Don't tilt down in reverse
 

Hello, I have a 2003 es 300. It's pretty well loaded… Has auto leveling headlights, although I don't understand what they're supposed to do. They seem to always be aimed to close in front of the car. Anyway,

I thought that 2002 to 2006 ES 300s and ES 330s had Sideview mirrors tilt down when in reverse? Mine doesn't do that. Is it a setting that I could turn on?

The 2003 ES300 doesn't have that feature. I believe that feature was introduced on the 2005 ES330.

That's a bummer. It's also what I thought, too, but one source, is unreliable as it may be, indicated that all mvc30 02-06 ES models did it. I would love to have that! But I guess for now, I'll just keep slamming into stuff in reverse

The mirrors only auto-tilt down in Reverse on my '05 if I have the power mirror selector switch set to one side or the other. If the switch is in the middle position, they don't auto-tilt. Try that.

Yeah, I agree it's a bummer.

I manually tilt them down when parallel parking, which is my main reason for wanting that feature.

Well if you don't have a second driver, you could use the memory position #2 with the mirrors tilted down. Then hit that button before you parallel park and the mirrors will tilt down :)

I wish there was a way to hack and reprogram the computers in our cars. I mean a way that the intermediate skill level can achieve. I am sure some super computer scientist could. I have only written in basic, pascal and c++ on a windows pc

I tried the switch in the L or R position. Didn't work :(

I like the 05/6 better for some of thier features. This being one. Also wheel audio control, projector lights, and the more elegant tail lights. I prefer the 3mz as well. Gets 3-4 mpg better. I am not crazy about the lighter wood and bigger wheels.

Perhaps my next car will be a later 330. Or a 300h.


So what's the point of the auto leveling headlights in my car? They seem to only move when I start the vehicle. And they are always aimed to close in front of the car

Never thought of that. Excellent idea.

Phil

The only problem with that is, the car needs to be in Park for the memory seat function to work. Memory seats, by the way, are absolutely awesome. This is the first car I've ever had that has them. For whatever reason, my 2008 Is250 premium, nor my 2012 infinity G 25 Journey had them

I will tell you this: for two dollars you can get those little convex mirrors for the upper or lower outside corner of the side views, and see so, so much more. I just don't like that they don't damn with the rest of the mere

You have to have a sensitive eye to see the auto-leveling actually working while you're driving. The best time to see them in action is when you drive up the bottom of your driveway, they will tilt way down as the front struts compress. As for the height issue, I know on my 01 there is a "screw" that manually adjusts the tilt of the lens, independent from the auto-leveling. You turn it counter-clockwise to raise the lens. Here is a picture of mine:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...e08c531001.jpg


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...f4e73c8bb7.jpg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...c40ab0ca38.jpg


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...2ff00745b5.jpg


I found a explanation in the 2003 Manual, hope this helps:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...64f3aacf4b.png

Yeah I read about using the memory function for reverse tilt in the Toyota Tundra forum.

True. When you roll up to a parking spot, you'd have to shift first to P, then hit #2 for the mirrors to tilt, then drop back into R.

If you look at the wiring diagram for the seat control unit, it needs an input from the transmission or braking system of the car, telling it that its in park. If you could supply 12V to that pin, you could trick the memory seats/mirrors into working while you are in any gear. According to the diagram for the 3ES, it would work, but I'm not sure how its setup on the 4ES.

For me, the little convex mirrors are way too small to see anything. My car came with it and the first thing I did was rip them right off.

Thanks guys ! Great info.

The headlights that go around corners like in the 08 is250 I had were super obvious. They were awesome. I'll adjust my headlights tomorrow. Thanks!

I may mess with the wiring for the memory. I am going to start looking into to changing firmware and software too. It can be done. I'd love to learn how to reprogram things like write my own transmission code or something

You realize Toyota ECU's are one of the hardest to crack...

I wish I could get into reprogramming too. Then I can reprogram the throttle to NOT have built in lag.

Yea I imagine they would be but someone's had to have done it.

Do an eBay search for the throttle thing. When I first got my 2010 Camry, the lag drove me nuts. Turns out they make a module that plugs in and adjusts it. I never bought it because I didn't want to spend the moneys, but it can be done!

I've read about the throttle controller to improve throttle response. It doesn't reprogram the ECU, it merely plugs in between the gas pedal and the ECU to change the response rate.

There's a thread about people doing it to their 5th and 6th gen Camry's on TN, so I assume it could be done to our 4ES as well:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/10...yes-no-42.html

Theoretically it changes the response curve of the throttle potentiometers so that its sharper. That's the equivalent of pressing the gas pedal harder, but not necessarily eliminating the lag, more of removing the dead spot at the beginning of the pedal travel.