Drivers side mirror - double vision - anyone else?

[luauboy]

How does one determine whether they have auto dim on the drivers mirror? Is it just the mirror itself moving when lights from cars behind you reflect off the mirror and cause instant blindness? Can you determine whether your vehicle came with that option from the VIN number (or other mfg data stamped on various badges on the vehicle)?

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by luauboy

How does one determine whether they have auto dim on the drivers mirror? Is it just the mirror itself moving when lights from cars behind you reflect off the mirror and cause instant blindness? Can you determine whether your vehicle came with that option from the VIN number (or other mfg data stamped on various badges on the vehicle)?

Yes, you can run the last 7 digits of your VIN through a VIN decoding site...scroll down to see if you have auto dip exterior mirrors: www.mdecoder.com

{look for this option: S430A - Interioroutside Mirror With Auto Dip}

Or you can tell visually. If the mirror glass has a thick black frame around it...then it is auto dimming (dipping).

The exterior mirrors that auto dim, get info from the interior rear view mirror. The sensor in that mirror determines when dimming is needed based on glare from headlights behind you. They pass commands to the exterior side mirrors to dim.

[wpoll]

And to be clear (pun intended) auto-dim doesn't move the mirror - it reduces the opacity of a layer in the mirror, reducing the level of light reflecting back from the mirror.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by wpoll

And to clear (pun intended) auto-dim doesn't move the mirror - it reduces the opacity of a layer in the mirror, reducing the level of light reflecting back from the mirror.

Just to walk down memory lane...I’m curious as to why BMW still uses “dip” in various descriptions in regards to this feature. They’ve had decades to change their description and drop the “dip” description....just change the “p” to an “m”...but perhaps its more to do with the German translation.

I remember back around the mid to late 1980s when the interior rear view mirror (if I remember correctly thy were offered on the 5 & 7 series) was actually motorized and would actually “dip” similar to the manual versions that had a little tab or knob below the interior rear view mirror that could be initiated when headlight glare was killing your eyes.

But those mirrors failed in a spectacular fashion (the motorized dipping action would go haywire) and it was occurring while still under warranty...thus they had to replace them. It wasn’t long before those mirrors went bye-bye and the electro-chromatic mirrors were introduced which work basically like the ones we have today.

Well...enough of me trailing off to the past.

[Clavurion]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Just to walk down memory lane...I’m curious as to why BMW still uses “dip” in various descriptions in regards to this feature. They’ve had decades to change their description and drop the “dip” description....just change the “p” to an “m”...but perhaps its more to do with the German translation.

"Automatisch abblendent" with ~98/100 translators comes as "automatic dimmed". Don't know why the "dip" is sitting so strongly.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Clavurion

"Automatisch abblendent" with ~98/100 translators comes as "automatic dimmed". Don't know why the "dip" is sitting so strongly.

Thanks for the translation.