Auto-Dimming mirror question
 

I've got a question for people with the Auto-Dimming rear view mirrors in their trucks. Can you tell when your auto dim is working? My F-150 has an "auto" and an "off" button but the mirror does absolutely nothing and has never worked since day 1. I do have the green light that is lit but have never seen any change while driving even with bright lights behind me on the road. I'm assuming I have a defective mirror. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
rcsting

rcsting,

I have something you can try. When you're driving at night and someone is behind you, if your mirror is working correctly, it should have a bluish tint to it and the headlights should not be very bright. Then try turning the mirror off, the bluish tint should fade away and the headlights should be a lot brighter.

If there is no change with the switch on or off, you probably have a bad mirror or bad wiring or a fuse leading to the mirror.

Hope this helps.

the back window is tinted and they sit pretty high so its not really needed. i hate auto dimmers. try holding a flashlight or your cellphone screen onto the sensor at night and then take it off to see if anything happens.

I know mine is working by the bluish/greenish tint. I have shut it off and can definately tell the difference. I've never had a vehicle with this option before and really like it. I always hated flipping the lever on the mirror or having to adjust it.

I didn't think mine worked either until I tested it myself. At night, put it in reverse, and watch the mirror. It will un-dim itself. Put it back in drive, and it will go dim. It is probably working, it is just very subtle.

I didn't think mine was working at all, until I turned it off while highway driving at night. When you turn the mirror off, it takes time for the mirror to fade back to "normal". It's a great feature, and you'll sure appreciate it if you try driving without it!

Also make sure nothing is blocking the sensors...hanging a parking tag or "pine tree" air freshener from the mirror can obstruct the sensor and disable the auto-dim function.

Personally, I don't like it. It doesn't seem to get dark enough, at least not as dark as a standard day/night mirror, so the glare in the mirror is just enough to be annoying. I'm referring to the one in my car, which doesn't have privacy glass. Maybe that's the difference; every truck I've seen with the auto-dim has the deep-tint rear window.