Yaris Mk4 Sun visor

[Cyker]

Okay, this may be a stupid question but how the heck do you use the sun visor in the Yaris Mk4???

In all cars I've ever owned, you just pull it down and position it where you want.

In my Mk4, I can't position it - It either wants to be straight down, which basically prevents me from seeing anything in front, or right up against the windscreen, which puts it out the way of anything! I just can't seem to get it to stay at any position in between these two extremes!

Am I so feeble-minded that I'm somehow unable to work a sun visor properly or is this just how it is?!

 

[TonyHSD]

Lol, that’s interesting. Waiting for response from other owners. 👍

[Mikw]

To be honest i've never used it - i sue sunglasses, but will have a look when i can

[flash22]

Where it's new it may be a little tight, you need to use it a bit more, and it should loosen up

[MikeSh]

13 hours ago, Cyker said:

Am I so feeble-minded that I'm somehow unable to work a sun visor properly or is this just how it is?!

It's how some are. I've had this issue on certain cars over the years. You need a new car buying checklist of all these niggles, so at least you know before buying.

[Cyker]

It's not that it's stiff, it's that if I e.g. move it to anything other than a vertical or near-horizontal position, e.g. try to put it at a 45 degree angle, it'll either spring up near-horizontal against the windscreen, or spring back to vertical!

I might try waggling it open an closed to see if whatever is making it so springy will wear out and stop doing that.

I almost got it balanced half-way but after I set off, as soon as I hit a bump it snapped back into vertical again. The passenger one does the same thing.

I just want to hear from other Mk4 owners as either this is a bizarre design fault on mine, I'm an idiot, or they all do this and it's normal. Currently they are useless sun visors!

The worst thing is my sun glasses are awkward now as they are polarized and block out the HUD display!! And I need them or my normal glasses to drive because I'm shortsighted... Will have to get a normal tinted pair next time I go to the opticians; It's a damned shame as polarized glasses are amazing when driving - They filter out so much glare it makes everything look surreally clear!

 

 

[Mikw]

I have had a play with mine today and you are right.

It moves in steps!  It may get a bit softer as time goes on, but at the moment it's straight down, almost half way and up.

[CPN]

Same with mine. I have a feeling it may be something to do with the courtesy light actuator which only "makes" when the visor is vertical and then when you slide the shutter open to reveal the mirror, the light comes on. Try it with the light actuated. You'll notice that as soon as you move it either way from the vertical, the light goes out and the spring bias is quite heavy when new. Like Michael says, let's hope it gets softer over time.

[Cyker]

Thanks guys, that's good info; Glad it's not just my one and that I'm not going mad!

I'm going to have to think on a way to bodge something because it's just useless as a sun visor as it stands. I don't even get why it has a light and mirror on it; It makes sense for the passenger one, but as the driver I already have a more readily accessible mirror if I want to look at my ugly mug! 

 

[PeteB]

11 hours ago, MikeSh said:

...You need a new car buying checklist of all these niggles, so at least you know before buying.

Funnily enough, that's exactly what I've done since the early 1980s after my first brand new car had some real shocks that I didn't spot until after delivery, like sun visors that didn't swivel to the side windows (annoying as I'd paid extra for tinted glass, and more still for a gradient tint band at the top of the windscreen!).

Over the year it's expanded to almost 70 items (partly due to new features becoming 'standard' like electric folding and auto folding mirrors), and became a spreadsheet where I give weightings and scores for each item according to how much importance I attach to them.

Even so, I am still surprised at how long some manufactures take to introduce certain features.  By the early 1990s I never thought I'd drive a car without heated mirrors, and was shocked to find Toyota didn't discover them (in the UK, at least) until the 2012 face-lifted Prius, even on top spec models - that then got added to the list.

Nice to see they finally got around to doors locking when driving off and the rear wiper giving a sweep when reverse is selected and the front wipers are active on the 5th Gen RAV4.

[einfachGaer]

On my Yaris Club model, (bought in Germany October 2020) I can position it roughly at a 45° angle. After that point it also wants to snap to the windscreen.

Mine doesn't have a build in light on either side.

[FROSTYBALLS]

On 7/15/2021 at 12:05 AM, PeteB said:

By the early 1990s I never thought I'd drive a car without heated mirrors, and was shocked to find Toyota didn't discover them (in the UK, at least) until the 2012 face-lifted Prius

My 2006 Corolla, 2009 and 2012 Auris all had heated mirrors - so UK Toyotas did have them before 2012.

[PeteB]

On 7/16/2021 at 12:27 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

My 2006 Corolla, 2009 and 2012 Auris all had heated mirrors - so UK Toyotas did have them before 2012.

Ok, I didn't drive any of those, but the Yaris and Prius certainly didn't (although I chatted in another group to a Prius owner in Portugal whose car (around 2007 I think) did have them, but he said he never needed them!).

Until 2011, I used to drive into London down the M1 between 6 and 7 in the morning, and often really wished I had them on frosty mornings, and also especially as there was an odd effect near Watford that would frequently make the outside of the windows and the door mirrors mist up for a few minutes from about October to March.  I really wished the Gen 1 Prius (saloon) had a rear wiper at that point too, like some older Corolla saloons in other parts of Europe.

[Grompix]

I've never heard of anything as weird as that phenomenon for car sun visors. 
After reading this post I went out and tested mine in my MK4 Yaris - but (thank goodness) just normal sun-visors.
Mine can be lowered, twisted, turned any way I want - no probs.
My Yaris is an early production model too (within the first 300 or so built), so it seems whatever 'improvements' Toyota have made to the Yaris sun visors, they appear to have applied in later issue cars - perhaps?      

[Cyker]

So yours can be opened in a continuous smooth motion? It doesn't try and lock into certain positions?

Does yours have a light and a mirror?

[Grompix]

39 minutes ago, Cyker said:

So yours can be opened in a continuous smooth motion? It doesn't try and lock into certain positions?

Does yours have a light and a mirror?

Yep, my sun-visors open and close smoothly - as 'normal' sun-visors do.

However - mine have mirrors but no lights, so perhaps that's the issue...

[CPN]

5 minutes ago, Grompix said:

Yep, my sun-visors open and close smoothly - as 'normal' sun-visors do.

However - mine have mirrors but no lights, so perhaps that's the issue...

I'm almost certain that that is the issue...

[Cyker]

Aha! We have evidence to support CPN's theory!

 

[CPN]

Damn thing attacked my bald pate the other day when I was checking on things! The edge is not exactly smooth Toyota! Nice little graze I got!! ☹️

[Cyker]

Do you think they will do a recall for dangerously belligerent sun visors if enough of us report it?