removing MY side mirrors

[sleepydoc]

Do you not use the repeater camera view on signaling? Also the street display shows if there's a car beside you.

I tried them and found them to be useless, actually worse than useless for left merges. I can see everything I need to in my mirror and by turning my head. The perspective on the screen image is off and it makes you turn your head in the complete opposite direction - more dangerous, IMO.

 

[WhiteWi]

I tried them and found them to be useless, actually worse than useless for left merges. I can see everything I need to in my mirror and by turning my head. The perspective on the screen image is off and it makes you turn your head in the complete opposite direction - more dangerous, IMO.

Something we agree on. Turned it off after first try. I prefer mirrors and shoulder check.

 

[nate704]

I am all for side mirrors and check with your own eye before changing lanes. However, I found this side camera view very useful during heavy rain. It take some time to get used to it though. I used it as back up or secondary confirmation to make sure that I do not crash into anyone. Also, my kids like it. =)

 

[EmbersDC]

Do you guys use the mirror at all? Really? They're so tiny and poor fov

Yes, I use both mirrors regularly as well as turning my head and looking. I don't use the images on screen. It's faster for me to turn my head and just look. People are just lazy and images on the screen are not as effective as a one second turn of the head. Been driving over three decades. Zero accidents. Also drove fire engines for eight years. Zero accidents.

 

[sleepydoc]

Yes, I use both mirrors regularly as well as turning my head and looking. I don't use the images on screen. It's faster for me to turn my head and just look. People are just lazy and images on the screen are not as effective as a one second turn of the head. Been driving over three decades. Zero accidents. Also drove fire engines for eight years. Zero accidents.

When I learned to drive I learned to periodically glance at my mirrors so I always knew where traffic was around me. Checking before merging is just a confirmation of what I've been monitoring all along. Also, if I suddenly have to take sudden evasive action I knew where I can go without hitting someone. You can't depend on cameras for that.

 

[WhiteWi]

When I learned to drive I learned to periodically glance at my mirrors so I always knew where traffic was around me. Checking before merging is just a confirmation of what I've been monitoring all along. Also, if I suddenly have to take sudden evasive action I knew where I can go without hitting someone. You can't depend on cameras for that.

Actually you can if you run your back up and side cams while driving.

 

[nate704]

Actually you can if you run your back up and side cams while driving.

No need to run the cameras. Use the visualization on the main screen while driving. It will tell you everything around the car.

 

[Whtrbt7]

Mirrors are non-powered redundancies. Even if the electronics failed or if it’s raining heavily enough to impact the cameras, you would still have mirrors and also your eyes to see around you. If the MY still had sonar, it would be even better but I think redundancies are better than a single method.

 

[WhiteWi]

Lol there is plenty of people who drive with broken mirrors. So that argument doesn’t really work.

 

[Whtrbt7]

I’ve seen people here drive without mirrors, lights, headlights, and sometime the front of their vehicle. Doesn’t mean it’s a good idea, just means they are prime candidates for Wham Bam Teslacam.

 

[sleepydoc]

No need to run the cameras. Use the visualization on the main screen while driving. It will tell you everything around the car.

The problem is that blocks half the screen so you can’t use it for anything else.

 

[gary3411]

Hi, so I've been running my model 3 without the passenger side mirror for almost 2 years now. The driver side I have kept, but unplugged the power so I can keep it folded inward. In the model 3, the mirrors have wifi and lte antennas built into them. The driver side has 3 electrical connectors, the passenger side has 2.

I took my car in for connectivity issues and the service center said I need to put the mirror back on for them to work on the car. I haven't gotten around to doing that. I'm wondering if I can just take the antennas out of the mirrors and remount them inside the car somewhere. Maybe this will satisfy the service center and keep my connectivity working without the mirrors?

Also, I run an added large rearview mirror to compensate and view what is around me. Between that and turning my head I can see everything a side mirror can possibly see, but better. I have been running cars without side mirrors my whole life like this and have zero accidents to date (not just zero that were my fault, zero total).

I know I have a 3 not Y, but if anyone else looking to get rid of their mirrors figures out how to remount their antennas and convince the service center to still work on their car, please post how you did it! Thanks, Gary.

 

[nate704]

Hi, so I've been running my model 3 without the passenger side mirror for almost 2 years now. The driver side I have kept, but unplugged the power so I can keep it folded inward. In the model 3, the mirrors have wifi and lte antennas built into them. The driver side has 3 electrical connectors, the passenger side has 2.

I took my car in for connectivity issues and the service center said I need to put the mirror back on for them to work on the car. I haven't gotten around to doing that. I'm wondering if I can just take the antennas out of the mirrors and remount them inside the car somewhere. Maybe this will satisfy the service center and keep my connectivity working without the mirrors?

Also, I run an added large rearview mirror to compensate and view what is around me. Between that and turning my head I can see everything a side mirror can possibly see, but better. I have been running cars without side mirrors my whole life like this and have zero accidents to date (not just zero that were my fault, zero total).

I know I have a 3 not Y, but if anyone else looking to get rid of their mirrors figures out how to remount their antennas and convince the service center to still work on their car, please post how you did it! Thanks, Gary.

I am genuinely curious. What do you gain going through this hassle?

 

[TrojanHorse]

Use your mirrors. And yes, I use them. And get this… I even look over my shoulder before I change lanes…

^ This. The MYP is a bit of a bunker and outward visibility is poor, you need to take EXTRA precautions to change lanes, not fewer.

 

[Whtrbt7]

The biggest issue of not having side view mirrors is the blind spot caused by the C pillar. It’s why having something stick off the car is necessary. A side view mirror is the easiest way to achieve visibility. It’s also real-time and requires no power. The back of the MY is pretty bad in terms of visibility so a camera does make sense over even the rear view mirror. If Tesla made the MY more hatchback-ish, they could have a larger view of the back but I believe that the drag coefficient goes up when you design like that. A really decent camera implementation is like one on the Hyundai Genesis GV60 in South Korea. It has 2 screens on the interior of the vehicle and the cameras are offset from the car with mounts to replace the side view mirrors.

 

[gary3411]

I am genuinely curious. What do you gain going through this hassle?

What hassle? It's fun. The science has been done, you can Google it. It's like 3-6 percent efficiency gain. So 10 miles or so.

 

[gary3411]

The biggest issue of not having side view mirrors is the blind spot caused by the C pillar. It’s why having something stick off the car is necessary. A side view mirror is the easiest way to achieve visibility. It’s also real-time and requires no power. The back of the MY is pretty bad in terms of visibility so a camera does make sense over even the rear view mirror. If Tesla made the MY more hatchback-ish, they could have a larger view of the back but I believe that the drag coefficient goes up when you design like that. A really decent camera implementation is like one on the Hyundai Genesis GV60 in South Korea. It has 2 screens on the interior of the vehicle and the cameras are offset from the car with mounts to replace the side view mirrors.

I think this is just your perception, and being intrenched on using your mirrors thinking they give you a better view. If it's too hard for someone to change their habits, then of course keep the side mirrors. But I can assure you, even in a model 3, which has NO hatchback, it is perfectly possible to develop the skills to drive safely without side mirrors. I don't think I'm superhuman.

 

[sleepydoc]

Actually you can if you run your back up and side cams while driving.

But then you can’t use the screen for anything else (navigation, radio, etc)

If Tesla would put a bit more thought into the interface design it would be possible to have them on full time without compromising any other functionality but not with The current UI.

I think this is just your perception, and being intrenched on using your mirrors thinking they give you a better view. If it's too hard for someone to change their habits, then of course keep the side mirrors. But I can assure you, even in a model 3, which has NO hatchback, it is perfectly possible to develop the skills to drive safely without side mirrors. I don't think I'm superhuman.

As @WhiteWi said, one can leave the side repeater cameras on full time. Personally I tried using them for a while and found them to be a poor substitute for a true blind spot monitoring system and/or mirrors. That’s admittedly personal preference, though.

There’s a reason they call it a ‘blind spot’ monitor. You can try to duplicate it with cameras, but mirrors are simpler, real time, not subject to glare from blinkers, always on(without compromising the interface) and are positioned to you can see everything with minimal movement of your head and eyes. Maybe the NHTSA actually knew what they were doing when they decided to make them required for all cars.

 

[Silicon Desert]

I’ve seen people here drive without mirrors, lights, headlights, and sometime the front of their vehicle.

Gee, I didn't realize my wife was in Georgia.

 

[RPM51]

If more people learned how to use the side mirrors, there wouldn’t be an “I curbed my Tesla wheel” thread every other day.