Added turn signal mirrors to my Clarity...

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by Insighter, May 13, 2020.

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  1. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    I ordered some turn signal mirror glass (heated) from Muth. These are mirror pieces that replace the glass in the factory mirrors, and my installer said they were direct fit plug ins that retain the heating feature. I had them installed on my 2020 Clarity Touring.

    These are the type of turn signal mirrors you see as original equipment on many cars. The LEDs are behind the glass, and you only see them when they are flashing. You can see some mild difference in the reflectivity where each LED is when they're off, but it does not obscure your view.

    The mirrors were special order from Muth and cost about $200. You can get them with the LEDs red or amber. I chose amber to match the turn signal lights on the back of the Clarity. They flash in unison with the factory turn signals. They are very bright and easily seen during the night and day.
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    turn-signal-off.jpg turn-signal-on.jpg
     
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  3. bpratt

    bpratt Active Member

    I went to the Muth mirror website and did a search, but they don't show the Clarity. Which Honda model did you specify? I have a 2018 Clarity Touring but it doesn't have heated mirrors. Does the 2020 Clarity come with heated mirrors?
     
  4. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    I think you missed the part where I said they were custom. I don't think they've made them for a Honda Clarity before. But they ordered the mirror glass and modified it (adding the turn signals behind the glass).

    I'm attaching a screenshot that shows my Muth order information (Muth SKU: 4767-5796). As far as them being heated, the mirrors on my 2020 Clarity Touring are heated. I don't know if that's true for other years or other models. On my Clarity, they come on with the button that turns on the rear window defogger (see the screenshot of the button that says "REAR" at the top right of the screenshot, taken from the Honda website, that shows an image of the heated rear window defogger and a heated mirror).

    For the special order, I dealt with Denise M. in sales/customer service at Muth. She should remember my order. You should ask her about the heated option. Maybe because your car doesn't have heated mirrors, your custom Muth mirrors would be cheaper than mine (the mirror glass they buy from their supplier may be available without the heating element, and therefor may cost less).
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    Screen Shot 2020-05-13 at 3.08.15 PM.jpg Screen Shot 2020-05-13 at 3.16.38 PM.jpg
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  5. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    I think you do have heated mirrors.

    upload_2020-5-14_1-49-0.png
     
  6. 228ra

    228ra Member

    Do the new mirrors have the wide view blind spot feature of the OEM mirrors?
     
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  8. Danks

    Danks Active Member

    My Base trim has them too.
     
  9. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    The short answer is no. My understanding is you can't get that split-area blind spot edge on the mirrors with the Muth turn signals. However, not all Claritys come with the mirrors you're referring to, and I have something I prefer to that feature, anyway. Please read on:

    I'm glad you mentioned the stock Clarity mirrors with the blind-spot feature. I test drove two brand new 2020 Honda Claritys. The first one had that feature, but the second did not (I don't even know how that is possible).

    You're referring to the "Expanded-View Driver's Mirror," with a convex outer edge that provides a wider view. They have been standard equipment in other countries for a long time, I believe:
    extended-view-mirror.jpg
    I had this type of mirrors on one of my cars, and I liked them. However, in my pursuit of turn signal mirrors on various vehicles I've owned, I found something I like much better. I like to put round blind-spot mirrors on my cars. I don't put them on the outside edge of the mirror. I put them on the inside lower "corners" of the mirror. With them there, I can adjust the angle of my side view mirrors far out, and the round blind-spot mirrors cover the area closer to my car.

    For me, the greatest advantage of this, and the reason I'll probably add them to every car I ever own, is that round blind-spot mirrors (and only the round ones since they also expand your downward view) placed in this location will show you exactly where your wheels are in relation to the curb when you're parallel parking, and in relation to the curb or parking space boundary lines whenever you're parking. I never have to risk scraping my rims or wonder if I'm centered in a parking spot.

    Placed in this position, the mirrors also let you see if a bicyclist is riding up beside you (like when you're making a right turn), or a motorcyclist is coming up close on your side (lane-splitting).

    Here is a photo of the one I just mounted on my Clarity's turn signal mirror. I know it's huge. It's just over 3" in diameter (about 1" larger than the ones I've used in the past). I may go back to the smaller size I used before. They're cheap, so I thought I'd try the larger ones. I can tell you that with these mirrors in place, you will basically never even look at the flat part of the mirror. You can see so much more in the added blind-spot mirror. Note how I can see much more of the car beside me, and even the pavement below. (The mirror I'm using is independently-adjustable in every direction even after you install it.) Best of all, this is something you can try for around $6 by picking up some blind-spot mirrors at your local auto parts store:
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    blind-spot-mirror-a.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2020
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  10. JFon101231

    JFon101231 Active Member

    I like the signals but I guess I don't follow the last part. I don't consider your mirrors adjusted correctly (in either large stock or added circle one) - IMO it should be further away (you don't need to see the side of your car other than a sliver) and down (don't need to see sky, that will show curb etc). YMMV
     
  11. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    This is an ongoing debate I've seen in many forums. There are people who insist that all you need is the normal mirrors adjusted outward enough that they cover your blind spot, but don't show the side of your car. That is certainly an option, but I don't like that at all. It won't show objects very near to your car as well, including bicyclists and motorcyclists.

    I just drove with these blind-spot mirrors installed for the first time. I did adjust them some more so that they face more outward and show less of the side of my car, but even adjusted far out, they will still show some of the side of my car due to them being convex. This is exactly what I want.

    With these blind-spot mirrors installed, I can see everything. There is absolutely no blind spot, and you can see the ground beside your car. No matter how you adjust your factory mirrors, you can't do that. When I'm pulling around sharp curbs, parallel parking and making sure I'm centered in a parking spot, this is a clear advantage. I can't tell you how well they work for this. I suspect many of the people who are against blind spot mirrors (though maybe not you) would find they like them if they tried the convex circular ones. You can argue that they don't look good, that they are unnecessary and that they might have disadvantages that outweigh their advantages (a lot of that would be a matter of preference). You can even say what I say are advantages are unimportant or unnecessary. However, you cannot argue that they don't offer added functionality.

    I would just suggest that for less than $10 and a few minutes of effort, people can try them and see if they like them. I was very much against them before I tried them.
     
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  13. Danks

    Danks Active Member

    How does that mount? Is it OK with the heated mirror?
     
  14. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    Yes, it has the heat built in. My installer told me it's a direct plug-in. I don't know about the mounting of the mirror glass. It's mounted however the original mirror glass is mounted. I presume adhesive, but I don't know that. The people at Muth could probably tell you that as they sell these for many cars.

    Edit: I just asked the owner at the 12v shop I go to. He said that you have to run a turn signal wire to the mirrors so that the turn signal LEDS in the mirror glass will illuminate (and flash). He said the mirror glass is mounted with some sort of tape or adhesive, and that you basically have to break the factory glass when you're removing it. He said the installer did remove my mirrors to do all of this (but maybe just to run the wires, he wasn't sure). He didn't know if the installer actually pulled the mirror housing apart.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2020
  15. Danks is asking if the convex mirrors are compatible with the heated glass.

    I've been using convex mirrors at the top left corner of cars for 50 years. Smaller than the ones shown here. I have a tendency to look at the big mirror then the small one. Covers all bases. Great for backing up, lane changes, and parking.

    If any of you are of the school that they are not needed. Don't use them. I've been through that argument so many times and I will continue to use them. BTW, my mirrors are set correctly. These show a lot more of what's around you.
     
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  16. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    Hi Tek - Oh, yes, i see. I guess @Danks is asking if they will stay mounted to a heated mirror? They will. If he's asking if the heat from the heated mirror will keep the blind-spot mirrors heated, I don't think it will. They are too thick. Maybe if you had some VERY thin ones it would.

    Fifty years! That's good to hear as I hope to always be able to use them. I had my first blind-spot mirrors positioned the way you describe yours. I found them useful in that position. Funnily enough, I never wanted them to begin with. Muth didn't make a custom turn-signal replacement glass for the car I had at the time, but they do have blind-spot mirrors with turn signals built into them. So I very reluctantly used them because I wanted the turn signal indicators. I came to love having the blind-spot mirrors. They still sell these. I know it looks like the LEDs might lessen the usefulness of these as blind-spot mirrors, but they don't. They work very well. They are $129 (my friend has my old car and over 12 years and 150K miles later, they still look and work like new):

    wide-angle-signal-mirrors.jpeg wide-angle-signal-mirrors-2.jpeg

    They also make a blind-spot mirror for use with turn-signal mirrors. They just allow the turn signal that's built into your side-view mirrors shine through. They have no electronics or signal built into them, so they are only $17 (I haven't tried these):

    wide-angle-signal-mate.jpeg

    When I got my last car, I switched to larger blind-spot mirrors mounted at the bottom right of the factory mirror. It was just a test, but I found I really liked it. With them, I really don't even look at the factory mirror much. I can see everything in the blind-spot mirrors.

    I don't mind the debate over blind-spot mirrors, but it always seems to quickly become a bunch of people telling you that you don't need them and just don't know how to adjust your mirrors. In fairness, JFon101231 didn't do that. I reacted too strongly to his post, I'm sure. I just want people to know there are definite advantages to blind spot mirrors. That doesn't mean they're for everyone, of course. As someone who always thought blind-spot mirrors were stupid until I tried them, I know it's easy to dismiss their usefulness.
     
  17. Danks

    Danks Active Member

    Yes, I was wondering if the heat on the mirror would cause a problem for the adhesive holding the convex mirror and if the attached convex mirror would cause a hot spot that would interfere with the heated mirror.. It is only a few $ and is easy enough to try.
    FWIW - I think using these is one of the best ideas I've seen in a long time. I like the idea of being able to see down along the sides of the car to see curbs and parking markings.
     
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  18. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    Seeing the curbs is great. No more road rash and accurate parallel (and regular) parking.
     
  19. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Speaking of opinions about automobile mirrors, when I bought my Mazda RX-7 in 1978, I asked if there was an option for a matching right-side mirror. My salesman disdainfully told me, "I grew up driving in California. Nobody needs a right-side mirror!" The RX-7 was in such high-demand when it first came out that I couldn't resist selling mine for a profit a couple of months later, so I never got that right-side mirror. I never forgot that silly salesman's claim, however.
     
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  20. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

    My first car, a ‘73 Maverick I got when it was old, didn’t have a right side view mirror, IIRC. Deaf people have to have two mirrors in some states.
     

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