94xlt4x4
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- January 30, 2006
- Messages
- 324
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Southeast PA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2012 Limited 4x4 3.5L
Hey guys - just wanted to take a few minutes and confirm that yes, this swap does work.
I picked up my 4th Explorer, a 2004 Eddie Bauer 4.6 4x4, back in March and was disappointed that it still had the same small mirrors that my 2000 has. Especially after driving my F-150, I find them to be too small for the vehicle. I did some searching on here, but couldn't find a definitive yes/no/these parts work etc, so thought someone might find this helpful.
I ordered a set of heated power aftermarket mirrors for 06-10 Explorer (Kool-Vue FD100EL and FD100ER) from an eBay seller for around $160. I was a little skeptical of the quality because of the low price, but they don't vibrate while driving (even at 70+ MPH), and the power adjustment works just fine. They also bolted right up in place of the 04 mirrors I removed. Overall I'm pleased with them. You could try to find some 06-10 mirrors in a junkyard as well.
I didn't take any pics of the installation process - didn't think about posting until after they were already installed. There's a good video on how to remove the door panel here:
Once the panel is off, remove the small plastic cover sheet from the mirror bolts (just peel it back). Disconnect the wiring harnesses from the mirrors by pushing in the tab and pulling the connector off. Remove the (3) 11MM nuts from the existing mirror and pull off from the outside. I put a couple small strips of electrical tape inside my 11mm socket to keep from dropping the nuts down into the door.
Once the old mirror is out, installation is the same process in reverse. Slip the new mirror into place and tighten the nuts back down, reconnect the wiring harness, and put the cover and door panel back on. Easy peasy.
Once that's done, it should look something like this:
Last step is to take care of the mirror caps. The Kool-Vue mirrors come with both chrome and paintable caps. I opted to paint mine to match the truck since the chrome looked kind of goofy with the tan EB grille and bumper cover. I used Dupli-Color adhesion promoter/primer (3 coats), followed by 5 coats of Dupli-Color base coat. The color isn't a 100% perfect match, but it's very close.
Once dry, I'll wet sand and clear coat with Spraymax clear. The stuff is great and I highly recommend it for a nicer looking and longer lasting alternative to the Dupli-Color clear.
If I had used the chrome caps, it'd simply be a matter of snapping them into place and calling it good.
Hopefully this helps someone - especially as these trucks get a bit older and people want to spruce them up.
I picked up my 4th Explorer, a 2004 Eddie Bauer 4.6 4x4, back in March and was disappointed that it still had the same small mirrors that my 2000 has. Especially after driving my F-150, I find them to be too small for the vehicle. I did some searching on here, but couldn't find a definitive yes/no/these parts work etc, so thought someone might find this helpful.
I ordered a set of heated power aftermarket mirrors for 06-10 Explorer (Kool-Vue FD100EL and FD100ER) from an eBay seller for around $160. I was a little skeptical of the quality because of the low price, but they don't vibrate while driving (even at 70+ MPH), and the power adjustment works just fine. They also bolted right up in place of the 04 mirrors I removed. Overall I'm pleased with them. You could try to find some 06-10 mirrors in a junkyard as well.
I didn't take any pics of the installation process - didn't think about posting until after they were already installed. There's a good video on how to remove the door panel here:
Once the panel is off, remove the small plastic cover sheet from the mirror bolts (just peel it back). Disconnect the wiring harnesses from the mirrors by pushing in the tab and pulling the connector off. Remove the (3) 11MM nuts from the existing mirror and pull off from the outside. I put a couple small strips of electrical tape inside my 11mm socket to keep from dropping the nuts down into the door.
Once the old mirror is out, installation is the same process in reverse. Slip the new mirror into place and tighten the nuts back down, reconnect the wiring harness, and put the cover and door panel back on. Easy peasy.
Once that's done, it should look something like this:
Last step is to take care of the mirror caps. The Kool-Vue mirrors come with both chrome and paintable caps. I opted to paint mine to match the truck since the chrome looked kind of goofy with the tan EB grille and bumper cover. I used Dupli-Color adhesion promoter/primer (3 coats), followed by 5 coats of Dupli-Color base coat. The color isn't a 100% perfect match, but it's very close.
Once dry, I'll wet sand and clear coat with Spraymax clear. The stuff is great and I highly recommend it for a nicer looking and longer lasting alternative to the Dupli-Color clear.
If I had used the chrome caps, it'd simply be a matter of snapping them into place and calling it good.
Hopefully this helps someone - especially as these trucks get a bit older and people want to spruce them up.
