Polarized sunglasses and HUD problem.

Viktorv1961

Member
Mar 31, 2025
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Rhode Island
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2025 Land Cruiser Premium
I got my LC Premium with HUD last month and discovered that my polarized sunglasses make HUD almost disappear even at full brightness. I have high quality shades (2 Maui Jims and one Serengeti). Sunny weather is coming and I had to order gradient non-polarized photochromic Serengeti. They will be coming in couple of weeks. I wonder how other members handle this HUD issue.
 
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Same issue here. However, certainly not unique to the LC.
By no means I am blaming my beloved LC. I am very happy owner of my new vehicle, but my buddy who has 24' BMW 5 series claims, that he was able to make some kind of adjustments in the settings. I'll see him next month and want to try my polarized sunglasses in his rig...
 
By no means I am blaming my beloved LC. I am very happy owner of my new vehicle, but my buddy who has 24' BMW 5 series claims, that he was able to make some kind of adjustments in the settings. I'll see him next month and want to try my polarized sunglasses in his rig...
The reflected light off of the windshield is polarized (which is true for all windshields, regardless of make/model). Unless the polarization of the light is 90 degrees to the direction of polarization of your sunglasses, you'll still see the HUD, but it will be dimmer. Here's the link to an older thread:

Sunglasses and the HUD
 
The reflected light off of the windshield is polarized (which is true for all windshields, regardless of make/model). Unless the polarization of the light is 90 degrees to the direction of polarization of your sunglasses, you'll still see the HUD, but it will be dimmer. Here's the link to an older thread:

Sunglasses and the HUD
Thank you! Too bad that I missed this thread in the first place.
 
I got my LC Premium with HUD last month and discovered that my polarized sunglasses make HUD almost disappear even at full brightness. I have high quality shades (2 Maui Jims and one Serengeti). Sunny weather is coming and I had to order gradient non-polarized photochromic Serengeti. They will be coming in couple of weeks. I wonder how other members handle this HUD issue.
I am surprised this is new to anybody. I knew this at least 10 years ago. This is just physics.
 
By no means I am blaming my beloved LC. I am very happy owner of my new vehicle, but my buddy who has 24' BMW 5 series claims, that he was able to make some kind of adjustments in the settings. I'll see him next month and want to try my polarized sunglasses in his rig...
I have a 22 M340i with a HUD and as far as I know there is no setting which can improve the HUD and polarized sunglasses.

If there is a setting, I would love to know it.
 
I am surprised this is new to anybody. I knew this at least 10 years ago. This is just physics.
Dear Marinna,
I am surprised that you do not realize that there are some people who did not use vehicles equipped with HUDs until recently. My previous 5 4Runners did not have them, so I did not pay any attention to this subject. Why would I spend my valuable time to investigate something I have no use....
For example I do not know anything about adult diapers or women hygiene products and I have no intentions of learning anything about it. Might be some time in the feature I'll need to expand my horizons regarding Depends, but for now it is my choice to be ignorant.
The objective of my initial post was not to question the physics of "HUD phenomenon" for which I found the solution on my own, but to see if there are other ways around to resolve the issue (like somebody suggested to tint the windshield or so...)
 
I have a 22 M340i with a HUD and as far as I know there is no setting which can improve the HUD and polarized sunglasses.

If there is a setting, I would love to know it.
There wouldn’t be a setting for this. It is how the light is filtered at the screen or projector setup, whichever method Toyota used to implement a hud. Polarizers restrict light to a certain orientation, which is why rotating a lens with polarization changes the behavior. There have been newer HUDs now that don’t rely on a polarizing filter and therefor don’t really interfere with people wearing glasses with polarization, but it is not the one used in our vehicles. And even then, not all polarized glasses would be affected, just depends on how it is set up in those glasses and the orientation of the light to them.

Rough idea behind it all.
 
@ Area 51..Wow 3 replies on my humbled little post. Waiting for the 4th...
It’s an Internet forum.. It happens… especially after a beer or two and an inmate gets carried away.

My HUD is slightly dimmer when I wear my polarized Wayfarer sunglasses. But still easy to see.

Note to self. Moving forward.. Ignore and avoid replying to Viktorv1961. His feelings get buthurt pretty easily.
 
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Dear Marinna,
I am surprised that you do not realize that there are some people who did not use vehicles equipped with HUDs until recently. My previous 5 4Runners did not have them, so I did not pay any attention to this subject. Why would I spend my valuable time to investigate something I have no use....
For example I do not know anything about adult diapers or women hygiene products and I have no intentions of learning anything about it. Might be some time in the feature I'll need to expand my horizons regarding Depends, but for now it is my choice to be ignorant.
The objective of my initial post was not to question the physics of "HUD phenomenon" for which I found the solution on my own, but to see if there are other ways around to resolve the issue (like somebody suggested to tint the windshield or so...)
First this is not an “issue”. You choose to block the HUD yourself.

Your post reads like somebody tint their window too dark, and them complaint he can barely see anything at night. You complaint the same self-inflicted compromise you did to yourself, whether you are aware of it has no relevance.

and second, why complaint about this when the solution is dead obvious? You just wear one that is not polarized, or not wearing a sunglasses at all. I was pointing out this is simple physics because you seem to think your polarized sunglasses shouldn’t block the HUD. There is no workaround whatsoever.

Third, do you really think the fact that you paid for a feature that you don’t know the right use or constraint is somebody else’s problem? Should we all feel bad for somebody who drive the stock tire in icy winter and run out of control because he or she “is not familiar” with winter driving?

Like what you said, this is so minor and very basic science so let’s stop talking about it. It really has nothing to do with LC IMHO.
 
It can be hard these days to find decent sunglasses that aren’t polarized. FWIW, Ray-Ban is another of the few makers of nice optics that still offers a decent number of non-polarized options with good quality. I bought a couple pairs and just leave them in my vehicles.
 
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