Since as long as I have been a member here there have been threads on our dirty rear windows and cameras. Many solutions have been brought forth and debated by several members from adding a "sleeve" around the camera lens to adding an additional rear washer nozzle for cleaning.
The real problem is aerodynamics. As our vehicles go down the road, a low pressure system is created behind the vehicle and all the atomized dust, water and dirt that is kicked up from the tires is sucked up behind the vehicle (due to the lower pressures) and the residual material sticks to the window, tailgate and backup camera.
I have said that the only real solution would be a mud flap that runs the full width of the vehicle mounted right underneath the rear bumper. That solution has its drawbacks though as 1) Its ugly 2) It would get ripped off going off road and 3) Its ugly.
Well, we may have another solution.
Cadillac is coming out with a full rear view mirror camera that will give you real time video of the rear view. If the video fails it reverts back to a normal rear view mirror. Now we have no such technology on our trusty 4Runners but we do have back up cameras and I was curious how the GM engineers are going to keep that camera lens clean. Well, it turns out that they are going to use a superhydrophobic coating on the lens. Some here already know what this is but for those of you that don't here is the definition from Wiki:
In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the physical property of a molecule (known as a hydrophobe) that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water.[1] (Strictly speaking, there is no repulsive force involved; it is an absence of attraction.)
Hydrophobic molecules tend to be non-polar and, thus, prefer other neutral molecules and non-polar solvents. Hydrophobic molecules in water often cluster together, forming micelles. Water on hydrophobic surfaces will exhibit a high contact angle.
Examples of hydrophobic molecules include the alkanes, oils, fats, and greasy substances in general. Hydrophobic materials are used for oil removal from water, the management of oil spills, and chemical separation processes to remove non-polar substances from polar compounds.[2]
Hydrophobic is often used interchangeably with lipophilic, "fat-loving." However, the two terms are not synonymous. While hydrophobic substances are usually lipophilic, there are exceptions—such as the silicones and fluorocarbons.
The term hydrophobe comes from the Ancient Greek ὑδρόφοβος, "having a horror of water", constructed from ὕδωρ, "water", and φόβος, "fear".[3]
So that's the definition. In real terms the product I am most familiar with is "Ever-Dry" that you can buy at Lowes or Home Depot to spray your boots or anything else with to repel water. The problem with this product is it dries to a clear haze and does not last a long time. Well, I figured the smart guys at Cadillac were not going to use something bought at Lowes so I started doing a bit of research.
Turns out there are several commercial and industrial grade coatings out there for specific applications. Here is a link to one of them:
Product Catalog:*3M? Novec? 1720 Electronic Grade Coating
Now I have NOT used this product (yet) so I do not know if it will work as advertised. It also works with covalent bonding so it is pretty much permanent. What that means to me is if it works on a camera lens, great. If it does not and hazes up, then you need a new backup camera lens because this stuff can't be removed. I am going to research this some more but as of now, it looks like it could be a solution to the dirty backup camera lens we all suffer from in the winter.
Any other real solutions?
Lovin' my 4R
Linear Mode
