Heated Screen

[countryboy]

A simple method to de-ice the front screen which works very well. Insert a small fan heater into the drivers side footwell and point it towards the clutch pedal. Set the heating for the screen and for interior air circulation. Leave while you clear the side windows.

By the time you return to the front screen the ice will have softened enough to scrape clean and the wipers will have come unstuck.

Terfyn, that is a good idea, is the fan you use a 240V getting power from your house or a 12V getting power from the cigarette lighter socket? If the latter where did you get it from?

Ian

[Terfyn]

Terfyn, that is a good idea, is the fan you use a 240V getting power from your house or a 12V getting power from the cigarette lighter socket? If the latter where did you get it from?

Ian

240 from the garage supply but if you look at the 12 volt shop

http://www.the12voltshop.co.uk/Shop/

you could find a car version. Unfortunately you may need the power of a mains supply to make a serious difference.

[Gizmo]

Surely that is a lot of faffing about though? dig the heater and extension lead out, plug them into an available wall socket, scrape the car then put it all away again?

Which is also of no use at all if you are not at home.

[Llanigraham]

Or have to park in the street!

[Terfyn]

Or have to park in the street!

My extension lead is 60' long (and I'm not boasting)

As for faffing about. It takes a minute to plug in the heater and two minutes to have a clear screen. I don't call that faffing I call it fast.

I have just made a suggestion to help people who do not have heated screens. i.e. The intelligent few who bought their Yetis when they first came out. As for the use of a heater - if you have not tried it don't criticise.

Edited 23 December, 2010 by Terfyn

[900000]

Finally found the thread! Here is a picture of the wires on a Superb, which I presume is the same as the Yeti's heated screen. From this thread.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Finally found the thread! Here is a picture of the wires on a Superb, which I presume is the same as the Yeti's heated screen. From this thread.

Thanks for the photo. Now I know what to expect.

I just wonder though. :wonder: Might one just be lucky enough to get heater washer jets if you have the heated windscreen? or is that too much to ask?

[silver1011]

Yep, Mercedes have bag hooks in the boot like the Octavia II, they pay Skoda for the privilidge.

That's a joke, right?

[silver1011]

Other manufacturers can only breach the patent under license with Ford's permission, hence them keeping it for themselves whilst the technology was new and innovative.

The Ford patent has expired now, they've been fitting heated windscreens for well over 10 years.

Quite often manufacturers share patents, you can use this if I can use that!

[Onesque]

I just wonder though. :wonder: Might one just be lucky enough to get heater washer jets if you have the heated windscreen? or is that too much to ask?

Got it in one ....... that is too much to ask.

[rockhopper]

I made plenty of use of the heated screen this week and especially today. With temperatures reaching -13 degC plus wind chill at 70mph when spraying the screen, I had the screenwash freezing to the screen and the wiper blades - see my post no 67 in Screenwash thread.

Mike

[ju3]

can heated windscreen stay on all the time? Or does it turn off when one starts driving?

How is to retrofit these? I must ask the dealer.......

[jst_at_home]

can heated windscreen stay on all the time? Or does it turn off when one starts driving?

How is to retrofit these? I must ask the dealer.......

if it's like my ex-Passat, it's on a timer.

John

[jst_at_home]

My extension lead is 60' long (and I'm not boasting)

As for faffing about. It takes a minute to plug in the heater and two minutes to have a clear screen. I don't call that faffing I call it fast.

I have just made a suggestion to help people who do not have heated screens. i.e. The intelligent few who bought their Yetis when they first came out. As for the use of a heater - if you have not tried it don't criticise.

I'm with you here Terfyn. I've been doing this since the cold weather started for my son's Rover 25. A cheap 1500 watt fan heater, a long extension cable and a timeswitch. 30 minutes at half heat without the engine running means he comes out to a totally defrosted car.

The faffing about the night before is totally worth it for the safety benefits and no need to be out in the morning scraping ice.

John

[jst_at_home]

While on the subject of windscreen heaters, does anyone have any experience of the 12 volt heaters that you see advertised? My local car accessory shop does one with a timer.

As I think they're generally about 120 to 150 watts I can't imagine that are especially good.

John

[GazzaC]

While on the subject of windscreen heaters, does anyone have any experience of the 12 volt heaters that you see advertised? My local car accessory shop does one with a timer.

As I think they're generally about 120 to 150 watts I can't imagine that are especially good.

John

and anything over 120 watts is likely to overload the power sockets......

[Motorhead]

A cheap 1500 watt fan heater, a long extension cable and a timeswitch.

John

Caution!

In nordic countries - such as Finland - this car interior heating is familiar to most of the car owners. So, please remember, that any cheap fan heater will NOT do! It may be a risk to use a regular household fan heater, you may burn your car. The heater must be approved for car interior heating, and the cabling also must be done professionally, do NOT use a regular extension cable. For your safety.

[Gizmo]

can heated windscreen stay on all the time? Or does it turn off when one starts driving?

How is to retrofit these? I must ask the dealer.......

On my Superb it is on a timer (just like the rear heated screen) I have not yet needed to leave it on for more than 3 - 4 mins, obviously in a colder climate like yours you may need to leave it on longer.

I'm pretty sure I saw coding in VCDS to adjust the time.

Retro fitting one would not be impossible but it would be costly, on the Superb at least the on/off button is all part of the climate control unit, you could of course have it on a normal relayed switch.

[rockhopper]

On my Superb it is on a timer (just like the rear heated screen) I have not yet needed to leave it on for more than 3 - 4 mins, obviously in a colder climate like yours you may need to leave it on longer.

I wish the mirrors were as well, I had to use the heated bit on the mirrors many times on my way below freezing journey back from Scotland.

I have to remember to turn them off after a few minutes, otherwise they stay on all the time, and I have read elsewhere that the elements stop working if people forget to turn them off.

Mike

[Agerbundsen]

My Snehvide is normally parked in a heated garage, so I have had no opinions about heated windshields so far. however, I am doing some house renovation, and needed extra space in the garage, so she has been outside for some time - in the snow and -10°C a few mornings.

Procedure is: Start the engine and let it run while you brush off all the snow with a broom. Heating system set on maximum windshield defrost. Clear off any ice on the windshield with a scraper and finally wash with the WW and fluid WITH THE PROPER ALCOHOL AMOUNT.

The whole procedure takes about 3 minutes.

As long as you have WW fluid with the correct freeze protection, I see no real benefit in the heated sceen.

[Gizmo]

I wish the mirrors were as well, I had to use the heated bit on the mirrors many times on my way below freezing journey back from Scotland.

I have to remember to turn them off after a few minutes, otherwise they stay on all the time, and I have read elsewhere that the elements stop working if people forget to turn them off.

Mike

(On the Superb at least) the heated mirrors come on with the heated rear window, they then turn off automatically after 10 mins (this time can be increased / decreased with VCDS)

[rockhopper]

(On the Superb at least) the heated mirrors come on with the heated rear window, they then turn off automatically after 10 mins (this time can be increased / decreased with VCDS)

On the Yeti and my previous Octavia, the heater element is operated via the mirror adjustment switch, which is easy to leave on. It would be great if there was a timer on that circuit, but I'm not so sure there is.

Mike

[fordfan]

I'm surprised that with all this electronic control that they do not turn off after a set time. The front screen in my car only operates when the engine is running and turns off after 4 minutes, the mirror heating is wired into the rear screen which turns off after 10 minutes. It's only the seat heaters that I must remember to turn off.

[ukcruiser]

(On the Superb at least) the heated mirrors come on with the heated rear window, they then turn off automatically after 10 mins (this time can be increased / decreased with VCDS)

That must be a MY11 Superb thing... along with Clutch depression to start... as above, with the Yeti, my MY10 Estate has heated mirrors on the adjustment, rear and front screen on the Climate unit...

Al.