Fogged driver's side mirror?
 

I've done a search and didn't see this topic come up, so I apologize if I'm repeating a known issue.

My driver's side rear-view mirror has a hazy quality to it that is different than the passenger side mirror. It's hard to see in the daytime, as it's most visible at night when reflecting the light of other cars, appearing as an uneven, foggy quality to the view -- almost as if there is a film of oil over the mirror. I first thought the mirror was merely dirty, so I cleaned it with Windex. No change. I used isopropyl alchohol. Nope. Finally, I used mineral spirits. No improvement. I am afraid to use any harsher solvents. It almost appears like the problem lies beneath the top layer of glass, sandwiched between the glass and the mirrored surface.

I know that rear-view mirrors have coatings on them to reduce the glare of headlights coming from cars behind you, but this looks so uneven in application I'm wondering if I have a defective mirror? The passenger side mirror is 95% clear, but I do notice a slight bit of the same hazing in the corners.

Anyone else noticed this on their Evos?

Lee K

Sounds like overspray. Did the car have any kind of repaint?.... I had the same problem with another car I had after they repainted the door. Take it to the dealer and ask them about it.

If it is overspray, pick up a clay bar and try that.

I would not even use mineral spirits on it since you don't know if the coatings on the glass are plastic based or not.

As with any new car under warranty, just bring it in to the dealership and explain the situation to them. They'll probably just replace the mirror glass for you on the spot. It's a cheap part i would imagine.

SC~

Sounds like a bad seal between the reflective material and the glass. Moisture has got in between the two. It'll eventually begin to rust. Take it back to the dealer.

I had that exact same problem after I got into a car accident and had my car repainted. Did you repaint your car? I just used some force when scrubbing it with palmolive and a towel, and then windexed it. It is perfect now, but it did take me a good hour to scrub it all off.

I ran a whole thread on my driver-side mirror looking convex but it doesn't sound like the same thing to me.

Thanks for all the replies. I garner from the responses that my car's mirror isn't normal and is probably defective. The car hasn't been repainted (to my knowledge -- who knows what the dealer did when it sat on the lot for over six months) so I don't believe that it was clearcoat that got on the mirror accidently. To the best of my ability, it doesn't appear to be a coating on the outside of the glass itself, but a problem with the reflective layer underneath. It just might be moisture. Back to the dealer it goes...

Lee K