"AFAIK they did not even fit them to subsiduary brands such as Jaguar and Volvo as they obviously knew they may be sold off in the future..."
A quick google reveals Jaguar fitted them so I'm wrong here.
|
It's funny that there's all these expensive luxury cars out there that don't have this, but my cheap Ford Ka does.
What does say, a Rolls Royce have instead of this? Anyone know? And what about the Range Rover?
|
|
A Rolls owner will have someone to clear the glass for them...
|
|
|
MIL's range rover has heated front screen and remote heater which you press from the comfort of your warm home to start heating the car! It also has a timer facility to activate in the morning and afternoon.
Not sure about the 2010 model if this has heated FS as Ford no longer own LandRover.
|
After a Google search I can confirm the 2010 Range Rover still has heated windscreen, apparently on all models/spec. And for anyone interested, I found a nice gallery of large images of the new model:
www.zercustoms.com/photos/2010-Range-Rover-Vogue.h...l
I suspect Tata's deal of buying Jaguar/LR included the rights to the heated windscreen, or maybe they are paying Ford some sort of commission. But as mentioned, apparently the Ford patent expired?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Am a fan of these too but apart form the visibility thing that some people don't like they are also a lot more expensive to replace than a standard screen and the are prone to failure (usually partial)
|
|
Yup, my Jag has it, but neighbours top of range Volvo V50 doesn't. Strange...
|
IIRC Some Jags and Land Rover models have them but Volvos don't, not sure of the logic.
Also a heated screen was an option on the current model Passat when it came out, I've never seen one on a Passat and think it may have disappeared from the options list now too, not available on a Golf either. Someone told me that the Ford patent had expired so I'm not sure why they're not more common now, my experience was that they are brilliant but start to fail after about 2 years, I was lucky enough to get mine replaced under warrantee on all my Fords.
|
but start to fail after about 2 years
Guess it all depends on how often you use it. Mine is technically 2 years and 2 months old (since the car rolled off production line), and still works fine. But I don't use the car every day, and the Quickclear is only required during Winter months when I drive less to be safe, so it gets very little use anyway in my situation.
|
|
|
|
|
If you have fully comp insurance you can get a replacement cheap or free under that depending on the terms of the policy. But yes they do seem to start failing partially after only 4 or 5 years.
|
|
I hate them, in the dark I find the threads refract the light of oncoming cars.
|
|
Volvo were very good at promoting safety by not taking patents on their inventions - world's too dog eat dog for that these days.
|
|
|
|
|
What great news. Mine turns 5 yrs old soon, so fingers crossed. Still got a bit of warrranty on it though...
|
">> but start to fail after about 2 years
Guess it all depends on how often you use it"
On our Galaxy if you select windscreen demist on the c/c it automatically puts the screen on (as well as turning the blowers onto the screen). Is this good or bad for the longevity of the screen I wonder?
|
|
I would say it is going to decrease its life. I don't think the same happens on my Ka. Actually on mine the heated windscreen turns itself off after 2 minutes of use, or something like that. Obviously you can turn it back on again if you wish, but that is rarely necessary.
|
My 08 Focus has one, and I'm extremely impressed with it as a feature in the current weather...but...the Focus also has another feature which I hadn't really noticed before, but in this weather is irritating and potentially costly.
As soon as I engage reverse gear, the rear wiper does a sweep of the screen. If the screen is frozen and the wiper arm won't move, it must be straining the motor; and even if the arm does move it will be scraping across an icy surface and ruining the blade.
Who thought that idea was clever?
|
|
I agree Sid. My X Type estate is just the same. What also annoys me sometimes is that some clever-dick also programmed the front wipers to give one extra sweep after the windscreen washers have been operated. All well and good unless your windscreen fills with watery salt and road mess seconds after cleaning, which is then smeared round the screen by the one 'free' wipe. Too clever by half.....
|
|
|
Sid, there must be another setting? The wiper won't wipe every time reverse is selected surely, even in the middle of winter?
My Altea rear wiper automatically wipes when you select reverse IF the front wipers are on, but won't if they are not. Is it something similar?
The change I would like to see is back to the old days of when you skooshed your windscreen washers, the wipers didn't come on automatically! If the skoosh doesn't work in this weather, thats bad enough but when the wipers then smear what is on the screen it just makes it ten times worse!
|
|
Sid, the Honda Civic also does the same thing (I know because someone was telling me who used to own one), but funnily enough they had replaced it with an '09 Focus Style, and they said it doesn't have that feature?
|
|
The Focus does do that though as Bobby G says only if the front wipers are switched on.
|
The Focus does do that though as Bobby G says only if the front wipers are switched on.
I hadn't noticed the connection between the two, so I'll pay extra attention tomorrow when I assume I will have to use it again
|
>> The Focus does do that though as Bobby G says only if the front wipers >> are switched on. >> I hadn't noticed the connection between the two so I'll pay extra attention tomorrow when I assume I will have to use it again
The idea is that it's raining, front wipers on, you pull over to park, put it in reverse look in the mirror or over your shoulder to reverse and the rear screen wiper has cleared the screen for you.
|
The CC3 automatically turns on both heated screens when you get in if the temperature is below, I think, four celsius.
I have to turn on the heated seat myself, although the car also takes care of the lights, so I suppose life is not too hard.
|
I love my Heated windscreen, heated rear window, heated electric mirrors and heated seats
everybody should have them.
Only thing missing on my mk3 mondeo is heated washer jets, but if you put enough antifreeze solution in your water bottle that shouldnt be a problem.
|
antifreeze in your water bottle?
That the stuff you have to keep away from your car bodywork???
|
>>antifreeze in your water bottle
You really shouldn't drink that stuff you know, unless you sleep outside in this weather!
|
My KA heated screen turns off after 4 minutes and I actually find it useful to demist the inside of the screen before the heater can do the job. I don't care how much a heated screen costs to replace, I only pay the £60 XS!
|
Many diesels are available in Europe with a diesel fueled pre-heater.
Warms the coolant and hence the engine and car, not just the screen, are warm before you get in and with a warm engine demisting/deicing is no problem.
Far better idea than a screen demister and would have one if available.
They used to be available on some Audis in the UK.
Kenlowe used to do an electric plug in version and my father fitted one to a Volvo about 20 years ago..
|
...Many diesels are available in Europe with a diesel fueled pre-heater...
There's a page or two in the handbook of the CC3 about a pre-heater.
Not fitted to my UK spec car, but must be in some markets.
|
I don't care how much a heated screen costs to replace I only pay the £60 XS!
Me too.
However, if you are unfortunate enough to need a replacement, make sure it's a genuine part or at least one made by the same manufacturer to the same standard. I had mine replaced and it turned out to be a copy. The unheated triangles at the sides of the screen are larger than on the original and the glass seems very soft and prone to wear/scuffing by the wipers.
Edited by L'escargot on 07/01/2010 at 09:09
|
I've had heated screens for years & never had problem with one or a failure or vision impairment driving day or night. I think they are brilliant. My landrover & Jaguars & my wifes Fiesta are all fitted with them & wouldn't go without.
Just brilliant brilliant brilliant
|
I wonder if there is another way of doing heated screens - I assume that the Ford one works on the same basis as the rear one but using much finer wires? Just that on the trains they seem to have an element on the top and bottom but I can't see any cross wires between them so wonder if that could work on cars?
What do HGVs use?
|
a proper hgv works 24/7 like taxis so no windscreen heater required,of course a lot of these trucks now have all the radiated heat coming out of the mobile phones as the drivers drive,the cup of coffee on the go in the dash holder and least not last all the heat coming off the laptop as they watch a film and drive so the windscreen freezing up just doesnt happen
tought life being a lowry driver these days.
:-P
|
This week's Auto Express has an article on windscreen clearing. You know the usual thing, in a survey one in 3 claims they hadn't cleared windscreen properly so that means in journalistic speak, 6 million drivers.
Anyway, that aside, there is the interesting following comment:
"Some makers even blamed their failure to offer a heated windscreen as an option on Ford, which they say owns a patent on the technology. This is something the blue oval hotly denies."
So manufacturers are saying they can't do it, because Ford own the patent, and Ford are saying they don't own the patent???
|
|
I'm sure some Duple dominent AEC coaches I drove in the 80's had heated front screens, they were brilliant when it was wet & damp passengers boarded!
|
I can't see anything in www.google.com/patents
In any case the concept is no different from heated rear windows which all cars have.
It could be that Ford have a patent on a particular manufacturing process for laminated glass with embedded wires. but that woudn't stop anyone else using a (sufficiently) different method of making the same thing.
|
|
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Ford didn't own the patent.
|
Does the Ford quick clear windscreen do anything that the one on my old Passat didn't ?
I thought you could get them at least as an option on most cars.
It was a nice to have gizmo but the 30 seconds wasted each morning in the winter is not the end of the world.
I don't miss it on my Citroen.
Edited by mr.freezer on 15/01/2010 at 12:05
|
|
MIL's Mini (2004) has one
|
I had it on my Jag X Type and now also have it on my Ford Focus. Bizarrely it seems to work much better on the Focus.
Perhaps something to do with the size of windscreen or inclination of the Jag to mist up very easily?
|
I remember the works rally car Cooper S Mini's had them on the Monte Carlo.
IIRC they were made by Triplex and were offered as an expensive extra.
The heating wires were pretty coarse though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
