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Vent Visors and Hood Protectors

mjh4001mjh4001 Member Posts: 6
edited April 2014 in Toyota
I have a 2004 4runner Limited edition and was thinking about installing vent visors and a hood protector. I noticed that they now have in-channel vent visors but I was worried that it could put a strain on the window motor, or cause a problem with the window seating when rolled-up. Has anyone used the in-channels and what have your experiences been, or am I better off going for the traditional tape on style like I had on my 96 runner?

Does anyone know a good, not too expensive place to pickup a decent hood protector for my 4runner as well?
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Comments

  • 07sportv807sportv8 Member Posts: 12
    I recently purchased a set of inside mount vent visors and a hood guard. I have not yet installed them, waiting for it to warm up, but I had them on my last vehicle, a 98' Explorer. I had the inside mount ones on my Explorer for 8 years. I never had any problems with window motors or even noticed any sign of motor strain. I am not expecting any issues with these either.

    As for the hood protector, I purchased a Toyota one from the Dealership- $120. I did see them on www.citytoyotaparts.com for $102. They are supposed to be 20% off regular priced dealer items. My suggestion would be to try Auto Zone. That is were I purchased my vent visors. They should be cheaper, but it will not be a Toyota brand. The Vent Shade company may make a hood guard as well. The vent shades are very good quality!
  • mjh4001mjh4001 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the reply and suggestion. Since my original posting I went ahead and bit the bullet and purchased the AVS Bugflector II and installed it the other day. I am very happy with both the price ($44 & free shipping) I paid and the look I achieved, not to mention the fact the I now feel my hood is protected. Doesn't matter to me that it is not a toyota brand and looks every bit like an OEM with the exception of the small AVS logo which appears on the front, but I have found that anything with the Toyota stamp simply adds $ to the overall price.

    I am still looking for vent visors and was looking at either the Weathertech (a little expensive), or the AVS in channels and was wondering if yours were those or some other brand? I am leaning towards the Weathertech but hate to lay out the extra cash unless the quality level is that much superior to the AVS brand. Any thoughts on this one?

    Thanks for your input.
  • 07sportv807sportv8 Member Posts: 12
    No Problem. I am new to this site and Just purchased my 4runner 3 weeks ago! So I had no reason to be on this site earlier. :)

    You are absolutely correct with the price "Toyota" ads to an item! The hood guard was expensive, but my wife bought it for me as a gift. The same AVS vent visors were $20 more at Toyota also. I was surprised that they sold a different brand. I highly recommend the AVS brand. The name changed from Vent Guard brand, which was the type I had on my previous truck. They held up great! Like I said, I have not yet installed them, but the quality is defineatly there! I also forgot to address your wind noise question. I did not have any with my previous truck.

    I hope this helps.
  • mjh4001mjh4001 Member Posts: 6
    Did you say that Toyota was actually using the AVS brand, or that Toyota was just offering them as an alternative to their brand? If they are using the AVS brand then you will have just made up my mind for me as to the question of AVS vs. Weathertech.

    Good luck with your 4runner, but I can assure you luck will have nothing to do with it as they are quality trucks that are built to last. I have owned them since 1990 and as a matter of fact just sold a 96 limited with 123,000 miles on it when I purchased the 04. The only reason I sold it was because I was tired of driving the older car in the family while my wife got a new one every couple of years! I am sure it's next owner will have it for another 12 years!

    Thanks for the recommendation and let me know on the question of Toyota usage.

    All the best
  • 07sportv807sportv8 Member Posts: 12
    Sorry for the confusion! NO, Toyota does NOT make the AVS brand! They just sell them. I am not familiar with the Weathertech brand. I briefly researched them and did not see any difference between them and AVS. I also never physically seen the Weathertech brand either. I paid $45 for the AVS brand from Auto Zone. But like I said, I have not yet installed them. I am waiting for it to warm up a bit more to ensure better adhesion. But they are very good quality! Do you know why Weathertech is more expensive? Because I did find AVS guards on line for $72!!!! But they were cheaper at Auto Zone. So is Weathertech better, or just pricier???

    Thank You! I dont think I will need luck either! I have always liked these trucks and I owned a Corolla years back. To be honest, I would have bought one eight years ago when I bought my Explorer, but they weren't in my price range at that time. I am a bit dissapointed in the mileage I am getting so far, about 13mpg city. I have not road tripped with it yet, so i am hoping to see better numbers. That is the downside of having the power of the V8! I also pull a 17.5' boat, and I am looking forward to pulling it with the V8! The power is fantastic.

    I hope I helped with your question. I can let you know when I install them and verify window motor strain and wind noise. But I am not anticipating any problems!
  • mjh4001mjh4001 Member Posts: 6
    With the exception of being German engineered I can't explain why the Weathertechs are pricier, but you know how that goes, as soon as you say something is German engineered the price goes up like a Mercedes or BMW! However, all the chats and forums I have seen tend to lean towards them saying they are a good quality.

    I have the 4.0L 6 cyl and am on the highway alot so I am getting about 20 miles per gallon and I was under the impression that I would have only lost 1 mile per gallon on a V8, so your milage should improve on the long runs. Hang in there!

    Thanks for the input and help on the AVS I appreciate it.
  • joeyjoejoejoeyjoejoe Member Posts: 68
    Hey guys, I also just bought an AVS Bugflector II and was wondering if you had any luck removing the decal? I tried with a razor, but that began to get a bit sloppy. I've read about using paint thinner and other chemicals, but am worried it will ruin the clear finish or something. Any ideas or advice would be appreciated. I can live with the little white decal, but removing it will be all the better. Cheers!
  • mjh4001mjh4001 Member Posts: 6
    Sotty I am not sure what would remove the decal without hurting the finish, but now that you have brought it up I would love to hear if someone else out there knew the answer to this question. I have to admit that I wouldn't mind losing that decal either. Thanks for the thread!
  • 07sportv807sportv8 Member Posts: 12
    You are going to think that i am crazy, but vegetable oil works well for removing adhesives and not scratching or harming the surface. WD-40 also works well. These may not help much in removing the decal itself, just the adhesives left behind. That will take a good old fashion fingernail or even a plastic razor blade might help too!

    Hope these ideas work! Good luck.
  • 07sportv807sportv8 Member Posts: 12
    I have an update on the inside mount AVS Vent Visors. I finally attempted to install them this weekend. They fit horribly!!! I am returning them as soon as I track down the receipt!!! I boasted them because of how happy I was with them on my previous vehicle. They not only fit poorly, but the rear windows get hung up on the visor when installed. I DO NOT RECOMMEND the inside mount vent visor! They need a lot of re-engineering! :(
  • mjh4001mjh4001 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the heads-up but I kind of figured that there might be a problem with putting something in the window track and having the space shared with a window, so I actually went ahead and purchased and installed the stick on ones and am very happy with the result. The installation was easy, they fit well and my windows work well too, including my auto-up function which I happen to like.

    Sorry to hear you had so much difficulity with them, but you've got to figure the auto manufacturers really didn't make that window track too wide to accommodate foreign objects being inserted into them. Besides, after I really looked at them I actually didn't like the way they did not cover the top of the stationary window panel of the rear window. The stick on type cover the whole spance of the window, including the stationary panel so it looks a little more uniform (at least to me). Just as a matter of information I purchased the AVS brand to match my hood deflector.

    I hope you find the reciept quickly and good luck on the ruturn.
  • 07sportv807sportv8 Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for the input. I was sure that they would fit. My Ford Explorer accomedated them perfectly! I will look into the outside mount guards. The window space is just enough to fit a window and thats it! I guess you dont think to look at that stuff until you want to install aftermarket accessories.

    The hunt for the receipt continues!!!!
  • 07sportv807sportv8 Member Posts: 12
    I finally found a set of vent guards that fit an inside window mount application! They are made by Weather Tech. They are made in Germany. They fit inside the window channel very well, leaving plenty of room for the window. Unlike the AVS brand. I have them installed now and I love them. They are a bit pricey, $95 for the set of four and $15 to ship. Buying them right from the company was the cheapest price I found.
  • napp868napp868 Member Posts: 1
    As far as window visors, I've had Weathertech visors on my 2000 4Runner for years and haven't had any window motor issues. As far as the hood protector? I had one but in the winter I could see the snow moving forward on the hood while driving meaning there was excessive air movement there. I removed hood protector and also the rear deflector above the tailgate and saw an extra 1.5 to 2 miles per gallon of gas on the highway.
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