A&Q about 350Z
Q:
I have been told that the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked so here it goes… What is the progressively black dotted area used for that’s located on the front window surrounding the rearview mirror? I want to stick an EZ Pass transponder there but wasn’t sure if it would bother anything.
A:
Someone, not a Z owner, told me it is the antenna for the HomeLink; makes sense but not sure if that is correct. Have never noticed if it is on all trim levels, with and without HomeLink.
A:
I'm not sure what it is, but I stuck an E-Pass right on it--no problems with the homelink or anything
'04 Sunset Touring 6MT
A:
It's decorative and also a sun visor.
2003 350Z LeMans Sunset
JWT Pop Charger
Rallitec Q-Shifter
Zainoed (Z1, Z2, Z6, Z18)
A:
I believe it's a sign of uneven glass wear (aka windshield feathering) due to improper installation of the plastic protection coverings during shipping. My insider tells me that Nissan has a team of engineers working full-time on a permanent fix and a TSB is expected any day now.
_zedagive
A:
lol@zedagive ! !
however, it is there for glare protection as endgames mentioned. if you think about it, if you were to pull down the sunvisors all the way across, the black dots fill perfectly in the gap.
i don't think it's an antenna, because other nissans that don't have homelink have the same feature.
2003 350Z LeMans Sunset Track with Nav
No mods
A:
How could an antenna made of "dots" work? Wouldn't they need to be connected in some fashion?
A:
not necessarily. if each of those dots is primarily iron or conductive metal that's been coated with paint, then the mere proximity of a number of them, then in proximity to the rearview mirror (which has the actual wire leading to the homelink) would get the effect.
think about all those manuals that start with a page talking about "reorienting the receiving antenna." almost everything metal is an antenna.
2003 350Z LeMans Sunset Track with Nav
No mods
A:
the dots are nothing more than decoration, to fill in the gap when a sunvisor is down, or the sun is in front of you, you can look into the rear view mirror with less glare
A:
350Znewbie, what an explanation! I thought I was back in science class. The EZpass, which I have, is used inside th car and the signal from thee transmitter will penetrate your windshield. That's it! It does utilize a radio frequency and there should be no problem placing it near or on the masked area (which actually is not a complete mask anyway, since it is made up of dots and blank spaces). This area looks to be painted with an epoxy-based paint in order to stick to the glass.
One way to find out. Hold the EZpass unit behind the mask when going through the toll. Don't worry if it doesn't work. You will not get a ticket since your vehicle should be registered for the EZpass anyway. When they check the plate picture the computer will indicate that the owner has EZpass.
A:
What the hell is a EZPass?
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04.5 DB Performance
Typhoon Intake
Injen SES Straight Tip Exhaust
Blue Z-Xtreme Grounding Kit
Kenwood MP3 Player
EBC V4 Greenstuff Pads
Clear Lens
Carbon Fiber Piller Covers
20% Tint
5 Coats of Zaino
......
'01 Yamaha R6
A:
it's similar to sunpass
2003 350Z LeMans Sunset Track with Nav
No mods
A:
Here is the answer to the original question!
You'll notice those dots are around the perimeter of the windshield, not just between the visors. They are a rubber compound applied to the glass to prevent squeaks and rattles after the windshield is installed. Before this product was available, the metal pieces that hold the windshield in would sometimes come into contact with the glass, causing a metal to glass squeak. The manufacturer now just extends the process to include the area not covered by the visors as a convenience to the driver to shade the sun.
04 Silverstone Roadster with Navigation