I just installed my air deflector yesturday. I wasn't sure if i should screw the bolts underneth the rubber strip that is located underneth the hood and then cover the rubber strip over the bolts??? :roll:


The other way i did it was to screw the rubber strip with the bolt to the underling of the hood??? :roll: It looked like the rubber strip was folded in half and then i screwed it in? :roll:


I ended up with the first idea :D

[quote:47ff8aba5f="Element"]I ended up with the first idea :D[/quote:47ff8aba5f]

Good: that's the right way. The bolts should be hidden under the strip.

Thanks PSM,

The instructions wasn't clear or it could be me :roll:

Have you noticed a big change? Do you like it?Is it worth the money? Opinions please! I am thinking about adding this to my E, but am wondering if it is more of a visual upgrade vs a practical one?

I'm glad I got mine, Diane. I don't know that it's made a huge difference to the bug deflection, but it is aesthetically pleasing, and it's protecting the front of the hood from dings from road debris, etc. I'll be glad when my grill guard gets here (this week, I hope) to protect the grill from the same.

Kristi

Thanks for the info Kristi.....it is going to be something to really consider!

Did you install yourself? Any cracking during install?

I also wonder how durable it is, I used to have plastic head light protectors onmy old car, and these tok a beating and cracked in several places due to thrown rocks and road debris.

I just installed the hood deflector yesterday and I love it! I like the way it looks and I didn't have any issues with it cracking. Maybe the guys have just been to rough on it! :shock: But, seriously I think its a great add-on. Glad I decided to go ahead and spend the money. Also got finished putting my Cloud-Rider grill on. I'm loving the look. I'll have to post a photo.

I'm with peds. No problems with cracking. Easy install...except that I did manage to drop one of the pieces down into engine compartments, despite warnings on the forum about it. :? But Jake managed to fish it out.

I've had it on my E for at least a month, and it looks fine. And, to tell you the truth, if something hits the deflector hard enough to crack it, I'd rather that happen than dinging the front of my hood!

BTW, the storage armrest I installed the other day is probably my favorite add-on! Much better than the original armrest (which I'm selling on ebay- lol) and it's big enough for Jake to use it too.

I might have to get me one of those. Is it like a trained monkey?

I am assuming a Jake is like a Grant....and ironically enough I call him a Crack Monkey.....quite different than a trained monkey.....doesn't quite do what you tell him to do.....more training and less crack needed!

I will be ordering my air deflector today....after washing my baby yesterday I noticed a small chip on my hood....ARG!!!! But at least I have my touch-up paint!

I got my deflector on day 2. It's collected many splattered bugs during freeway driving that might've otherwise ended up on the paint. The plastic seems rather soft so I wipe it carefully with a soft towel & Windex to avoid scratches. When clean it DOES improve the appearance of my SOP.

I am glad i got it. It does help a little in reducing bug splats on my hood. Also the bug shield helps fend off small pebbles. I also had a very tiny chip on my hood before i installed the shield but the handy touch up paint is a blessing to have on hand :D

My air deflector arrived today and I went right out and installed it....everything went totally smooth, very quick install, but then on the last screw, passenger side hinge...small crack, and trust me I did not tighten it very much....oh well the crack is small and I will be the only one that notices....but it looks great, I will be taking it for a spin a bit later this evening to test it out!

Thanks for all the comments/thoughts/stories!

Uh, isn't it hard to clean after installing?

I think it's much more convenient and cost-effective (the plastic deflector is more fragile than steel) to keep a good wax job on the hood so bugs don't stick, and use touch-up paint when necessary.

Our CR-V has over 55,000 miles on it and I have yet to touch-up the front edge of the hood because of a chip.

There's plenty of room to get under it to clean. I find it hard to believe that any car can go 55,000 miles and not get chipped by a rock. I'll agree that for bugs on paint, waxing and regular cleaning are your best protection, but I think most are getting the air deflector for less bugs on the windshield and reduced stone damage.

And we live where on the highways where there is plenty of construction, and every other vehicle is an 18-wheeler!

The only place the CR-V needed touch-up paint so far was on the door edges. This vehicle has very good paint.

So far the Element has two paint chips repaired- one on the rear suicide door and one on the roof. Go figure.

[quote:7a1104ae0a="psm0110"]I find it hard to believe that any car can go 55,000 miles and not get chipped by a rock. [/quote:7a1104ae0a]

I have 3 paint chips on the hood and 1 on the passenger side door. I think the paint is very thin and i can't imagine what my E will look like after a year :cry:

I would like to know as time goes by with you folks that have installed the deflector if there is an improvement on deflecting the amount of bugs that hit the windshield, I have never cleaned a windshield as much as I have on my E. I do like the look that the deflector has I am definitly going to be ordering one soon.

I've had no problems cleaning around it.
There is plenty of room to fit a rag behind it to wash.

Same here, last screw on the drivers side cracked the deflector. I wish I had it sooner as it now hides a definte stone dent right on the edge of the hood.

Same here erider, but without the "cracked" deflector :D