New Taco! What - no heated mirrors? In Canada?

I got my Taco yesterday - 13 km on the clock!

A great ride & I'm very happy.

Nothing is perfect though - my top of the line truck *doesn't have* heated side mirrors, which is totally bizarre for Canada. This AM I wiped off the dew, but that won't work that well with frost, and you end up scratching 'em.

I still can't believe this 'standard' item was left out!

I found this place http://www.accessconnect.com/toyota_signal_mirrors.htm which sells heated mirrors with built in turn signals. I searched high & low for an alternative like just pads. There is a website http://www.burcoinc.com/ that sells heater pads, but they seem to sell only through US dealers (?).

Any suggestions?

 

This one of my beefs with Toyota too. The Sienna has heated mirrors, my ol Tundra had heated mirrors. Apparently, a 2" backup cam is more important than a heated side mirror.

Some over at TN have posted mods done for heated mirrors. Also there are the Muth mirrors, but 300 bux? Please! My Tundra had a cold weather package which for a $100 you got the heated mirrors, heavy duty battery & alternator. I used them a lot and miss the feature come cold or rainy weather. The side mirrors suck in inclement weather in the Northern regions.

BTW Congrats on your new truck & welcome to TacomaWorld. If you do a search in this forum, you'll find info on the mods.

 

One of those threads brought me to a Burco install, but all his Pix are missing

The thing is, I'll pay the $300 for the Muth mirrors (as you know this is a safety issue), but I don't know about the flashing arrows, are they distracting, useful, etc?

 

Not sure about the pics & agree that the Muth red arrow may be distracting. Maybe someone here can pipe in who's added them. I've rain-x mine but its not the same. Oh well...maybe in 2010 Toyota will add em.

 

They also forgot heated seats! (I installed one on my taco).

Here's a link - read thru it. Especially page 3 where there are other suggestions for making heated mirrors without the turnsignals.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102871&page=3

 

I discovered I can get Burco heating pads up in the North from Apple Auto Glass & a few other places. They have a 3801 for 3.25" x 5.75" mirrors up to 3804 6" x 7.25"

The dealer won't let me order just the pads. He says you can't take off the glass without braking it, which I suspect is BS. He wants $85/side

This place http://www.accessconnect.com/toyota_signal_mirrors.htm has the heated Muth mirrors for $219, which is an ok price compared to the $170 total from Apple.

The control circuit is pretty trivial, so I cam make that myself

I figure if the light is distracting, I can always disconnect it.

 

Heated mirrors??? It's a truck.....next you'll want a transmission that shifts by itself.....

 

This isn't a luxury thing, its a safety thing!

Especially with a truck with a cap you need to see via the side mirrors. Scraping scratches them.

Speaking of fancy trannies I had to wait an extra 2 months to get the 6 speed.

 

Uhh.....that's what an automatic transmission does.

Nothing wrong with heated mirrors. It's all about safety. Heated mirrors gets rid of frost & dew that inhibits your ability to see. If you can't see...than its not safe. I live in PA and I can relate. I'd love to have heated mirrors myself.

 

In addition to heated mirrors it would be nice to have a rear defroster. In the doublecab the windows frequently fog up and I can't reach the back window to wipe it off. I guess I just need to always drive with a kid in the back for that purpose.

 

Yeah heated mirrors. Who needs them when I got TPMS to tell me when my tire is low. I bet that feature makes it a truck for sure!

As stated, Toyota has a cold weather package it offers on other vehicles including its Tundra. The upgraded battery, alternator, and heated mirrors are a godsend when you live in cold weather climate. I had em & used it all the time towing & driving in inclement weather. It has nothing to do with making it a truck. If it makes me less of a truck owner so be it, but to offer crap like a 2" screen in the rear view mirror & tailgate handle backup cam instead of the cold weather pkg makes no sense to me.

 

Funny enough - they don't offer a back up cam up here.

 

I can relate to that.....

I'm puzzled why they haven't put power seats in yet.

Not that it's a necessity - but power seats is one of those things that most cars already have when they start putting all that fancy schmancy stuff in (like back-up camera's and bluetooth, etc).

Oh well.... In 5 years from now when my truck is older and I'm ready for another truck - hopefully by then, the tacoma will have all the same goodies at the Tundra does and still be priced the way it is now (Cough, yeah right!) and my employer will have given me a equally nice raise to compensate atleast for the cost of living (and then some). YEAH - WISHFUL THINKING!!

 

Its coming in the 09s Mingy, maybe not in Canada? Check Toyota.ca maybe?

 

Little late for me, plus I probably wouldn't have wanted it.

Honestly, to me the heated mirrors shouldn't even be a choice

 

Hay xedge, what part of VT are you from? I'm originally from St. Albans. Sure miss sledding

 

Hi Jumpmaster, I live in S. Burlington. Very familiar with St. Albans, many, many friends there! Yeah, VAST & the clubs really do a good job with the trails. Last season was incredible. Not sure how the whole gas thing is gonna effect it. I have to trailer so will have to pick & choose. Been to Texas a few times myself. Love Dallas & San Antonio, the Rivewalk is nice! No salt & you don't need these damn heated mirrors.

 

LOL, yeah, no need for heated mirrors here,just tighter border enforcement. I lived in NC for 13yrs and have spent the past 10+m here at Bliss for school. I'm off to Korea again at the end of the month. Heated mirrors are a nice option to have in S. Korea during the winter,brrrr. Take care.

 

You too. Wish the best in your assignments!