Removing and installing exterior mirror seal: Audi A3
Step-by-step removing and installing exterior mirror seal for the Audi A3: 14 steps. What to remove, in what order, and what to check after.
On the Audi A3 (8P, 2003–2012) the exterior mirror seal is the triangular seal at the front of the door window frame, and it carries the front window guide strip. That makes it a longer job than its size suggests: door trim, exterior mirror, outer window slot trim strip and the door window all come off first. The retaining lugs are pulled off the door shell and the seal lifts upwards, bringing the guide strip out of the window guide rail with it. Refitting needs the bass loudspeaker removed to reach inside the door and feed the guide strip back into the guide rail. Positioning the seal's tip correctly and getting the guide strip fully into the rail decide whether the window runs smoothly and seals.
🧭 Before you start
Remove door trim, exterior mirror, outer window slot trim strip and door window. Pull the retaining lugs off the door shell and lift the seal away with its guide strip. Fit the new seal with its tip correctly positioned, remove the bass loudspeaker, insert the guide strip into the rail through the opening, then refit loudspeaker, window, trim strip, mirror and door trim.
Fits: Audi A3 (8P, 2003–2012)
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- Position the seal's tip correctly at the front of the door shell before engaging it.
- The window guide strip must be fully inserted into the guide rail, reached through the speaker opening.
- Run the window through its full travel before refitting the door trim to check for binding.
- Check the door window seals against the new mirror seal with no gap at the top.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
📋 Procedure
- Remove door trim 70.
- Remove exterior mirror .
- Remove outer window slot trim strip .
- Remove door window .
- Pull retaining lugs (3) off door shell (arrow).
- Detach exterior mirror seal (4) upwards off door shell; window guide strip (1) will automatically be pulled out of guide rail (2) for door window.
- Slide exterior mirror seal (5) onto front of door shell (4), making sure tip (3) is correctly positioned.
- Remove bass loudspeaker 91.
- Reach through opening and insert window guide strip (1) into guide rail (2) for door window.
- Install bass loudspeaker 91.
- Install door window .
- Install outer window slot trim strip .
- Install exterior mirror .
- Install door trim 70.
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
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The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.