Heated windscreens

DUTR

Just interested in hearing of readers experiences of heated screens, preferably the metallized screens without the wires down the screen like the Ford system.

Netwizard

We had a mondeo with a heated screen on our mondeo. Was great in the winter months. Never noticed any lines down it however.

It was nice to have, but it was just as quick to throw some warm water over the screen!

TrickyWicky

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DUTR

Netwizard wrote: »

We had a mondeo with a heated screen on our mondeo. Was great in the winter months. Never noticed any lines down it however.

It was nice to have, but it was just as quick to throw some warm water over the screen!

Thanks for the reply, my brother has a Mondeo and the wires were immediately noticeable, he does report it is good as it clears within a minute or less (car parked outside) , my car has the other system where there is metal oxide in the laminate, but I have not had chance to try it out and can only see one lab report on a similar screen on the web

force_ten

I had heated screens on an orion and three mondeos all fine wire in the sceen and after using them for about twenty years i cant say i ever noticed the wires

they were never distracting and in the winter months after a heavy frost they were a godsend, it is the one thing that i miss on my current car

Richard53

I have a heated screen on my Mondeo and like force ten I can't say the wires bother me at all. I had the screen replaced by Autoglass after a bad stone chip and the new one doesn't work on all the wires (Sod's law - the repair was done in the spring, and I didn't have reason to use it until 8-9 months later, when I found it was faulty). I get several misty stripes up the screen which take a bit longer to clear, but it's still a worthwhile feature.

The Range Rover could clear its screen of thick ice in about 10 seconds. Best I have ever seen, although I dread to think what current it was drawing.

Sorry, no experience of the metallized type.

DUTR

Richard53 wrote: »

I have a heated screen on my Mondeo and like force ten I can't say the wires bother me at all. I had the screen replaced by Autoglass after a bad stone chip and the new one doesn't work on all the wires (Sod's law - the repair was done in the spring, and I didn't have reason to use it until 8-9 months later, when I found it was faulty). I get several misty stripes up the screen which take a bit longer to clear, but it's still a worthwhile feature.

The Range Rover could clear its screen of thick ice in about 10 seconds. Best I have ever seen, although I dread to think what current it was drawing.

Sorry, no experience of the metallized type.

The one evening it froze over, but mine cleared so quick (2 house lengths) I couldn't be sure, guess I will just have to wait until a known frosty evening as I gagrage the car usually.

NBLondon

Richard53 wrote: »

I get several misty stripes up the screen which take a bit longer to clear, but it's still a worthwhile feature.

Same here - one wire failed on my Mondeo and that was the only thing that made me notice them. Having had it on 3 cars - Fiesta Mk5, Mondeo Mk3 and now Focus Mk3 I would opt for it every time.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Richard53 wrote: »

I have a heated screen on my Mondeo and like force ten I can't say the wires bother me at all. I had the screen replaced by Autoglass after a bad stone chip and the new one doesn't work on all the wires (Sod's law - the repair was done in the spring, and I didn't have reason to use it until 8-9 months later, when I found it was faulty). I get several misty stripes up the screen which take a bit longer to clear, but it's still a worthwhile feature.

Might be worth contacting Autoglass, your screen may well have a lifetime warranty, though exactly whats covered by that i don't know.

I've never had nor actually used a heated screen and not really needed one, i've driven modern Fords with them and dislike the effect in street and headlights, i found the rest of the cars to be equally disappointing, as from the lyrical guff written about them by motoring pundits i expected something special.

agrinnall

I've only got experience of Fords (a Puma and my current Fiesta) I'm afraid, but unlike some of the other posters there are occasions where I notice the lines - in particular if it's foggy or if there is heavy snow falling. Usually it's possible to refocus the eyes to look past the screen, and I think overall the benefits of quickly clearing a frozen screen outweigh the lines issue.

DKLS

Had heated screens in a few cars and a few fords, the wires never bothered me I just appreciated a great feature that should be fitted to more cars.