Floppy sun visor fix

[Don Ridley]

The spring mechanism on the sun visors is terrible and after a few uses the visor will not snap into the "up" position. This leaves the visor flopping about 1inch in the up position.

 

This fix is tedious but it works. You fabricate a plastic holder for some magnets in the overhead shelf and install a metal screw in the visor. The neodymium magnets are strong enough to hold the visor if you stack two magnets (this increases the magnetic field) and use a screw with a large and flat head.

 

Here are the basic steps.

 

I used the handle from a Home Depot brush because the size was perfect and the plastic was relatively soft. I used a Dremel to shape the plastic into an insert for a slat in the overhead shelf. I did a lot of grinding and test fitting to get it right. The plastic piece inserts into the slot from the bottom and an aluminum (or other material) bracket screws into the top to hold it. I used neodymium magnets and stacked two into the plastic insert. The depth of the magnets is important. 

 

 

Finally, a small screw is installed in the visor. Adjust the magnet and screw depth so the visor fully retracts into the up position and makes magnetic contact. If the gap is too big the screw and magnets will rattle. The screw head is about the same diameter as the magnet.

 

I bought the magnets at Home Depot also. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by Don Ridley

[Gideon]

Neatly done.    If you don't mind a slightly 'messier' setup, then a pair of stick-on magnetic strips, properly aligned (easy to figure out) will also work. As both strips are magnetic, should have enough attraction for the job.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Gideon

[Don Ridley]

I tested some adhesive magnetic strips and I concluded they probably would not work. The adhesive would fail especially in the California heat and the magnets were surprisingly weak unless you had a larger surface area.  The magnetic force of my setup is very strong and I learned I needed to stack two magnets to get it to work consistently.

[RafyFern]

I was having that problem with my 2019 tc. I decided to use the magnetic idea, but I glue the magnet in the rubber dot in the upper console, and a magnetic kit from home depot to the visor, and finally problem solved.

[Gideon]

Same problem with my  2018 - driver side was worst. I just glued strong button magnets - 1 on visor (centered on edge), 1 on shelf - and job's done.  I wanted strong attraction as I like to use those extra flip-down tinted visors and they do add a bit of weight.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Gideon

[AdanA]

Tl;dr this alternative mod is working really great so far. The visors snap all the way up.
 

Hi! My 2019 van’s visors have been floppy since I began using it (6k miles at that point, 40k now). They’ve gotten progressively worse to the point that, if I were to lurch forward in a crash, they could scalp me. I’m very tall. 🤷‍♂️

 

I studied these magnet- related posts - thanks! - but in the end decided the spring mechanism itself is maybe ok (it’s still very torquey, tough to actuate by hand once you disassemble the thing from the car) it’s just the structure that was trying to hold it in place that was inadequate. I think it’s some kind of sandwich attempting to squeeze on either side of the mechanism, but which is easily popped apart by typical road conditions. I decided to try to squeeze that sandwich back together and see how it worked.

 

It’s very easy to take the assembly off the car, T20 is the size bit or wrench needed. This would be annoying to try to do in place.

 

Here’s the hardware I used. I have it on hand because of a product my little company makes. Half of it is a binding bolt, female end, the other is an off the shelf button head screw and washer. There’s room for improvisation here. There’s adequate space above the closed visor for a nut (or lock nut if you want to be vibration wary). You’ll want it to be about 5/8” when cinched up but it’s best if you can get the parts to engage at 3/4”. I’m sorry I didn’t take measurements while I was doing it.

 

Another important note: I did find a _wrong_ place to put these fasteners. I thought I was going to put two sets up there, you can see the marks on the blue masking tape. But the holes I tried to drill that were 9 inches from the mounting end wouldn’t go through easily. I think there were steel components there (Spring steel for the mechanism?), while in the other location I was just drilling aluminum & plastic. It seems to be working great with just the one set though.

 

Also, possibly helpful: I started with a 1/16” bit and drilled through with masking tape on both sides in order to know where my holes were going to meet up. But then I used a razor knife to cut the vinyl on both sides before drilling with the larger diameter drillbit (0.206 for my fasteners, YMMV). I was worried about the vinyl twisting and making a mess. And then on a subsequent hole, I decided I was being overcautious. I tried drilling the vinyl, and it twisted and made a mess!

Another random note: if you can have a strong shop vac pulling right where you’re drilling it might help reduce debris. It gets trapped under the vinyl. I didn’t use vacuum and there is debris sort of showing lumps from inside the vinyl. But it’s not bad and it’s not as disfiguring as the droopy visors.

It really does seem to be working well, feels solid and they snap right up quite firmly. I need to go back and put some Loctite on my fasteners.

 

Let me know if you have questions. I’ll keep you all posted if it stops behaving well. 

 

 

Edited October 14 by AdanA
Misspelling.

[mculbert]

Just did mine with the excellent @AdanA method. That nut is called a teenut, most hardware stores should have them in the fastener area. You want the version without teeth (the toothed ones are intended for wood!)

 

Very simple to implement, and almost looks as if the van came that way.

 

This solves the annoying floppiness. Keeps it in position no matter if it's open or closed.