Auto dipping rear view mirrors.....your experience?

Box Brownie

Box Brownie

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Hi All

My new car, well new to me a 65 plate Focus Ecoboost has an auto dipping mirror and I am puzzled by its lack of over-ride control and the efficacy of its action.

  1. I thought it would have autodipped in dusk light when the drivers behind have the headlights on.....but no it does not?
  2. Lats night I was driving at night for the first time in this car
    And the dipping behaviour seemed very random:-

    A Range Rover close behind did not trigger it but when he was approx 50 yards back it it did dip

    A car with a misaligned lamp (like high beam on one only) did not trigger it but 'normal' mixed traffic did.

As I say it seemed quite random and inconsistent, is this normal for an auto dipping mirror? If so, especially once dark evenings are on us, I see it becoming annoying :(

I will be contacting the Ford Dealer I bought it from for their insight but any thoughts on this apparent odd behaviour would be welcome................even more from other Ford owners :)
 
My one works fine and is consistent- Ford Focus.

No complaints.
 
kendo1 said:
My one works fine and is consistent- Ford Focus.

No complaints.
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Thanks for the reply, it odes seem that I need to get the garage to examine the action................though cynic that I am they may do a simplistic test that cannot account for the inconsistent behaviour I am seeing!
Does yours 'work' in the conditions I describe in #1 above as this lack of action is what made me think it was not working at all!
 
Every car I've ever had with an auto dip mirror has allowed me to entirely forget about ever fiddling with the mirror, from Ford to Audi to Merc to Jag....
 
Sometimes the mind plays tricks and if you haven't for the same for the side mirrors it could seem like it is not doing anything. And perhaps the intensity just wasn't there.

To me what you described of the range Rover sounded perfectly normal that when it is really close it doesn't do it but when it is further away it does. First when it is closer and it has traditional lights you have less of the high-up spray of the bean until it is further away again. Or if it has a modern lighting system like what I've got on the Mercedes it constantly adjusts the intensity of the beam. For example if I am close to someone the beam is lower, narrower, and less intense then when I'm further away.
 
Mine dims the mirror instead of dipping it. There's a sensor just underneath the mirror, built into the housing. If I'd had the option (bought a demo car), I'd have had the wing mirrors upgraded to the dimming ones too.
 
Works really well in my 55-plate focus, I'd definitely get it looked at
 
omens said:
Mine dims the mirror instead of dipping it. There's a sensor just underneath the mirror, built into the housing. If I'd had the option (bought a demo car), I'd have had the wing mirrors upgraded to the dimming ones too.
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I took the reference to dipping to mean dimming ;) I'd be surprised if it was a mechanical system moving the mirror :)
 
Silly question; so this mirror automatically dips when you're being blinded from behind? This is an a feature I've never even heard of!
 
LCS said:
Silly question; so this mirror automatically dips when you're being blinded from behind? This is an a feature I've never even heard of!
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It 'dims', more like gets darker.
 
Box Brownie said:
Thanks for the reply, it odes seem that I need to get the garage to examine the action................though cynic that I am they may do a simplistic test that cannot account for the inconsistent behaviour I am seeing!
Does yours 'work' in the conditions I describe in #1 above as this lack of action is what made me think it was not working at all!
Click to expand...

I've not been blinded by any car behind me whatever the state of their lights.

I'd get it checked. :)
 
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I have autodimming mirrors internal and external in my Saab - very effective indeed.

The only time when they aren't quite so effective, and it's no fault of my car, is that when the car behind has extremely badly aligned headlights.
 
Mine has one, and it's utterly pointless, because it's also got tinted rear windows, so nothing has been bright enough to trigger it yet!
 
I've had this type of mirror in my last 2 cars a 14 plate DS3 and a 64 plate Megane and both worked brilliantly but the DS3 was a lot better than the Megane's mirror.
 
My 13 Plate Focus, has rear privacy glass, but the auto dimming mirror works just fine when it needs to. The sensor is a small dot in the top of the mirror. On my 2007 Mondeo the sensor was in the bottom of the mirror frame. A few times I found the mirror not dimming but found cleaning the sensor, returned it's function to normal. As for dimming door mirrors, I have never found the need, the mirror glass is already tinted, the front door glass is tinted and the mirrors aren't adjusted to a position that they are likely to pick up headlights anyway,
 
No issues with mine, just set and forget
 
Box Brownie said:
  1. I thought it would have autodipped in dusk light when the drivers behind have the headlights on.....but no it does not?
  2. Lats night I was driving at night for the first time in this car
    And the dipping behaviour seemed very random:-

    A Range Rover close behind did not trigger it but when he was approx 50 yards back it it did dip

    A car with a misaligned lamp (like high beam on one only) did not trigger it but 'normal' mixed traffic did.
Click to expand...

1. Only if their lights are on high beam.

2. Normal ish as light beam spread would likely only trigger it at a certain range, the distance at which those lights would give you glare on the mirror otherwise.

Misaligned lights often confuse auto dimming systems, not a lot you can do about that one really.

If you really expected it to auto dim just on the presence of headlights behind as your post appears to say then you are possibly misunderstanding the efficacy you are questioning.
 
landwomble said:
Every car I've ever had with an auto dip mirror has allowed me to entirely forget about ever fiddling with the mirror, from Ford to Audi to Merc to Jag....
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Me too.
 
A wonderful invention, as is the auto headlamps and wipers.
 
tom24 said:
A wonderful invention, as is the auto headlamps and wipers.
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Yup the auto headlights and wipers have been a revelation....................but the auto dipping mirror, so far, judgement reserved ;)
 
Mine's a grand c-max, it was the sliding rear doors that were the selling point for us, fantastic for getting the grandchildren in and out of their seats.
 
tom24 said:
Mine's a grand c-max, it was the sliding rear doors that were the selling point for us, fantastic for getting the grandchildren in and out of their seats.
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I worked on the press tooling for the sliding rear doors. When the castings first came in and had been machined, we thought someone had made a cock up and put the handles in the wrong place. ;)
 
nilagin said:
My 13 Plate Focus, has rear privacy glass, but the auto dimming mirror works just fine when it needs to. The sensor is a small dot in the top of the mirror. On my 2007 Mondeo the sensor was in the bottom of the mirror frame. A few times I found the mirror not dimming but found cleaning the sensor, returned it's function to normal. As for dimming door mirrors, I have never found the need, the mirror glass is already tinted, the front door glass is tinted and the mirrors aren't adjusted to a position that they are likely to pick up headlights anyway,
Click to expand...

I'll check my sensors then :)
 
It's old technology now. A layer of LCD crystals across the mirror and an LDR/Photocell to activate it. I believe the technology was developed by BMW - it's a feature on my 19 year old example.
Never had a problem with it. I don't know whether the light sensing has grown more sophisticated - possible worth a chat with your dealer.
 
afasoas said:
It's old technology now. A layer of LCD crystals across the mirror and an LDR/Photocell to activate it. I believe the technology was developed by BMW - it's a feature on my 19 year old example.
Never had a problem with it. I don't know whether the light sensing has grown more sophisticated - possible worth a chat with your dealer.
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First invented by an American in the 1950's and was an optional extra some Chryslers in 1959. Due to little take up the idea was dropped and didn't reappear on various manufacturers cars until the 1980's.
 
nilagin said:
First invented by an American in the 1950's and was an optional extra some Chryslers in 1959. Due to little take up the idea was dropped and didn't reappear on various manufacturers cars until the 1980's.
Click to expand...

I was specifically talking about the LCD technology. I recall reading about BMW's application of liquid crystals as a means of dimming a mirror in auto magazines. Earlier systems were mechanical.
 
ecoleman said:
I wouldn't go as far as saying auto wipers are wonderful.
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And they can't predict the lorry coming the other way that is about to splash in a puddle, and chuck dirty rain water all over you screen.
And yet we see it and get the wipers on first before it "hits"

I like to fool people into thinking I have auto headlights, by turning them on as it starts to get dark or in adverse weather conditions.
Same goes for auto wipers, as I erm turn those on when its starts to erm rain :thumbs:

Although I must admit the auto dim mirror is useful, and works well.
 
If you have one of those fir tree air fresheners dangling from the mirror, that might obscure the dipping sensor?

Take it off before getting it checked out.
 
I seem to have missed all these automated gadgets with the cars I've owned to date.. all changes tomorrow, the mysteries of auto-dim rear view mirrors, automatic lights and wipes all come as standard on the new-to-me car I'm picking up tomorrow (desperately sensible C3 Picasso).
 
Had auto dimming mirrors in quite a few cars, and they are one of the main things I completely take for granted, then suddenly miss when they are not there in another car.

Only problem I ever had was the one in my Volvo S80 which stuck on dimmed all the time and was some ridiculous amount to change as apparently it had to be coded to the car as it was part of the security system. :thinking:
 
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