Auto-Dimming Mirrors

Perry01 · Oct 17, 2015

I had a driver behind me tonight with very bright headlights. He was following quite close so I pressed the button on my rear view mirror to activate the auto-dimming feature. Both my windshield mounted rear view mirror and driver's side exterior mirror dimmed nicely but my passenger side mirror did not. I have never noticed in the past if the passenger side mirror dims when the auto-dimming is activated.

Does anyone know if the passenger side mirror is equipped to dim like the driver's side?
.

noobytoogy · Oct 17, 2015

The mirror could have been replaced since I seem to recall someone else reporting a long time ago green gloop coming out of their door mirror and the price difference between a new dipping mirror and a non-dipper was substantial.

gophurr · Oct 17, 2015

My passenger mirror does not dim. If you look closely at the driver side mirror, you can see the outline near the edge in which the inner section dims. I took the reason for that being that the likelihood of a vehicles headlights behind you blinding you from the passenger side is slim to none.

hedditch · Oct 17, 2015

If you are concerned that you may have a non-functioning item, rather than it not being fitted from the factory, you can always refer to the vehicle build codes in your owners manual (also found in the spare tyre compartment). The code of the mirrors fitted will answer your question.

Stuart...

roalco · Oct 17, 2015

There are a number of combinations of rear view wing mirrors that VW makes, to comply with various countries legal, and environmental requirements.
Flat, convex, convex with warning message, aspherical, and then plain, heated, dimming, or a combination.
The US requires flat mirrors on the drivers side, with the option of convex mirrors on the passenger side. Flat mirrors (interior and drivers side) reflect much more glare from overtaking vehicles than either convex, or aspherical mirrors. This is why they are fitted with anti-dim, a very expensive liquid crystal layer.
Convex, and aspherical mirrors inherently reduce glare to just pinpricks of bright light, much less distracting, and are therefore uncommonly fitted with the auto dimming option.
AFAIK, All NA models come stock with US required flat auto dim drivers side mirrors, and convex passengers side mirrors, without auto dim (cost factor) and with the printed idiot warning.

spyker · Oct 17, 2015

On the V10 sll 3 mirrors are auto dim. But i also think this might differ from country to country.

nickyt · Oct 17, 2015

US Spec 2004 and 2006 had all three mirrors auto-dim.

Then we entered the big era of Touareg de-contenting.

Perry01 · Oct 17, 2015

Thanks for the replies. It makes sense that different countries have different requirements for vehicle mirrors due to their safety regulations. After doing some research, I found that in the US market, all Touaregs have the interior dimming mirror and T1's had the optional dimming driver's and passenger's outside mirrors. 2008 T2's have the optional driver's side dimming mirror but it seems it was removed for model year 2009-2010. I wonder if the outside dimming mirror was brought back in the T3 for the US market? It is a really nice feature.

Perry01 · Oct 17, 2015

nickyt said:
US Spec 2004 and 2006 had all three mirrors auto-dim. Then we entered the big era of Touareg de-contenting.

My 2004 V8 had all three auto-dim. This is why I thought my 2008 should have the same feature but after popping off the passenger side mirror, I noticed there are no wires on the back side for auto-dimming like the driver's side.
.

nickyt · Oct 17, 2015

It would not be hard to add, but expensive due to the price of the auto dim glass. I recall that all three mirrors run off of the inside mirror. VW just ran a single small wire to each outside mirror from the interior mirror. The lcd inside the mirrors (that does the dimming) requires very little current.

LCD technology is dirt cheap to make. Someone must have a trademark claim on "auto-dim" to explain the price difference. Manufacturing cost would be almost nothing. It is basically the same technology used in your digital watch display and you know how cheap those things can go for.

My 2004 mirrors had a nice black plastic bezel (frame) surrounding both exterior mirrors. By the time 2006 had came around, the glass was shipped bare. VW must have been able to source those mirrors for 3 cents less by deleting the plastic frame! grump grump bitch bitch moan moan. Lolz!

new2treg · Oct 17, 2015

Can you Vagcom different settings?

nickyt · Oct 17, 2015

Nothing to Vag on the dimming mirrors.

Just apply +12V to the mirror itself it and it goes to full dimming. Apply less volts and you can get partial dimming. The controller in the inside mirror is self contained with no can interface. It has a output wire that can be directly connected to additional self dimming mirrors (the two outside mirrors) to make them dim in unison with the interior mirror.

If you have a car without a self dimming mirror, you can buy a self dimming mirror aftermarket or from a salvage yard and put them on any vehicle. They only require +12V and a ground to operate.

noobytoogy · Oct 17, 2015

nickyt said:
US Spec 2004 and 2006 had all three mirrors auto-dim.

Then we entered the big era of Touareg de-contenting.

Funny old world, isn't it? The higher you go up the T scale, the less you get!

T-Reguan · Oct 17, 2015

T3's don't get the right side auto dimming either. I was going to retrofit it but since got rid of the Touareg. I have a pair of aspherical, heated with antidazzle Euro/UK mirrors if anyone is interested.

Blownvette · Oct 18, 2015

nickm · Oct 18, 2015

Perry01 said:
I had a driver behind me tonight with very bright headlights. He was following quite close so I pressed the button on my rear view mirror to activate the auto-dimming feature. Both my windshield mounted rear view mirror and driver's side exterior mirror dimmed nicely but my passenger side mirror did not. I have never noticed in the past if the passenger side mirror dims when the auto-dimming is activated.

Does anyone know if the passenger side mirror is equipped to dim like the driver's side?
.

Passenger side dimming mirror was a casulaty of the cost cutting starting in 2008.

Its not an auto dimming mirror, and no Touaregs in North America 2008+ have this feature.

Yes it sucks that a $11K Kia has it and a $60K Touareg does not.

nickyt · Oct 18, 2015

Dead Horse

Yep. VW de-contenting at it best. I decided to wait... to get a T3 with air. *!*!!*!*!*!

Yep... still waiting on that T>2 that has air suspension. I hear you can get them if you are not in freaking North America!

I was told I could buy a Q7 instead. :-k Nope, I will just keep driving my '06 for now. It is nice and apparently VW does not want me to buy another Touareg.

Yeti · Oct 19, 2015

nickyt said:
Dead Horse

Yep... still waiting on that T>2 that has air suspension. I hear you can get them if you are not in freaking North America!

T2's are here in NA with air and I own one of them, but not selling anytime soon!!

nickyt · Oct 31, 2015

Here is a possible link to an affordable T2 auto dimming passenger mirror.

Mirror Glass Heated with Auto Dimmer Passenger Right Side VW Touareg 7L6857521M | eBay

Do your own research, I have a T1 and am just passing this along hoping it might help out some of you T2 owners. At that price, it might be worth a shot to see if it could work.

"Kool Vue Mirror Glass -- KOOL VUE MIRROR GLASS, HEATED, WITHOUT TURN SIGNAL LIGHT -- Convex type; With support and auto dimming feature; A high quality, OE replacement mirror glass"

Notes Location : Passenger Side

Brand New in the Box - Fit and Quality Guaranteed!

Auto-Dimming Mirrors

Perry01

noobytoogy

gophurr

hedditch

roalco

spyker

nickyt

Perry01

Perry01

nickyt

new2treg

nickyt

noobytoogy

T-Reguan

Blownvette

nickm

nickyt

Yeti

nickyt

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