Internet car forums argh.

Yugguy

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FFS.

We are vaguely pondering changing the missus Yaris - it's a great little car but not the best for her commute.

She really wants a quick-clear windscreen, like we had on our 04 Focus, and which was superb.

When I google "which cars have heated front screens" all the car forums have threads with exactly the same structure:

"What other cars have heated front screens"
"What do you want that for it's crap."
"No, it's great."
"Crap"
"Great"
"I just use de-icer"
"No, de-icer is horrible."
"Heated front screens are crap!"
"NO! They're great"
"I use a sheet"
"I use warm water"
"I use my butt cheeks."

And so on it goes. 100s of pages and noone answers the chuffing question.
 

M80

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Aye,
I've been on Audi, Peugeot and Jeep forums with similar useless results. If it 'aint about bigger wheels or louder stereos they don't have much to offer.

At least here if I don't get the answer I'm not reading dumb responses.
 

geraldrobins

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Generally it seems they are mainly on Fords. Maybe they had a patent. But the Ford ones work very well in my experience.
 
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Yugguy

Yugguy

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Ford had the patent until 2010/11 but then it lapsed so other manufacturers could offer them. The one on our Focus was superb and personally I didn't notice the thin element lines. They don't seem to have been taken up by many other makers though which surprises me.
 

anglaslt

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Generally it seems they are mainly on Fords. Maybe they had a patent. But the Ford ones work very well in my experience.

Yes, I think that's right and the reason Land Rover and Jaguar offer them. Not sure about Volvo from their previous tie up.

Just read that VW offer them. They're great by the way.
 
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Craiglxviii

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Qashqais have heated front screens. And they're cheap to run and surprisingly spacious.

How much coverage do you get with your cheeks? I use an IcePlane myself.
 

Westheath

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From what's been in the workshop here OEM:

Ford Focus Ka
Vauxhall Corsa
VW Golf
Nissan Qashqai
BMW Mini
Jaguar XF S XE
Land Rover (cant remember type)

You can fit a custom heated windscreen I've done a few from these guys, last one was an E90 £450 all in.

http://www.heatedwindscreen.com/acatalog/heated-windscreens.html

With or without timer relay, this is an example only, we build our own unit with or without thermistor..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Timer-swit...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KK28NA8B70Q06TM6WZFJ
 
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mikestrivens

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A friend has one on his Skoda, don't know model, and he always complains that they interfere with his vision.
 

Headhurts

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They are blooming awesome and wish I had it on the Mercedes.

I had it on a Jaguar and loved watching the ice roll off the screen in the mornings.

Robin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Westheath

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A friend has one on his Skoda, don't know model, and he always complains that they interfere with his vision.

Re: element wires
If you look for them you see them.
But if your vision is focused on the road ahead you don't really notice.

FFS.

We are vaguely pondering changing the missus Yaris

Shame as there's a Yaris heated screen upgrade.
 

umblecumbuz

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Bubble wrap tucked under the wipers across the screen for me.
Peel off, toss in boot, drive away.
 

Westheath

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Bubble wrap tucked under the wipers across the screen for me.
Peel off, toss in boot, drive away.

If you use your screen wash/wipers and then have ice spread across the screen,
heated screen keeps it clear from icing over especially on motorways in low temps.
 
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Yugguy

Yugguy

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From what's been in the workshop here OEM:

Ford Focus Ka
Vauxhall Corsa
VW Golf
Nissan Qashqai
BMW Mini
Jaguar XF S XE
Land Rover (cant remember type)

You can fit a custom heated windscreen I've done a few from these guys, last one was an E90 £450 all in.

http://www.heatedwindscreen.com/acatalog/heated-windscreens.html

With or without timer relay, this an example, we build our own unit with or without thermistor..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Timer-swit...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KK28NA8B70Q06TM6WZFJ

I never thought of retrofitting, cheers!

It's not so bad in the morning as I just run an extension lead from the garage with a little fan heater in each car for about 5 minutes each and that defrosts it all. It's after work when it's sat in a cold car park.
 

Craiglxviii

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From what's been in the workshop here OEM:

Ford Focus Ka
Vauxhall Corsa
VW Golf
Nissan Qashqai
BMW Mini
Jaguar XF S XE
Land Rover (cant remember type)

You can fit a custom heated windscreen I've done a few from these guys, last one was an E90 £450 all in.

http://www.heatedwindscreen.com/acatalog/heated-windscreens.html

With or without timer relay, this is an example only, we build our own unit with or without thermistor..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Timer-swit...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KK28NA8B70Q06TM6WZFJ

The only problem with retrofitting heated screen is... it's a Really Big Current Draw and the logic in the body control module to handle the staging in and out of electrical users HAS to be designed around it. If it isn't, then on sub zero day with radio, blower, headlights etc on or ready to turn on when the key is turned to POS 3, the heated screen draw can cause other users to blow.

Been there, done that...........
 

Craiglxviii

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Westheath

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The only problem with retrofitting heated screen is... it's a Really Big Current Draw and the logic in the body control module to handle the staging in and out of electrical users HAS to be designed around it. If it isn't, then on sub zero day with radio, blower, headlights etc on or ready to turn on when the key is turned to POS 3, the heated screen draw can cause other users to blow.

Been there, done that...........

Of course.
 

keefysher

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Back in the day when I had Dagenham Dustbins (Ford) as company cars, the heated windscreens were very good.

The 'Max' button on the Mercs works well to de-ice.

My preferred method is warm water and a silicone blade. Whilst you are at home waiting for the morning cuppa to cool sufficiently to drink, fill a jug from the hot water tap, not those fancy boil tap things, and the warm water is sufficient to de-ice all the windows. Pour from the top, swipe with the blade, job done on all windows. I also do the lights, front and rear. Only takes a few minutes.
 

Westheath

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The problem is this don't help once you have set off and ice forms on the windscreen when driving
obscuring your view.
A heated screen keeps the ice from smearing across the screen when wipers are in use.

As for Mercedes there was an option code on a W211 979 iirc, for heated screen and door glass.
Probably others too.

:)
 
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LostKiwi

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Had one on a 1991 Range Rover. Worked very well.
It has to be very cold for water to turn to ice on the windscreen when driving if you have demisters on.
 

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