Mondeo Mk4 Titanium - Auto Dim Mirror

[Wappygixer]

Picking up MK4 Mondeo Titanium tomorrow after buying it today.

It has factory fitted privacy glass meaning it's quite dark. When I test drove it the auto dim rear view mirror seemed quite dark. Im not sure if this is because of the privacy glass or because the mirror is broken.

I have the same type of mirror in my MK3 and its much brighter.

Can anyone shead any light on this? (excusse the pun)

[troy45]

I've got the same sort of problem with my Focus - privacy glass and auto-dimming rear view mirror. The combination of both means it always looks dark, my previous Focus also had the auto-dimming but with normal glass but I can't say if the mirror itself was lighter or not.

Tried putting a piece of tape over the rear facing sensor on the mirror but it didn't seem any different - best check of the mirror would be to see what it looks like with the tailgate open so it's getting normal light levels rather than what you see through the privacy glass.

From reading up on the web the dimming mirrors work by applying voltage/current to cause the mirror glass to dim, so if it's faulty I'd expect it not to dim rather than dim when it shouldn't. Also if you turn the car off it doesn't get any brighter so that sort of indicates that's it's normal state with no voltage applied.

I assume your current car doesn't have the privacy glass?

[Wappygixer]

Hi,

Thanks for the info.

My current Mondeo has standard tint glass and the mirror has power lights on it to show it's on.

The MK4 has no lights.

I'll try the open boot idea tomorrow when I pick it up. Hopefully it's just the dark glass causing it.

[mgaking]

What is it like in daylight?

I tested mine one night by folding a piece of card and putting it over the sensor on the mirror.

Does make a big difference - could now see what car was behind me instead of just the outline and headlights.

I also have privacy glass.

[troy45]

Even with super dooper double reverse/landing lights I still can't see jack through the rear window for reversing when it's dark.

Looks like daylight in comparison through my reversing camera with the amount of light it throws out ;)

[mgaking]

Never tried blanking off the sensor for reversing. Have to try that sometime to see what it is like.

[Wappygixer]

Today when I drove it it was daylight. I'm starting to think it's just the privacy glass.

I will take a bit of getting used to tthough.

I might have to invest in a camera for reversing though

[pragmatix]

Got the same here, as a new mk4 owner the privacy glass make seeing out very hard, mind I think I have tints over the privacy glass very dark outback vans have more light coming in!!

[Brigante]

Also a new mk4 mondeo owner, had my tit x sport with privacy glass about a month now n noticed how dark it was trying to look behind me in the rear view. Figured it was down to the privacy glass. Most times I look in it its like its constantly night.

Ive had a rear view camera n monitor that i've had a few weeks now that im still trying to find time to fit due to the severely decreased day light and the amount of rain/snow we been having

Doesnt help that i mainly work nightshifts either so i usally end up sleeping through the few hours of daylight we do have