Side Window Deflectors

yeah, I've put the rear ones in a few times, because I've gone through 2 2004's and a 2005, and in fact just reinstalled them on my 2006 last weekend. (I had thought of selling them and just going with the fronts only, but there was no interest.)

One side went in easily and I thought, gee I've got this down. Then it took me 15 minutes and a lot of cussing to get the other side in. once you get it in, though, it's a pretty good and stable setup, but not as good as the fronts.

You don't use the tool for anything other than pulling down the far inside part of the rubber down. you then stick the clip up in there, and let the flap you pulled down flap back in to (sort of) hold it. The fax should show you that pretty well. in other words, you're standing there looking at the rubber. your window is down, of course. it's as if you are sticking your pinkie up in there and pulling down the inside face of the rubber that is facing you. the clip goes in with the long curved part closest to you, with that section basically pointing down, with it curving towards you. the clip's square end is flush up in the top of the channel. the short straight back section of the clip thus points down, and is up against the rear vertical portion of the rubber, with the bit you pulled down holding it in.

put them both in, then insert the visor. the visor edge goes between the curved part of the clip (that being underneath the visor, so will be hidden when done) and the sky. I found it best to sort of start with (simultaneously) 2 points: where the visor crosses the frontward clip, and the front edge of the rear window. the tough part is that when you are trying to push the visor up in there, the clip wants to come down out of position.

I hope this helps, but I doubt it!

rob

 

I, too, love the Weathertech deflectors. The front ones were VERY easy to put in, but I'd read several posts that said the rear ones were 'difficult'. I'm a klutz, so I waited until a weekend when my son came home and asked him to put them on for me.

I watched as he worked on putting them in, looking at the written instructions from Weathertech and to a couple of postings I'd printed out. It took about half an hour to get one in, and a little less to get the second one in.

There was never a time when the clips seemed to be in the right position. They'd keep slipping while he tried to get the deflectors on, until it 'just worked'. He wasn't sure they'd stay in, but they've been fine since he installed them in July.

I don't often have the rear windows open even partially, so they haven't gotten the 'work out' that the front ones have gotten. I have to push the front ones back into place about once a month, which is no big deal.

 

I spent some time reading the various responses to this and other threads regarding the Weathertech visors.

My decision was to install fronts only since there was no cost savings associated with buying all four right away. (I purchased direct from Weathertech.) As mentioned, the fronts went in easily. Since the rears don't stop rain from coming in, I thought they were more or less a waste of time. The whole idea was to leave windows cracked when parked in the Summer or when it rains. Since the rears don't provide rain protection, other than symetry, what's the point of having them?

Since Winter is setting in, I guess I'll have to wait a few months to see how they will work for heat a rain.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrg @ Nov 6 2006, 11:55 PM) [snapback]344820[/snapback]</div>

I can't explain it, but I think you're still doing something wrong. You don't have to push the clips in with any force; using the window would add nothing. In other words, try this: just stand there and stick the clips up in there the same way the faxed picture shows. Just right up in there where the window goes. It is that simple (so far).

You'll see that the clip just goes up in there, plenty of room, but when you take your fingers off it, it falls right out! So, to install them so they don't just drop right out, you pull down the rear inside flap of the rubber strip, stick the clip back up in there, and release that little flap so that it holds the clip in because the rear part of the clip (that points down) is now sitting in the little pocket created by that flap.

The problem is that the flap does not hold the clip in very tightly, and when you put the visor in, it often pushes the clip down out of position. As the other recent poster said, you just sort of get it right by luck.

And don't worry about breaking the visor edge, if it's just the lip. Just move the clip to a position where the edge is ok, and mount it. The broken lip should be hidden.

As to the other post, the rear window flectors do prevent rain from coming in...but not when the car is moving. The value is that you can crack all 4 windows an inch on a hot day at work, and if a rainstorm comes, no problem.

rob

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrg @ Nov 10 2006, 11:41 PM) [snapback]347310[/snapback]</div>

sounds like a great helper! glad you got it finished.

too bad you already ordered the hood deflector, I could've saved you $50 or so, as I have an extra one in my garage, that came of the 2005 my wife traded on a HyCam. your helper will be pleased to know that the hood deflector installs very easily.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrg @ Nov 13 2006, 05:44 PM) [snapback]348431[/snapback]</div>

my pleasure.

sorry, HyCam = Camry Hybrid.

rob

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(onerpm @ Nov 2 2006, 12:43 PM) [snapback]342571[/snapback]</div>

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

I got mine from WeatherTech just before Christmas. You would think by now they would include the drawing that has been mentioned. There is NO way anyone could follow their printed pictures. They show the clip backwards and I had no idea the clip went inside the gasket. From the picture it looked like it went into the door frame with the gasket fitting inside the clip. No way THAT worked.

I was able to visualize the proper placement using your description and pulling about 3 inches of the gasket out so I could see the square inside channel and the flap that the short straight part goes in. I put in the driver's side and will do the passenger side tomorrow so I might be able to take some pictures to post. That and because it is 19F outside and my fingers a frozen After fussing with the rear one (and failing) I put in the front passenger side (having failed earlier in the week to get the driver's deflector in (the 'auto up, find pressure go down' issue). Then I got the driver's deflector in without the same problem, I have no idea why. Then I found your notes here and put in the left rear deflector. I did have the 'clip pushes out' issue a few times, but generally it went OK. Once I had the front part in, that clip stayed fine. I'm not sure I used the proper technique to get the back in. I worked from the front to the back and popped that clip a few times trying to bend the deflector enough to get the back side in. In the end, as you said, it just sort of happened to work the last time.

 

OK, it was snowing yesterday so I waited until today to put in the 2nd rear WeatherTech window deflector. I was going to add a bunch of pictures to the gallery but I only get 'Gallery is offline'. I'll post some here and hopefully be able to put the rest in the gallery later.

I think everyone's life would be a lot easier if they just included something like the 2 pictures I have in #4 below. No calls to customer service, no faxed drawings.

1. The clip and the lousy WeatherTech diagram.
   [attachmentid=6072]
2. What they are trying to show. If the window was up, the tool would be on the inside of the car.
   [attachmentid=6073]
   [attachmentid=6074]
3. The entire gasket pulled out for several inches and rotated 90 degrees showing the flat top part of the inside channel with the back leg of the clip inside the flap
   [attachmentid=6075]
4. You don't need to pull the gasket out like the picture above, but I found it helpful to see where the clip sits. These show rolling the clip in with the gasket back in place. When you remove the tool (hold the clip in place with your other hand) the clip is held up inside the gasket.
   [attachmentid=6078] [attachmentid=6079]
5. The installed clip viewed from the below. I found it helpful to press up against the clip when I put the deflector in.
   [attachmentid=6076]
   Everything is easier the second time around! I didn't pop either clip on this side when I installed the deflector, I popped both several times on the first side. If it happens, just go back to step 4 as the back leg will still be inside the flap.

 

OK...I too will join the group of dissatisfied Weathertech customers. I ordered the deflectors before Christmas, hoping to enjoy the "discount" as a gift to myself. Instead, I got a Cristmas "goose". Tried to install them today, the last day of warm weather here in Virginia before cold, snow and rain set in. I was totally baffled by the instructions. After 30 minutes of frustration, I gave up in disgust.
Shame on MacNeil Automotive Products Limited for providing such crappy instructions for a product "crafted in Germany from the finest acrylic materials available". Something must have got lost in translation!
Cheers (or not), Phil

 

I really appreciated this thread, and used it to install the rear deflectors. And they lasted for a couple of weeks.
Noticed after work yesterday the the left rear deflector was missing, and checked the right rea side and found that it had slipped out from the top and was only being held in place by the sides (the two sided tape may have helped). The clips were still in place, sticking out as they should. Windows were open about 1" for ventilation.
Guess the left one flew off sometime and I didn't notice. Or someone pulled it off.

Not a very secure system.

 

Are there other brands available that might be a better fit for the Prius? VW made them for my old Jetta and they snapped right into place in the window opening (no clips required). Has anyone noticed much an MPG hit with these installed?

 

UGH! did a search and found this thread because i didn't like the idea of all the clips when i got my deflectors today..... wish they had mentioned that before i ordered them............

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Highly ImPriused @ Apr 4 2007, 01:12 PM) [snapback]417745[/snapback]</div>

I got mine on eBay:



They're super easy to install, just tape on. Nothing fancy.
Works great for me since I live in a pretty hot state. I need them.

I don't know if there's any MPG hit since I had them almost immediately after I got the car.