Manual Mirror remote driver side. Need advise

I am trying to figure out how the little plastic "joy stick" that controls the adjustments for a manual side mirror work. I chatted with an OEM GM parts site and they only want to sell the whole mirror assembly. Does anybody know if the metal wires that move the mirror are molded into the joystick(called a remote apparently)? It seems like overkill to replace the entire mirror assembly considering that all the assemblies I see are paint to match and I don't want to paint anything. I don't want to remove the working passenger side mirror to figure out what is going on and break that one too. Any advise, pictures or part numbers would be a big help. It is a chevy sonic 2015 LS 1.8L gas if anybody actually knows how newer chevys work.

While I've never seen the workings of the outside mirror on a Chevy Sonic, I do have quite a bit of experience with OEM parts in general. That said, I've never seen a 'mechanical' remote-control door mirror that was designed to be repaired. They're simply remove-and-replace. And yes, you do have to paint-match them.

I would tell you to try buying a used one in the same color from a recycle yard, but most of them don't want to remove the mirrors from otherwise-good doors.

The alternative is do it the old-fashioned way and just push on the mirror glass until you get it where you want it.

Sorry to be of so little help...
Dave B.

Edit: You could also try searching for a used mirror on-line from a site like:
http://www.car-part.com/
These sites link dozens of recyclers and you could specify that you only want a particular color. If a recycler had a damaged or otherwise-unsalable driver's door, they'd be a lot more likely to be willing to take the time to remove the mirror.