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Blinding sun reflecting off chrome dashboard and steering wheel trim strips.

24K views 29 replies 25 participants last post by  hellsop 
#1 ·
Forgive me if this has been mentioned already. I didn't want to go through 61 pages of 25 threads each to check it.

Read below and avoid this on the 2016 model, if it's not too late. Or maybe an aftermarket "fix".

So, I just bought 2015 Volt, and every day I am dodging blinding sunlight reflections off the chrome strip around the drivers "dash display", the chrome strip accenting the steering wheel, and even the chrome around the Chevy logo on the steering wheel.

I have positioned my steering wheel to block most of the reflections from the "dash display" but the curvature of the steering wheel cannot cover both the corners, and the center of the top edge of the chrome strip at the same time.

I can't believe no noticed this when testing out the car on a sunny mid day test. Maybe all the testing was done in overcast conditions.

I will be taping over the chrome strips with a non-reflective tape. I was avoiding doing that because I'm sure it will look tacky, but I'm tired of black spots in my eyes after getting blinded by the sun hitting the chrome highlights on the dash board and steering wheel.

Thank you.
James Bentz
 
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#2 ·
I've always made it a point to never live west of work for the obvious reason that driving towards the sun in the morning, and again in the evening was hard on the eyes...
 
#8 ·
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one to do that.

Interesting. I have never experienced this in the 2 1/2 years I have had my Volt. What angle or where in relation to the car is the sun when this happens? I have experienced glare off the dash especially after cleaning and application of a protectant.
I've noticed some reflection off the chrome plenty of times, although I haven't ever seen black spots because of it.
 
#5 ·
I am a visiting nurse, so I'm diving most of the day, all directions at all times. I have not stopped to note what direction, or time of day it has been but I will do so. I'm best-guessing, it's near noon when sun can hit the face of the steering wheel. Anyway, I'll get some specifics and note it. I'm amazed you haven't had it happen. It's all the time and I've only had the car a month. But like I said, I'm driving mid-day all the time, not just to and from work.
 
#6 ·
Now you know why most Californians wear sunglasses. (It is not just because we want to look cool...) :)
 
#7 ·
I had this problem in my mother's Chevy equinox when driving to Florida for a vacation recently, the chrome strips around the drive mode shifter was constantly blinding me while driving and also as a passenger. It made me really dislike the thing. I think all car makers need to keep the chrome (and reflective materials in general) out of the passenger compartment as a safety precaution.
 
#10 ·
Go buy some 1/4" black pinstriping tape at an auto parts store and cover all that silly chrome.
I did and posted pictures of it,, somewhere on this forum.

Get to work, instead of complaining.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I've certainly experienced the reflection from the steering wheel chrome piping, not so much with the piping around the DIC shrouds. Using pin striping tape is a good suggestion. I'm going to buy some next time I pass an auto supply store.

When I worked as an engineer, I remember draftsmen using this kind of tape on mylar drawings of circuitry, etc. I hadn't thought of that until now. The rolls came in different widths. Just checked the piping widths. It seems that 1/4", 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2" widths would be needed. I suppose that 1/2" could be trimmed with a sharp Xacto knife or utility razor blade and a steady hand for the narrower widths. PITA but doable. Cutting the widths before applying to the piping would be a better solution requiring a straight edge and Xacto/razor blade.

To the OP, you have a valid complaint! I suggest that to mitigate the problem of blind spots being burned into your retinas you be prepared to move your head slightly when you sense these reflections and don't look directly at them before doing so (I'm sure that you have discovered this "trick" already 8^)

EDIT: I have just returned from Target where I bought a roll of Scotch Expressions - Washi Tape for $3. It is 1/2 inch wide, matte black. I now have a project to work on 8^)
 
#13 ·
I've had this happen a few times in my 2 years of Volt ownership. It's very annoying when it happens... each time I make a mental note to go buy some black or grey Contact paper and cover the chrome, but then I forget. If it was a weekly occurrence, I would have done something by now, but it's been once every few months, so I've let it slide. It's enough of an issue for me that I groaned when I saw the gen2 Volt's large increase in chrome on the dash (though it's not clear yet if it's all actually shiny chrome or some sort of matte grey). I plan on doing something about this eventually...
 
#14 ·
I've never had this problem. As Norton states, I would buy some tape and just put it over the chrome. There's nice frosted tapes that I'm pretty sure you can get.
 
#19 ·
Your options for black tape, other than pinstriping tape.

Electrical tape is semi gloss,
Black fabric tape - often called friction tape, can be found in electrical supply isles, usually next to regular vinyl tape.
However big box stores only have the Chinese variety and it is bad.

Best solution is... sporting good store- hockey tape, or friction tape used for baseball bat grip. $4. Go for the fabric one, not the leather or fake leather one.
Good luck
 
#20 ·
I'll add my name to those who've never had this problem with my Volt in almost 7k miles of driving it in brilliant New Mexico sunshine at all hours of the day.

What is odd is, I usually am VERY bothered by this on motorcycles. Any bit of chrome around the instruments or fuel tank will make me run for a solution. However, never had any prob with the Volt, yet.

I wonder if it has something to do with the color scheme of the car? I stay away from cars with a light, say, tan, color dashboard because I can't stand the reflection of it in the windshield. My Volt is a dark color, and so is the dash, though I do still have all the chrome strips on the steering wheel and display.

Good luck with a solution. I know how irritating this is!
 
#21 ·
Hey, the 1/4" pinstriping sounds like the right way to go.

I checked today while driving, and anywhere between 11am and 2pm no matter if driving north, south, east or west, the sun is direct enough over head, it's constantly reflecting off the chrome strip around the drivers "instrument" screen. As I said earlier, positioning the steering wheels blocks about 90% of it, but if I don't like that position of the steering wheel, that won't work. Fortunately, the position is fine.
 
#22 ·
I used electrical tape about a year ago. Hasn't fallen off yet and does the job.
 
#23 ·
Forgive me if this has been mentioned already. I didn't want to go through 61 pages of 25 threads each to check it.

Read below and avoid this on the 2016 model, if it's not too late. Or maybe an aftermarket "fix".

So, I just bought 2015 Volt, and every day I am dodging blinding sunlight reflections off the chrome strip around the drivers "dash display", the chrome strip accenting the steering wheel, and even the chrome around the Chevy logo on the steering wheel.

I have positioned my steering wheel to block most of the reflections from the "dash display" but the curvature of the steering wheel cannot cover both the corners, and the center of the top edge of the chrome strip at the same time.

I can't believe no noticed this when testing out the car on a sunny mid day test. Maybe all the testing was done in overcast conditions.

I will be taping over the chrome strips with a non-reflective tape. I was avoiding doing that because I'm sure it will look tacky, but I'm tired of black spots in my eyes after getting blinded by the sun hitting the chrome highlights on the dash board and steering wheel.

Thank you.
James Bentz
Get a job in surgical medicine...You arrive at the hospital before the sun rises and you leave after it has set or is low in the sky during DST...therefore no blindng reflections...:)
 
#24 ·
I've never had this problem in my almost 3 years of owning my Volt, but I had the issue with my old GMC Terrain. The chrome around the gear shifter would reflect sunlight straight into my eyes from time to time, which was definitely a nuisance.
 
#25 ·
This is an issue for me only in the dead of winter, I've found. (sun is lower in the sky)

But I can see how it is annoying to someone who has to drive for a long time in that position :p
 
#26 ·
Forgive me if this has been mentioned already. I didn't want to go through 61 pages of 25 threads each to check it.

Read below and avoid this on the 2016 model, if it's not too late. Or maybe an aftermarket "fix".

So, I just bought 2015 Volt, and every day I am dodging blinding sunlight reflections off the chrome strip around the drivers "dash display", the chrome strip accenting the steering wheel, and even the chrome around the Chevy logo on the steering wheel.

I have positioned my steering wheel to block most of the reflections from the "dash display" but the curvature of the steering wheel cannot cover both the corners, and the center of the top edge of the chrome strip at the same time.

I can't believe no noticed this when testing out the car on a sunny mid day test. Maybe all the testing was done in overcast conditions.

I will be taping over the chrome strips with a non-reflective tape. I was avoiding doing that because I'm sure it will look tacky, but I'm tired of black spots in my eyes after getting blinded by the sun hitting the chrome highlights on the dash board and steering wheel.
Forgive me if this has been mentioned already. I didn't want to go through 61 pages of 25 threads each to check it.

Read below and avoid this on the 2016 model, if it's not too late. Or maybe an aftermarket "fix".

So, I just bought 2015 Volt, and every day I am dodging blinding sunlight reflections off the chrome strip around the drivers "dash display", the chrome strip accenting the steering wheel, and even the chrome around the Chevy logo on the steering wheel.

I have positioned my steering wheel to block most of the reflections from the "dash display" but the curvature of the steering wheel cannot cover both the corners, and the center of the top edge of the chrome strip at the same time.

I can't believe no noticed this when testing out the car on a sunny mid day test. Maybe all the testing was done in overcast conditions.

I will be taping over the chrome strips with a non-reflective tape. I was avoiding doing that because I'm sure it will look tacky, but I'm tired of black spots in my eyes after getting blinded by the sun hitting the chrome highlights on the dash board and steering wheel.

Thank you.
James Bentz

Thank you.
James Bentz
I'm having this exact problem, but with my recently purchased Subaru. I was thinking the exact same thing: how did this get past the testing phase?

Apparently there's a whole segment of the population who's impervious to beams of sunlight being reflected with mirrors directly onto their retinas. I would like those people to be disqualified from testing consumer products.

Anyway, thanks for posting this. I got some solid ideas for fixing this problem.
 
#27 ·
Well, I see that it has been almost 6 years since I posted on this thread. I hang my head while admitting that I never got around to actually using the tape that I purchased to cover the chrome piping in my Volt. I have lived with the reflections for over 141k miles of driving...and I am still alive! Wearing polarized sunglasses has helped mitigate the severity of the reflections. I'm a candidate for cataract operations beginning next month. I'm wondering how new lenses will react with the reflections. Worse comes to worst, I still have that roll of tape...somewhere 🤪
 
#29 ·
FWIW: In my 2015 I get blasted by sun reflections anytime the sun shines on the steering wheel's chrome. Mostly from the U-shaped trim, sometimes the bow-tie. I have to put my hand on the offending section of plastic to make it stop. Bugs me no end and is tremendously distracting. Tried the pinstriping. It's pretty good around the instrument and display clusters, but I found it almost as reflective as the chrome on the wheel. I tried black Sharpie marker ink. Nope. The sun goes right through that stuff. Gonna try the electrical tape, next. I'm bothered enough by it to consider taking a little steel wool to the finish as a last resort.

I suspect the reason some see it and others don't is the way the steering wheel is tilted. I'm also going to try changing that to see if it helps, even though I have everything just the way I like it.

First World Problems...
 
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