Anyone know how to do this properly without damaging the mirror or the shell itself?

 

Try prising them out with a credit card, easing them on all four sides where there is a small gap.

Be careful though there are come delicate clips behind from what I remember.

 

I'm wondering about this too as I'd like to install new shells with carbon fiber overlay. Do you know where the mounting tabs are? Also, anyone know the correct Volvo part numbers for the shells?

 

Will take a couple photos of the OEM cap tabs and provide a few tips for removal later today, so hold on.

 

I believe the proper process involves removing the mirror glass first which gives you internal access to the clips. You just have to be very careful. Many mirrors are attached differently; some are press-fit and just pop off while others require rotating a locking collar.

 

I've never taken 1 off, but I have installed new ones due to being impacted and popping off. Don't believe there is access from the glass area, but u can try just you risk breaking the mirror glass tabs, the glass is meant to be installed but not removed. To install a cover I line the front of the cover and snap in the top section in, would assume to remove just use a plastic panel tool to pop out the top of the cover and slide out..

 

Nope. The tabs are on the lower front leading edge (4 IIRC). Wait for photos...

 

There are 5 tabs along the bottom leading edge as seen in the photos. As you can see, they are not very substantial nor particularly robust looking.

The thin top rear edge just fits into a slot in the black frame surrounding the mirror. The slot gets tighter and tighter the farther you push the mirror cap edge into it, which from my recollection made it impossible to pry out using one of those interior trim plastic tools (it just kept slipping since the gap between the shell and the surround is pretty shallow, so no real good purchase).

I started by pushing inwards on the cap nearest the door glass, closest where the cap meets the housing to release that tab and pried up from there. Then worked my way along the bottom edge towards the tip until I could pull the whole bottom edge up and then pull the entire cap forward to get the top trailing edge out of the mirror surround slot. It was the opposite to install...fit the tabs in the slots and then force the entire cap trailing edge downwards until I could line it up into the slot.

Frankly, I think the odds of breaking a tab is 50/50. I got one out w/o breaking a tab, while on the other cap, I broke the innermost tab (or it was already broken, who knows).

I almost gave up on the first go because it seemed like there was no way these caps were coming off. Not until I decided that if they broke they broke, was I successful. Maybe the factory has some 100% successful way of removal, but to me it is a hit or miss thing.

Hope the photos help.

 

Thanks for posting, XJRS. Looks like it's pretty easy to break the tabs. They look a bit delicate.

 

I think the answer to this is the same as the punchline to that old joke about making love in a canoe.