[Steverino]

The Bolt does not have extendable visors to block the sun coming from the side widow. You can buy an $18 piece of plastic and two elastic straps on Amazon, but I want something like the extendable visors on my 2011 Volt.

While I was at the local pick and pull auto salvage yard hunting for a donut spare from a Cruze, I also notice the 2014 car had extendable driver's visor. In fact, both Cruzes in the yard had them, one with lighted mirrors, the other with just a mirror. The dimensions seemed to match my Bolt's visors. For $6 each, I decided to experiment.

They work.

I removed the visors, the white plastic retainer ring that slips between the headliner and the roof steel, and the power connectors and associated wiring in case this works and I want to wire up the lights at some later date.

After gently removing the cap on the headliner attachment, I used a Torx T15 bit to remove three screws.

Then pulled back and down a bit on the visor to expose a gap, poked around until I found 2 interlocked J hooks and gently forced them apart with a small, thin flat blade screw driver. Repeated on opposite side. There was also a winged clip that I managed to dislocate so the visor could drop free. Pulling down the headliner I found the wire connector and unclipped it, allowing the full removal of the visor. Later, I came back and snipped out a large chunk of the wiring harness that connected dome light, visor mirrors, front cabin overhead lights.

The retainer slips out through the front of the headliner (same as the Bolt).

 

[Steverino]

In a similar way, I removed the Bolt's Visor. It has only two mounting screws, and the J hooks are reversed in direction but in the same location. The winged clip is a different design but same location.

 

[Steverino]

I noticed that the Bolt's retainer a black gasket on it. My guess is it lessens sound transmission.

So I used some black gapher's tape (like duct tape) to apply my own to the Cruze's bare plastic retainer.

 

[Steverino]

I sipped it (black side up) under the Bolt's liner and positioned it's holes. Inserted the wire tail, and pushed the assembly to engage the retainer clips. Using the two screws (the Bolt does not have a third hole) I secured the visor and retainer to the metal roof bracket, added the cap and snapped it into place.

Repeat for the passenger's side. Regrettable the passenger visor does not extend, though it too has lighted mirror. Since the color of the Cruse visors is very slightly darker than the Bolt's, I wanted a matched set so you would not notice, and you don't. You'd have to shine a very bright light on the headliner to see much difference. I may wire the mirror light to the center roof light's someday. Or not. I really just wanted an extendable visor.

By the way, my 2011 Volt has extending visors. They would also fit based on my measurements. I see ebay has visors but they range from about $50-$100 each. Like I said, mine were $6

 

[Sean Nelson]

Nice description, and great to know I can pick up a cheap pair of visors at a junque yard instead of having to buy new Volt visors at the GM parts department. Thanks!!!

 

[theflew]

I was surprised in my Bolt Premier that the visor didn't extend or light up. Seems like a weird place to cut cost and/or weight. Apparently they raided the Sonics parts bin instead of the Cruzes or Encores. Changes like this I would make for the 2018's because they are just simple. At least make them part of the premier packaging.

 

[Steverino]

I was surprised in my Bolt Premier that the visor didn't extend or light up.

Same here. But my wife is very happy now. $12 and some tinkering was worth it, lol.

Unfortunately you can't use a drivers side visor on the passenger side, and the Cruze passenger side does not extend.

The round casting the driver's visor metal arm is pushed into needs a right-handed version for the ceiling mounting holes to line up. I haven't figure out a way to pop off the cast plastic piece short of destroying it. As you can imagine, it's meant NOT to pop off. You don't want visors falling down.

The plastic end of the visor's metal arm has the anatomy of a circumcised male appendage. It gets squeeeeeezed and press fit into the center hole of cast plastic ring. That ring has three "hooks" that snap into a narrow channel below the mushroom head. The metal arm/shaft can't be withdrawn because the wide mushroom head on the metal arm acts as a barrier. Basically, till death do you part.

The only option may be surgical removal.

Carefully cut the ring off the shaft on a driver's extendable visor, and cut off the "mushroom" on a passenger's visor arm to allow its ring to be freed from the shaft. Now mate the driver's side arm with the passenger side ring. I imagine it will take some real pressure to snap the arm into the ring.

Assuming that can be done, the mirror and airbag sticker would now be on the opposite side of where they normally reside. You'd flip UP the visor to use the mirror instead of flipping it down. So the mirror would also need removal from the visor, rotated 180°, and reinstalled. I already figured out how to do this

Now that I talked myself through the surgery needed, I just may try it. But I'll need another set of visors...

Update. Ha, that worked.

 

[Steverino]

Well, I'm out a total of $24 to have both a driver and passenger extendable visor, lol.

Cutting the mushroom head off the second NON-extendable passenger's visor arm. I need the right-handed collar:

 

[Steverino]

Punching out the arm from the collar:

Cutting the cast collar from the second driver's extendable visor (from a 2012 Cruze):

I then pushed the extendable driver's visor arm into the right-handed passenger collar. Went in easier than I thought.