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Friday, September 29, 2017

Fiat 500X Mirror Covers Install How To

Fiat 500X Mirror Cover Install

This article is the second part in a series of posts where we show how we installed several Mopar accessories onto our Fiat 500X. The subject of today's story is installing 500X Mopar mirror covers that can be purchased at your Fiat dealer or online on the Mopar website.

Read part one here:

Mopar is the parts and accessories division of FCA and has an extensive catalog of accessories to customize your Fiat. From mild to wild, Mopar has something for you. Some of the benefits of using Mopar accessories is their testing of the products to original equipment standards, their excellent fit and finish, plus long warranty.*

We chose several Mopar accessories to customize and accent some of the design features of our car. The Euro-chic Fiat 500X can be configured in numerous ways, from sophisticated urban cruiser to athletic offroader. The accessories we picked complement the sporty look of our 500X Trekking:

  • 500X Red Body Side Moldings, Part Number: 68263342AA, Suggested Retail: $260
  • 500X Red Mirror Covers, Part Number: 68280278AA, Suggested Retail: $105
  • 500X Bodyside Graphics, Part Number: 82214955, Suggested Retail: $165


Below we offer our insights and tips on how we installed the Mopar Mirror Covers onto our 500X. Make sure you visit the Fiat 500X DIY forum to ask questions.

Installing Fiat 500X Mopar Mirror Covers


500X Red Hypnotique Mirror Covers

FIAT 500X Red Hypnotique Mirror Caps, Part Number: 68280278AA


Installing the Fiat 500X Mirror Covers isn't difficult, but can be a little tedious if you don't want to break any clips if you intend to reuse the old covers. Installation difficulty rated on a scale of 1 thru 5 would be a 2 and a half.

Fiat 500X Mirror Covers

This is the kind of operation you probably need to do a few times to get good at. The main issue is you cannot see the clips and there is some prying needed to snap the covers off. I'll show you where and how I got mine off. My covers can be reused but there was a secondary locating tab that broke off on one of them. As there are numerous clips and tabs, the missing one wouldn't prevent me from reusing the cover if I desired. **

FIAT 500X Mirror Cover Kit

This is what you get in the box. Two covers and installation instructions. Being a Mopar accessory, the mirror covers offer original equipment quality and fit.

FIAT 500X Mirror Cover Instructions

500X Mirror Cover Instructions 2

You can tell the covers are authentic because the installation sheet is in Italian with a shaky English translation!  They are basic and mention using a special Mopar trim tool and the location of the main clips that hold the mirror on.

Trim Stick used to remove mirrors

The tool number is FIAT 1878077000 or in NAFTA corresponds to Mopar C-4755. It is a thin trim stick used for prying off trim. The above tool is a similar design and can be found at any auto parts store.



Fiat 500X Mirror Cover Back

Here is the back side of the new mirror cover. This is the passenger side (right hand) cover. Note the 4 major attachment clips marked in red and the locating tabs marked in yellow and how they correspond to their location on the mirror housing below.

Fiat 500X Mirror Housing

The Fiat 500X passenger side mirror assembly without the mirror cover attached. The red arrows are the location of where the attachment clips go that hold the mirror cover on and the yellow arrows are where the locating tab slots are. Refer to this picture when you are prying the cover off.


Fiat 500X Passenger Mirror Cover

I started on the top inside portion of the mirror cover that faces the window. On the passenger side I was able to pull the cover away from the mirror housing with my fingers due to the cover being previously damaged. On the driver's side, you will see I used an old credit card/hotel key to pry the cover off of the mirror housing.

Fiat 500X Mirror Cover Slot

Another shot of the passenger mirror cover coming off. Note the cutout that allows you to use a thin trim stick or plastic card to pry the cover away from the mirror housing.

Fiat 500X Mirror Cover Attachment Clip

Looking inside the mirror assembly, this is the bottom attachment clip holding the mirror cover to the mirror housing.

Mirror Housing with cover removed

The 500X mirror housing with the cover off.  Unlike Fiat 500 hatch and Cabrio models, you cannot access the attachment clips by removing the mirror glass.

Close up of mirror attachment point

Note the location of the bottom attachment point that holds the cover on.  It is at the beginning of the mirror assembly's built in turn signal. There is a beveled edge on the mirror cover that will allow you to stick a thin trim stick or other object into the opening so you can release the clip.

Removing drivers mirror cover step 1

Here I'm working on the driver's side mirror.  Starting at the upper corner facing the window,  I use a handy Fiat USA e-store card to wedge in and pry the cover away from the housing.

Removing drivers mirror cover step 2

I ran the card down the cover on the side of where the drivers front door glass is. This will give me a small space at the bottom corner so I can use my fingers to pull the cover away from the housing.



Removing drivers mirror cover step 3


The yellow dot marks the approximate location of a locating tab.  I worked my fingers in and pulled on the cover straight towards the window to remove the locating tab out of its receptacle.  Refer to the housing picture above with the yellow and red arrows.  Remember the yellow marks are locating tabs the just fit into a hole.  The red marks are attachment clips that have to be disengaged either by prying with a trim stick or by pulling up on the mirror cover with a tug.


Removing drivers mirror cover step 4

Working my way around the front, release the locating tab on the left  side of the picture  designated by the yellow dot.  Note the red dot above where my fourth finger is.  That is approximately where the bottom attachment clip is that holds the mirror cover on. The mirror cover has a beveled edge in that location that allows you to get in there with a thin trim stick device to release the clip. Releasing this clip now will make the rest of the operation easier.


Removing drivers mirror cover step 5

Once most of the mirror cover was lose I went back to the top, working my fingers in and gave the mirror cover a tug and unhooked the top part of the cover.

500X Mirror Cover upper clips


These are the location of the two upper attachment clips that I just disengaged. Note: If you are having difficulty pulling the top of the cover off, try releasing the second bottom attachment clip shown below and then go back to working on the top.


Removing drivers mirror cover step 6

Using an old hotel key/card I pried the lower part of the cover off. I layed down some tape to protect the finish of the mirror housing/turn signal lens and old cover. The red dot marks the approximate location of the second bottom attachment clip.  The yellow dots are the locating tabs. Carefully so you don't damage the turn signal lens,  push a thin trim stick or card up until you can push the attachment clip up and disengage it from the housing, To get more room, you may need pry on the cover near the yellow locating tab on the left in the picture.

Pulling off cover

A couple of shots of the mirror cover coming off.

Inside mirror cover

I took the mirror off from the top.  The hard part is done!

Fitting 500X Mirror Covers

Putting the mirror covers on is easy.  Place the mirror onto the housing assembly, aligning the locating tabs.

Installing 500X Mirror Covers

Because the Mopar mirror cover is an original equipment piece the fit is perfect.

Pushing mirror cover on

Firmly push the mirror cover onto the housing. Because of the fit, the cover should snap on easily.

Fiat 500X Drivers Mirror Cover

Take your hand and go all around the cover to make sure there are no gaps between the cover and the mirror housing. That's it!

Fiat 500X with Mopar Accessories

Admire the new look your car has.

===========

Fiat 500X with Mopar Side Stripe

Next up in this series of articles will be installing the Fiat 500X Lower Body Side Stripe. You do not want to miss that!







*Contact your dealer or check the Mopar website for warranty details.

Disclaimer: This is how I installed the mirror caps on my Fiat 500X and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes. If you have any doubts on you ability to perform this work or have any issues, I recommend having it done by a professional. I am not responsible for any issues arriving from you reading this post. Use at your own risk.

**Update:

Here is an alternate way a reader posted that may be easier. Thanks for the tip!

"Fred said...
First of all, thank you very much for posting these instructions, the photos and the details are very useful. That said, here's a tip of someone who just used your instructions to go a different way: Start at the bottom.

Just go there and push with your fingers a little bit and you'll notice there's a 'soft spot' that you won't find in any other part of the cover. Once you push on the spot and then pull the cover from that bottom [center] clip, you can start working your way up, balancing the work between left and right. It's faster and I did it without breaking any of the clips, not even the small one at the corner."

Come installare gusci calotte specchietti Fiat 500X


Mirror covers provided courtesy of Mopar

Friday, September 22, 2017

Fiat 500X Mopar Side Moldings Install

Fiat 500X before and after

You picked out and configured your Fiat 500X just the way you wanted and brought it home thinking you are done personalizing it. Well, not so fast! Mopar, the parts, and accessories division of FCA offers more than 100 accessories to customize your car further. Owning a Fiat, after all, is about fun, style and driving something the opposite ordinary.

With that in mind, we looked through the Mopar online catalog to see how we can spice up our faithful 500X we purchased a few years back. Our Bianco 500X Trekking has a black interior with red accents, so we decided on a few tasteful exterior accessories that picked up on the red interior accents. As we like to encourage people to try their hand at personalizing their car, Mopar obliged and sent us the following accessories.

  • 500X Red Body Side Moldings, Part Number: 68263342AA, Suggested Retail: $260
  • 500X Red Mirror Covers, Part Number: 68280278AA, Suggested Retail: $105
  • 500X Bodyside Graphics, Part Number: 82214955, Suggested Retail: $165


All these items are available for purchase at your local dealer or online on the Mopar website and can be installed by a do-it-yourselfer who has some patience. An important thing to remember about Mopar accessories is they have the same fit and finish as factory parts and carry a 24 month/unlimited mileage guarantee.* They function and fit like OEM parts because they undergo the same testing as the parts on your car. These aren't knockoffs and are the real deal.

The object of this Fiat How-To article will be to go over how we installed these accessories and to offer our insights and tips. Because there are several items, we will post three separate articles in the interest of space and go into greater detail. Don't forget to follow the link to the forum to ask questions.


500X Mopar Lower Body Side Moulding

Installing The Fiat 500X 
Mopar Body Side Molding Kit

The Fiat 500X features a lower body side moulding with a spear-shaped accent. To show off this shape, Mopar offers a variety of different colors to personalize your 500X. We chose a red accent to go with the red accents in the interior.

Installation difficulty rated on a scale of 1 thru 5 would be a solid 1 or maybe a 2 if you are new to using adhesive tape. Figure an hour or so to complete this job. As with anything attached to a car with adhesives, you need to make sure the surface is clean, and the temperature is within the range specified in the instructions - in this case 65° F / 18° C. Hold off attempting this if the location you are working at is too cold or you will have issues down the road with the adhesive failing.


500X Mopar Body Side Moulding Supplies
Here is what you will need: Silicone Adhesive, Grease and Wax Remover, Lint Free Towels, Gloves and the supplied adhesion enhancer.  There is an additional adhesion promoter/plastic primer that is listed in the instructions, but I've had good luck with the above silicone adhesive and elected not to use it.  Your mileage may vary so consult a body shop if you have any concerns about not using it.


To mount the mouldings you'll need to augment the attached 3M double sided moulding tape with silicone adhesive.  As mentioned above, you must clean the mounting surface completely.  However, the the instructions recommend against using the usual alcohol to do this and specifies a solvent based grease and wax remover.


Silicone Adhesive used

This is the silicone adhesive that was used to augment the double sided moulding tape.

Cleaning lower moulding

After you assemble your supplies, you need to test fit the mouldings.  You'll find they fit perfectly.  Do the test fit and get familiar with how they fit on the edges because  you don't want to reposition the mouldings once you set them down.

After the test fit, clean your mouldings.  You must remove all vestiges of dirt, oil, protectants or  dressings. Follow the directions on your wax and oil remover.   I use lint free, white paper towels so I can check for discoloration indicating there is still surface contamination. Don't rush this step.

adhesive promoter

The moulding comes with 3m double sided tape attached to it.  When applying tape to plastic, an adhesion promoter is recommended and Mopar includes it with the moulding kit.

Applying adhesive promoter

Using the supplied sponge, apply the adhesive promoter all around where the double sided tape will sit. There is a working time between 90 seconds and one hour with this product so plan accordingly.


cleaning moulding

Clean the moulding with of all dirt and grease with the degreaser. Let it evaporate before going onto the next step.

Applying adhesive

Grab your tube of silicon adhesive and...


Adhesive pattern

... apply it to the moulding.  This was the pattern illustrated in the instructions. While I could have made the beads a little wider, it is important not to get the silicone too close to the tape where it can contaminate it.

Peel tape back

Peel back an inch or so of the tape backing on each corner.


Offer up moulding

The right rear moulding just before install. The tape backing on the front of the moulding was also peeled back,  You want to have just enough tape backing hanging out so you can get a good grip on it when you pull it off.

attach body side moulding

Align the moulding at the front, back and top, double check and then push it on lightly.  Check again and then hold it down while you carefully pull the tape backing off from all around the moulding. Once the tape is removed firmly press the mouldings on evenly all over.  Hold this pressure for one minute.

Applying pressure to moulding

I used a microfiber towel to press the moulding down so as not to scratch the surface with my fingers.


Apply pressure to set moulding

The mouldings fit beautifully, so as long as you took your time test fitting and applying them you'll have no issues.

Fiat 500X with Mopar Body Side Moulding

Some extra color accents this neat design feature. 

---------------------------

Fiat 500X Mopar Mirror Covers


Our next article in this series will be how to install Mopar Mirror Covers on a 500X. After that we will tackle the body side stripe. Stick around!

Links:







*Contact your dealer or check the Mopar website for warranty details.

Disclaimer: This is how I installed the lower body side mouldings on my Fiat 500X and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes. If you have any doubts on you ability to perform this work or have any issues, I recommend having it done by a professional. I am not responsible for any issues arriving from you reading this post. Use at your own risk.

Come installare Fiat 500X Finiture Laterali.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Fiat 500X Urbana Edition

Fiat 500X Urbana Edition

The Fiat 500X Urbana Edition is a special option package Fiat will introduce for the late 2017 model year.* The Fiat 500X Urbana Edition is based on the Trekking model and features unique Miron black (Metallic Iron) exterior and interior trim along with copper accents giving the Urbana a tough, urban look.

2018 Fiat 500X Urbana Edition


Tim Kuniskis, Head of Fiat Brand North America is quoted in the Urbana Edition's press release saying,

"The Fiat 500X combines iconic Italian style with functionality, performance and all-wheel-drive confidence, the new Fiat 500X Urbana Edition takes our top-selling Trekking trim, best known for its rugged exterior and interior appearance, and adds unique content with black and copper accents to create a fresh new personality option for our customers.”

Fiat 500X Urbana Edition Mirror Trim


On the outside, the 500X Urbana sports Miron black-paint on its:
  • Mirror caps
  • Door handles
  • Tail-lamp surrounds
  • Liftgate bezel
  • Fascia trims
  • Front emblem 'whiskers'

Fiat 500X Urbana Sill Moulding


The 500X's signature spear-shaped sill mouldings are also in Miron black and have copper-accented 500X logo. The Urbana's 18-inch wheels are painted in Matte black and Miron and are also accented with copper center caps. Black side roof rails and dark headlamp surrounds top off the exterior design.

Fiat 500X Urbana Interior Representation
Interior of the Urbana Edition should look similar to the European 500X with "S Package" trim


Inside, the 500X Urbana Edition gets special attention, too, with:
  • Unique seats with black Castiglio chevron-patterned fabric and copper embroidered 500 logos
  • Black textured instrument panel with a copper 500 logo
  • Black-painted center console
  • Miron-painted radio and vent bezels

Fiat 500X Urbana Front Trim

The Fiat 500X Urbana Edition will available in four colors: Grigio Graphite (Graphite Gray), Blue Sky Metallic, Bianco Gelato (White Clear Coat) and Nero Cinema (Black Clear Coat).

Fiat 500X Urbana Wheel


The Fiat 500X Urbana Edition package costs $845 and can be added to both front-wheel and all-wheel drive Trekking models, with MSRPs with the package starting at $24,195 for front-drive cars and $26,095 for cars with all-wheel-drive.


Other options and packages available on the 500X Urbana Edition include:
  • Advanced Safety Package ($1,295; featuring auto high-beam headlamps, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection systems, Full-speed Forward Collision Warning-Plus, LaneSense Lane Departure Warning-Plus, ParkSense Rear Park Assist and rain-sensitive windshield wipers).
  • Popular Equipment Package ($995; includes Parkview rear backup camera and automatic temperature control air conditioning with dual-zone controls)
  • Dual-pane panoramic sunroof and Beats premium audio system ($995)
  • Uconnect 6.5 with navigation ($875)
  • Cold Weather Package ($450)

Look for the Fiat 500X Urbana Edition arriving at dealers later this fall.

Read more:


Note: We originally reported the 500X Urbana Edition as new for the 2018 model year, however that was incorrect. The Urbana Edition will be introduced as a late 2017 and arrive at the end of the 2017 model year this fall. The 2018 500X models are expected to arrive in the beginning of the new year. We apologise for the confusion.

Source: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US