Sunshade for Windshield?

[Kataphn]

I am out of town and so cannot supply a picture but installing the eclipse sunshade was one of the first things we did when we got the LEAF home. We have had them on our cars for 20 years. Work great! I am sure they have pictures on line if you want to see them installed. I have really liked not having to figure out a place to stow the shade when not in use. Some may not like the fact that the eclipse shade is installed on either side of the windshield and stays there but it has never bothered me in driving nor affected visibility. Sold on it....but YMMV

 

[garygid]

Is the outside-facing layer of the Eclipse sunshade highly reflectorized?

 

[Azrich]

Kataphn, can you actually reach the shade installed on the passenger side to be able to close and open it? Does it latch open?

 

[Kataphn]

Yes, the material is highly reflectorized (is that a word? :lol: ). Yes, I can reach the passenger side shade from my driver position but the caveat is, I am a tall person. Yet, I do not think you need to be tall to accomplish this. Spouse is 5 foot 8 or so and does fine. You draw the 2 halves together and they meet in the middle and velcro to each other all the way up and down. When not needed, they each retract very tightly to their respective sides of the windshield. Over many many years, the retracting ability only decreases slightly. However, we never just open them and let them whip back to their corners on their own. We hold onto them and gently ease them back to their respective sides. Perhaps this accounts for their longevity. There is no latching when the sides are retracted. They retract similar to a retractable clothesline...if you can feature that.

Kat :mrgreen:

 

[leafwing]

I wound up buying an Auto Expressions Platinum Auto-Shade, standard size, at Kragen's for like $11. It's a pair of fabric-covered rectangular springy hoops which snap open and fold closed quickly. The two rectangles fit nicely in the Leaf's windshield with their long axis oriented up and down. Once folded, they can be slipped into the back pocket of the passenger seat or in the door pocket.

Thanks it is very practical and it fits nicely in the back pocket of the passenger seat.
But, I purchased the standard size which did not cover the whole windshield; so I ordered the jumbo size which covers it all. It is $ 9.99 on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EBKG90

 

[svBackstreets]

I bought a jumbo size "Spring Shade" yesterday at Costco. $6.99 including two side shades. Seems to fit almost perflectly covering entire windshield.

 

[nader]

I plan on installing the 3M crystalline window film on the front window in 90% tint (amount of visible light) which is practically clear and their ceramic film in 30 or 40 percent on the remaining windows. I have the 3M ceramic film on the smart now and is really nice stuff. Not cheap but it's far superior to metallized and dye based films and looks really classy. Something like that seems like a more elegant solution. Also because it installs on the glass it's more effective at reflecting heat. the window shades are a few inches away from the windshield so the heat is already in the car. It really just prevents surfaces from getting really hot.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...ucts/Automotive/Crystalline_Automotive_Films/

 

[garygid]

I bought the HeatShield sunshade for the LEAF for the front window.
It is stiff, highly reflective on the silver side, and has an effective
layer of insulation behind the silver layer.

It was about $36 in single quantity, is very effective, blocks basically
everything, but is a bit awkward to unroll and place in position, or
roll up again for storage. It covers only the front windshield.

 

[TEG]

I have Eclipse on a few vehicles. The two problems I had were:
#1: Sometimes the sticky stuff doesn't hold the clips on the windshield permanently. On two vehicles, after many months of use, one of the sets of sticky pads popped off of the windshield. I ended up putting some very small screws into the plastic frame around the window to make sure they didn't come off again.
#2: After sticking on the clips you slide the shade mechanism into the clips. Occasionally someone bumps the shade in such a way that it pops back out of the clips, and you have to fumble with it to get it re-installed.

But those are rare and minor problems, and I still like them enough to have ordered one for the Leaf too.

The retracting string mechanism still works well after years. Also, the material is durable. No tears or anything after years of use.

 

[lemketron]

I bought the HeatShield sunshade for the LEAF for the front window. It is stiff, highly reflective on the silver side, and has an effective layer of insulation behind the silver layer.

It was about $36 in single quantity, is very effective, blocks basically everything, but is a bit awkward to unroll and place in position, or roll up again for storage. It covers only the front windshield.

I love the HeatShield I bought for my CR-V (and previous cars). The finished edges and custom fit are very nice.

I noticed that Amazon shows one for the Leaf ($34 + $6 s/h) so I'll probably order one, unless the Nissan dealers already have it in stock... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Y8Q580

 

[TEG]

Eclipse shade on Leaf:

 

[Volusiano]

Can you take a pic of how it looks retracted? Thanks.

 

[TEG]

 

[csriram45]

how about a picture from inside. Retracted and closed?

Thx

 

[1051]

More Pictures of the Eclipse shade:

 

[gascant]

I bought the HeatShield sunshade for the LEAF for the front window. It is stiff, highly reflective on the silver side, and has an effective layer of insulation behind the silver layer.

It was about $36 in single quantity, is very effective, blocks basically everything, but is a bit awkward to unroll and place in position, or roll up again for storage. It covers only the front windshield.

I love the HeatShield I bought for my CR-V (and previous cars). The finished edges and custom fit are very nice.

I noticed that Amazon shows one for the Leaf ($34 + $6 s/h) so I'll probably order one, unless the Nissan dealers already have it in stock... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Y8Q580

SWEET! I had the HeatShield for the Prius (sold) and, before that, my 97 Acura Integra. I don't mind the unrolling at all. It was an absolute necessity in the Integra, which had a black interior and was made in the days before "solar glass". I'll have to stop by Nissan on the way home from work and see if they have it (any excuse to drive the LEAF a little more )

 

[JPVLeaf]

+1 on the Heatshield.

We have purchased one for each of the last three cars we've purchased.

And, now one for the Leaf, which I purchased from a seller on Ebay for $33.48 & free shipping:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0611293525&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

On the plus side, they are among the best at heat rejection. The shade is made of a foam cell insulated material. The outer surface is highly reflective. Perfect if you're trying to keep your car cool, which is especially true for EVs. And, each is custom fit, and quite snug at that.

On the negative side, the roll is rather stiff when rolled up, and takes up some space - 4" dia. x full ht. of the windshield (33"). But, a velcro closure keeps it nice and tight.

EDIT: FWIW, seems the Ebay source above is the same seller, Protomic, Inc., as the previously noted Amazon.com source. Except they are selling the same shade for a slightly lower total cost on Ebay.

 

[TomT]

Yep, I have one for the Leaf and our others cars, and I love it!

+1 on the Heatshield.

 

[richpickett]

You can buy custom windshield shades for the Leaf from Mossy Nissan (they just received a few) or from Auto Anything. They roll easy and Mossy has them at a great price.

 

[WAM]

I bought the Heatshield for my Leaf as well. I have used one for 9 years in my VW Passat and it is the BEST sun shield as far as I'm concerned. I ordered directly from their website and had it in 2 days. Fits perfectly - rolls up fast - velcro to secure the roll - EXCELLENT!