Deflectors on the windows not only decorate the car, but also protect the interior from the ingress of foreign objects and water. Let's talk about the process of installing deflectors on the car windows, cost and variety.
The content of the article:
- Purpose
- Variety
- Installation
- Price
Every car owner sooner or later thinks about how to improve the look of his pet. But when such improvement not only brings beauty, but also practical, then they think about it even more.
There is still controversy over whether it is worth installing deflectors on windows or not. Some people don't like them because of the visual form. Others who have experienced them in action, on the contrary, say that it is worth betting. In fact, the deflector is quite thin, but also durable overlays on the upper part of the doors.
The use of these additives to the car has been familiar to motorists since the 80s, earlier they were plates made from plastic or thin metal and fastened with self-tapping screws. Nowadays, it is enough to glue them with double-sided tape.
Such an example would be window deflectors, some put them for beauty, others to improve comfort and aerodynamics. As an example, consider the installation of air deflectors on the BMW X5 SUV.
What are deflectors in a car for?
Most often, the first purpose of deflectors is to create comfort while driving. In addition to beauty, they protect from dirt, dust, water and do not form a draft when driving with a window ajar. If you have a deflector, you can safely open the window in rainy or snowy weather.
It happens that in rainy weather the windows fog up, it is at this moment that the window can be slightly opened and the rain will not fall into the car interior. The deflector will allow you to equalize the temperature with the outside temperature, while protecting the interior. In addition to protection, visors perform the function of an exhaust hood, drawing air from the passenger compartment, while not creating a draft. In addition to all physical purposes, most often they are also used as decorative linings that well emphasize the style of the car.
Types of car window deflectors
Given the usefulness of deflectors, you should pay attention when choosing, most often they are initially divided into two types. The first type, deflectors, which are inserted into the window opening, and the second type, which are glued to the upper part of the door frame.
They can also be of different colors, both black, gray, and the color of the body - white, red and others. In size, 6-8 cm are most often found. Black, gray or translucent. Regarding the material from which the visors are made, it can also be different, it can be plastic, metal or acrylic.
Often still on sale you can find deflectors of a standard size, as the people say "universal", these should not be taken, since for each car, brand and model they must be unique and fit one to one in the right place. There is a lot of controversy as to which is the best plug-in or which is glued.
Plug-in deflectors are installed in the upper groove between the seal and the glass. Ease of installation and a beautiful view immediately attract and this is a plus, but there is also a minus. Since the deflector is located between the seal and the glass, it causes harm to the latter, especially if you have tinted glass with a film, after a couple of months of such use you will see scuffs and damage on the film.
In the latest models, electric windows are equipped with sensors that, when the glass is raised, check its path for the presence of obstacles, if such was detected, the glass simply does not close, and will signal the driver. This is another drawback of plug-in deflectors.
Adhesive deflectors do not have such disadvantages, but a small protrusion for gluing can scare off at first. When choosing such visors, you should pay attention to the adhesive tape, most often it is acrylic tape. It should be intact and well adhesive. The shape of the deflector should coincide one to one with the curves of the doors and the body of your car and fits well on the entire surface, but if there are difficulties or extraneous bends on the deflector, it is better to replace it with another one without such defects. The most popular manufacturer is considered to be the Australian EGR manufacturer, the American manufacturers WeatherTech, Putco, AVS, GTS, Wade.
The process of installing deflectors on car windows
Installation of deflectors, whatever type they were, will take up to an hour. To do this, we additionally need clean napkins, a degreaser, and a stationery knife. The installation will be carried out on the BMW X5 SUV, since you can often find visors on them, as they say, both stylish and attractive.
Consider the process of installing a deflector over the frame, that is, by gluing, after all, scratched tinted glass will not adorn the X5.
Now you just need to attach each deflector in turn to the place where it will be glued, and see if it fits snugly on the surface, if so, then it is worth checking if there are any defects on the adhesive tape of the deflector itself. Also, see if the visor does not cover the rear-view mirrors and whether the view is clearly visible in them.
In the case when everything is correct and perfect, we moisten the napkin with a degreaser and wipe the upper part of the frame, where the deflector will be glued. As soon as the wiped place has dried, apply a visor and slowly remove the protective surface from the adhesive tape. We glue the deflector onto the previously prepared surface of the door frame, pressing it and leveling it over the surface.
For the best effect, press and hold the deflector for two or three minutes, so the adhesive surface will better fit with the surface of the door frame. After installation, it is recommended, if possible, to warm it up with a construction hairdryer so that the deflector better adheres to the surface.
On the BMW X5, a kit is most often sold and installed on the front and rear doors, the glass between the rear doors and the trunk lid is left without deflectors. The first reason, because they simply do not produce this kind of visor, the second is unnecessary.
It is best to buy not cheap and well-known manufacturer, since, saving on quality, in the future this can lead to burnout, peeling, deformation or poor installation of the visor.
As for the plug-in deflectors, the installation is much easier and takes place with the help of special clips that are included in the kit upon purchase. Thanks to these fasteners, the deflectors are well attached to the frame and the seal, where the glass enters. If the frame completely matches the shape of the visor, then additional fasteners may not be used.
It is worth being careful when installing this kind of deflectors, if they do not fit snugly, then the window regulator mechanism can fail very quickly. You can take a closer look at how similar deflectors are installed on other cars, and even better in the same BMW X5 model, or the one on which you will install.
According to statistics, most drivers are inclined to install adhesive deflectors, since replacing tinted or scratched BMW X5 glass will cost much more than a set of high-quality deflectors.
Price of car deflectors
The first thing that becomes when choosing deflectors is their cost, for each car it is unique and most often of good quality is not cheap. For example, a simple visor from the manufacturer WeatherTec for the BMW X5 will cost from $ 50 to $ 100.The advantage of this manufacturer is that if one of the deflectors breaks down, you can buy it separately, and not buy the whole set as a whole.
Another Star manufacturer can offer chrome-plated deflectors made of sturdy steel. The cost of a complete set will cost $ 140, and a pair of $ 70. Star also offers to buy a set in pairs in the event of a breakdown of one of them, and not to buy the whole set as a whole, thereby overpaying for unnecessary ones.
If you decide to purchase a budget option for a domestic car, then most often a set of four pieces will cost $ 10-20. It will not be difficult to find this type of visor in the car market.
As a result, it can be said that the deflector not only gives a better appearance to the car, but also performs the practical part, protecting the interior and creating comfort.
