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Dash Board Glare??


blockisle9

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well, it must be (1) when/where we are driving or (2) we are different heights or seat angles as someone else postulated or (3) your just not noticing it - which just can't be given the case as it so plain as day as one can see with the photos - as there is nothing different from my car to yours in this aspect. same windshield, same glass & dash angles, same dash, same colors, same materials, etc. it makes no sense, in this instance, to get different results given our cars are the exact same setup. unless, like I said, it is #1,2,3 above.

 

there was nothing special done to capture these images. I was driving, I was like "damn", I pulled out the cell phone camera, snapped the photos, there you have it. real world, real life scenario - captured it on film. clearly showing how bad the glare can obscure your view. hell, you can see the vents better than some of the roadside scenery. did you even notice the cyclists in image #3?

 

if I setup your cars seats just like mine, and drove it, there should be no reason the exact same thing would not appear given the right sun/light conditions. but that is a huge part of what this is all about - right lighting conditions that exploit the funky set-up of the car.

 

My dash isn't nearly as shiny as yours appears to be. I've never put anything on it. I think that helps.

Angle of the sun has a lot to do with it as could the seating position, sunglasses, etc.

 

I've actually looked at mine closely and I knew about it before I purchased thanks to this forum, so it's not that I just haven't noticed it.

 

Just to be clear - I can see some reflection but it's not nearly as pronounced as the photos. And it's worse around the top of the center stack but again not nearly as bad as the photos and not enough for me to notice it in normal driving.

Edited by akirby
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I bought a dash cover & solved the glare problem along with helping to protect the dash.

 

never understood these.. you buy to protect the dash, since you obviously want it to stay in good shape, so you hide it, so it is never seen, as it is hidden by a cover, which you never plan to remove so you can see the dash underneath you are protecting ;)

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never understood these.. you buy to protect the dash, since you obviously want it to stay in good shape, so you hide it, so it is never seen, as it is hidden by a cover, which you never plan to remove so you can see the dash underneath you are protecting ;)

 

My FLM dealer will get to see it at trade in time. $$$ :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

This is not an unusual issue with many cars. My Mom's Park Avenue gets it really bad. I used to think my eyes were going until she talked about it. In general, light colored and shiny dash board tops are the worst. It was actually a factor in my car shopping. But as others have mentioned - the angle of the person and the light source is very key. I was test driving a Freestyle once at night and when I went under one of the super bright lights in the dealer lot the dash momentarily reflected so bad it was a bad obscurring event.

 

ArmorAll does sell a protectorant that dulls the dash and absorbs some light - that may help. The product has been out since the mid 90s as the problem is so common. Possibly as newer cars were more raked in the windshield for wind resistance. Some mini-vans are real real bad!

 

If the problem is new to you - it is because you are now in a vehicle where all the angles are just wrong. So, just try some of the ideas people mentioned and also maybe adjust the seat.

 

2-cents

 

- Ziggy -

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I solved the problem, for me. I have a black dash that reflected line Lex's. I had the wife get some black felt from a craft store. They sell it by the yard. I made a pattern of the dash to windshield curvature and the defroster vents. Then I got some low profile velcro and used the hook side to fix the felt around the defroster vent and a couple other smaller pieces to keep the felt in place. If the felt is cut a little wider than the dash it can be tucked in between the dash and the side a pillars. Caution: do not attach very tight on the passenger side as this may interfere with the air bag deployment.

 

post-6657-1256565344_thumb.jpg

post-6657-1256565539_thumb.jpg

post-6657-1256565664_thumb.jpg

post-6657-1256566166_thumb.jpg

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I solved the problem, for me. I have a black dash that reflected line Lex's. I had the wife get some black felt from a craft store. They sell it by the yard. I made a pattern of the dash to windshield curvature and the defroster vents. Then I got some low profile velcro and used the hook side to fix the felt around the defroster vent and a couple other smaller pieces to keep the felt in place. If the felt is cut a little wider than the dash it can be tucked in between the dash and the side a pillars. Caution: do not attach very tight on the passenger side as this may interfere with the air bag deployment.

 

post-6657-1256565344_thumb.jpg

post-6657-1256565539_thumb.jpg

post-6657-1256565664_thumb.jpg

post-6657-1256566166_thumb.jpg

 

Pretty nice; Another thing that could be done is leave more length at the windshield. A premade cover will tuck down between the front of the dash & the windshield. The airbag should be no issue, since a premade cover goes about half the length of the vents.

Edited by MKX2007
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  • 1 year later...

I have said it before and will say it again, as have others who deal with the reflection.. it is not shine related. trust me. it is the simple and easy conclusion to jump to. I could dull that dash and you will still get the issue. I just dealt with it again coming down from the mountains this weekend. once you are keen to it, it is obvious. and my dash is "dull" so to speak. it is all about light and angle of windshield. yeah, sure, maybe the "shine" might - and I say might - add a bit to it, but it is there heavy nonetheless. IIRC, Ford took steps to address it after it was noticed in the '07 models.

 

that photo above, it does not do the issue justice.

 

 

I have the SAME problem as you!!! I have called numerous Ford dealers in the area to see if they had a fix and alot of them acted like I was insane! lol I even called some tint places and some idiot told me to tint the entire winshield!! IDIOT! Anyways, I have a 07 Edge with the light sand dash. Which I see someone else said they replaced that color in the 08's. So maybe I should print out this forum and take it to the dealer so they will see that I'm not insane! :-) (BTW I never took it in...I figured why waste my time if they were going to act like I was an idiot on the phone?)

But, I wanted to add that I don't think it's as easy as adjusting your seat. And I also don't think that anyone wants to pay over $20k for a car and have to put a dash cover on it! Platinum White had a good, cheap idea...but why should we have to do this? I really like my Edge. It's my daily driver and it's very comfortable. But the next time I buy a car I will definitely pay attention to this problem so I will not have it again. As it does not matter if it's sunny or cloudy. I ALWAYS have a glare!!! And I have even almost hit some of the *lovely* teenagers that walk right out in front of me when dropping my son off at high school as I couldn't see them from the glare!!! Maybe those of us with a problem should call Ford and see if they'd do anything to fix it. I'll have to admit I've been lazy about it so far! Let me know if anyone has any ideas. Although it seems as though the only solution there seems to be is a dash cover!

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  • 6 months later...

I have said it before and will say it again, as have others who deal with the reflection.. it is not shine related. trust me. it is the simple and easy conclusion to jump to. I could dull that dash and you will still get the issue. I just dealt with it again coming down from the mountains this weekend. once you are keen to it, it is obvious. and my dash is "dull" so to speak. it is all about light and angle of windshield. yeah, sure, maybe the "shine" might - and I say might - add a bit to it, but it is there heavy nonetheless. IIRC, Ford took steps to address it after it was noticed in the '07 models.

 

that photo above, it does not do the issue justice.

 

I have a 2008 Edge and the glare is not bad. The only trouble I have is around dusk and then there isn't enough lighting to easly see the gauges. However...if you think you have a problem...try a 2009, 2010 and 2011 Ford F-150 on for size. there is so much glare on the gauges it is hard to make them out sometimes, ESPECIALLY the area above the center stack where the radio, time, direction etc gauges are...Impossible to see most of the time during the day!! If anyone has a cure for that, I'd like to hear it.

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I have said it before and will say it again, as have others who deal with the reflection.. it is not shine related. trust me. it is the simple and easy conclusion to jump to. I could dull that dash and you will still get the issue. I just dealt with it again coming down from the mountains this weekend. once you are keen to it, it is obvious. and my dash is "dull" so to speak. it is all about light and angle of windshield. yeah, sure, maybe the "shine" might - and I say might - add a bit to it, but it is there heavy nonetheless. IIRC, Ford took steps to address it after it was noticed in the '07 models.

 

that photo above, it does not do the issue justice.

 

LOL I 100% agree with you. It is not any products you put on the dash it's a flaw in the vehicle itself. I have had numerous issues with the glare from my 08 Limited and there is nothing to do except get a new vehicle. Which isn't going to happen. I love my Edge can't wait to lower it 1 maybe 2 inches. Have fun with the glare because there is nothing anyone can do about it unless you put fuzzy carpet up there!!!! :)

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LOL I 100% agree with you. It is not any products you put on the dash it's a flaw in the vehicle itself. I have had numerous issues with the glare from my 08 Limited and there is nothing to do except get a new vehicle. Which isn't going to happen. I love my Edge can't wait to lower it 1 maybe 2 inches. Have fun with the glare because there is nothing anyone can do about it unless you put fuzzy carpet up there!!!! :)

 

The only thing that is going to fix that type of glare is to change your seating position or get some polarized glasses for driving.

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  • 2 years later...

the dash glare is a most annoying issue that borders on hazardous. I have an 09 and can't believe this wasn't fixed prior to that. if I did a lot of driving this would certainly be something I wouldn't be able to live with on a daily basis..its that bad. who the hell is the idiot that tested this absurd design??????? whoever it was should be forced to drive this car everyday all day while facing the sun...ahahha what a useless donkey.

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