Expert: DEREK =D - 9/2/2009

Question
Hi Derek,

I have a 2008 Toyota Corolla 4-door sedan. Like most passenger cars these days, the perimeter around the windshield is covered with black masking. The edge of the masking is smooth everywhere around the windshield except by the A-pillar on the passenger side, where it becomes a matrix of dots (much like the ones behind the rear view mirror). This "feature" can be found on any Corolla sedan from 2004 to 2008, since they are from the same generation. You might be able to find one in your neighbourhood to see what I mean.

I have asked my Toyota service technicians and contacted Toyota headquarters. The technicians do not have the answer, and Toyota headquarters do not appear to understand my question.

My question: what is the purpose of the series of dots, and why isn't it around the A-pillar on the driver's side?

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Sincerely yours,
Yung.  

Answer
Hi Yong
           

             The Dots around the glass of any car is to deflect/Defuse the Suns or Headlight glare away from the inside of the car to make driving safer.

             We have done many of these late model Toyota Corolla windshields and have wondered the same thing, why they only applied the Dot Matrix to the one side?, and the best guess I could come up with is Cost.,  lets say the cost to do do the other side in dots is another 3.00.  Times that by the millions of cars to be produced and it adds up. The other and most logical guess is that the designers felt it was not needed for some reason,  like lack of room to apply the dots or the angle of the glass to the driver?   The passenger side is the most important if you think about it, as most glare to the driver comes from that side.

           It has been rumored that Dot Matrix was first applied to glass by a bald headed man who could not take sun beating down on his head from his sunroof of his car, how true it is I could not say. It is cool and it works!! LOL      
                                      Hope this Helps!! Derek :)