# Auto dimming mirror



## 7STW (Mar 30, 2011)

Is it just me, or do others find this feature as somewhere between lack luster and non-existant?


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

7STW said:


> Is it just me, or do others find this feature as somewhere between lack luster and non-existant?


How is your mirror aimed? It worked ok for me in my LTZ loaner. I kinda thought about doing the swap later. Then again my last Auto Dim was in a 90's fully loaded Buick


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

1992 DeVille had one, worked fine and spoiled me. With the Cruze have to hit that tab to do the same thing. But had to learn how to do it without hitting that blue button.

Use to be, how can we help you, now asks for my credit card number. 

If I get into my Supra or motorhome, have to remember to turn the head lamp switch on, so the Cruze is spoiling me in this respect. Never even thought about this before, but Oh my God, I have to turn the head lamp switch on in these vehicles!

Supra is already 26 years old, a real switch with a wire that goes directly to the head lamps. Suppose if my flashram goes bad with those many point contact relays automatically switching on the head lamps in the Cruze. Driving me nuts trying to find the cause of the problem if the head lamps do not turn on. Would also wish the Cruze just used a simple switch. 

Its perfectly normal to put your thumb where that blue button is and use your index finger to switch the lever. Just concluded, putting that blue button there is stupid. Takes to hands to flip it now, so don't dare do this when driving.

Ha, recall the days when Caddy was using automatic dimming headlamps. Not sensitive enough to dim with your tail lights, nothing worse than to be followed by a Caddy with their brights on. When I was driving Caddies, could switch that feature off.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

No, I do remember hi beams being a button on the floor and having someone help me adjust my mirrors while I sit in the seat. If you get a 2011 LS , you can relive that put hands on the mirror feel again. I tease her about that sometimes granted if you aren't in the shop much the mirrors never need to be touched again.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, motorhome dimmer is still on the floor, last car was my 78 Fleetwood, so really not that much to remember.

Model A Ford did take some remember, with three nickel plated levers on the center of the steering wheel, unidentified. One was for the throttle, poor mans cruise control, another for the spark advance, had to make sure that was retarded before starting, and the third was for the head lamps, off, park, dims, and brights. 

If you tried to hand crank it with the spark advance at full advance, piston would fire on the upward stroke causing the engine to run backwards, breaking your arm in the process. If left in first gear, parking brake off, would start and run you over. So you were forced to think, ha learned all this stuff when I was 12 years old, with today.s vehicles, eliminating the thinking process.

That is also somewhat contagious in any thinking, even on staying on your side of the road. This is suppose to be the next step in automotive, so you don't have to think at all.


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## 7STW (Mar 30, 2011)

Gents:

All kidding aside, am I SUPPOSED to do something manual to engage the "auto-dimming" feature on a 2014 1 LT?

If so, please supply the secret handshake!!

Thus far, I'm not seeing ANY dimming in night time driving.

Inquiring minds want to know...


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

To the best of my knowledge its a hands off system unless you fool with OnStar buttons. 



> Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6007168) -
> 2014 - 2nd Edition - 7/15/13
> 
> Page 2-20
> ...


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Are you able to snap a pic of it? There should be a black "looking" dot on the 12 O'clock position of the reflective glass area and the reflectiveness of the mirror should "diminish" as the idiot riding behind you with high beams, lifted 4X4, or illegal HID kit is there. Once they pass or turn off a side street it should go back to normal. The best one I seen is in the Cadillac lineup but you lose the OnStar buttons and possibly not Plug n Play.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

The one in my Eco works nicely.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

BowtieGuy said:


> The one in my Eco works nicely.


let me guess, MyLink with back up camera and or a power drivers seat.... :angry:


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## S-Fitz (Jul 16, 2012)

BowtieGuy said:


> The one in my Eco works nicely.


I miss this feature a lot. My last vehicle, a GMC Envoy had the dimming rear view mirror and dimming passenger side mirror. Going from a SUV to a car, it would be even more useful.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

S-Fitz said:


> I miss this feature a lot. My last vehicle, a GMC Envoy had the dimming rear view mirror and dimming passenger side mirror. Going from a SUV to a car, it would be even more useful.


Yes it is, I miss it so much but by the time I track down every feature I didn't/cant get in my eco I'd be a 2LT RS w/o leather. I have an auto dim mirror in my trunk but it's for the 90's Buick I spoke of earlier.


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## S-Fitz (Jul 16, 2012)

Merc6 said:


> Yes it is, I miss it so much but by the time I track down every feature I didn't/cant get in my eco I'd be a 2LT RS w/o leather. I have an auto dim mirror in my trunk but it's for the 90's Buick I spoke of earlier.


True that! My Envoy had leather, air ride, bose stereo and a whole pile of other junk I never used or would not be willing to pay extra for if I were to buy it brand new. Literally every option available. Sticker price was 50K :uhh: Power windows, locks and A/C are good enough for me to get by happily.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

Merc6 said:


> let me guess, MyLink with back up camera and or a power drivers seat.... :angry:


AND the spare tire compartment cover! :wink:


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

BowtieGuy said:


> AND the spare tire compartment cover! :wink:


yeah I got one of those and an extra air pump cover in the process...


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

I plan on keeping my Cruze until the wheels fall off, so I figured I mine as well have it optioned the way I want it. I custom ordered it though, I doubt I would have ever been able to find one with the exact options I wanted.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

BowtieGuy said:


> I plan on keeping my Cruze until the wheels fall off, so I figured I mine as well have it optioned the way I want it. I custom ordered it though, I doubt I would have ever been able to find one with the exact options I wanted.


Reason I said I'm going to stop ordering options I didn't have. Been eyeballing the autodim since I was in the one Eco at the last Lordstown meet. It wasn't until I had a loaner with it recently that I remembered I want it again.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, been tempted to add a bunch of strobe lights to my vehicles to fight back vehicles that tail-gate me with their brights on.

Really not a great effort to flip that lever on the rear view mirror. What I really need is some kind of mind reader to flip the directional signal lever when I plan to make a turn. That is really extra work, especially when changing lanes. 

Already got fed up with automatic climate control, one tiny loose connection in these highly complex systems can either end up freezing or being baked alive. And not a darn thing you can do about this when on the road. And have absolutely no problem with AT coolant lines leaking with a MT.

Would have paid extra for manual window cranks, also 100% reliable. How about dropping the window for an Illinois toll booth and not having it come back up. 300 miles drive home through a severe rain storm. Fixing the cause was not the problem. Removing the entire interior to dry it out was. 

Also had problems with an automatic dimming rear view mirror in a Continental, for whatever convenience this offered was cancelled about the hours I had to spend repairing it. Or could have just taken it to my Ford dealer and get a 2nd mortgage on my home to pay the bill.

So-called convenience items, but not very very convenient when you have problems. Wife forced the mode control cable in our 04 Cavalier when the doors were frozen. Cost me 12 bucks and about ten minutes to replace it. Sure wonder about this Cruze with all electric motors and and a BCM to control them as to what problems we would have. Wish they just left the cables in there. Simple.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Auto-dimming mirrors either work extremely well or not at all. It really depends on the light angles.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

obermd said:


> Auto-dimming mirrors either work extremely well or not at all. It really depends on the light angles.


I was only lucky enough to keep the LTZ for 2 days. I only encountered 2 hi beam tail gaters. One was 10:20 pm and other was 7:10 am.


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## Dvan5693 (Jul 8, 2014)

The one in my 14 ECO worked fantastic! I have very sensitive eyes and wear contacts to add to the sensitivity, never any issues with it.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

I kinda know how you feel. I turn off my MyLink screen (voice command screen off/display off) and wish the gauges and LEDs got darker than they do. It feels like the hi beam indicator hi beams the interior as well when it's on.


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## Damitz (May 11, 2014)

Merc6 said:


> I kinda know how you feel. I turn off my MyLink screen (voice command screen off/display off) and wish the gauges and LEDs got darker than they do. It feels like the hi beam indicator hi beams the interior as well when it's on.


I took the cluster apart on my Silverado and put a small piece of window tint over the high beam indicator and it worked great. Thinking of doing the same to my cruze.


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## wplanck (Sep 23, 2014)

7STW said:


> Is it just me, or do others find this feature as somewhere between lack luster and non-existant?


Mine works great.


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

Mine seems to work fine. Even with other vehicles that had manual mirrors I never flipped the switch as it always looked to dark to see anything.

It's definitely one of those features that you miss when you no longer have it.

The other feature I was happy to have back again was heated side mirrors.

The only option that is unavailable for the diesel that I wanted was automatic climate control. So much nicer to not have to fiddle with changing the heat/fan settings every couple minutes.


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## Slammed2014Eco (Feb 13, 2014)

7STW said:


> Is it just me, or do others find this feature as somewhere between lack luster and non-existant?


From my experience in my 2014 Eco it sucks, I had some jackass in a lifted bronco with HIDs from some reason right behind me and I couldn't see at all..


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

MilTownSHO said:


> Mine seems to work fine. Even with other vehicles that had manual mirrors I never flipped the switch as it always looked to dark to see anything.
> 
> It's definitely one of those features that you miss when you no longer have it.
> 
> ...


Auto climate was cute with the 8 fan settings but I ended up going manual after the 3rd drive cycle.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

This is a good reason to get some window tint or like me just have a rear window sun shade. Headlights in the rear-view mirror are not a problem now.


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