Has anyone worked out how to safely "crack-open" the side mirrors in order to change the bulbs that point downwards (not the indicator bulbs!)?

I've started to replace some of the non-LED bulbs in the car using the LED bulbs that I took off my IS250 before I sold it

 

Search Ct200hforum. Detailed instructions there.

 

Yup, someone "cracked the code" over there, search for "puddle lamp".

 

Watch the PrecisionLED.com Lexus IS250 video. Im sure the mirror assembly is the same and they do a step by step i just watched.

I just bought the set for my IS250 and after reviewing the CT200H forum writeup, they are just about the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZFtrx2RiaE

Hope that helps.

 

The process is pretty straightforward except occasionally you have to figure out how to deal with the plastic tab that holds the front and back sides of the mirror casing. There may be some cracking sound. Besides, one mirror may be easier to open than the other.

I have done it for IS and RX. If my recall is correct, CT is quite similar except the bottom of the mirror has some unpainted plastic which you have to make sure the process won't mar the finish.

To avoid scratches and swirls, make sure the car and the side mirrors are clean so that an occasional rub would not lead to a swirl or a hairline scratch. Use masking tapes to cover the surrounding especially the bottom portion of the door chrome and rubber moulding. You should also find some micro fibre cloths handy as you can wrap around the mirror piece to avoid banging the door or the inside of the mirror housing. At one point you will have a mirror hanging around by its thin wires and you may need to reposition the mirror to sit on the edge of the door trim. Also rolling down the window would help as you might need to put some tools or parts down during the process.