Blinded by reflected light from side mirrors

stealthyspeeder

I recently purchased a Vauxhall Monaro (2004 5.7 V8 non VXR model).

Now I love it to bits, but one thing I have noticed is that driving at night is a bit annoying! If I am driving in the left lane and there is a car behind me in the ovetaking lane or vice versa, I am getting all the light from their beams directly in my eyes (and Im talking about dipped beams here), from the reflection in my side mirrors.

This forces me either to move my head, or change the angle of my mirror, niether of which I have had to do in any other car before?? My friend thinks it is because my car is effectively a rebadged LHD Holden and the mirrors are set up for LHD, could this be correct?

Any recomendations for how to stop getting dazzeled everytime I overtake or get overtaken?

EPM

Aren't they RHD from the factory?

colm_mcm

the mirror glass isn't shared with the Omega by any chance is it?

If there's a line running down the glass on the drivers side, it's a covex mirror and supposed to be there.

stealthyspeeder

EPM wrote: »

Aren't they RHD from the factory?

From Vauxhall Yes, and I also thought they drove on the left in Oz??

stealthyspeeder

colm_mcm wrote: »

the mirror glass isn't shared with the Omega by any chance is it?

If there's a line running down the glass on the drivers side, it's a covex mirror and supposed to be there.

Its more than likely shared with Omega? is this good news or bad?

I'll study it this eve and see if there is a line, should I be getting this glare from them?

R.O.R

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

From Vauxhall Yes, and I also thought they drove on the left in Oz??

Being another of our former colonies, they drive on the HM The Queen's (god bless her soul) left.

stealthyspeeder

R.O.R wrote: »

Being another of our former colonies, they drive on the HM The Queen's (god bless her soul) left.

So they are just outstandingly shiite mirrors then?

R.O.R

Is it every car?

I get it in the Honda from the rear view mirror with some cars and only when they are off to the side of me. Looks like they have main beams on but if they pull in behind you, there is no glare.

colm_mcm

An Omega one mightn't have the same problem. It very well may have too, but surely worth a shot.

stealthyspeeder

My rear view mirror has an auto function, which appears to do nothing! I have yet to have anyone come up behind me with the full beams on!

If I can pick up some cheap Omega wing mirror glass I will give it a shot!

I take it there are no products that could remedy this problem?

stealthyspeeder

R.O.R wrote: »

Is it every car?

yea :mad:

robbie99

With the Monaro being a coupe and probably also having lowered suspension, could the mirrors be sitting that little lower than other cars you've driven?

peasant

From the pic in your signature it looks like you're sitting more or less at eye height with your wing mirrors .

If that's the case, try to sit up higher.

colm_mcm

Halfords do mirror glasses. (If you have heated mirrors make sure the one you get is also heated)

SV

peasant wrote: »

From the pic in your signature it looks like you're sitting more or less at eye height with your wing mirrors .

If that's the case, try to sit up higher.

Do you know how tall stealthyspeeder is?

peasant

SV wrote: »

Do you know how tall stealthyspeeder is?

nope ...but if sitting higher up isn't an option, moving the seat backward or forward a bit might also help

stealthyspeeder

robbie99 wrote: »

With the Monaro being a coupe and probably also having lowered suspension, could the mirrors be sitting that little lower than other cars you've driven?

This may be true, however this glare is not a mere inconvience, on the motorway I was overtaken at high speed by a car with HIDs and it was a Hazzard! I could not actully see for about a second - completely dazzeled! Im sure I would have noticed something about this before if this was a coupe wide problem?

peasant wrote: »

From the pic in your signature it looks like you're sitting more or less at eye height with your wing mirrors .

If that's the case, try to sit up higher.

Im 6 ft 6", my normal driving position has my hair just touching the ceiling in any car!

robbie99

peasant wrote: »

From the pic in your signature it looks like you're sitting more or less at eye height with your wing mirrors .

If that's the case, try to sit up higher.

I think it's moreso the height of the mirror rather than the height of the driver. No matter how high up the driver is, you'd angle the mirror up to allow driver see the traffic (and the associated blinding light). If the mirror is low enough then it falls into the area light up by the dipped beams.

robbie99

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

This may be true, however this glare is not a mere inconvience, on the motorway I was overtaken at high speed by a car with HIDs and it was a Hazzard! I could not actully see for about a second - completely dazzeled! Im sure I would have noticed something about this before if this was a coupe wide problem?

Ok. I'm remembering the Hyundai coupe I used to drive which (which is quite low) and I think I had this problem too. I'd totally forgotten about it since the beemer cause I have auto dimming mirror and side mirrors .

The thing about the Hyundai was that only on the left hand side did it have the convex mirror (you can tell by a dotted vertical line on mirror). Anything I saw in the righthand mirror was much bigger (and more blinding if it was lights) than seeing it on the left. This was quite annoying if a van or truck was close behind you in traffic. You could dim the rearview mirror but do nothing about the sidemirrors.

I think you're seeing the dipped beams because your sidemirrors are lower and what's making it worse is that you probably don't have convex mirrors.

stealthyspeeder

Thanks guys I'll check out the spec, would a mild tint take some of the ferocity out of the glare? Or just be dangerous? (bearing in mind I personally thing its dangerous at the mo!)