Have you ever gotten into your car in the morning and found car glass holders lying on the floor, seat or dashboard? Have there ever been situations when the suction cup for the DVR fell off right on the road, on the next bump? If yes, then we will tell you how to avoid such surprises.
Why doesn't the suction cup hold?
The most common reason is cold. In winter, the windshield freezes, the rubber suction cup loses its elasticity and falls off. In such cases, drivers usually warm up the car, place the suction cup under the airflow and attach it back. This method, despite its prevalence, rarely leads to long-term results.
But sometimes the suction cup doesn't hold up well in the heat. If in the summer the car is often left in direct sunlight, this leads to numerous sad consequences, one of which is deformation of the holder mounts.
And sometimes the suction cup holder cannot be installed from the very beginning; it simply does not stick to the glass. There are two main reasons: either the glass is dirty or there is a layer of dust on the suction cup, or you got a defective holder.
What should I do to make the suction cups stick?
Act according to the situation.
There are several working methods, tested by many drivers, to restore the elasticity of a frozen suction cup.
- Warm up the car. Wipe the windshield with alcohol and wipe dry. Warm the suction cup, clean it of dirt and apply it to the glass. To be on the safe side (and if you have the means at hand), before putting the holder back in place, treat the suction cup with clear plumber's sealant or silicone grease.
- Budget popular option. Boil the mount in a soda solution for about 20 minutes. To make a solution of suitable consistency, take a teaspoon of baking soda per glass of water.
- A completely budget and desperate option for the most extreme case. The suction cup can be attached to glass or a dashboard using double-sided tape. This option is suitable only if you have nothing on hand except tape, and you need to secure the holder.
Most often, the suction cup can be easily returned to its place by simply warming it up and degreasing the area on the glass. But if the mount is deformed or continues to fall off despite all your efforts, don’t worry and just buy a new suction cup holder. An excellent choice would be the Partner car holder for tablets.
Modern gadgets have become a part of our lives and our cars. Most modern gadgets (DVR, radar detector, phone holder, etc.) “stick” to the windshield.
But sometimes this whole structure falls, and sometimes it breaks the gadget into junk. And all this is because of the suckers (usually 2-3). There are also gadgets with one massive suction cup, which has an additional lever to enhance the effect. But sometimes it is not able to support the entire structure due to poor quality materials or improper installation.
How to attach a suction cup to a windshield
- clean and degrease the surface;
- check the rubber or silicone suction cup for deformation, cracks, damage;
- Boil the roughened silicone suction cup in water and soda;
- in suction cups with a lever between the suction cup and the body, additionally cut and install a rubber gasket (the pressure will increase several times);
- lubricate the suction cup.
On the last point, there are so many people, so many opinions. Some say just spray with an alcohol-containing liquid (vodka, cologne, air freshener), others moisten it with plain water or soap solution, others suggest a sweet liquid (Coca-Cola, or other sweet water, syrup, lollipop and then the saliva will become sweet) or motor oil.
What should I do to prevent it from falling off?
There are only two tasks:
- Clear the atmosphere inside as much as possible.
- Don't let that negative pressure escape
This is why the side edges of the suction cup are made so wide! And they try to make the material as elastic as possible so that it adheres well to the glass.
Often normal fastenings fall off due to the fact that the suction cup is not sealed. And to make it as good as possible, you just need to wet the surface. Any liquid seems to clog the “microcracks” and prevent air pressure from leaking out. And yes, water is not exactly the best option.
Many people wet the surface with water (or even saliva) , this is of course correct, but in winter it can freeze, but in summer it simply evaporates. Therefore, you need a composition that will not evaporate, freeze or harden. Motor oil is ideal, you need a little on your finger, wipe the surface of the suction cup and attach it to the windshield. WILL HOLD ON for a very long time!
The second “jamb” of modern gadgets is the “lever” in the mount, which creates a lot of pressure. Often it makes almost a full turn (180 degrees), but it starts working only at the very pressure, only 25 - 35 degrees, that is, the remaining angle works idle. We need to reduce this idle speed, which is done - a circle is cut out of a regular car camera, along the rim of the suction cup (like a gasket), then all the insides are cut out inside and it is inserted between the suction cup and the body.
Once you start pressing the suction cup with the lever, this “spacer” will reduce the idle speed and increase the pressure inside. IT WILL HOLD SEVERAL TIMES BETTER, tested many times.
Here's a short summary:
- Checking the rubber or silicone surface for damage
- Degreasing glass
- Lubricate the surface of the suction cup (motor oils are ideal because they do not freeze in winter and do not evaporate in summer)
- You can make a spacer (ideally from a wheel tire) between the plastic and rubber (silicone) components, thus increasing the pressure
Now we are watching a short video version.
I end here, I think my article was useful to you, sincerely your AUTOBLOGGER.
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We are so accustomed to a cell phone that we cannot live without it, let alone a day or an hour. He is with us everywhere: at home, on a walk, in the office, and, of course, in the car. The development of technology has allowed the once ordinary means of communication to become a navigator, an additional instrument panel, and even a diagnostic center. There are a lot of programs tailored exclusively to the needs of car enthusiasts. As well as a lot of options for mounting smartphones in the cabin. Let's look at the most common of them and find out what the pros and cons of such structures are, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of fastening methods
WINDSHIELD MOUNTING
This method of car mounting a smartphone is perhaps the most common. Holders with a suction cup and claws, between which the device is attached, were among the first to appear. The simple design made it possible to mount the communication device on the windshield. It must be admitted that even today such holders are popular among car enthusiasts. And to show off, as they say, is relatively cheap and quite convenient. As for the cost, of course, such holders, if they are not from famous manufacturers, part of the cost of which is the price for the brand, are quite affordable. But as for convenience, it’s worth thinking about when choosing this or that holder. First, you need to pay attention to the length of the bracket between the suction cup and the jaws of the holder. If it is insufficient, the phone will be mounted too far from the driver due to the slope of the windshield if it is mounted at the bottom. If you fix it in a place where it is easily accessible, then, most likely, it will hang almost in the middle of the windshield, which is also inconvenient, because it will block part of the view. This is especially true if the screen diagonal is quite large. A bracket that is too long is also not very good, because while moving the smartphone will vibrate, creating some inconvenience.
How to lubricate the suction cup on the windshield
Logically speaking, motor oil wins because... only it is not afraid of temperature changes. Alcohol-containing liquid or soapy/sweet liquid may evaporate in the summer and freeze in the winter and the suction cup will fall off.
Motor oil does not evaporate in summer, and in winter it does not freeze like water, due to its composition. Although, it’s up to you to decide how to lubricate the suction cup.
DVRs are increasingly used in cars: the device allows you to record an accident, and then present the resulting material as evidence. Usually the device is placed on the windshield or dashboard; a suction cup mount is included. But the fastening element does not always ensure reliable installation of the device that records events; it’s a shame if the gadget flies off while moving, sometimes it breaks and fails. In this article we will look at what solutions there are to this problem, the reasons why the holder is so unreliable and weak.
How to glue a hook on a suction cup?
The soap dish, like other parts of the bathroom interior, may also have a fastening in the form of one or more Velcro. Since a soap dish is used more often than a hook or shelf, it is especially important to secure it so that it does not fall. To answer the question, you can simply look at the previous methods. Try first, before attaching the soap dish to the wall, moisten it with water and degrease the tiles with soap. If this method turns out to be unreliable, use silicone gel. This approach will certainly ensure the durability and aesthetics of your soap dish.
Installation from the street
The soap dish, like other parts of the bathroom interior, may also have a fastening in the form of one or more suction cups. Since a soap dish is used more often than a hook or shelf, it is especially important to secure it so that it does not fall. To answer the question of how to attach a soap dish with suction cups, you can simply look at the previous methods.
Installation from the street
DVR mount
The suction cup type bracket allows you to place the DVR in a place convenient for the driver. The device should not obscure the view, but at the same time be positioned so that the person sitting behind the wheel can turn the video recording device on and off at any time and see what is displayed on the screen. The holders have different designs, as well as different areas of the fastening element itself for installation; fasteners can be purchased separately from the recording device itself.
Suction cups can be rubber and silicone, with a lever or the simplest, with a side rotating mechanism, with two rubber/silicone fasteners, there are other types. The brackets included in the kit are designed taking into account the weight of the recorder, but do not always fulfill their purpose.
Why doesn't the suction cup hold?
Often the manufacturer is blamed for the weak fixation of the DVR on the glass; indeed, it is difficult to expect super characteristics and high quality workmanship from a cheap gadget. But is it worth shifting the blame to the manufacturer? There are quite a lot of reasons why the fastener falls off:
- the suction cup was not installed according to the instructions;
- the glass is dirty (oily), dust and greasy stains make it difficult to ensure tight contact;
- due to heating (for example, being in direct sunlight), the mounting area has become deformed, and a vacuum is not created;
- the holder was attached in cold weather;
- the surface for attaching the suction element is uneven;
- The bracket is not original and is not designed to support the weight of this device.
To understand the issue, you first need to understand how vacuum fasteners work and their principle of holding them on a plane.
How is the DVR bracket held in place?
A “suction cup” type fastening element is held on the plane due to a pressure difference; when a silicone or rubber circle is flattened on the surface, a reduced pressure is formed inside it. But the bracket is fixed only when the material is absolutely sealed and no outside air gets inside the circle. If there is even a microscopic hole in the rubber band, there will be no suction effect, such a holder can be safely thrown away. The suction cup can only be secured if it is completely sealed, and you cannot press it and immediately release it, in which case it is guaranteed to fall off.
Rules for attaching the recorder holder
Before using cunning methods and non-standard techniques, you first need to try to install the suction cup according to all the rules. We install the DVR by performing the following steps:
- With a clean napkin or rag moistened with alcohol or degreaser, we wipe the surface on which the device will be mounted, and we also degrease (clean) the base of the recorder bracket;
- we wait for some time, we need the treated surfaces to dry;
- press the holder tightly against the glass, if it has a lever, press and lower it, hold it for a minute or two, it is necessary for the suction cup to “grab” and secure in place;
- After installing the bracket, we check the reliability of the installation - we try to unfasten the holder by hand, but there is no need to pull very hard.
You need to check by looking from the back of the glass how the rubber circle is installed: if there are even microscopic air bubbles, then there is an almost one hundred percent guarantee that the suction cup will not hold on for a long time. If the bracket does not want to take the place allotted to it, we try various methods to help the suction cup fit tightly.
Methods to help securely attach the bracket
There are methods that help to secure the suction cup more securely, here are some of them (as car enthusiasts advise):
- warm up the fastening element by bringing it close to the heater fan, while the car interior must be warmed up;
- use double-sided tape;
- coat the contact surface of the bracket with silicone;
- cut a rubber gasket along the diameter of the circle and place it between the glass and the holder;
- To seal, add a little glycerin to the contact surface; you can also use laundry soap and garlic juice.
Not all of the listed methods work 100%, and there are side effects. The adhesive tape holds up well, but in the sun it heats up and loses its properties. An additional rubber gasket helps in many cases, but you just need to take into account that the DVR becomes a little heavier, the load on the bracket increases (it can break), and adding rubber is pointless on suction cups without a lever. Garlic juice always helps, but not everyone likes the smell it gives off. A solution of laundry soap gives a good effect, you just need to take one thing into account - until the soap has dried, you can move the suction cup on the glass, then everything will set tightly. Silicone should be spread in a not too thin layer, evenly, its disadvantage is that it sets well only after a day; if you drive the car right away, the fasteners may fall off. Another drawback is that the silicone-lubricated holder moves across the surface.
Questionable ways to attach the holder
There is a lot of advice that motorists give, but how useful they all are is a big question. Drivers also advise:
- lubricate the contact surface with engine oil;
- use brake fluid as a fixing agent;
- moisten the contact with saliva;
- attach the bracket with superglue;
- attach the suction cup to the sealant;
- To improve contact, use Pepsi-Cola.
Motor oil is a good way to create reliable contact, but we must not forget that the quality of the rubber seal of the suction cup, especially from Chinese manufacturers, varies; the rubber can swell and “float”. Brake fluid and saliva are water-based, and when the moisture dries, the contact reliability deteriorates. Automotive colored sealant does not look aesthetically pleasing; it is possible that traces will remain after its application, but transparent silicone sealant will come in handy. Some people attach the suction cup with superglue, but this seems like a perversion - it is not a fact that the mount will not fall off, but scraping off the remaining glue from the glass will not be easy.
Surface quality and suction cup
First of all, you need to make sure that the product you buy with a suction cup will not be unsuitable for fastening. High-quality material must have an absolutely smooth inner surface. It is this factor that determines the choice. Be sure to run your fingers over it. If you feel a depression or bump, it is better to refuse such a product.
Please also note that the shape of the suction cup must be correct.
Another important aspect is the assessment of the tile surface. It must be perfectly flat, since it will not be possible to glue the suction cup onto a textured tile. Smooth gloss is best suited for this purpose. Pores on the matte surface can weaken the bond. And raised protrusions, various surface defects, particles of glue or putty are not at all capable of holding the suction cup.
In order for the suction cup to adhere well to the tile, you need to make sure that the product is of high quality, and that the tile is even, and preferably glossy
It will not be possible to securely attach the suction cup to a chip or crack. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to disguise these flaws in this way. The only way out is to fix the object hanging down a few centimeters above this flaw.
We suggest you read: How to wash bathroom tiles to make them shine
Recorder bracket repair
There are often cases when the suction cup itself becomes unusable: the plastic pin holding the “hat” breaks. This happens if you remove the DVR and pull it by the body without being careful.
One way to fix it is to smear the pin with superglue, but the connection will not hold for long, sooner or later the “cap” will fall off. The easiest option is to buy a new mount, but you can still try to restore the suction cup; repairs will cost much less than the purchase. Let's look at how you can repair a suction cup with a lever:
- disassemble the bracket - use a Phillips screwdriver to unscrew the screw and remove the cap;
- remove the pin;
- dismantle the spring and the rod with the broken base;
- Using a 3.5 mm drill, we drill a small hole in the body of the rod (in the place where the lower part of the suction cup was attached);
- we clean the area, take two wide washers, coat them with glue and place them on the sides of the rubber diaphragm;
- take a screw or self-tapping screw 10-12 mm long with a countersunk head, also apply glue to it, screw the fastener into the drilled hole;
- remove any remaining glue from the outside and let the structure dry;
- we assemble the bracket - put the spring in place, connect both parts of the device, fix the pin;
- if the suction cup has a large free movement, it will not press well against the glass, in this case we cut out an additional elastic band for it;
- We put the cap on top, assemble the holder completely, the work is finished, the mount can be used again.
Thus, you can restore almost any bracket for a DVR; the procedure takes little time, and there is no need to buy a new holder.
How to glue the suction cup? It doesn’t matter whether it’s new or an old one that you’re sorry to part with, the device must be properly and securely fastened. Nowadays, in almost any supermarket you can see a variety of different devices or simply decorative devices on suction cups. Before purchasing, few people think about how high quality the suction cup itself is and how long it will last. But when the installation processes begin, then we begin to indulge in reflection: will this structure withstand the “responsibilities” assigned to it?
In the interior, of course, such things look bright, positive and comfortable, and they are also quite practical in terms of fastening and dismantling. Mostly, small shelves for the kitchen or bathroom are equipped with suction cups: soap dishes, all kinds of holders for hair dryers, combs, toothbrushes, washcloths, hooks, towel rings and other things. As well as various devices that are attached to windows and glass in the form of thermometers, recorders or any other gadgets. The devices are often small in size and designed to hold light weight.
Benefits of tile suction cups
Suction cups are incredibly popular among consumers. This is understandable because they are easy to mount on the wall and do not require drilling any holes in the tiles. Many products are already produced with Velcro.
When purchasing, you should pay attention to the surface of the suction cup - its inner surface should be absolutely smooth. This factor is very important, as it decides whether the suction cup will be suitable for attachment. You should also choose only suction cups of the correct shape.
The advantage of silicone holders is that they are easy to mount on the wall
Advantages of suction cups:
- They are quickly attached to the surface, without the need to use auxiliary tools.
- They do not spoil the tiles with unsightly marks on its surface.
- They are distinguished by their mobility. They are easy to dismantle and move from place to place.
- The low cost allows you to purchase various types of suction cups.
With suction cups already attached, you can buy a soap dish, special hooks, shelves, shower holders, various accessories, toilet paper holders, etc. Silicone suction cups are durable, economical and have a wide range of options. When purchasing a suction cup, it is important to remember that not only the quality of the accessory is important, but also the type of finishing material.
The main area of application for objects that have a suction cup for attaching them to a smooth tile or glass surface is the bathroom or kitchen. If previously, almost the only accessory that could be stuck to the wall using a suction cup was a hook, today the list of such items is quite extensive and is constantly growing. On sale you can find the following products with suction cups:
- hooks;
- soap dishes;
- glasses for toothbrushes;
- shower head holders;
- toilet paper holders;
- towel holders;
- decorative items;
- shelves for bathroom accessories and cosmetics.
The growing popularity of products with this type of fastening is due to a number of advantages that the suction cup provides:
- a soap dish, hook or any other object can be quickly, within a few seconds, attached to the desired location on the ceramic lining;
- In order for the device to be securely held on the tiles, the use of mechanical and electrical tools and drilling of walls for installation of various brackets and clamps is not required;
- if necessary, the product can be easily dismantled without leaving traces and transferred to another location;
- small price.
Most often, suction cups are used in the bathroom. But there are many similar accessories for other rooms. Such products have a number of advantages:
- They can be fixed to the surface in just a few seconds, without the use of auxiliary tools.
- They do not leave a mark on the tile surface.
- If necessary, the suction cup can be removed or moved to another location.
- The cost of these accessories is low.
Thanks to these properties, as well as many other positive factors, suction cup accessories are incredibly popular. Today the following products are produced with this mount:
- soap dishes;
- hooks;
- shelves;
- cup holders;
- shower holders;
- decorative items;
- holders for toilet paper, towels, cosmetics, etc.
We'll look at how to attach a soap dish and other products with suction cups to tiles below.
How to securely glue the suction cup?
How to reliably glue the suction cup “tightly”, but without using any “superglue”? The advantages of suction cups are that you don’t have to damage the walls, you don’t need to nail them down or drill holes for them. Suction cup fastenings provide convenient installation, ease of adjustment and easy disassembly. The reliability of the retaining element is affected by such points as:
- the quality of the raw materials from which the suction cup itself is made;
- presence of defects on the suction element;
- total weight pressing on the suction cup;
- the structure of the material on which the Velcro item should be located.
It often happens that on the concave side of the suction cup there are various defects in the form of tubercles, seams, microcracks and other flaws formed during manufacturing or transportation. Such moments do not allow the Velcro to stick evenly to the surface, so after a while it falls off. If a seam or other protrusion is detected, the layering should be immediately carefully removed with a blade or utility knife. Cracks and breaks are difficult to repair, so it is better to immediately replace the suction cup. The structure of the suction cup must also be correct and even.
Another circumstance that prevents the suction cup from sticking tightly is a rough or embossed surface. If the tiles are made with patterns or non-uniform texture, then the fastening element will not be held.
Also, glue particles, various seam putties and the joints themselves are not able to hold the suction cup.
What are silicone wall holders (video)
Silicone Velcro are modern holders that ensure reliable and secure fastening. If done correctly, suction cups can last for many years. It is important that the material from which they are made is of high quality. You should check that there are no roughness or bumps on the surface of the Velcro. You should also pay attention to the surface of the tile itself - it should be smooth. Any defects will lead to the fact that the suction cup will not hold and will often fall off. The suction cups hold well if they are attached to the sealant.