Removing Silverado Mirror Caps

DanY · April 21, 2015

Does anyone have any hints on removing mirror caps from a 2015 Silverado?

Searches here and on Google hasn't helped.

I'm swapping my chrome caps for painted ones off of Ebay and would like to remove

them without breaking the clips. The Ebay seller provided a photocopy of the service

manual instructions which are totally useless. "Firmly grasp the mirror housing and pull

up and away to release the retaining clips" I had no luck with this so far.

SteveBBB · April 21, 2015

Here is a youtube video that my help. It's for 2007 to 2013, but I think they are the same.

DanY · April 21, 2015

Here is a youtube video that my help. It's for 2007 to 2013, but I think they are the same.

I found this video earlier, but the mirror caps for the 2015 seem to be different.

The 2013 caps have 3 tabs along the bottom edge which are not on the 2015 cap.

The 2015 cap has two clips located around the center line (top to bottom) of the cap

and 2 J shaped hooks a bit higher up.

I did try to pry up on the mirror cap from the bottom as shown in the video. The inboard

side of the cap seemed to go up some but the outboard side of the cap did not want to

move at all.

One of the de-chrome crowd must have removed these without damage.

05cyclone · April 21, 2015

I found this video earlier, but the mirror caps for the 2015 seem to be different.

The 2013 caps have 3 tabs along the bottom edge which are not on the 2015 cap.

The 2015 cap has two clips located around the center line (top to bottom) of the cap

and 2 J shaped hooks a bit higher up.

I did try to pry up on the mirror cap from the bottom as shown in the video. The inboard

side of the cap seemed to go up some but the outboard side of the cap did not want to

move at all.

One of the de-chrome crowd must have removed these without damage.

I tried everything I could not to break those two j hooks. In the end I was unable to remove the caps without breaking them off.

DanY · April 22, 2015

I tried everything I could not to break those two j hooks. In the end I was unable to remove the caps without breaking them off.

They came off last night. The J hooks survived but the little horizontal plate in the outside bottom corner is

gone and both pairs of barbed tabs are broken. I started by prying the cover up on the inboard side which

broke one pair of barbed hooks. They prying up on the outboard side which broke the other pair of barbed

hooks and the horizontal corner plate.

I really have no idea how you are supposed to remove these without breaking them. Maybe a total mirror

teardown is needed.

Anyone interested in some retainer damaged chrome caps? I think they could be installed with some double

sided tape of a couple of blobs of silicone RTV and would stay on fine.

GMC207 · September 8, 2015

I am having the same issue. My mirror caps came with instructions to "firmly grasp and lift up and out". Ya this isnt working and I know If I pull any harder something is going to snap.

Anyone have better instructions yet?

DanY · September 8, 2015

I am having the same issue. My mirror caps came with instructions to "firmly grasp and lift up and out". Ya this isnt working and I know If I pull any harder something is going to snap.

Anyone have better instructions yet?

I've had my eye open, but haven't seen any good instructions for removing the caps. My advice, just yank them off and let the clips break. If I ever get around to selling my chrome door handles, I'll just throw in the damaged caps for free if they want them. They can be re-installed using double sided tape.

GMC207 · September 8, 2015

Ya im about to that point. Something is going to break. Should I pry them off. I honestly can even get them off with just my hands, my whole entire mirror is literally going to come off with it.

DanY · September 8, 2015

Ya im about to that point. Something is going to break. Should I pry them off. I honestly can even get them off with just my hands, my whole entire mirror is literally going to come off with it.

I used a small flat blade screwdriver to get under the bottom outer corner and a cheap plastic bladed putty knife. Pry upward under the outer corner and the little triangular horizontal corner brace in the cap will snap off.

I think I then continued to pry upward. There are 2 pairs on prongs with a single barb on the end. These will also snap off when you pry upward. One pair of barbs on mine broke off completely and when I went to pull them out of the mirror body, I pushed them into the mirror, gone forever, but now rattles.

If you like PM me with your email and I can shoot you some pics this evening of the back of the mirror caps to show you where these parts are located. I don't have a web account to host pics from to post them here.

GMC207 · September 8, 2015

Got the chrome ones off. I doubt they can come off without cracking the 2 bottom clips. The trick i found was to wedge a credit card in and use a butter knife to pry those 2 lower clips first. I started the card on the outer corner and slip it across the bottom. It did come off but not without cracking the 2 clips even though I was easy with prying. Oh well, looks way better now.

p7m89mm · December 31, 2015

I used a small flat blade screwdriver to get under the bottom outer corner and a cheap plastic bladed putty knife. Pry upward under the outer corner and the little triangular horizontal corner brace in the cap will snap off.

I think I then continued to pry upward. There are 2 pairs on prongs with a single barb on the end. These will also snap off when you pry upward. One pair of barbs on mine broke off completely and when I went to pull them out of the mirror body, I pushed them into the mirror, gone forever, but now rattles.

If you like PM me with your email and I can shoot you some pics this evening of the back of the mirror caps to show you where these parts are located. I don't have a web account to host pics from to post them here.

Just did mine. Lost one broken clip inside. If I listen very very carefully I swear I hear a slight buzz. Did you mean to say "but now rattles" or "but no rattles". I have to think that many people lose the clips inside the mirror housing.

chuckl1218 · December 31, 2015

Yep, lost one small piece inside the mirror. The rest of the mirror cap clips all broke but stayed with the cap. I do not have a rattle though. There is a whole thread about this and everyone that responded had at least some that broke.

Badass69 · December 31, 2015

I used a regular old trim removal tool but found something interesting. I swapped skull caps and door handles with a buddies company truck as they were the same color. Both of my chrome originals broke the hooks off when I popped them off the truck. Oddly though neither of the painted ones broke anything at all when I removed them from the other truck. I think the chroming honestly makes the plastic more brittle or something.... who knows.