Remove auto-dimming rear view mirror, install manual-dimming instead?
 

Has anyone replaced the lousy auto-dimming OEM rear-view mirror with a manual-dimming flip-type one? The 2013 G37 owner's manual shows a manual anti-glare mirror option (pg 3-27, figure "SPA2143") but I haven't found one on eBay or other parts source.

Would a manual mirror from an older Maxima or other Nissan fit the G37 windshield mounting point?

I realize I'd be giving up the built-in compass and garage door opener but that's better than squinting and cursing under my breath every single time I get on the freeway at night.

Sorry if this is an old topic but I did a quick search and didn't see a previous thread.

If you want to sell the auto-dimming mirror you have, let me know as I might want to have one with the built-in compass

The more common anti-glare mirrors are made by Gentex. Not sure if they are also the manufacturers of the manual dimming mirrors used by Nissan/Infiniti. That being said, it you look around and find mirrors from the following vehicles, you should be in luck....

Juke
Quest
350Z/370Z
Rogue
Cube

Unfortunately, most people want this option, so finding one of these mirrors may be slightly difficult with just a general eBay search. However you may get lucky. Try and keep your searches focused on later model years...the mounting points should be the same.

Quick look on Ebay for Nissan 370Z rear view mirror, pulled up manual/basic mirrors

Oh okay nice. I know the auto-dimming feature is more desired so I saw more of those even when I was looking for a mirror with a compass.

I had an auto-dimming rearview mirror on my Nissan Frontier, and then traded that truck in for my G37 sedan. When driving at night, I thought, the auto dimming doesn't seem to work as well as the one in my truck. The truck had the factory tinted glass from the factory though, which helped a bit. I know this doesn't answer your initial question, but you could get your rear window tinted, or all of your windows tinted to help with glare/brightness of headlights behind you.

Problem solved
 

I installed a $22 manual-flip Altima mirror off of eBay and the problem is solved. Now I'll order a $7 garage door opener fob and call it a day.

The metal mounting "button" glued to the windshield seems to be standard across many car models and even across brands. I saw a warning that some Hyundai and Honda mirrors use nonstandard buttons but I got the impression most mirrors swap between most cars.

mjnoles, I'll need to reinstall my original mirror when I sell the g37 someday so it'll go into a box on a shelf. I saw quite a few auto-dimming ones priced cheaply on eBay, though.

I have a G37x with auto dimming mirror, no compass or thermometer but I hate the auto dimming function and would like an alternative. I do have garage door buttons on my mirror but they will not pair with my remotes. I have another Infiniti SUV and it pairs just fine, so the mirror is faulty. I wonder if the auto dimming is not working well either...

OldManWorking, now that I've lived with my new manual-flip mirror for a few days, I do recommend the swap.

Call me a troglodyte but I've driven other cars with auto-dimming mirrors and I've never liked any of them. They all seem to struggle with the constantly changing balance of glare from cars following me vs. those in oncoming lanes, and the dimming never gets dim enough, certainly not as dark as a manual mirror in night mode. In my opinion, auto-dimming mirrors are gimcracks that do their job less well than the simpler device they replace.

Swapping mirrors takes about ten minutes. The power cable leading into the Infiniti mirror is easily unclipped and tucked up into the headliner. The mirror base is held onto the metal mounting "button" (permanently bonded to the windshield) with a single Torx set screw. Loosen the screw and the mirror slides up and off. The used Altima mirror I got on eBay slid onto the same mounting button. The Altima base is held onto the mounting button by a strip of spring steel rather than a set screw so it requires some force to slip it on and swapping it back out (when I reinstall the Infiniti mirror to sell the car someday) will be different, requiring a thin screwdriver slid into a hole on the mount's base.

Here's a video showing how to remove the Infiniti mirror:
Install Rearview Mirror with Homelink / AutoDim / Compass for Nissan, by dial2fast

And another showing how to remove a spring-mount mirror, including a closer look at the retention mechanism:
Mirror Button Removal by Andrew Allan

Weird. I never really put much thought into the auto-dimming function of the mirror. The only time I ever use a manual mirror is when someone behind me has their brights on. I totally forget about it until I am driving a rental car at night (been almost 20 years since I have owned a car without an auto-dimming function). So I guess mine works good enough for me? :dunno: My windows are tinted about 30% or so (forget the exact value).

I couldn't use my garage door opener remotes to program the garage opener buttons either. I was able to use the programming button on the openers themselves though to get the mirror buttons programmed without much hassle.

Hi, what year was the Altima rear mirror from ? I want to replace my auto dimming mirror also in my 2011 G37S sedan.

The Altima mirror I got was listed on eBay as a 2015 but I think these mirrors are very standardized so a range of years would work, as long as the mounting method is the same, i.e. a mirror designed to slide onto the metal "button" bonded to your windshield.

As I noted above, removal of the Infiniti auto-dimming mirror was very simple, requiring only a Torx driver.

I've been using my manual-flip mirror for over a year now and I'm very happy with it.

I am surprised to hear that you guys do not like your auto dimming mirror. Most of those are made by the same manufacturer across many brands of vehicles. Then again, maybe it is just that I always tint the windows in my car.

20% rear window tint + auto-dimming mirror = no glare