The Toyota Heated Mirror Symbol – Everything You Need To Know
Toyota is pretty darn good at including all the little bits and pieces that make their cars not only good to drive but enjoyable to drive. The little bits that make all the difference like heated seats, automatic door locks, and heated mirrors just to name a few. What Toyota lack in clarity within their owner’s manuals they certainly make up for in quality, the perfect example of this is the heated mirror symbol.
But, nonetheless, there are now a ton of people who are confused about things that Toyota really should have explained themselves. One of those things is their heated mirrors, what they are and how they work, what the heated mirror symbol for them is, and how you can use them to your advantage. Luckily, we are here to help. Let’s dive right in.
Is There A Toyota Heated Mirror Symbol?
There may be a heated mirror symbol on your actual wing mirror that indicates you have heated mirrors as well as some information about it within the owner’s manual/handbook. However, there is no heated mirror symbol on the dashboard or center console that indicates whether or not your heated mirrors are on. So, how do you know whether your mirrors are on or not?
You don’t. You can just assume they are on or off based on whether you have turned them on or off but there is nothing to indicate to you that they are actually working except that the snow has melted off the top of them, for example.
Why Do Some Toyotas Come With Heated Mirrors?
Heated mirrors may not seem super important to everyone as they are certainly one of the “only there if you need them” kinds of features. Toyota has tried to implement them on a variety of vehicles dating back to the mid-2010s and it’s always been popular. Especially if you happen to live somewhere where frozen wing mirrors are a common occurrence.
Heated mirrors are also pretty effective at reducing condensation on the wing mirrors so you could certainly argue that heated mirrors could be considered a safety feature. Not every Toyota comes with them, though, as it is not something people always tend to care about.
What Activates The Toyota Heated Mirrors?
Heated mirror symbol or not, you will find that on most Toyotas there are one of two methods for activating the heated wing mirrors. First, they can be automatically activated with the rear window defogger meaning it’s not something you necessarily need to actively be doing. This means in answer to the above section you could technically argue that the rear fogger light signals that the wing mirrors are activated.
However, you don’t necessarily know whether they are on/working and that isn’t even the case for every Toyota vehicle that comes with heated mirrors as standard. The second method is by using a switch that is located on the driver-side door panel. This is often alongside the controls for adjusting the wing mirrors.
Can I Deactivate The Heated Mirrors On My Toyota?
You can absolutely deactivate the heated mirrors on your Toyota so long as they are the driver’s side panel activated ones. If they are tied to the activation/deactivation of your rear window de-foggers then the only way to turn them off would be to deactivate your de-fogging which may not necessarily be feasible.
But, then again, you are very unlikely to want to turn your mirrors off without turning your rear window defogger off. Having heated wing mirrors don’t really detract from the driving experience and uses a tiny amount of battery power.
You wouldn’t want to leave your wing mirror heaters on while your engine isn’t running, but other than that you may as well leave them well enough alone. The only instance where turning them off may be important is if they are malfunctioning and have started to overheat. Though that isn’t a commonly reported problem it is certainly something that could possibly happen (in theory at least).
How Much Does It Cost To Replace My Heated Mirror Switch On My Toyota?
If you think that the issue with your heated mirrors is simply that the switch isn’t working, and you can’t rely on the rear window defogger to handle the job for you, you may want to replace the switch. It is actually a pretty simple job thankfully so you can probably do it yourself if you have even the most basic know-how.
You can purchase a replacement switch on eBay for like $20-$50 depending on which model you are looking for. There are tons of YouTube videos out there that can walk you through the process.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace My Heated Mirrors On My Toyota?
If you need to replace an actual heated mirror not just the switch it is going to cost you about $400 for the pair. Probably around $225 for each individual mirror if you are buying just one.
Unfortunately, you will probably want to get the mirror replaced by a pro as there is a chance you break something or fail to connect the electronics correctly. All in with parts and labor, it might cost you $500 for the pair of heated mirrors.
Why Aren’t My Heated Mirrors Working On My Toyota?
If your heated mirrors are definitely not working and you feel like they should be there are a few common causes that might be at fault. First, the fuse that controls them could have blown so if you check your fuse box in reference to the owner’s manual you should be able to identify and rectify that pretty easily.
Another common issue is that there are wires loose or connections that aren’t quite consistent enough. This is common when your mirror gets bumped or knocked and is something a professional mechanic will have to deal with for you.
Conclusion
Now you know everything you could need to know about heated mirror symbol. Why it’s useful, why they might not be working, and what you can do about it. Heated mirrors are absolutely more useful in colder conditions. However, they can also be effective at reducing condensation which is something we all have to deal with from time to time. Thanks for reading and goodbye for now.
