its for use ONLY by the driver.

its not shorter because of other traffic.

if you guys cant guess i will post the answer later.

 

So you won't get curb rash on your rims or when you park on the side walk!

 

the heck? only by the driver? that means it must be used while driving... and why you gonna be moving the window while driving? umm.. to look at girls which are moving behind your car??? is that why only the right side is electrical?

 

sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

 

close.

 

getting warmer

 

tell us



mark

 

It actually has to do with perspective. That's why one is bigger and one is smaller. Since on the drivers side your closer to the mirror it makes you have more visibility inside that mirror closer to you. Since you are farther to the passanger side it would be harder to see if the mirror was the same size.

DO THIS TEST put a mirror close to your face then see how many thing you can see. If you put it further then it narrows down you visibility. Remember that we have flat mirrors not convex mirrors because they where not put into production yet.

I just didn't want to get technical the other day but i think this is the answer.
IF IM WRONG PLEASE TELL ME?

 

convex mirrors? do they even have those now?? i think it would a bad idea for a curved mirror...i would like to know the answer as well

 

I know the answer.... but lets let eric tell it and have his fun.

AshMan

 

lol...I'm actually enjoying this.

 

convex mirrors? Yes they are curved on newer models because it gives a better viewing angle. Since the ones on the w124 w201 and others are flat it needs to be bigger on one side. If you look at the right hand drive 300e's they have the bigger mirror on the left.

but I guess im wrong if that's not the answer.

 

oh, for a second i thought you said concave. because if it were concave, there would be an area which would be distorted. . hmm if it were convex, it would have to be a very slight angle, because anything too much would not allow you to see the entire mirror. just like regular tv's vs flat screen t.v's

 

lol those are all good ideas.

actually the mirror was made squat and tall for parking in europe. most places in europe have small streets and require you to park on the curb/sidewalk. the top of your mirror should be the point where you look to set it not the bottom. if you do this you will notice the extra height allows you to see almost down to the street. additionally that is why you have marker lights. the marker lights are turned on to the left or the right depending on what curb/sidewalk you parked on so when someone drives down the narrow street they can tell where the edge of the cars/road is.

you may think i am full of dooo doo but these mirrors were phased out as soon as the servo motor was installed in the pass mirror. now the servo motor kicks the mirror down so u can see the ground as you back up when the car is put in "R".

 

that is very intriguing, and remembering my dad's 93 e320 in singapore, it all makes sense now.