Can the anti-glare rear view mirror be darkened?

[Toby]

The review mirror in our Leaf Plus has the anti glare feature which makes most headlights tolerable. However, there are lots of jacked up pickups around here and others with snow mobiles on the back (which tilts up their headlights) plus those with lights so bright I could read a book. They frequently follow too closely and I'm blinded. On occasion I have to twist the mirror so that the reflection doesn't get to me. Is there an electronic adjustment that would darken the mirror?

 

[R1200RT]

Tint the rear window.

 

[GerryAZ]

Tinting the rear window will allow less light to reach the sensor on the mirror so it will not dim as much as normal. The mirrors on older LEAF's had two levels of automatic dimming. The newer ones are just on or off and I have not found a way to adjust the dimming level.

 

[jjeff]

Then couldn't one just tint the mirror, leaving the area where the sensor is located untinted?

 

[R1200RT]

Tinting the rear window will allow less light to reach the sensor on the mirror so it will not dim as much as normal. The mirrors on older LEAF's had two levels of automatic dimming. The newer ones are just on or off and I have not found a way to adjust the dimming level.

Would this also not mean less light overall entering the vehicle? Would that not help?

 

[GerryAZ]

Tinting the rear window will allow less light to reach the sensor on the mirror so it will not dim as much as normal. The mirrors on older LEAF's had two levels of automatic dimming. The newer ones are just on or off and I have not found a way to adjust the dimming level.

Would this also not mean less light overall entering the vehicle? Would that not help?

It does not really help, just about the same amount of glare from the mirror because there is less light entering from the rear so the mirror does not filter as much glare. I had this situation on an office vehicle I had assigned to me. A previous user had dark tint added to the windows so there was less light entering, but the automatic dimming mirror did not do much because its light sensor was not sensing as much light (glare) as it would have without the tint. The dark tint also made it difficult to see out at night, especially when driving off road.

 

[GerryAZ]

Then couldn't one just tint the mirror, leaving the area where the sensor is located untinted?

The sensor is in the mirror.

 

[jjeff]

Then couldn't one just tint the mirror, leaving the area where the sensor is located untinted?

The sensor is in the mirror.

Ah OK. My only previous experience with an auto-dimming mirror was our '97 Buick Lesabre limited that had a lit green push button below the mirror that turned the feature on/off and the sensor itself was on the lowest edge of the mirror, easily visible if looking, it was just a small dot I assume was a photocell. Cover that dot with your finger and the mirror would brighten.
Well, actually I believe my father had a 57'? Oldsmobile Roadmaster which had an auto-dimming mirror but it was more a mechanical thing that probably just automatically flipped the day/night lever, not an actual photochromatic? mirror as on the Leaf or our Buick.