Auto Dimming Driver Mirror?

physicshogon

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According to the NA owner's manual, the driver's side rear-view mirror should be auto dimming just like the center rear-view mirror. In mine it's not and when I asked the service department of my local dealer they told me "manuals are written very general so not everything in there applies". Personally, I think that's a load of crock b/c the manual SPECIFICALLY states that it's the NA version of the manual. And even more so, I own the SEL Premium so of all the cars, it shouldn't be optional on the SEL model.

Do ANY of you have the auto dimming driver side mirror?
 

TheGrove

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I read that as well, but mine sure doesn't look like it dims. My bet is that it was a feature that was written into the manual but never made it to production.
 

tdiatlast

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I don't believe ours has it either.
As for "load of crock", sadly, your service department is correct. All manufacturers make changes, for whatever reason, that don't get into the owner's manual. There's not a lot you can do about it, because there's probably a prominent statement somewhere in the manual that says something like, "everything written in this manual is subject to change."
 

Dismayed

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My mirror has a little green light on it that comes on at night (SEL Premium). I assume that it senses the ambient light and adjusts reflectivity. Seems to work fine.
 

physicshogon

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My mirror has a little green light on it that comes on at night (SEL Premium). I assume that it senses the ambient light and adjusts reflectivity. Seems to work fine.
Are you referring to your CENTER rear-view mirror or the drive-side one?
 

TomB

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"subject to change" is always the disclaimer. Those manuals are written MONTHS before the vehicle is even made. I have found several discrepancies or versions of controllers because of production changes.
 

skinnyb

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Hmm just read my manual and the OP is right it does mention a driver door auto dim mirror. Mine does not dim but my inside mirror never dims because the amount of light coming in thru the tinted glass has never been enough to activate the interior mirror. From what I read in the manual, the driver mirror is controlled by the interior mirror. Very interesting I have never seen an auto dim outside mirror.


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VeeDubTDI

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Hmm just read my manual and the OP is right it does mention a driver door auto dim mirror. Mine does not dim but my inside mirror never dims because the amount of light coming in thru the tinted glass has never been enough to activate the interior mirror. From what I read in the manual, the driver mirror is controlled by the interior mirror. Very interesting I have never seen an auto dim outside mirror.


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My dad's Lexus RX400h has dual outside auto-dim mirrors - they work very well.

I wonder if adding it to the Passat is as simple as buying a dimming mirror element and plugging it in. I'm sure someone will stumble across the part numbers in ETKA soon enough.
 

physicshogon

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My dad's Lexus RX400h has dual outside auto-dim mirrors - they work very well.

I wonder if adding it to the Passat is as simple as buying a dimming mirror element and plugging it in. I'm sure someone will stumble across the part numbers in ETKA soon enough.
Negative, you'd have to replace ALL the mirror hardware (including the glass) and re-program you ECU for it to function b/c it's photochromatic glass that does the dimming.
 

TheGrove

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Negative, you'd have to replace ALL the mirror hardware (including the glass) and re-program you ECU for it to function b/c it's photochromatic glass that does the dimming.
Excuse me, can you quit removing all doubt.:rolleyes:

If you could get it to work I extremely doubt I would have to change the shell the mirror is in. Yes the glass is photochromatic but that is exactly why VeeDub said you would have to purchase the new mirror element. The wiring is possibly already there and the ECU could already be programmed. But even if the ECU needed programming I'm sure Ross-Tek will find where you need to flip the bit.
 

physicshogon

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Excuse me, can you quit removing all doubt.:rolleyes:

If you could get it to work I extremely doubt I would have to change the shell the mirror is in. Yes the glass is photochromatic but that is exactly why VeeDub said you would have to purchase the new mirror element. The wiring is possibly already there and the ECU could already be programmed. But even if the ECU needed programming I'm sure Ross-Tek will find where you need to flip the bit.
Well when someone gets it to work, let me know b/c I want it!
 

VeeDubTDI

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I'm wonder if the glass is already photochromatic and just isn't activated. Perhaps a quick VCDS activation is all that's needed? It wouldn't be the first time VW had a feature on a car that wasn't activated from the factory (rain sensing wipers anyone?)
 

dubStrom

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Auto dimming

How effective is the dimming in the center rear-view? I found it glaring in a Subaru Legacy, and was happy when I found that the JSW didn't have one. I might be interested in swapping someone's standard lever dim mirror. I know some Passat's have the manual type. Not sure if you'd have the power connector (I think there's one).

But does it work? In my limited experience, there's nothing like switching it up when a car comes up from behind with blazing headlights!
 

VeeDubTDI

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The Passat's auto-dim seems to be very good. It's not intrusive and doesn't dim too much or two little. With 35% tint on the rear window, it still functions very well - it doesn't dim as much as it used to, but that's to be expected given that the amount of light entering the rear window has been significantly reduced.

I also discovered that there is an OFF button if you don't want it to dim at all. Learn something new every day. ;)
 

IXLR8

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I also discovered that there is an OFF button if you don't want it to dim at all. Learn something new every day. ;)
I just wish there was an ON button so you could activate it when dips$%'ts with hi beams, or illegal HID's, on during the day blind you. I wish my car had a manual mirror rather than this auto one.
 

Rico567

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Auto dimming rear view mirrors are great. Side view mirrors don't need auto dimming. Completely superfluous and just another thing to go wrong in cars that have already become gadget queens. And the most common objection to that, of people complaining of the light glaring at them when they're driving, comes from people who have their side view mirrors incorrectly adjusted.
 

dubStrom

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I hadn't thought about tint. That must change the dimming response.

If you turn it off, is there a lever to lift it like the manual models?
 

VeeDubTDI

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The mirror functions beautifully both with and without window tint. I haven't had a single time when I thought the mirror wasn't functioning to my liking. Your mileage may vary.
 

r11

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Time to resurect this one. As most are us will be doing more driving in darker conditions in months to come, what's the verdict:

- do we all have it but in some cars it aint activated ?
- those of us that don't have it, can we buy replacement mirrors that auto dim ?

It sure aint fun to be grinding though a mile of stop'n'go with a truck behind you, burning your eyeballs out with its beams.
 

VeeDubTDI

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After a nice 1200 mile trip this weekend, the auto-dimming mirror works great. It dims very quickly. We also have tint on the rear window, so that helps knock down the glare even more.

I should have taken a video of the mirror in action.
 

tdiatlast

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r11: Are you refering to inside mirror or door mirrors?

I've read/heard/found nothing to indicate that the exterior mirrors have any auto-dimming capability.

As for the interior auto-dimming mirror, I think it works just fine, even with window tinting.
 

VeeDubTDI

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I think the issue that people are complaining about in regards to the interior rear-view mirror is the amount that it dims. It would seem that a few people don't think it gets dark enough when there is a vehicle approaching from the rear.
 

r11

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I'd like to have both the inside and the driver door mirror to be able to auto-dim, but would settle for the inside one only :) Not sure if SE model has it or not .... too lazy to look in the manual
 
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Mr. Furious

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I'd like to have both the inside and the driver door mirror to be able to auto-dim, but would settle for the inside one only :) Not sure if SE model has it or not .... too lazy to look in the manual
According to the VW website, the SE does come with it.
 

Genesis

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The typical issue with auto-dim rear-view mirrors is that if you have a CENTER rear headrest it will block the path of light from headlights to the auto-dim sensor, which results in it not darkening enough (or at all!) at certain angles of approach.

You can remove the headrest if you rarely (or never) have someone in the middle rear seat, but then of course if you have someone there they have no whiplash protection.
 

VeeDubTDI

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Passat doesn't have a center headrest in the back.
 
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