Heated Mirrors

[Silversalmon]

Guys, I just realised my mirrors are heated all the time! Is this normal? It's a 2005 IS300 Sportcross. If intentional it seems ridiculous to wear out the elements but there is no separate switch as there was on my last car, a Honda. Apologies if it's been covered before.

[matt-c]

Shouldn't be heating all the time, should only come on when you press the heated rear screen / mirror button on the AC unit;

How did you determine they are constantly heating?

[Silversalmon]

Touch! I would have presumed they were activatred by the demister also. The only difference between this andmy Honda was that the Lexus has automatic dipping side mirrors as well as the internal drivers mirror. I am told thatt here is a very fine film of liquid in the mirror, perhaps that is whay they are always heated? Just a shot in the dark!! Thanks Matt

[matt-c]

I'm confused - you said you realised they are heated all the time? So are they constantly heating or not?

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Mine are on all the time when the car is running.

[matt-c]

How can you tell?

[The Transporter]

Because they are warm?

My mirrors are usually off unless I hit the rear window demist..... Have you checked to see if the rear widow is on too? May be a sticking relay..

The mirrors being constantly on is no biggie and unlikely to damage the elements out but will cause an unecessary load on your electrical system and will cause your fuel consumption to increase ever so slightly

[ndrk]

it depends on market probably but 90% of IS200/300 have mirror heater constantly on when car is running.

This is the firs time I see mirror button in I gen IS dash

[TonyGoose]

Here's a quote from my IS200 owners manual :-

"The outside rear view mirror heater will operate while the ignition switch is ON".

Mine is a 2001 car and doesn't have the mirror symbol on the heated rear window switch.

That must have been one of the changes made sometime beyond late 2001.

TG

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Here's a quote from my IS200 owners manual :-

"The outside rear view mirror heater will operate while the ignition switch is ON".

Mine is a 2001 car and doesn't have the mirror symbol on the heated rear window switch.

That must have been one of the changes made sometime beyond late 2001.

TG

My handbook says exactly the same. Mines 2001. :)

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Shouldn't be heating all the time, should only come on when you press the heated rear screen / mirror button on the AC unit;

How did you determine they are constantly heating?

I also don't have 2 symbols like this on mine. Just the rear windscreen heater

[matt-c]

Interesting. Mine has the two symbols as per the pic above. Ran it for an hour today and kept putting the back of my hand against the mirror glass when coming to traffic lights etc, and no change in temp. Then on the way back, pressed the button and noticed a change in temp in less than a couple mins.

Maybe the later cars (maybe post '02?) had a change?

I presume my heated from windscreen runs off the same button as this, even though it doesn't have a symbol on the button for it?

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Well silversalmon's car is 2005 so one of the last 1st gen IS made and his is on all the time! Guess some are just operated by the button and some just stay on :)

As for the windscreen mine comes on when I press the rear windscreen heater.

[Silversalmon]

Thanks for all the input guys, I just hope i don't need to replace the mirror glass, I heard it's a biggie.

[J Henderson]

Thanks for all the input guys, I just hope i don't need to replace the mirror glass, I heard it's a biggie.

Yes, those electrochromatic mirrors are £300+ each for a replacement.

When one of mine failed I just swapped it with a normal heated mirror as a stop gap...that was over a year ago, so I obviously haven't missed the auto-dimming function much. When my other one starts to go I'll just do the same again and replace it with a normal glass mirror.

[Silversalmon]

£300-Gulp! Love that colour of your Lexus, don't see too many Scots here, nice to know I'm not alone.

Ed

[Carles]

I removed the fuse in the passsenger side fuse box:

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=72224

[BenIS]

Thanks for all the input guys, I just hope i don't need to replace the mirror glass, I heard it's a biggie.

Yes, those electrochromatic mirrors are £300+ each for a replacement.

When one of mine failed I just swapped it with a normal heated mirror as a stop gap...that was over a year ago, so I obviously haven't missed the auto-dimming function much. When my other one starts to go I'll just do the same again and replace it with a normal glass mirror.

Auto dimming? was that just on the LE model?

[matt-c]

I think auto dimming was only on the 300's, although it might have made it onto the later LE 200's...

[J Henderson]

Yep, the LE is the only 1G-FE-engined model with those mirrors.