Heated windscreens

by **jamei** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 9:17 pm

My next car might have a heated windscreen. In principal this sounds like a good idea - no more ice scraping right?

However although I've never driven one, the one time I sat in the passenger seat of a car with a heated windscreen I could clearly see the heating elements. I find it hard to believe they wouldn't cause a distraction or various visibility problems. Has anyone encountered any trouble with them?

by **mawallace** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:06 pm

I have got one on my Ford Moneo - good help in the winter time.

No- you can occasioanly see the bards - but they cause no discutraction to me!

Mark

by **ScoobyChris** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:21 pm

Had one in a Mondeo and now have one in my current car. I've heard people say they found the the filaments a distraction but I've always found that my focus when driving is always beyond the windscreen and so they are barely noticeable. Highly recommended

Chris

by **martine** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:25 pm

My focus has a 'quick clear' (heated) windscreen any yes when I first drove it I noticed them occasionally. Interestingly I don't notice them at all now...i think it's something you get used to. This is probably because your eyes are (or should be) focussed much further away and the heating wires become invisible.

The actual heating is briliant...it clears quite heavy frost/ice in a minute or 2 and is also useful for demisting.

by WS » Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:58 pm

I have the same opinion as above - I very much like the heated windscreen in my Focus and the wires are practically invisible. No distraction then, and great help in winter. The heating is also very good in the long run because the windscreen does not get scratched as a result of scraping the ice.

by **drivingschoolnewbury** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:19 pm

It's one of those things, if you are looking for the lines on the screen you will be able to see them. However concentrate on the road and you don't notice them. I'm a driving instructor and not one of my pupils has ever commented on them in my fiesta

by **Renny** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:17 pm

We've had heated windscreens on our Discoveries for about 10 years. We never notice the wires unless you look for them. Brilliant option, and worth every penny (or pound)

by **Standard Dave** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:56 pm

I had them on my Police Mondeo it cleared the ice and snow and got the Mondeo rolling while the Volvo and Focus drivers were still deicing :lol:

the max heat quick clear button was truely awesome compared to most other vehicles I've driven, I wish VW Audi group did something like it my Skoda takes ages to clear on a cold morning.

I didn't notice the wires even swapping between the various types of Focus and Peugeots that didn't have them and the Mondeos that did.

by **jbsportstech** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 5:38 pm

Great ford inovation : )

by **firstmk1** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:36 pm

I find I still need to use an ice scraper as the elements don't cover the entire screen. Still much easier than other cars - by the time you've cleared the other windows the windscreen ice will have melted enough to just push away

by **DugS** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:51 pm

I love mine and don't notice the wires. I thought they would bother me but don't. clears the screen very quickly even though about a third of the wires don't work on mine.

by **jamei** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:11 pm

Well, I've got one now and am not impressed. :cry:

In dull daylight I can see the heating elements but it's not a problem.

With sunlight at a certain angle however, the elements reflect brightly and look like cobwebs all over the windscreen.

It's much worse at night though. Incoming light from headlights, streetlights etc is refracted so that they look like fuzzy stars - it's kind of like having a thin film of grease over the windscreen.

If the screen were to get accidentaly chipped I'd seriously consider fitting an unheated replacement. It's really not that much hassle to use deicing liquid.

by **AnalogueAndy** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:54 pm

Which vehicle jamei? (Apologies if you've said elsewhere and I missed it)

by **jamei** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:08 pm

It's an 08-11 Focus. But I guess all such windscreens are much of a muchness, being based on the same patented technology?

by **IVORTHE DRIVER** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:34 pm

Had heated screen in my ST24 never had any problems with visibility, perhaps it is more related to the angle of the screen rather than the elements?

Fantastic for me starting work at 03.30 some mornings, start car, switch on heated screen, clear side windows, open gate, drive away, superb.

Much more missed though are the heated mirrors, dropping into Scottish valleys in early mornings is guaranteed to mist them up instantly.

ivor

Heated windscreens

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