[RayO]

Noticed the windows were HUGE after driving to work several mornings and having the angle of the sun just right to blind me so I ordered a set of the door visors to help that situation, along with now having the ability to crack the windows for ventilation in the summer. Installed them in about 30 minutes and they look great on my black E. If anyone has trouble installing them, just follow the directions to the letter and they aren't a problem. Just wish they were a little darker but they still look way cool.
RayO
P.S. Yes, I realize the sunvisors have extentions for this purpose but with the door visors, I can see out better.

 

[earlweaver]

Installed them about a month ago !! Really easy to do, about a twenty minute job, tops !!! I like them a lot !!!

 

[SanTropez1971]

I had these things on my 2002 F150 that I plan to trade in. The one pet peeve of mine are the ones that install with double sided tape. They usually look cheap and crappy. Do any of you know if they make the molded ones that go in between the glass and the seal?

 

[Slowhand]

[quote:00bb6d795f="SanTropez1971"]I had these things on my 2002 F150 that I plan to trade in. The one pet peeve of mine are the ones that install with double sided tape. They usually look cheap and crappy. Do any of you know if they make the molded ones that go in between the glass and the seal?[/quote:00bb6d795f]

They're called "Weatherflectors". I had them on my PT Cruiser and they're great, no tape or screws, you just bend it and it pops in. I called the vendor and they are working on designing them for the Element. They said about 4 months a couple of weeks ago. That's a long wait to have them on my Element but it will be worth it.

 

[chadgo]

I put them on the other night. it took about 10-15 minutest to put them. extremely easy.

it rained here very hard on saturday morning while we were out. i put the window down about 4-5 inches before the rain started to come in.

there is also no noticible wind noise from the added visors.

i had them before on my truck and love them for when it rains and i want the window cracked just a little bit w/out rain pouring in.

 

[jayharley]

I just received my window / door visors. I took them out of the box and immediately packed them back up and plan on sending them back. However, before I do, I need some opinons and answers:

a) I hate accessories which attach with double sided tape. I live in New England where the weather gets pretty rough. How will these "taped on" visors hold up over many years? Will the tape come loose in a the vast yearly temp. ranges of below zero to 100 degrees?

b) Also I did not realize when I ordered the visors that they are so clear with very little tint. Won't this clear plexiglass scratch and dull very easily with drastic weather changes and snow and ice?

I really don't want to permanently attach a plexiglass accessory with strong 3M tape only to find out that they end up looking like junk in a couple of years, and become loose or ill fitting with time.

HELP! Should I send them back?

 

[batman]

I am also concerned with everything you are hitting on. Will these things look like crap in a few years.... will they fall off? scratch>>>??? AND do they keep the wind from blowing me out of the seat when your roll the window all the way down. I would also like some ideas on how to keep the bugs off the front and the windshield.. I feel like I am driving a fly flapper down the road...... let me know how you make out if you keep them... I did have some on my trade in ford ranger and they worked pretty good.... they were dark color and it was nice to keep the rain and wind out ......
good luck
BATMAN

 

[Smyth]

I can not answer for the Honda vent shades, but I can for the FORD ones. Hopefully this will give you an idea.

They too stuck on with the 3M double sides tape. They were made from the same material as the wind defelctor on the front hood. Over two years of ownership I think they held up in the wacky weather we have here in South Central PA.

I did get a crack in the rear window one about 18 months after having it installed but when I took it to the dealer they gladly replaced when they seen that the vehicle was taken care of and that the other vents were in good condition.

I just recently installed the air deflector on my E and it is made of the same material as FORD's. At least it appears to be. I have seen and taken a look at the vents on the E and did realize that they are not as dark as some vents you see out there, but I do believe they are made of the same material.

Yes, if you are not careful they will scratch, just like your side panels on your E... but as far as holding up in extreme weather conditions, I think they do a pretty good job.

Oh yeah, I have had on a previous vehicle, not my Ford Escape, but one before that, one of the vents crack... it flopped a few times in the wind going down the interstate and SNAP... it came off. Sounded like a gun going off inside the car... the only thing left of the whole vent was the tape to the door. I just took a razor blade with some GOO GONE and carefully removed... Came off without damaging paint. Had to re-wax area, but did not harm paint.

Hope this info helps... I am considering the vents for my E.

 

[raydoug]

If you mount anything with tape, my experience has been to thoroughly clean the area that will accept that tape and give the surface a final cleaning with regular medicinal alcohol. That gives the tape the best chance to stay on.

The E rear bumper protector mounts with tape, and I did as I described above and have had no problems with the protector moving.

Hope that info helps. :lol:

 

[chadgo]

i just installed the visors a few weeks ago on my e. i was disappointed that they weren't tinted very dark...however, my front windows are tinted, so i don't need both.

i had visors on my 95 chevy for about 4 years. never had a problem w/the tape. lived in wv (cold and heat) for a few years and in nc (heat), never had a problem w/them.

they do help w/the amount of wind coming in....but isn't that's why you put the window down?

will attach pics if u guys want them???

 

[calculon]

I've had mine on for about three months...and in that time they've endured the Oklahoma elements pretty well. (high wind, thunderstorms, driving rain and the occasional tornado) The tape has not yet shown signs of losing integrity and I've put about 8000mi on the car so far.

The important thing is that if the tape does go bad, those clips will hold the visors in place- at least temporarily. I don't have any fears that the suckers will blow off. I for one like that the tint is rather subtle...but that's a visibility issue. I had to vision duck around the visors to see things in the corners in my last car.

As for long-time integrity? I do wonder whether those visors will hold up with a couple of inches of snow or ice on them...But almost any aftermarket visor that's not bolted onto the door will have that issue.

I'd hold on to them, unless the lack of tint really bugs you.

BTW, I did a write up on visor installation on hondasuv.com.
http://www.hondasuv.com/element/viewtopic.php?t=57&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Oh, and hi from a new guy here. :wink:

 

[zozohead]

I don't think they block the wind very well. But they look good. As for the longevity, who cares? For $65 off of Ebay, if you get 2-3 years, then what the hell. I don't buy anything with the thought of it being here after I'm gone, I buy it to enjoy it while it lasts. At the end of 2-3 years, I'll probably have a new E, and will have new visors. Failing that, if I still have the same E and the visors have turned to crap, I'll clean off the old tape, and put on some new ones. It's really not a life altering decision, it's an accessory.

 

[jayharley]

[quote:f2e112c02b="zozohead"]I don't think they block the wind very well. But they look good. As for the longevity, who cares? For $65 off of Ebay, if you get 2-3 years, then what the hell. I don't buy anything with the thought of it being here after I'm gone, I buy it to enjoy it while it lasts. At the end of 2-3 years, I'll probably have a new E, and will have new visors. Failing that, if I still have the same E and the visors have turned to crap, I'll clean off the old tape, and put on some new ones. It's really not a life altering decision, it's an accessory.[/quote:f2e112c02b]

Maybe I was not clear as to why I was curious about this in the first place. If I am going to attach something to my car, with tape, I want to be sure it is going to hold up well. Sounded pretty simple to me. Tape is something you wrap packages with. Not something I like using to attach accessories to my transportation. See, the difference is then I buy a car and want to keep it for about 10 years. I had my previous SUV for 15 years and my current HD for 11 years. Machinery gets a "good feel" after you have had it for years, and take care of it. To me it looses some of the magic if you simply replace them every couple of years for the hell of it.

I don't want to waste my time cleaning off tape periodically. Trust me. I have been around 52 years so I know this is not a life altering decision. Frankly, nothing we discuss on this board is life altering, but we do it simply because it is fun. Hell, when you get right down to it: buying an E is not really a big deal at all. It is one of the least expensive SUV Crossovers made. However it seems to be enjoyable to talk about.

And see: The end result of what I have learned is that the Honda stick on visors are not what I am going to buy. I am going to buy the MacNeil versions from Germany. I presume that you also like to learn about a better product being available before you buy something.

 

[Slowhand]

[quote:5589682f25="jayharley"]If I am going to attach something to my car, with tape, I want to be sure it is going to hold up well. Sounded pretty simple to me. Tape is something you wrap packages with. Not something I like using to attach accessories to my transportation. [/quote:5589682f25]


I have the same reasons for wanting the weatherflectors, plus my previous experience with them. They take longer to design because they have to fit perfectly. I've put them in before, so it'll take me about 20 seconds to pop them in the window channel, then I can forget them.

 

[foxtail]

It wasn't too bad, once we (my husband and I) figured out what the directions meant. The directions say to peel back the covering on the adhesive strip on the visors and do something with masking tape. Basically what it means is to start to peel back the covering and attach masking tape to the ends of the covering. Damn, this is hard to explain!

What you have to do is start pulling the adhesive cover back, position the visors, then remove the adhesive cover. Since you don't want the adhesive to stick until the visors are positioned, you start pulling the cover strip back, stick a strip of masking tape on the cover strip, then place it back so it covers the adhesive. Then you set the visor in place. After you've got the visor in place, you pull the cover strip off the adhesive by pulling the masking tape.

Needless to say, the second install was much easier than the first, because by then we knew what we were doing.

Long and the short of it: total time less than 30 minutes. It was easier with 2 people (one on the inside of the door, the other on the outside).

I wish I'd taken picture of the install, but I didn't.

 

[jayharley]

[quote:9bdb177278="Slowhand"]Halleleujah!!! (I know I spelled it wrong but I'm happy!)[/quote:9bdb177278]

I am very anxious to see how they fit. The visors continue all the way down, in front, to the bottom rubber seal, which should be very nice. They are manufactured in Germany to some very close tolerances. I did not get the set which includes back window visors because the back visors have to use tape, since the windows do not roll up or down.

 

[djc]

I've had mine on for a week or so...must have been one of the first pre-orders....they are easy on and look alot better than the tape things....doesn't change the side looks of the door openings and all that stuff......finish is great and to me the fit is fine....I'm sure that someone will knock them because the fit isn't skin tight in the window opening.....
Wouldn't have anything BUT McNiels on my wheels!!!!

 

[jayharley]

Just received my Weatherflectors and installed them. They are a snap to install. Plus the material seems very scratch resistant, unlike the Honda taped on versions. Very cool. Nice tight fit. You certainly do not have to worry about them flying off.

I am editing this post to give everyone an update. These Weatherflectors really do the job. This morning I was on the highway, in a medium rain. I was driving at 70, with both the drivers and passangers windows open about 5". No rain and no wind coming in the car at all.

 

[Pete]

Does anyone have the door visors, and do they change the wind flow at all with the window down. I feel like I am in a convertable when I drive with the window down. I sit with the seat full rearward, and the wind strikes the door pillar and then slams right into my head - it gets pretty turbulent.

Thanks for the info,
Pete

 

[mborkow]

i have the weathertech ones and i am quite pleasesd. several other people here have them as well. if you get them i recommend the "dark" ones for a few extra $'s