Al Tan

I have a 2004 Chevy Express with full view side view mirrors heated & movable. Just bought a 2013 Chevy Express with dual view mirrors and can't stand them. (I am 6' 8" tall and see two different images) They stopped making full view mirrors in 2007 and switched to dual view mirrors on 2008 vans and up.

I want the mirrors to act just like my 2004 van which I am keeping. Can I easily remove the entire 2013 dual view mirror assembly and replace it with a 2007 full view mirror? If I lost the heated feature it is not a problem but I need the electric side to side and up and down adjustments to work.

Any suggestions?

Idea 1.
I was thinking that I might just be able to buy a full size mirror glass and attach it over the dual view mirrors (or remove the dual mirrors first and attach it to the original housing. Not sure how that would work and still be adjustable.

Idea 2. I believe that mirrors for an 2007 van (last year with single glass mirror) will fit but not sure about electrical connections

Thanks so much for any assistance you can offer!

Big Al

canucklehead

Yes. They suck *****. I have a 13 and I hate them. What you need to do is buy a round convex stick on mirror and put it on the upper right corner of the top pc. Then set that top section to see down the side of the van. The convex stick on will give you the blind spot vision you need, and the useless rectangle lower convex you crank down so you can see your rear tires. That I use for parking to see the white line and to not rub my wheels on the curb.

As for swapping, yes you can purchase a set of early style power heated mirrors on Ebay. However I am not 100% posetive they line up perfect on the outside door frame.
Maybe someone out there has doen this and they will chime in.
The connector for power may be different or if not the pin layout for the wires may be different. You will have to see.

I am finding that the stick on mirror hack works for me, and is the easiest cheapest solution.

Al Tan

Hi canucklehead

Thanks for the information about the mirror; however, my problem is not about having a blind spot. I have a 2004 Express Van with a full glass mirror and have never had a problem seeing anything. My problem is that no matter how I adjust the bottom mirror I always see the car next to me in two different positions so I am not sure where the car in the lane next to me is. I have tried tilting the mirror down as you suggested however it doesn't help me from seeing double images. The other issue is that it would be difficult to get accustomed to using the split view mirror when my other van has a full view mirror.

I am not sure if my height makes the difference or not in how I see the images. Another problem is that I am 6'8" and my wife is 5'2" so we are constantly changing the mirrors.
My best bet is to try to get a full view mirror to replace the split view. I just need to know the best way to do it.

The reason I am trying to figure this out is because a GM dealer wants $529 to do the work if I supply the mirrors. They want $110 to verify that an 07 mirror (last year they made a full view) will fit. An additional $197 to install a mirror on each side plus $25 in Shop supplies.

canucklehead

Installing the mirrors is super easy.
Just pull off the inside cover pc. Its just clips. That exposes the 3 bolts. You can find vidoes on youtube i'm sure.
I had a 2002 before my new van, so i know exactly what you are talking about. I admit that I am getting used to the splits with my stick on mirror for the blind spot. Give it a try. The stick on mirrors are cheap.
Aftermarket 2007 mirrors are less than 150 bucks for a pair on ebay. Forget the dealer.
As for your height diff. Changing the driver seat height (do you have power seats?) should be enough to make it so you don't have to change the passenger mirror.....

Artie1

$529 to install mirrors? Come over to me I will do it for $1. You pull the little cover, and then you only need to remove 3 little nuts with a 10mm socket and it takes about 3 minutes of time on each door.
A pair of basic mirrors cost $50 free shipping. Folding Manual Mirrors Pair Set Left LH & Right RH for 03-07 Savana Express | eBay. They were even $7 cheaper last month when I bought them.
Powered heated ones are only $93 - Right+Left Side New Set of 2 Mirror Heated Power Van Chevy Textured Black Pair | eBay.
They align perfectly and are the same quality as factory.

Artie1

Yes the mirrors are intercompatible since 1996-2016. Connector hasn't changed.

Al Tan

Just wanted to give a few more details about my mirror problem. I have seen the videos about replacing the mirrors and it appears that bolting the mirrors to the van is a straight forward replacement. My problem is that the 2013 is a fancy conversion van. The mirror housing is painted the same color as the van and they also have the directional flashing light. I am not sure if the electrical connection is the same because the replacement mirrors do not have the directional feature and have the traditional black textured paint. I would like to keep original look of the mirror housing with directional signals but don't think that is possible. Not a major problem with black housing and no directional light.

My perfect solution would be to leave the existing 2013 mirror housing on the van, remove the split mirror guts from the housing and replace with the full view mirror guts. (Not sure if this is at all possible)

What I think has to happen is that I will remove the 2013 mirror and install the 2007 full mirror that I have purchased. I am pretty sure it will bolt on easily. The problem is the the electrical connector. The original connection in the van has power for the directional light while the full view replacement mirror does not have that feature.

Does anyone know if the electrical connection is the exact same connector or what do I have to do to rewire the connector so it works properly?

Thanks for your help

Artie1

I attached the system diagram for 2013. I also checked the 2003 one and it is the same.. The good thing is that the van doors are pre-wired the same, so if you're upgrading a manual mirror to a powered heated turn signal mirror, there is already a connector in the door waiting for you to plug it in.
The $93 replacement set I gave you a link to has the turn signals. Either way, any will fit.
As of your painted cover and disassembly of the mirror, here you'll have to figure out. The housing may or may not be different, who knows how GM did it.

Wallyworld

I just purchased a 2017 Savana 3500 for my plumbing business. My previous vehicle was a 1996 Chevy 2500 Express. I loved the one piece side mirrors on my '96, and I absolutely despise the split side mirrors on my 2017. Did you find a solution to the mirror issues you were having with your mirrors? My mirrors are manual mirrors.

Artie1

See post #5 in this thread. $50 fixes your problem, they're OEM quality.