Hi, I just purchased a 2013 Acura TL Tech and I can't get a straight answer (Acura Dealer) whether a solid green light on the mirror should be "on" indicating the mirror is working. I previously owned a 2009 Acura TL Tech and the green light was always "on". Any comments / suggestions would be appreciated.

 

It should always be on.

 

I thought so. Unfortunately incompetent dealerships don't understand the green light should be on. Very sad state of things.

Thank you for your response. Much appreciated.

 

Solid green light on my 2013 Tech package TL rear view mirror does not light up at all either. Has anyone "fixed" this problem and got the light to come on? I'd like to know what the issue was and how it was fixed.

 

First, make sure it's actually turned on. The button in the center is an on/off switch.

If that doesn't fix it, the next simplest thing is to check fuse #12 in the driver's footwell. (however, if fuse 12 is blown, you may be having a bunch of other problems as well). If that's not it, you'll have to check the wiring.

 

I read a thread somewhere about this and i think Acura did a rear view mirror change sometime, i may be wrong.
The older models 2010 or so seem to have the green light.
i have a 2013, rear view dimming works, no green light. Both left and right indentations appear to be photo sensors.
i find the rear view in my 2008 was nicer with the green light.

 

Thanks for clarifying WD Panda, my 2013 Tech package rear view mirror does not have a power switch at all on the mirror. Thanks for the diagram Riboflavin, perhaps there is some good testing information I can get from the details.

 

WDPanda is correct. Acura DID make a change early in the 2013 model run. My old TL was built in April 2013 and it did not have the referenced switch. However, the owner's manual showed the switch. This was likely because the manuals were finalized and sent to print prior to the change. Perhaps you might be able to find a manual for the 2014 model, which most likely would have the updated info.

 

Interesting, I just looked up the 2014 TL Owners Manual... and thanks, Acura... doesn't say much at all lol. At least it shows that the indicator is supposed to be on the left. Doesn't say whether the light is supposed to stay illuminated or not... I also tried looking for a 2013+ specific service manual, but the closest I can find are various hosted copies of a 2012 manual - which doesn't cover any potential changes to the mirror.

If you're just trying to check for functionality, I guess the simplest thing you could do is just shine a light into the rear facing sensors and see if the mirror dims. If so, and the light doesn't turn on, it's probably working fine. If nothing happens, then you could go through those diagnostic steps to check for power, ground, etc.

 

Thanks for the confirmation , Jim. so the next big question of you, is , did the green indicator light ever come on for you with this mirror, if so, what were the conditions that showed it illuminated. It really seems odd that they changed a mirror design and have an indicator light that never comes on. It never does in my case.

 

Good question re "did the light come on...". The truth is that I really don't remember. My usual activity when I buy a car is to skim the manual for any "Really need to know stuff" such as phone pairing, garage door links, Sirius activation, etc, etc, then drive the car for a month or two, then read the manual in detail to see what functionalities I was missing. My recollection was that the mirror issue surfaced during the "read the manual in detail" stage. Since by then I hadn't missed the functionality it wasn't a big deal to me one way or the other. I do recall talking with the dealership when I had my car serviced to satisfy my curiosity and learned of the mid production change. I traded in the TL for a TLX in 2020, so I can't verify/deny whether the light was present. As usual, my contribution to a thread on this site is semi-worthless.

 

There is no more physical LED on the mirror. They changed the LED to a sensor. 2 sensors facing the rear of the vehicle instead of 1, possibly for more accuracy?

 

Thanks for the definitive answer I was looking for. 2 sensors makes perfect sense on the front. Too bad a line or two in the manual could have explained this a little better.

 

My mirror has no on-off switch. I wish it did. No green light, either.