Homelink Mirror Auto Dimming (or not?)

So if the bar is blocking the sensor from the headlights, it should be blocking the headlights in the mirror as well and they shouldn't be blinding you anyway?

 

I decided to just tilt the mirror up further, and it works perfectly. If you'll notice...the only thing you can see out of the lower hatch is someone who is RIGHT behind you. For everyday driving, I think the upper part of the back window is all you need to see through, so I shifted the mirror up to basically only see out the upper part and the dimmer works just great!

 

Isn't it disorienting, seeing things behind you upside-down???

 

I replaced my "flip" mirror with a homelink one and love it.

If you really want to replace it, you can buy the mirror for a model II or III. Or I could sell you my old one . PM if you are interested.

 

Just got my gen 3 and I have the same issue. The problem is the front looking light sensor (looks out the front window to determine how dark it is outside. I'm certain that this is the problem as I can go to the car at night, parked outside. Have my son stand behind me with a worklight shining in through the back window. I can look at the light through the rearview, note the brightness of it, then put my hand in front of the mirror (cover the front looking sensor) and literally watch the mirror get 4 or 5 times dimmer (takes a few seconds to respond...no surprise here, the electronics would be designed to damp the response so the mirror doesn't go nut's dimming/brightening every second due to instantaneous changes in outside light levels).

The front looking sensor is being "fooled" by street lights and/or oncoming headlights and thinks that it's still daylight outside. I think it's more streetlights as I can take the car out on a stretch of freeway with no streetlights and the mirror will darken/dim much darker than it does in town.

Several posts in this thread have mentioned taping a piece of translucent material over the sensor to make it "think" that it's darker outside. I'll be taking mine to the dealer in about an hour or so to see if they can "customize" it/tweak some software somewhere to either reduce the sensitivity of the front facing sensor or increase the sensitivity of the rear facing sensor (make the mirror think that lights in back of you are brighter).

 

I'm in the same boat. I put a piece of kapton tape over the front sensor and it helped but not enough. The angle of the Gen III windshield makes it impossible to rotate the mirror around so the sensor is on top. I might try a second or third layer of Kapton. In general though it's just when the car lights are in the lower window that I have a problem. So hills and city driving are both problematic.

The idea of shifting the mirror so you don't see the bottom half of the window is foolish to me.

This is a safety issue. If your night driving is inhibited by the shadow cast from the spoiler bar, and there's no manual way to by-pass the sensor, your in danger. This mirror should be recalled immediately and replaced with one that works. At the very least there should me a manual option.

 

^^ +1 ^^ Exactly the same problem

 

My problem is that I hate the dimmer on whenever the car is powered on. So pressing the button to turn off the dimmer is on my checklist. It is hard enough to see out the rear with the horizontal bar blocking part of the view. If the dimmer is on, somebody sneaks up behind me and I may not be aware they are there, and I like to know what is going on around me. So I have the dimmer off, even at night. I wish the default was off, and if you wanted the dimmer on, you then had to turn it on. Anybody know a fix?

 

Put some tape over the sensor that makes the dimming function react?

 

The auto dimming on my Prius was non existing so I went to a glass installer to see if I could find a solution . After 3 places got mine fixed .It works perfect now .
The mirror is anchored to the window by a button (or what ever the real name for that silver thing is)This button was removed and moved just above where it was .I know sounds confusing but it does work .
This made all the difference because it raised it above the bar
Not all glass places will do it or even talk to you about .
Well anyway good luck

 

I agree, this is a safety issue. I will be taking our new gen 3 back to the dealer for some sort of fix...one way or another. This is, IMO, inexcusable for a $32k car and mirror technology that has been in existence for decades.

 

The dimming in my mirror (in my V) has never worked. Agree on the safety issue.

 

On your solar package; does it have the auto-dimming mirror with the homelink? I have been trying to find it they work and if they have a part number so i can add one to my Prius III

 

I pointed this issue out at the dealer, and all the response I got was "you're the first to complain" Then I went out and tinted the back window to 15%. Now the lights on cars don't bother me - darkened mirror or not. But I really do wish they'd fix it. Seems like a huge oversight on such a car. Same with those useless solar visors that don't have extensions to cover the side window enough.

 

+1 Will try a small square piece of "electrical" tape to see how it affects the dimming and the quickness that the mirror reacts...

Had a 88 Ford Van that you could adjust the sensitivity of the auto dimming function... "Back to the Future"

 

Toyota doesn't offer one for to install in a III with solar package. But, you can buy on off eBay and tap into the correct wires and get it to work. That was what I was going to do. But, I ended up getting a IV. I have a mirror, wiring, and wire cover to do the project. PM me if you are interested in it. It is the same mirror in the IV and V.

 

It is unfortunate that Toyota would design a car with such a serious saftey flaw. Ultimately this situation leaves you with a rear view mirror with no way to dim other than point the mirror awar from you. I love the Prius but this in my opinion is a completely unaccepatable safety issue.