How to Install Tow Mirrors 1997-2003 Ford F-150

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In this video, we're going to show you installation of our option mirrors that have the turn signal upgrade. A lot of these generation Fords actually came pre-wired for a turn signal but they just didn't have the turn signal in the mirror. In this video, we show you how to install one with the signal. You'll need new mirrors from 1AAuto.com, Phillips screwdriver, and a 10mm deep socket with a ratchet.

All right, so let's go ahead and pull this panel off here. We're going to start with this upper trim panel. Just grab the top here, no tools required, and pop it right off. Over to your handle bezel right here. Then we're going to pull this power window switch right out of the door. Just grab right on the front section here with the tips of your fingers and pull straight up. It's going to pop up. You want to pull the panel forward and up. Let's go ahead and remove these connectors on the back, they're just pinch tabs. Put that aside.

We have a screw right here, and then there is one up on the upper left hand side of this panel. You want to remove these two here. No particular order. Now that we have these two screws out right here, the door panel simply lifts upwards and once this pull off the seal, it comes right off. On the inside of the door panel you're going to have a door lamp bulb. You basically just grab that, twist it, pops right out. Just go ahead once that bulb is removed, lift up on the door panel, pop that up. Set that aside.

You have one right here, one here, and one here. You have a total of three. They are 10mm, so you want to you a deep socket 10mm socket with a ratchet. Now if you'll notice, I just loosened the top nut, but I'm going to remove the two lower nuts. Careful when removing that so you don't drop that nut down inside the door. Go ahead and pull back the water shield here. You need to disconnect that mirror harness before you remove that from the door. Just a little quick connect clip here. Push that inside, and we can go ahead now and support this mirror while we pull that nut off. Pull that connector out of the door. Your mirror has now been removed.

Now that we have the mirror off the door, we're going to compare it. You see that this mirror here has the three wires on it for the power application. This one here is prewired for five. This is power with a turn signal prewired for it. You are supplied with installation instructions if your vehicle is not prewired for turn signals. It gives you all of the details.

Here's the front and back on this here to show you where to run these wires. You have power and ground, you have some scotch locks, and a couple anchoring lugs here for your ground. Just follow these instructions for your turn signal installation. We have the original replacement for a tow mirror, but we have the upgrade here for the LED turn signals. These are maintenance free application and do not need a replacement at all.

Let's go ahead and get these installed. Before you go ahead and install this, it does come with a plastic protector on the stud. Just pop that off, and it does expose the third nut down here. You just want to pull that off and put that aside for now. The other thing you do want to pay attention to, right where this wiring harness is, you're going to notice this triangular piece here, this molded plastic. You'll notice there is a notch in it right here. You want to make sure you install it into the door, that the wiring harness is in the notch, not outside of it like so. You'll pinch the wires and you'll ruin the mirror instantly.

We want to go ahead and drop that wire harness down inside the door here. Have one nut inside that socket ready to go. All you really need to do right now is just anchor one nut and chase it to the bottom just to hold that mirror onto the door. When we're discussing the difference between the three wire and the five wire application, as far as the three wire being the power and the five being the power with the turn signal, this truck actually has the five wire pre-wired into the harness. Just the back few mirrors did not have the turn signals.

All we have to do is basically find the connector inside the door, which pretty much drops right down. You can actually see the connector right here. I'm going to go ahead and reconnect this right here. It goes one way; hear it click together. Just tuck it inside and put your water shield back up.

You can use your ratchet here just to snug those up. Along the perimeter of this door you have some little tabs here. You're going to go ahead and put those right down inside the bottom holes in the door shell. Don't forget to hook up your door lamp bulb that goes right behind here. It just pushes in and twist locks right in. Just line up your door lock button here. Okay, that's all set.

We'll go ahead and do the reinstallation of the two screws right here. Next is the reinstallation of your switch. Okay, all those will snap right into place. Tuck that down inside. Don't forget to put that tab underneath. Snap that on. Okay, we'll put that last trim panel on.

Once you're all installed, go ahead and adjust the glass. Down here, this piece of glass here is actually manually adjusted. Just gently apply pressure to the direction that you want it into for your towing purposes. Go ahead and test that turn signal. Seems to be working just fine.

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