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What are the windshield dots made of?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Rebound, Mar 29, 2010.

  1. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    I have a 2010 Prius II. The top of the windshield is covered with black dots. I am installing a GPS, and I would like to mount the antenna at the top center of the windshield, above the rear view mirror. Are the black dots made out of a metal or metallic substance that would impede the antenna's operation? Can they be scraped off from the inside with a razor?

    Thanks!
     
  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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  3. BBaggins

    BBaggins New Member

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    I mounted my GPS unit in the location you mentioned. I used the round mounting disk included with the GPS that has the 3M tape on the back. It sticks so good that I can't get it off so I can move it about 1/2 an inch.

    Dennis
     
  4. kenoarto

    kenoarto Senior Member

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    What dots? Are you not covering your nose when you sneeze? ;-)
     
  5. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    We have an EZ-Pass transponder attached there and don't have any problems with it reading the tolls.
     
  6. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Thanks everyone! It's obvious that, in the Prius at least, the black dots are a sun shade. They don't border the windshield, they're only in the area of the rear view mirror, where the sun visors don't reach. Ingenious.
     
  7. ajc

    ajc Member

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    Ingenious? :confused: those cheap bastards at Toyota did not put a tint strip across the top of the windshield. The sun blinds you, never had a car without the top tint on the front windshield.
     
  8. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I thought they were a ceramic compound.
     
  9. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Gripe, gripe, gripe... I keep a pair of sunglasses in the sunglasses holder. Much better than a tint strip.
     
  10. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I thought ceramic as well but all I found was enamel... Maybe I'll have to google if they are also ceramic
     
  11. thegreatll

    thegreatll New Member

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    Hahahahah, i have to agree here
     
  12. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    There is a show called"How It's Made", they did auto windshields once. It's either a thin sheet of black or clear or half tone dots on plastic film sandwiched between two sheets of glass. The whole mess is heated and bonded. TADA..Windshield..
    I have also seen paint on surface, but the new bonded windshields offer much more versatility .
     
  13. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    On my 2007 Gen II, the dots are raised and bumpy -- I cannot get a suction cup to stick on them. So I think they're painted and not sandwiched between glass.
     
  14. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    All auto windshields are laminated glass (2 sheets of glass with a layer of plastic--the laminate--fused in between), and have been for a long time (for safety reasons), but that has nothing to do with the dots on the 2010 Prius windshield, which are on the inside surface--you can feel them with your fingers. I imagine they're silk-screened on.
     
  15. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    Yeah, that was the other process I mentioned , Paint on surface, a silk screen process. That's why I mentioned I pefered the laminate way, no bumps to interefere wth suction devces!!!
    The new laminate method has black areas along with the clear to provide the desired masking effect, thus no bumps!
     
  16. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    The little dots are a Toyota-exclusive licorice version of the nostalgic
    candy dots:

    [​IMG]

    They can be removed by repeated licking...
    although saliva leftover is difficult to remove.

    :brick:
     
  17. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    My head keeps hitting the mirror. :confused: Do I need to remove it to lick the spots?
     
  18. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    :roll:

    I loved those when I was a kid.