The rearview mirror in my 2016 now slowly "droops" over time. I have to readjust it up at least once a week. Wondering if - as on old cars - there's a way to tighten the mount so that the mirror holds its position. Thanks!

 

There's definitely a way to fix it, but I don't know how. I had that problem when I got the car, it it was progressively getting worse, until the dealer tightened it (somehow). Interestingly, a brand new Kia Stinger I test drove had the exact same problem, which I wouldn't have noticed unless I had seen the issue with my own car.

 

On my 7th gen there is a small tork screw holding the mirror to the windshield. If after you disconnect the wiring harness to the mirror you remove that tork screw the morror should come down and then you might see how to tighten up the swivel. 8th gen cars should be pretty similar,

 

On my 2016, a Torx T-15 is what it takes to tighten it at the mount on the windshield.

Nothing had to be removed to tighten it up.

A regular or metric allen wrench will not work.

 

Based on EdOz's description of the problem I just re-entered the house after exploring my 2017 Max rear view mirror mounting for EdOz. If I understood RickSmith's comment correctly, then it is my opinion that the Allen-head screw has nothing to do with the droopy mirror. That screw just mounts the swivel ball "socket" arm to the metal mount adhered to the windshield glass. It looks like the mirror mfg. press-fit the ball into the socket. Either through mfg. defect, extremely often mirror adjustment by the driver, or severe pot-hole occurrences, the ball loosened up in its socket. I see no way to tighten the ball back up easily as there is no set-screw adjustment, and I looked 360 around that ball mount with an inspection mirror and strong light. Short of buying a new mirror including ball swivel mount (oh my!), I would try this:

Remove the mirror electrical connector, then mirror from the windshield mount, loosening that Allen-head screw mentioned in this thread. Once the mirror is off you might try carefully using a pliers-type of tool such as small vice-grips, small channel-lock pliers, etc. I would place a small piece of cloth between the pliers' teeth to limit scaring of the metal ball mount (your call) as you attempt to re-crimp the very end of the ball mount around the ball of the mirror. You may even have luck using a small metal c-clamp as a c-clamp might enable you to apply much more pressure than a pair of pliers.

As a very last resort, I had success many years ago adding a very small drop of blue, not red, thread-locker (Loc-Tite blue does not hold like Super Glue or red Loc-Tite) between where the ball and socket meet. Work the ball around a few times then let it set up in its normal driving position. Wipe up any spill immediately (the stuff comes out of the small tube very quickly) so no staining. You will not have to remove the mirror to do this trick. On second thought, over an old magazine or whatever, just stick the end of a tooth pick in a drop of the blue thread-locker and carefully place the wet point of the toothpick at the junction of the ball and its socket. You may want to apply in maybe three or four points around the ball. Once set (maybe a couple of hours?), the blue thread-locker should prevent easy slipping of the ball in its socket, but not enough where you can't apply some force to adjust the mirror. If this seems to tighten up the mirror ball, but not quite enough, just repeat the process. If more blue does not work well, go ahead and use the red thread-locker but expect a more semi-permanent bond. The vehicle I did this to was my cherished "now 24 year old C4 Corvette". The mirror is beginning to loosen up a bit after using the blue thread-locker over 15 years ago, and believe me, pot holes and expansion joints are less kind to C4 Corvette mirrors than they are to relatively "cushy" Maximas. Good luck with this, and let us know what you do, and how it worked out.

 

Thanks for the feedback & suggestions!

Before I attempt tightening, I'm going to call my local Nissan dealer and find out what's covered under warranty.

I also have to speak with them about noise and the belt tensioner (another thread), and...if both are still covered...then I'll have them take care of the problems.

If not, then it's back to me.

Cheers!

 

Why would you say "Before I attempt tightening, I'm going to call my local Nissan dealer and find out what's covered under warranty."? Don't you have a copy in your packet of books, normally in the glovebox?

If you don't have a copy, you can download one here:

https://owners.nissanusa.com/content...ty-booklet.pdf

You can find out what is covered and for how long.

 

I noticed that my mirror mount had some play in it, so I took a closer look with a flashlight & magnifying glass, and found a small screw. (Black on black makes it tough to see well, especially when one doesn't have a young person's hawk vision.)

The screw needs a screwdriver with a small, star-like cross-section: common to non-USA manufactured items, It's available at any good hardware store.

I snugged up the screw and...success. No more droop.

Hope this helps those of you who also have the problem.

 

Glad you got it fixed DIY. That screw mounts the ball arm to the window mount, not the ball to the mirror socket, so yeah, that's the way you fix that one when the screw backs out. I assume your drooping mirror was not a result of the ball getting loose in the socket?

 

Do you mean this...which was posted in post #4?

On my 2016, a Torx T-15 is what it takes to tighten it at the mount on the windshield.

Nothing had to be removed to tighten it up.

A regular or metric allen wrench will not work.

 

Yes. I had missed the reference to a Torx T-15. Thanks.

 

Thanks for this. I never managed to find that damn screw so I had it fixed under warranty.