cloudy rear view

The rear view mirror in my '00 LS has become cloudy. The cloudiness has worked its way down from the top of the mirror in only 5 days. Is this a problem with the auto dimmer or something else? Please help

Have you tried using a dry rag to rub the mirror? Maybe the cloudiness is due to outgassing of plastics in the interior brought out by the recent heatwave.

-Rod

I tried a dry rag and windex hoping either one would be a quick and easy fix. No such luck though. I've read elswhere in forums about a gel leaking from/to the base??? a gel would wipe off though, wouldn't it?

I've never looked into the composition of the auto dimming mirrors, but I suspect they are similar to auto dimming welding helmets. The welding helmets use an LCD panel (like early digital watches) with numerous pixels rather than 7-segment displays. When a voltage is applied to the pixels, they turn black, reducing the amount of light that can pass through the LCD. The reflective element is still behind the LCD panel, but the darkened LCD reduces the light transmission.

Just what I suspect, I haven't done any research.

However, if this is how they work, a crack in the LCD could cause the liquid crystal to flow and may lead to a cloudy appearance. It would be within the LCD panel itself, and therefore would not wipe off. However, applying pressure on the panel may cause the appearance to change.

-Rod

I've never looked into the composition of the auto dimming mirrors, but I suspect they are similar to auto dimming welding helmets. The welding helmets use an LCD panel (like early digital watches) with numerous pixels rather than 7-segment displays. When a voltage is applied to the pixels, they turn black, reducing the amount of light that can pass through the LCD. The reflective element is still behind the LCD panel, but the darkened LCD reduces the light transmission.

Just what I suspect, I haven't done any research.

However, if this is how they work, a crack in the LCD could cause the liquid crystal to flow and may lead to a cloudy appearance. It would be within the LCD panel itself, and therefore would not wipe off. However, applying pressure on the panel may cause the appearance to change.

-Rod

Those mirrors often times fail. It's an easy replacement, but it'll run you around a hundred bucks.