Auto dimming mirrors replacement (exterior)

[Taseen]

LEXUS IS250 SE-L 2006

Hi everyone. I recently cracked my exterior mirror and need to replace it. My car was fitted with auto dimming mirrors and I understand that not all cars got that feature. I have ordered the mirror from a scrapped car and am now wondering if my car requires a certain mirror - are there two different mirror types for this model (one with dimming and one without)? lexuspartsdirect.co.uk suggests that there is one universal mirror for all. 

[Neilo]

I believe the SE-L auto dimming mirrors have wiring with two connector plugs where others have one. 

I'm sure someone will correct me if wrong - if you take your door card off you could check.  

Neil.

[Taseen]

2 hours ago, Neilo said:

I believe the SE-L auto dimming mirrors have wiring with two connector plugs where others have one. 

I'm sure someone will correct me if wrong - if you take your door card off you could check.  

Neil.

You might be right. When i had a look I think I saw 2 connections but i assumed it was just positive and negative for the heating element - didn't really pay much attention to it at the time. I'll have another closer look tomorrow.

[Taseen]

Never mind i just checked now. I clearly wasn't paying attention last time. Here's what it looked like.

As you can see there four wires in total - two for the heating and two (the harness) for the anti-glare.

[Neilo]

Oh, righto I took it that you were replacing the whole mirror unit which has two connector plugs that connect into the loom behind the door card.

Best wishes 

 

[Taseen]

@Neiloohhh I just understood what you meant. You are right the mirror unit has two harness connectors if it has auto-dimming. Unfortunately the one I ordered doesn’t have this - seems to be a rare feature as nobody is selling one that does.

[Neilo]

35 minutes ago, Taseen said:

@Neiloohhh I just understood what you meant. You are right the mirror unit has two harness connectors if it has auto-dimming. Unfortunately the one I ordered doesn’t have this - seems to be a rare feature as nobody is selling one that does.

Linas.P has a SE-L parts for sale post - he might be able to help you (but its red )

[zoricib]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:06 PM, Taseen said:

LEXUS IS250 SE-L 2006

Hi everyone. I recently cracked my exterior mirror and need to replace it. My car was fitted with auto dimming mirrors and I understand that not all cars got that feature. I have ordered the mirror from a scrapped car and am now wondering if my car requires a certain mirror - are there two different mirror types for this model (one with dimming and one without)? lexuspartsdirect.co.uk suggests that there is one universal mirror for all. 

Had no luck getting a replacement glass mirror with the auto-dimming on. One way to tell which is which is by the vertical line on the far side of the mirror glass. If it's a continuous line it's non-dimming, if it's a dotted line it has the dimming function.

I gave up on searching for a dimming mirror as had to buy the whole mirror assembly to get the glass & ordered glare reducing ones from Aliexpress which have a blue tint on them. 

[Malc1]

I've only ever replaced mirror glass on assorted cars with bespoke cut one's ( so they said ! well for the Honda Legend ) from a couple of UK suppliers and paid about £20/25 each for stick-on glass

They do however catch onto the heat element from the underside one's they stick onto and are ok to " defrost " .  so that's a bonus but don't ever accord with the vertical line on the originals 

It's £25 and some glue or £350 or so for originals !

Malc

[markeyszoo]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:06 PM, Taseen said:

LEXUS IS250 SE-L 2006

Hi everyone. I recently cracked my exterior mirror and need to replace it. My car was fitted with auto dimming mirrors and I understand that not all cars got that feature. I have ordered the mirror from a scrapped car and am now wondering if my car requires a certain mirror - are there two different mirror types for this model (one with dimming and one without)? lexuspartsdirect.co.uk suggests that there is one universal mirror for all. 

which side do you need?

[Taseen]

6 hours ago, markeyszoo said:

which side do you need?

Ideally both - but most importantly the left side (passenger) as that one has completely shattered. 

[AWC]

14 hours ago, Taseen said:

Ideally both - but most importantly the left side (passenger) as that one has completely shattered. 

Not sure if this is helpful but I didn't want to pay £400 for a new nearside auto-dimming door mirror so bought an ordinary replacement on eBay and couldn't tell the difference. You don't really need auto-dimming on the nearside as I found out.

[Malc1]

1 hour ago, AWC said:

Not sure if this is helpful but I didn't want to pay £400 for a new nearside auto-dimming door mirror so bought an ordinary replacement on eBay and couldn't tell the difference. You don't really need auto-dimming on the nearside as I found out.

Big price difference maybe ?

Malc 

[Linas.P]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:06 PM, Taseen said:

LEXUS IS250 SE-L 2006

Hi everyone. I recently cracked my exterior mirror and need to replace it. My car was fitted with auto dimming mirrors and I understand that not all cars got that feature. I have ordered the mirror from a scrapped car and am now wondering if my car requires a certain mirror - are there two different mirror types for this model (one with dimming and one without)? lexuspartsdirect.co.uk suggests that there is one universal mirror for all. 

When I had cracked mirror on SE-L, I had same issue - could never find the correct replacement. It was either auto-dimming, but not heated, or heated, but not auto-dimming. I even bought whole mirror of another S-EL, but it turned out somebody had already replaced glass for just generic mirror.

I do have SE-L auto dimming/heated mirror for passenger side of the breaker car if you interested. But I am not braking it down into parts, selling whole mirror. As others said it is red however. 

[H3XME]

@Neilo @Taseen

Just to add, SE-L wasn't the only model with auto-dimming mirrors. Sport models had it too. They're actually the second best specced cars right after SE-L. If you're after auto-dimming mirrors and you're looking for SE-L cars only it will narrow your search down too much since the Sport models had it too. Get in touch with breakers. There's lots of cars being advertised as "breaking only"

I created a chart some time ago, it should be over 90% correct. I'm going off personal experience with SE & Sport models. The only bit that could be wrong is the wheels. I could not find UK brochure from 15 years ago to double check exactly what models had what options for upgraded alloys.

Green - standard spec

Red - not available

Orange - optional extra

(The chart below covers only pre-facelift cars)

[Taseen]

@H3XME

Nice!!

Unrelated to this topic but you wouldn't happen to know about the adaptive radar cruise control option? Just curious as the only other people that I know who have it on their 250 are in other countries.

[H3XME]

7 minutes ago, Taseen said:

@H3XME

Nice!!

Unrelated to this topic but you wouldn't happen to know about the adaptive radar cruise control option? Just curious as the only other people that I know who have it on their 250 are in other countries.

I believe it was an option for the later 11+ cars. Certainly not for pre facelift ones. 

[Taseen]

1 minute ago, H3XME said:

I believe it was an option for the later 11+ cars. Certainly not for pre facelift ones. 

My 55 plate 250 is fitted with it but I think its super rare in the uk for some reason.

[Neilo]

47 minutes ago, Taseen said:

My 55 plate 250 is fitted with it but I think its super rare in the uk for some reason.

Mine doesn't have it although the instructions for it (if equipped) are in my 06 manual.