Beagle_Z

Hello folks, new member/owner here. I tried searching for info within the site but came up nill. We love our new '06 with the funky auto dimming mirror, however, at dusk the mirror doesn't seem to darken very much, and with our low slung cars, that means big mean SUV's are beaming their lights right inside. I got the manual out but you can only turn on/off or have it on "auto" feature. I wish there was a permanent "on" button. Has anyone tinkered around with their mirrors? Possible solutions I offered my wife were: 1) speed up and get away from traffic (doesn't work when boxed in..and we don't want speeding tix) 2) aim a fibre optic light at the one square that's unlit on the mirror, I'm thinking that's the sensor. 3) aftermarket mirror. 4) don't drive at dusk... Isn't there yet another nissan (or Nismo) auto dimming mirror with a built in compass? 5) attach some kind of diffuser to the rear window, on the inside to break up incoming light. Now,the mirror works, at night it's good and green, but at dusk, it's kinda wimpy..
I wish there were a way of turning the thing permemantly on or at least flipping a lever (like non auto mirrors have) down into "night" mode. Any suggestions or comments? TIA ~Mark

hndumafia

iTrader: (10)

just tint the rear window. i have 5% tint and have to always turn the auto dim off.

Acree

iTrader: (29)

For the autodimming mirror, look on the back side of the mirror, the side that faces the windshield. There is a hole on that side. Put a piece of black electrical tape over that hole. That is the sensor for the mirror. There's another sensor between the homelink buttons. The chip inside compares the difference between the 2 photosensors and dims the mirror accordingly. If you put tape over the front one, it will think that there is too much light coming in from behind and dim.

sorphin

iTrader: (1)

another less ghetto solution is wire up an LED to a switch and flip the switch, it turns on the LED at the photocell, and then it's dim, and you can turn it on/off whenever.. just a thought i had the other day.. tape works.. but unless it's black electrical tape (which the adhesive gets messy after a while in the heat), it'll look odd

Acree

iTrader: (29)

Well that's all and good if he wants to open up his $400 homelink mirror, or even knows how to solder and has circuitry knowledge. Ghetto is good sometimes. Good idea btw.

sorphin

iTrader: (1)

thanks.. and actually he wouldnt have to open the mirror.. those are just photocells.. if yo uwere going to open the mirror, you could bypass the photocell all together and wire in a switch in it's place to switch in the appropriate value for when the photocell is 'overloaded with light'. but yeah, i hear ya.. too bad my '$400 homelink mirror' doesn't have the damn Compass :P

Wired 24/7

iTrader: (2)

On this note, is there a way to make the autodimming feature "OFF BY DEFAULT" ??

I usually turn it off but don't want to disable it completely by cutting wires etc.

sorphin

iTrader: (1)

try blocking both photocells?

Acree

iTrader: (29)

Actually if you block the rear cell that faces the hatch, it would never dim because the amount of light coming in the from the rear would never exceed the amount coming from the front.

Wired 24/7

iTrader: (2)

Heh I don't really want to slap a ghetto piece of masking tape on my mirror 24/7, maybe i'll just turn it off manually as usual.

hndumafia

iTrader: (10)

assuming you don't use the homlink buttons, i suppose just unplugging the cord from the back of the mirror would disconnect power from the mirror, thus leaving the autodim off. i just thought about that when i read this thread the first time, but my Z is far far away so i can't try it.

Beagle_Z

Thank you all kindly. I appreciate your responses and the time you took to reply. I didn't know there was a second sensor. The quick and cheap route would be to black tape over the front windshield sensor. I could crack the mirror open, as I have rudimentary soldering skills but the last time I had to work on a circuit board was 20 odd years ago and I don't remember much other than "Roy G Biv"...
So does anyone have that compass mirror? It is an upgrade or an Nismo part I guess? I wonder if it is a plugnplay type upgrade or if you have to attach some sensors or ?? inside the roof for the compass portion to work? Has anyone upgraded from the standard auto mirror to the compass mirror, and how easy is it, and more importantly, is it even worth it. 280 bucks for a compass...I could buy a decent handheld GPS for half that price and it'll tell me more info than the little green LED would. But then there is the coolness factor of that compass in the mirror. Anyhoo, thanks again. Motor on folks.

~Mark

Acree

iTrader: (29)

Honestly man, if you are really THAT directionally challenged, (like I am) I would recommend saving that $280 and put it towards a carputer with navigation. But if you really like the mirror thing, I know that it is a direct plug and play. All of the circuitry for the compass is inside the mirror. There should be no soldering involved.

-Acree

Beagle_Z

Well, I'm not that challanged, but the car is for my wife you see, she will drive it most of the time. We just got it two weeks ago. Our first car in 7 years and very very worth the wait! I get caught up in the 'accessories' fever whenever I do get a new ride, so I was thinking how fun it would be to have a compass in the mirror (again, for my wife..) but I was thinking about it on the way home this afternoon, is there a carbon fiber (fibre?) overlay for the mirror? I bet they would forget to put a hole for the windshield sensor, and bam(!) one upgrade will solve the mirror issue! Time to surf around ebay or ?? or perhaps the sponsor of this site for fancy little trim pieces...Ya'all have to forgive me now you hear, since we are new to not only the 350Z scene but the whole "pimp your ride" or "tuner" scene as well. Er, or whatever I should be calling it...Been absentmindedly driving SUV's around for 10 years now and this is our first "real" car, and by that I mean one where you don't have to floor the danged gas pedal to motivate the vehicle being piloted to navigate around some grandma in her big honking Buick..Speaking of, I sure am getting alot of attention from 12-18 years olds and 45+, both men and women. Geez, the other day a fellow in a minivan that looked, oh from the next lane over, about 65 or 70 years old was looking the Z over and then gave me a big grin and then a thumbs up! Like I said, this is all new to both my wife and I!

~Mark