend outward from your vehicle and are quite prone to getting hit by debris and other objects. If you find a small scratch, you could actually buff it out using some toothpaste or jeweler's rouge. Unfortunately, bigger scratches can't be fixed and you'll have to replace your mirror entirely.

Drying up with newspaper

The key to cleaning your mirrors is to dry them up completely after washing in order to prevent spots and streaks from forming. Apart from using micro fiber or lint-free cloth, you can actually use newspaper to wipe, dry, and even polish your side mirrors. You can also fold the newspaper up to get into the tiniest corners of your mirrors where dirt get trapped and fester.