My mirror doesn't dim as much as I would like at night. It doesn't dim the headlights behind me enough. Have any of you found this to be true? I'm wondering about finding another mirror or just putting some tinted material over the mirror at night.

 

Tint your rear hatch then

 

That's a clever idea.

 

LOL - your post reminds me I've yet to drive the Fit at night.

 

Come on! I know you're not that old!

 

I seldom drive at night because I do most of my driving during the day. Nighttime is for TV!

 

How would a rearview mirror dim light at night? Do they really do that?

Thank you person who suggested tinting! I would've never thought of that. I didn't remember being so blinded in my Scion, but those windows were pretty dark.

 

For the past several decades, rear view mirrors have had an internal tilting mechanism with two positions for the mirror behind the glass. Depending on which position it's in when you set it, flipping the lever angles the mirror up to the ceiling or down to the rear seat, leaving the only reflection you see out the rear window is from the glass over the mirror. This is normally only used at night when someone behind you has their brights on.

Sitting here now, I can't remember what the Fits is like! LOL Old age CRS.

 

Pulling the lever on the bottom of the mirror toward the inside of the car dims the reflection, but not enough for my liking. I'm sure it would be easy enough to attach a different mirror, but which one?

 

The dimming method is rather interesting. There are actually two sheets of glass in the mirror and the dimming tab pivots one slightly. You lose the rear surface reflection and keep the front surface reflection which is why things get dimmer.

Personally, I hate dimming mirrors because I want to see everything behind me, not just the lights. My wife and I use it as a convenient height adjustment when we drive the car!

 

This problem was fixed for me when I had my windows tinted. In my younger years, I had a car with limo tint in the back. Headlights behind me, regardless of how bright they were, were never a problem. Then I got my '10 Fit, became complacent about it, and never got it tinted. I HATED driving it at night because I was constantly being blinded, and flipping the mirror made things too dim. Plus, I've never been a fan of dimming the mirror because I feel like it reduces my visibility too much (so I'm REALLY happy that this car doesn't come with auto-dimming mirrors). Fast forward to my new little Fit with 15% tint in the back half of the car. I love driving it at night. Headlights are rarely a problem now, the car stays cooler, and as a bonus, it looks prettier. I'm sure it's not the solution you were looking for, but it's an option - and an attractive, useful one at that.

 

Thanks. That sounds like an option.

 

Don't some of the Ex's come with auto dimming mirrors? Instead of bright lights, you see a cool blue or whatever it is.

 

Okay, now I sound really dumb. I knew about that lever, and use it all the time, but the OP made it sound like there was some sort of automatic dimming going on. I was... astounded!

 

auto dimming mirror | eBay

Or visit your local junk yard. They are usually around $20.00 there.

One warning. The button on the windshield that mirror mounts on comes in two different sizes. If you re getting a junk yard one be sure it uses the same size button. Or you can mount a new button with the new mirror.

 

you can get a JDM dimming mirror.

 

Last night was my first night drive in the Fit. I had forgotten how tint film over them can cause the heating grid wires to light up in vertical strings of "dashes" in line with the headlights of a car behind you. Did this on my '89 Escort as well.

Made a change to the rear view mirror. It was set for the default (brighter) view with the lever toward the windshield and pulling it to the down position aimed the internal mirror up toward the ceiling. That was lit up from the car behind. Without moving the lever from the down position, I reaimed the mirror for the brightest view. Now with the lever toward the windshield the internal mirror is aimed down toward the rear seat and cargo area where it's darker. The "dim" view is better. The lever being down normally also no longer interferes with hanging my disability parking placard.

 

I don't like auto-dimming mirrors. I want to decide when to dim.

 

Ah, clever. I'll have to try that.