Mirror Adjustment Button Lights Up
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 34
Likes: 6
GLC 300
Mirror Adjustment Button Lights Up
So here's one I haven't been able to puzzle out by checking the manual or Google. There are times I've noticed that one of the mirror adjustment buttons is lit up when I haven't touched it.
The first time I noticed it is after parking on the street and the left button was lit. Other times I've noticed it after backing out of my garage and the right button is lit. I park on the right side of my garage so the wall is to the right of the car which may be why the right side button was lit, but that does not explain the time I noticed the left one was on because that time I was parked on the street without any walls nearby.
Any thoughts?
The first time I noticed it is after parking on the street and the left button was lit. Other times I've noticed it after backing out of my garage and the right button is lit. I park on the right side of my garage so the wall is to the right of the car which may be why the right side button was lit, but that does not explain the time I noticed the left one was on because that time I was parked on the street without any walls nearby.
Any thoughts?
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Joined: May 2008
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From: DFW
2022 E350 Diamond White Metallic, 2016 GLC300 Dakota Brown Metallic
The mirror switch is suppose to light up. It signals that mirror will dip/ change position when car is placed in reverse. Both my GLC and C class do this. Mine is set to do this on the passenger side.
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 266
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From: Australia
GLC 250D
Agreed, but there's more to it than this. I found the fact that the passenger side mirror changed position when reversing often frustrating, and discussed it with my dealer how to deal with this. He pointed out that if I press the driver's side mirror button, then the passenger's side mirror resumed its normal position.
In fact, both mirrors have a normal position and a reversing position. When you select reverse, the side that was last active when you reverse moves to the reversing position. If you adjust that mirror at this point, the position is remembered, and that's the position the mirror moves to when next you reverse.
Most people will only ever see the passenger mirror go up and down. But if you do as my dealer suggested and pressed the button for the driver's mirror, that's the mirror that's selected when next you reverse. If you want the passenger's side mirror to drop, then you need to press that button. Only one side at a time goes into the reverse position, and any adjustments made a remembered, and the side last selected is also remembered.
At new, the driver's mirror's memorised reversing position is up, but a UK driver for example driving on the continent may find it useful to adjust its reversing position to down.
In fact, both mirrors have a normal position and a reversing position. When you select reverse, the side that was last active when you reverse moves to the reversing position. If you adjust that mirror at this point, the position is remembered, and that's the position the mirror moves to when next you reverse.
Most people will only ever see the passenger mirror go up and down. But if you do as my dealer suggested and pressed the button for the driver's mirror, that's the mirror that's selected when next you reverse. If you want the passenger's side mirror to drop, then you need to press that button. Only one side at a time goes into the reverse position, and any adjustments made a remembered, and the side last selected is also remembered.
At new, the driver's mirror's memorised reversing position is up, but a UK driver for example driving on the continent may find it useful to adjust its reversing position to down.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 34
Likes: 6
GLC 300
I've disabled the reverse mirror function on my car (or rather I just have it set the same for reverse as in drive) but I guess it still lights up. I don't really need it since I have the 360 camera and parking assist.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 266
Likes: 20
From: Australia
GLC 250D
I agree it's not often helpful, but the 360 camera isn't enough to prevent scraping those expensive rims in my experience, and parking assist doesn't always activate. (And I'm not wild about the way that active parking assist sometimes wants to spin the steering wheel while the car is stationary.) So I sometimes use the drop mirror. I just press that mirror button when I need it.
