Do your outside mirrors actually tint (turn blue, like the rear view mirror) in response to glare? My rear view mirror does but my outside mirrors do not. I drove a GS300 loaner and those mirrors did turn blue at night like the rear view mirror does. According to the sticker I do have electro-chromatic outside mirrors.

Thanks

 

My sticker declares EC interior mirror and on the next line indicates heated outside mirrors.

If your's is labled differently then ask your sevice department what's up with them.

 

Pete,

Is it listed under installed options on your sticker?

Seems it would need to be if it was to be included on your car, as standard under luxury and convenience features is just the interior mirror.

 

This is from page 41 of my owner's manual:

"When the anti-glare rear view mirror is set to AUTO mode, the outside rear view mirrors will activate in conjunction with the anti-glare inside rear view mirror to reduce reflected light."

My window sticker, however, reads just like ES350Bob's. The Lexus website shows this:

Mirrors
Electrochromic auto-dimming inside rearview mirror with compass
Power-adjustable outside mirrors with puddle lamps and defoggers
Auto-dimming and auto tilt-down in reverse (* Optional)

Technically, it looks like that last optional "feature" is part of the Premium, Premium Plus and Ultra Luxury packages. But is it even possible to buy the base model car without one of these three packages?!?

 

Mine will tilt down but I have never noticed them adjust for glare. I suppose it is possible it is a misprint and was not included as a feature like the altimeter and barometer which appear(ed) in the online manual but are actually not an offered feature, standard or otherwise.

 

If you have this option, the exterior mirrors do indeed dim. But they don't turn 'blue' and darken like the interior mirror does. The exterior mirrors maintain the original reflections color appearance, but they do reduce the glare of headlamps, etc. They seem to have a large range of operation, and only kick in when something with glare appears behind you. Sometimes they're a little slow and will give you glare, then they kick in and its reduced.

If you think they're not working, turn around and look at the car behind you and you'll be blinded by their headlamps. Then look in the side mirrors again and you'll see that that light isn't so bright after all.

 

I have the UL-July build and both interior and exterior mirrors do turn blue at the same time in the auto mode. I have had SUV's with very bright lights on my tail at night and the mirror's do there job very well.

 

I have 08/2006 build and both interior and exterior mirrors do dim (and very well indeed)

 

In my previous 06/06 ES350 PP+, I didn't have external windows blue dimming. It was more of a yellish kind of dimming, if I remember correctly. The new GS350 dims it nicely!

 

The outside mirrors on my 4/06 also have a yellowish vs. blue tint when dimmed. Both the interior and exterior mirrors do a good job of reducing glare.

 

My exterior also have a yellowish dim to them while the interior is a blue. I have a UL with a 10/06 build date.

 

While the rear view does get very dark when confronted with bright lights, I noticed that its degree of darkness depends on the strength and angle of the lights. When pulling away from the following car, the mirror brightens up a bit to compensate for the decreasing brightness. Like similar previous postings, the side mirrors also dim but in a less noticeable fashion, although I've had them go very dark when hit at the correct angle by some very bright lights. I'm satisfied with both.

 

The outside mirrors DO tint, as a standard option. They are controlled ny the tinting levels of the rear-view mirror.

The auto tinting feature varies based on how bright the light behind you are at the moment, so they are continually varying. The outside mirrors do not change as drastically as the rear view mirror, but you CAN see them dim. Ask a friend to turn on his high beams behind you, and turn off the AUTO button on the rear view mirror, you'll see all three mirrors fade in and out.

 

Slightly off-topic, but I like how the backlit gauges/instrument panel does not dim to night-mode when the parking/headlights are turned on during the day (i.e., ambient outside lighting conditions are not dark)...