Auto Dimming Mirrors.... Kinda Dark

[bradtem]

This is my #1 issue with my new Model 3. To the point that I almost returned it just for this -- perhaps I am spoiled by my past cars with high visibility, bigger mirrors and no dimming, but I feel blind at night. If in the future they offer alternate mirrors (even bigger with some cost in drag) I will take it. You can see headlights of the other cars, but without the other details it is harder to tell distance. It's hard to see cyclists and pedestrians and scooters at night, it seems very dangerous. I hope we can find a short term fix, and eventually a fix from Tesla that lets us disable or scale back the dimming on the side-view mirrors. Some day the USA will allow cameras instead of mirrors and new versions will have low drag, wide views and automatic HDR that lets you see everything -- or I guess even thermal would be cool.

 

[Daniel in SD]

This would probably work. I haven't tried it because I like the autodimming even though it is a bit dark. Also I'm not sure if there's a trick to remove the mirror. You probably just put a rag around it and pull but no guarantees! That's what I've done on other cars but Tesla doesn't have a service manual (grrrr...)

 

[ranova]

This would probably work. I haven't tried it because I like the autodimming even though it is a bit dark. Also I'm not sure if there's a trick to remove the mirror. You probably just put a rag around it and pull but no guarantees! That's what I've done on other cars but Tesla doesn't have a service manual (grrrr...)View attachment 362352

Thanks, has anyone taken apart the side mirrors to try this? I just got light tinting (50% on front side) and at night, with the dimmed mirrors, its impossible to see anything but headlights.

 

[Jdee2wheels]

Count me as someone who would like to turn off the auto dimming. I drive in city traffic where there is always difficult lane changes when navigating and it is almost impossible to see pedestrians, cyclists or the occasional car with a headlight out. Super dangerous.

For such a modern, advanced car, it’s a little baffling the visibility and blind spots are such a problem. I took an Uber the other day, and the woman had a newer Honda Accord and both my wife and I were marveling at how much better the situational awareness was in the car. It had blind spot indicators in large sideview mirrors, and if you turned the blinker on it brought up a small, but clear video feed on the main screen that gave a great view of the lane you wanted to move into.

That said, the Honda didn’t have a fart app Easter egg

 

[tlr1000]

This would probably work. I haven't tried it because I like the autodimming even though it is a bit dark. Also I'm not sure if there's a trick to remove the mirror. You probably just put a rag around it and pull but no guarantees! That's what I've done on other cars but Tesla doesn't have a service manual (grrrr...)View attachment 362352

I would say this would definitely work however it would simultaneously disconnect heating element for defrosting which may or may not matter for some people.

 

[bradhs]

I think the dimming is perfect. My windows are not tinted, maybe if I tinted them it would be too dark?

 

[Needsdecaf]

Anyone try popping the mirror glass yet?

 

[ranova]

I would say this would definitely work however it would simultaneously disconnect heating element for defrosting which may or may not matter for some people.

I live in California, so I would definitely pull this. Do you know how to pop the mirror off to do so?

 

[substance12]

I ended up buying a Broadway 270mm flat mirror. I have 30% tint on the rear and so this is a really big clarity improvement for me.

 

[tlr1000]

I live in California, so I would definitely pull this. Do you know how to pop the mirror off to do so?

Sorry, I don't. Hopefully someone will try it out and post it. I've pulled the mirrors on BMWs I've owned and it was simply grabbing lower corners and giving a firm tug. I'd assume it's the same for most rear view mirrors but that's a wild guess on my part.

 

[Daniel in SD]

I would say this would definitely work however it would simultaneously disconnect heating element for defrosting which may or may not matter for some people.

I’m pretty sure the pair of wires below that connector is the heating circuit.

 

[ranova]

I ended up buying a Broadway 270mm flat mirror. I have 30% tint on the rear and so this is a really big clarity improvement for me.

yup. I went with the Broadway 240mm Flat (not Type-A) since I had measured that to be the perfect fit so the visors dont hit it. I had initially bought the 300mm Convex Type A and it was too long and I didnt like the convex mirror

 

[ranova]

I’m pretty sure the pair of wires below that connector is the heating circuit.

you might be partially right. It might do both functions of heating and dimming. The model S seems to have separate wires for dimming and heating, per this video:

Edit: NM, relooking at the picture above, there are wires separately that I assume are for the heating so the wire he pointed to disconnect is definitely likely for the dimming. If the 3's side mirrors are anything like the the S's, its not a simple pop off

 

[ranova]

This would probably work. I haven't tried it because I like the autodimming even though it is a bit dark. Also I'm not sure if there's a trick to remove the mirror. You probably just put a rag around it and pull but no guarantees! That's what I've done on other cars but Tesla doesn't have a service manual (grrrr...)View attachment 362352

I’m pretty sure the pair of wires below that connector is the heating circuit.

Ok, removing the mirror was easier than expected. Just tilt the mirror into the car and pull on the outer side. It pops right off.

From there, I just what @Daniel in SD showed in his picture. There are 2 other plugs which I assume are for the heating/defrosting element. And lo and behold, no more dimming of the side mirrors! In all my years of driving, I never once thought to myself "oh, a car's headlight is blinding me from the side mirrors, I wish it dimmed." If/when Tesla implements dimming controls, I'll replug it back in. I did make sure to wrap it tight with electrical tape just incase water somehow gets in there.

 

[ranova]

I would say this would definitely work however it would simultaneously disconnect heating element for defrosting which may or may not matter for some people.

Anyone try popping the mirror glass yet?

Sorry, I don't. Hopefully someone will try it out and post it. I've pulled the mirrors on BMWs I've owned and it was simply grabbing lower corners and giving a firm tug. I'd assume it's the same for most rear view mirrors but that's a wild guess on my part.

I just popped the side mirrors off, see post right above.

@tlr1000 there are still 2 additional plugs which are for the heating/defrosting elements, which you can see in the picture and explained in the video below:

 

[tlr1000]

I just popped the side mirrors off, see post right above.

@tlr1000 there are still 2 additional plugs which are for the heating/defrosting elements, which you can see in the picture and explained in the video below:

Excellent info Ranova. This should help out a lot of people. I've talked to a number of Tesla service advisors and technicians about this problem and some have said the full dark is normal while others have said it's not but hopefully a future update will correct it. I've looked at the owner's manual and it does state it is supposed to adjust based on need rather than go full dark.

 

[ranova]

Excellent info Ranova. This should help out a lot of people. I've talked to a number of Tesla service advisors and technicians about this problem and some have said the full dark is normal while others have said it's not but hopefully a future update will correct it. I've looked at the owner's manual and it does state it is supposed to adjust based on need rather than go full dark.

Ah thats a bummer if they can't introduce a software fix. Its wired electrically, so one would assume it could be controlled by the system (at least on and off and maybe not levels of dimming)

 

[versello]

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Ok, removing the mirror was easier than expected. Just tilt the mirror into the car and pull on the outer side. It pops right off.

From there, I just what @Daniel in SD showed in his picture. There are 2 other plugs which I assume are for the heating/defrosting element. And lo and behold, no more dimming of the side mirrors! In all my years of driving, I never once thought to myself "oh, a car's headlight is blinding me from the side mirrors, I wish it dimmed." If/when Tesla implements dimming controls, I'll replug it back in. I did make sure to wrap it tight with electrical tape just incase water somehow gets in there.

You, me friend, are a true american hero. I popped

Ok, removing the mirror was easier than expected. Just tilt the mirror into the car and pull on the outer side. It pops right off.

From there, I just what @Daniel in SD showed in his picture. There are 2 other plugs which I assume are for the heating/defrosting element. And lo and behold, no more dimming of the side mirrors! In all my years of driving, I never once thought to myself "oh, a car's headlight is blinding me from the side mirrors, I wish it dimmed." If/when Tesla implements dimming controls, I'll replug it back in. I did make sure to wrap it tight with electrical tape just incase water somehow gets in there.

You, my friend, are a true American Hero. I debated for weeks whether I should get my windows tinted, but hesitated because the auto-dimming side mirrors were so dark to begin with. Encouraged by your findings, I got my windows tinted and unplugged the auto-dimming wire after popping off the side mirrors. A little bit of TLC was required. I am happy to report that it doesn't dim at nighttime any longer.

I also agree that I have never needed auto-dimming side mirrors in my years of driving.

 

[voip-ninja]

Ugh, hope Tesla improves this. It's annoying, even with only 30% tint on the sides. I'm not quite at the point of taking the mirrors apart but might get there eventually.

 

[brandonee916]

You guys rock! I've submitted a couple requests to Tesla and only been told to read the Owners Manual.... not cool. I'll unplug the wire for the auto-dimming in the meantime until we get a software fix. Now if only we could unplug the one for the rearview mirror as well... I can't see at all at night out of any of my mirrors.