How do you adjust your side mirrors?

[mpt]

Same here TEG; how strange that we're all finding this out so late! I've always adjusted so the car behind is in the centre of the mirror; apparently this is not right; I have a 20-30% of my mirror showing the back of the car... that said, it does look good

[DrTaras]

When I wash my car I often will accidentally bump the side view mirrors. Sometimes it is considerably off. While the easiest correction would be NOT to bump them, MOM (this scenario is similar when my wife rarely takes that car), I was wondering if anyone had any tricks to re-align them. That is, from the exterior, before I get in the car, could there be a system by which I could set the side view mirrors back to my setting without having to get in the car and reach over, especially to the passenger side? Maybe I put some red nail polish on the under side of the mirror and look to align those marks again? Help me solve world peace, world hunger & re-aligning my side view mirrors!

[sprediletto]

I adjusted the mirrors on my Range Rover last night and wow, what a difference. My Roadster will be here in a few weeks and this will be a big help. Thanks for the post.

[JRod0802]

After I learned how to properly set my mirrors I have stopped looking over my shoulder. Really no need any more. The habit was actually not that hard to unlearn.

Back when I was 16 (right after I got my drivers license), I was driving on a two lane road, mostly staying in the blind spot of the person next to me (oops). After about a quarter mile, the driver decided to merge lanes without looking over his shoulder (he probably just used his mirrors, but since I was in his blind spot, he couldn't see me using the mirrors). He nearly pushed me into on-coming traffic, but after our cars hit, he reacted quickly enough to get back into his lane before killing me.

Lesson: don't trust your mirrors. There might be an inexperienced and/or poor driver in your blind spot. And don't think that you can keep track of the cars behind you. Cars can come out of nowhere.

If you do decide to only use mirrors, at least use one of these (or similar):
Amazon.com: Total View 360 - Adjustable Blind Spot Mirror - As Seen On TV!: Sports Outdoors

[shark2k]

Back when I was 16 (right after I got my drivers license), I was driving on a two lane road, mostly staying in the blind spot of the person next to me (oops). After about a quarter mile, the driver decided to merge lanes without looking over his shoulder (he probably just used his mirrors, but since I was in his blind spot, he couldn't see me using the mirrors). He nearly pushed me into on-coming traffic, but after our cars hit, he reacted quickly enough to get back into his lane before killing me.

Lesson: don't trust your mirrors. There might be an inexperienced and/or poor driver in your blind spot. And don't think that you can keep track of the cars behind you. Cars can come out of nowhere.

If you do decide to only use mirrors, at least use one of these (or similar):
Amazon.com: Total View 360 - Adjustable Blind Spot Mirror - As Seen On TV!: Sports Outdoors

The point Kevin was making is that if your mirrors are set properly, you should have very little blind spot. I'm sure that guys mirrors were not set properly, as most people do not set their mirrors properly. With properly set mirrors you can follow someone walking around your car starting on one side and see them the whole time as they go from left to behind to right.

-Shark2k

[JRod0802]

The point Kevin was making is that if your mirrors are set properly, you should have very little blind spot. I'm sure that guys mirrors were not set properly, as most people do not set their mirrors properly. With properly set mirrors you can follow someone walking around your car starting on one side and see them the whole time as they go from left to behind to right.

-Shark2k

While I'm sure you're correct that his mirrors weren't set properly, I still maintain that looking with your own eyes is always the best bet. Even if it's annoying. What if someone really is in your tiny blind spot? What if someone adjusted your mirrors since the last time you drove your car and you didn't notice?

[shark2k]

While I'm sure you're correct that his mirrors weren't set properly, I still maintain that looking with your own eyes is always the best bet. Even if it's annoying. What if someone really is in your tiny blind spot? What if someone adjusted your mirrors since the last time you drove your car and you didn't notice?

I am using my own eyes . I can see everything through the mirrors. I suggest you go here: How do you adjust your side mirrors? and see about the proper adjustment for your mirrors. You will see in the gif in TEG's first post that properly adjust mirrors have really no blind spot to hide in.

-Shark2k

[Kevin Harney]

I am using my own eyes. I can see everything through the mirrors. I suggest you go here: How do you adjust your side mirrors? and see about the proper adjustment for your mirrors. You will see in the gif in TEG's first post that properly adjust mirrors have really no blind spot to hide in.

-Shark2k

Yes I can see motorcycles and pedistrians in my mirrors all the way around the car until I can see them in my perfrial (sp? - i know that is spelled wrong but spelling escapes me right now) vision. There is no hiding spot. When I changed my mirrors I was surprised at how much I was missing. And I had them set as I was taught in Driver's education. We have learned so much in 40 yrs I was behind the times and did not know it.

[JRod0802]

I am using my own eyes. I can see everything through the mirrors. I suggest you go here: How do you adjust your side mirrors? and see about the proper adjustment for your mirrors. You will see in the gif in TEG's first post that properly adjust mirrors have really no blind spot to hide in.

-Shark2k

Thanks for the link. I didn't realize that blind spots could be so small. Perhaps I need to adjust my mirrors.

And when I said "looking with your own eyes", I meant seeing the car directly (with no intermediaries).

[Kevin Harney]

Thanks for the link. I didn't realize that blind spots could be so small. Perhaps I need to adjust my mirrors.

And when I said "looking with your own eyes", I meant seeing the car directly (with no intermediaries).

Blind spots should actually be eliminated using this method. It does take some getting used to because when they are adjusted properly you do not see the sides of the car at all and that is diconcerting at first. You should see something move from the center mirror to the sides and then it will move to your actual vision.