Customer asked me and admitted that I did not REALLY know. Did a search here and did not get an answer although one of our great wits on the forum once described it as tint with freckles.

Is the frit used to reduce glare for the mirror?

Cheaper alternative to shaded glass?

Gives the Chinese glass workers something to do?

Just asking because inquiring minds want to know

Not a glass manufacturer but..... I believe it may be considered a "value added option" meaning not a structural component.

Much like the matrix around a frit, heads-up displays, wiper park heaters, and various other non-structual items; these are added or requested by car manufacturers to fit needs their customers may have or want.

I would guess it is purely cosmetic and blocks out the sunshine that glares through that annoying spot above the mirror between the normal sun visors that for years had many sitting sideways in their seats avoiding said glare.

Just my guess :)

I always thought the 3rd visor was on windshields that did not have a shade band like the 1549's when they first came out. remember oem 1549's didn't come shaded at all, thats why (I thought) the 3rd visor was for.
Why would you need a 3rd visor on a windshield that is Shaded?

so you can make more money and install a cheaper non visored glass

I believe the 3rd visor frit is to cover up “un-slightly” things (mirror buttons with wiring hanging out, etc….)

say the name THIRD VISOR. cars have two the frit is the third. no wonder everybody thinks auto glass is easy ya can't even answer a simple question that you should know. even by deduction it is an easy answer.

Oh Master guru!!

I bow to your greatness. You have shown the way to this meager grasshopper

It's a marital aid. Ask any gynecologist.

Your are right but it would be better if they admit that this is better and make it standard. We don't need more options that lose money for us because it is a higher price with no profit compared to the standard.

In order for engineers to keep their jobs they must change things just for the sake of change. ie mirror brackets

As most us have noticed, the shaded windshields are becoming a thing of the past. Having toured a PPG plant a couple of years ago, I asked the same question. The response was, it cost less monies to put the wider frit and third visoron the put the shaded PVB in the WS. Savings were around $8.00 per WS. Think about it, if you sit in your seat and look through your WS the shade is so small it does not serve a purpose. It's all about the bottom dollar.

Birdboy,

I think the $8.00 savings might be a bit high. I don't question the fact that the third frit may induce some savings especially when buying/ making OE glass. Saving a nickel on parts saves a bunch to manufacturers when building 100,000 units.

Many times for us, buying shaded is cheaper than getting tinted adding another reason that $8.00 figure may have been misstated to you..

I toured the Guardian plant (twice)In Upper Sandusky Ohio (GO BUCKS)... it was several years ago but I remember them telling us the lamination represents 60% of the cost of the windshield. I for one like the shade.

I always thought it was just a cost cutting thing.

1. Don't need to buy shaded inner layer

2. Don't need to line up the shading so that it is evenly shaded

a shaded w/s is much better looking I think

Interesting replies to an interesting question Opus.

You might want to consider how it relates to dissipating temperature differential away from the bonded w/s edges.

Let me know what you discover.

they also supply s/s with the third visor.
And yes it is to block the sun between the other two visors.The black-out down to the mirror brkt is to hide the wires.

I'm pretty sure the main reason for it is to be able to change the windshield a minute amount and then be able to charge out the yang for the one with the third visor frit.

Ever price the difference between some of these windshields? Alot of times if I know the customer is trying to save money I will educate them about the third visor frit and inform them that most of the time we can get a windshield without it and save them a ton. This works well with used car dealers.

I just had this described to me by Safelite: It's the black dotted pattern around the rearview mirror.

Thank you, Melanie for resurrecting a nine year old thread......

just found this topic, and had to respond...... As an old guy, I believe the first car that i did that had a 3rd visor frit was the 1st generation 1986 Saab 9000. FW 517.
It is called a 3rd visor frit because it blocks out the sun between the 2 sunvisors.
Some manufactures instead of a frit would put a flip down mini visor in the middle, and GM put the slider out piece on the sunvisor.