Have I not specced one before?

Thick frost this morning.

Engine on, screen on, scrape the rest of the windows and off we go. :)

Have I not specced one before?

Thick frost this morning.

Engine on, screen on, SEAT ON scrape the rest of the windows and off we go. :)

Fixed that for you!!

Same here, out in the sticks. See photo.

The heated windscreen has been added to my (mostly Skoda-inspired) list of Things Every Future Car I Own Must Have.

I have one, but rarely ever use it.

Due to using a carport.

If you have to sort out the ice on the other windows it's not like you can sit in the car when it's freezing.

So I'm not 100% convinced myself...

LOL, this was a must for my new Yeti. After having it in my Superb I don't know how I could live without it now

• FORTUNATELY we live by the sea and rarely get the windows frosting up.

UNFORTUNATELY when they do our diesel beastie takes forever to defrost them not having a heated  screen.

QUESTION - will a 12v mobile heater placed on the dashboard do the job or will the heat cause the windscreen to crack?

WOULD APPRECIATE views of forumites.

Shanco :wonder:

I was always envious of SWMBO's Ford Focus which had an heated windscreen when I was driving about in my Honda Civic without one. On ordering my Yeti in 2011 it was the first thing I had on the options list. It is simply fantastic. It's not just for frost. Even an hint of the screen misting up, the press of the button clears it in an instant, there's no need to fiddle with the heater controls.

 

I looked at an Audi Q3 as a replacement for the Yeti but on finding out you can't have a Q3 with a heated screen and the fact that the back seats don't fold flat put me off and I ordered a FL Yeti. The fact that a Q3 with the same kit as the Elegance I ordered (with lots of options) was over 7 grand more also helped!

 

To be honest I don't really know why I even contemplated a Q3 because the Yeti has been the best car I've ever owned by far.  

Have I not specced one before?

Thick frost this morning.

Engine on, screen on, scrape the rest of the windows and off we go. :)

 

 

You asked why you haven't had one before.

 

I reply in good humour, so no upset intended......

 

But the reason you've never had one is.

 

A.  You're one of the 1 in a hundred who usually keep the £20,000 car in the garage rather than fill the garage with worthless clutter that never gets used but has to go somewhere in case you might want it one day.

 

B. If the car IS left out and the the windows get frosty, then you've taken a kettle of VERY SLIGHTLY warmish ...ALMOST cold, water and cleared the windscreen plus all the other windows instantly.  If it did happen to freeze over again, then it really is cold out and you've got another kettle full of ever so slightly warmer water this time...and that's done the job. (I've never cracked a window yet - but admittedly I've been using the garage in recent years).

 

C. But you've been careful not to leave the engine running and the doors unlocked coz you were conscious of the scrotes who go round residential streets in the morning looking for bods who've left the engine running and the doors unlocked, and they've nicked the thing and you weren't covered coz you left the keys in it and the doors unlocked.  (The only thing in your favour here is the scrotes don't like getting out of bed at 7 in the morning - so that lessens the likelihood a bit.

 

I tried a 12 volt interior heater once. Utterly useless.  The only thing that did work was a 240 volt fan heater sat on the parcel shelf for ten minutes....no ice and a nice warm car too.  One really must remember to disconnect the cable before driving off though.

Edited 29 December, 201312 yr by oldstan

I have one, but rarely ever use it.

Due to using a carport.

If you have to sort out the ice on the other windows it's not like you can sit in the car when it's freezing.

So I'm not 100% convinced myself...

We are convinced, it's one reason why we are still hanging on the the Mondeo through the winter!

ATM, all the cars are tucked up in their garages, so this mornings frost wasn't a problem, but when the Mondy does get caught outside

in the winter, it takes less than a minute before both screens are clear enough to drive away.

(You can always open the side windows if you don't like tunnel vision!)

 

Seasons greetings, DC

I have one, but rarely ever use it.

Due to using a carport.

If you have to sort out the ice on the other windows it's not like you can sit in the car when it's freezing.

So I'm not 100% convinced myself...

 

I see your point, but I have limited mobility so stretching across to the middle of the screen can be difficult on such a tall car.

The rest are easy, and quick run round with the scraper warms you up.

It's not just for frost. Even an hint of the screen misting up, the press of the button clears it in an instant, there's no need to fiddle with the heater controls.

Yup, that's one thing I really like.

Oldstan, no offence taken at all.

A ) The car sits outside but the garage is full of Stuff that DOES get used on a regular basis.

It used to be full of £30k of motorbikes. They've left home for a while so it's now used as MY space.

Carpet, comfy chair, heater, music and most important, a fridge full of beer

B ) Never have. Too lazy to take the kettle back in the house and SWMBO doesn't take kindly to coming out to get it.

C ) I have done that with previous cars but they've had a spare non remote key so I could lock it, still running.

Now where can I get an engine run lock fitted?

• QUESTION - will a 12v mobile heater placed on the dashboard do the job or will the heat cause the windscreen to crack?

 

 

They will either burn your wiring or are only 200W, which is really not going to do much.

It's like an asthmatic huffing on the screen.

Personally I wouldn't bother.

 

Read some of the reviews online, they generally say they are quite naff.

Due to running off the fuse and wiring in the car they just can't produce a reasonable amount of heat.

I have a driveway, there is an electric socket on the wall next to the car, I put a fan heater in the car for 20 minutes or so before I set off, it heats the inside of the car, clears all of the windows of frost and the car is warm when we get in. 

 

I did have a heated screen on a focus which was very good, I would have a heated screen on the yeti but I had to buy a second hand car at short notice so did not manage to get one. Perhaps it could be retrofitted?

I was always envious that father-in-law's Ford Fusion had a heated windscreen whereas my V50 Volvo didn't (rather oddly so as Volvo's reputation was built their cars' safety features) so it was an easy decision to add it to my list when sorting my order for the Yeti. Hopefully the end of the problem of clearing all the windows only to get 200 yards down the road and the screen starting to ice over. I'm (almost) looking forward to some frosty weather to try it out. The heating element being noticeable under some lighting conditions is a minor disadvantage but having a clear windscreen on frosty mornings tips the balance for me.

Another one here who has added it as an extra.  Always was a bit (a lot) envious of my wife when she had heated windscreen on her Focus.  Now the boot is on the other foot 

Was it not the case that Ford patented the heated front screen which prevented other manufacturers installing same for x years?

 

Wouldn't be without one. Have pauper level outside parking so suffer from aforementioned freezing of windows.

 

Start motor and put everything on heating and blowing, wander round scraping side windows, climb aboard and flick the front and rear wipers - good to go.

 

And as others have said, gets rid of interior misting nigh on instantly. Some ambient light levels/angles pick up the heater elements but you get used to it and the pros far outweigh the one con. 

I would love one.  When it is properly cold, say -15C or lower, driving up from my sisters in Germany is unpleasant. 

The not particularly effective octavia heater can't keep the interior warm (although it will burn my shins) and stop the screen from freezing at the same time.

I like the fan heater idea.  Maybe the heat from running the generator would be enough on milder days?

Just moved from a C Max to the Yeti. The heated screen was fairly handy but definetely not a deal clincher. I just put a cover over the screen now. Takes about 20 seconds to put it on and take it off, which is much quicker than waiting for the heated screen to defrost. The heated screen is more useful for getting rid of condensation.

I had a Focus with a heated screen so know of the benefits. I now have a Yeti that I specced from new without one. I found that the occasional day that it was useful to clear hard frost was hugely countered by every day of the year that the fine wires in the screen annoyed me, especially at night.

But the I'm the guy that doesn't get on with DSG either, so fairly contrary all round.

+1 for not getting on with the DSG. It's ok, ish, but I won't have another one.

Was it not the case that Ford patented the heated front screen which prevented other manufacturers installing same for x years?

You're correct. I believe the patent prevents anyone else using the design for 10 years.

Volvo cars has been owned by ford since 1999 so you would think they would have had the use of it too, but I guess it would be a similar situation to VAG.

Ford sold Volvo to Geely years ago, around the time they got rid of JLR.

Ford first used them in the 1980s, Jaguar were using fine heating wires within the glass for their heated rear windows back in the 1960s, so it must have been a fairly old idea when Ford started using it on front windscreens.

 

I've had one fitted to my old Ford and it works very well, as mentioned it's good for demisting.

Another plus for the heated windscreen, is its ability, juggled with the rear heated window and heater blower to act as a retarder when descending an icy hill.  Was really impressed by this feature when I owned a Ford Fusion a while back.

Another plus for the heated windscreen, is its ability, juggled with the rear heated window and heater blower to act as a retarder when descending an icy hill.  Was really impressed by this feature when I owned a Ford Fusion a while back.

A bit of explanation would be helpful????