Cracked indicator lens? Eight pound part, ten minute job. Here is how to spot which fitment you have and the right way to swap it.
A cracked wing mirror indicator lens is a small job that catches people out because the part costs about eight pounds and the labour at a garage costs sixty. The lens is held in by either two screws or a pair of plastic clips. Once you know which, the swap is ten minutes.
First, work out what you have
Modern UK vehicles split into three indicator styles, all of which sit inside the wing mirror housing.
- Amber wedge lens, separate from the mirror cover. Held in by clips or a single screw. Most Vauxhall, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen vans.
- Clear lens with amber bulb behind it. Same fitment as above but the lens is colourless. Look for the bulb position when the indicator is off.
- Sequential LED strip moulded into the cover. Cannot be replaced separately. Whole cover comes off as one piece.
The two screw version
Open the door so you have access to the inner edge of the wing mirror cover. Two T15 or T20 Torx screws sit on the underside of the cover near where the lens meets the housing. Undo both. The lens lifts straight out. Pop the bulb out by twisting the holder a quarter turn anti clockwise. New bulb in, new lens on, screws back. Done.
The clip version
Same access, no screws. The lens has two plastic tabs on the inner edge. Slide a plastic trim tool between the lens and the housing on the rear edge. The first tab releases with a soft pop. Slide the lens forward to clear the front tab. Bulb swap if needed, then refit by sliding the front tab in first and clipping the rear.
If the lens cracked because of impact, fine. If it cracked because of UV degradation, the rubber seal between lens and housing is probably also baked hard. New lens kits sometimes ship with a fresh seal. If yours did not, run a thin bead of silicone gasket sealant along the seat before you press the new lens home. Otherwise the next rainstorm fills the bulb holder.
Bulb codes you will need
Most UK wing mirror indicators use a single capless bulb. Common codes:
- WY5W amber capless, twelve volt, five watt. Standard fit on most Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Vauxhall.
- PY21W with a bayonet base, twelve volt, twenty one watt. Found on some Ford and Mercedes models where the indicator is brighter for visibility.
- LED replacement. Possible but check your vehicle's bulb monitoring. Cars with bulb out warnings will throw a fault unless you fit a resistor in parallel or buy CANbus rated LEDs.
Stick on indicator covers
If the lens is cracked but the bulb is fine and you do not have time for the screws, a clear stick on protective film exists for emergency use. It is technically MOT advisory grade rather than fail, but it gets you to next week. Long term, fit the proper lens.
