Heated Windscreen option ?

[Norian]

@wooyay, @linni, @BillyJim: thanks for all your input on this topic.

 

You are right, the "IR coating" is something very visible with polarised sunglasses.

 

For a fact, my Superb2 has only the standard windshield and, as above mentioned, I really hate driving in the afternoon, towards West - with the sun glazing directly at the windshield because my torso and legs become really hot and I try to compensate by lowering the air conditioning temperature - but then it's becoming uncomfortable at the shoulder and head area. Anyway, I think you know what I mean.

 

As mentioned in the original post, I am interested by the heated windshield only for heat protection purposes, in an idea to make more comfortable mid day and afternoon travel.

 

In the Romanian brochure, Skoda say that all windows of the Superb are "athermic" in standard. On top of this you can select the SunSet option - darker glass only for the rear doors glass and back windshield.

 

I've looked at the Passat configurator and...ta-na, it has 2 different options for heated winschield:

1. Heated windshield: 200Euros

2. Heated windshield including "IR radiation reflection": 400Euros

 

Well, for the Passat is clear.

 

Skoda, for the Superb are just offering: "heated windshield" for 260Euros

Nothing written regarding the "IR radiation reflection", but from word of mouth, from dealer folklore and from the colored glow in direct sunlight it looks like it was "IR radioation reflection" 

 

Any thoughts on this ? 

 

One more thing on resistance: in the "old days" the heated windshields which used "vertical wires" for heating were more proned to cracking when debris from the road were hitting the windshield - especially in winter when they throw the "sand and salt" mix on the roads.

On Fiestas and Focuses company cars I drove, I changed windshields twice a year 

 

Do you have any idea if the "metalic foil" inserted in the windshield is making the windshield less resistant to debris, like in the "vertical wires" technology ones ? 

 

Thanks (hopefully I will be able to come to a conclusion on spending those 260 Euros for this option or not) 

Edited 14 October, 2016 by Norian

[linni]

 

 

One more thing on resistance: in the "old days" the heated windshields which used "vertical wires" for heating were more proned to cracking when debris from the road were hitting the windshield - especially in winter when they throw the "sand and salt" mix on the roads.

On Fiestas and Focuses company cars I drove, I changed windshields twice a year 

 

Strange. My last 4 cars were Mondeos, from 2003 - 2014, all with heated windscreens and never had problems with cracks whatsoever.

[BillyJim]

What is difference between UV and IR?

To give a rough idea of the effects, UV is closer to X-Ray and Gamma-Ray while IR is closer to Microwave and Radio. Which would you prefer to be exposed to?

UV, ultraviolet light, is at the higher frequency end of the light spectrum and can't usually be felt but over-exposure can lead to dermatological ageing and melanoma. It can penetrate deep into the body. It's also UV that fades fabrics and makes plastics brittle.

IR, infrared light, is at the opposite end to UV and is what you feel as heat on your skin. It doesn't penetrate very deep but over-exposure will cause burning of the outer dermis (sunburn).

As with so many things in life, both are needed but harmful if over-exposed.

So as far as your car is concerned, UV filtering will prevent damage (colour fading and damage to the plastics), while IR filtering will improve comfort by reducing heat.

[Chiily]

the problem is, you can have "Heated Windscreen" with and without GPS signal reception problem,

just pay 245e for lottery ticket.

if tested, dealer example, car were shown me that problem i never select that option.

just count how long time you will use Windscreen heating, 15-20 minutes in some cold mornings,

and compare that with side effect -

Waze(+many others) apps will give late instructions all the life of this windscreen.

i'm not fighting to "laws of physics", but manufacturer must add clear warnings.

 

I agree there could be some advise, but nothing more than what physics tells us and to be honest everyone with a mobile phone understands the effect of solid objects on the signal level received.  Do you ever see warnings on any building, bus, car, etc that their solid nature may effect RF received signal strength and hence impact the service quality on your mobile phone?  It is a well accepted event.

 

However, not all GPS receivers are made equal.

 

I can't see in any of the testing in that thread anything that makes me believe that there is a lottery.  There are physics facts; metal screen equals reduced reception, GPS RX sensitivity being poor equals lack of GPS lock, or at least reduction in the size of the GPS constellation seen. 

[Deerjohn]

Just a fantastic car, isn't it...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abPGeEu9iWE

 

Enjoy offical answer from Škoda factory on the topic front suspension (gearbox) rattle:

 

Thank you for your letter of 12th of October 2016 addressed to Mr. Bernhard Maier, Chairman of ŠKODA Board of Directors.

We would like to inform you that Mr. Bernhard Maier is familiar with your case and based on the nature of the matter, he

entrusted our Customer Care department to review the matter and respond to letter.

We regret to learn about your dissatisfaction. We would like

to assure you that SKODA Auto manufacturer is conscious of its responsibility for high quality and reliability of their vehicles

and we do our best to meeting our customer’s expectations.

From our exclusive representative in Latvia we have requested the detailed report on the controls of your

car carried on your car in terms of the noise from the front part of the car when over undulations. Our technicians also had

watched the video to which you are referring in your letter.

We came to conclusion that the respective noise does not have a nature of the manufacturing defect but is the standard

phenomenon associated with the gearbox type when the vehicle is driving in nonstandard conditions, in this case when the car is

occasionally crossing over the undulations. Please understand that the model Superb is designed as limousine car and nonstandard

off road driving can induce some nonstandard phenomenons that do not appear in normal operation of the car.

For that reason, we cannot provide a technical solution because this noise coming during the off road driving is not considered

to be a fault.

We hope for your understanding.

Yours faithfully,

Pavlina KNEBLOVA

Customer care/Kundenbetreuung

SKODA AUTO a.s.

Czech Republic

[peter_k]

Open to correction on these points:

VW offer heated windscreen options of with and without wires. The silver alloy laminate used for "without wires" gives the IR protection.  VW only sell one type of screen (wired?) with a "phone box"????

Laminated glass blocks nearly all (100%?) of UV radiation with no special treatment or coating.

GPS satellites are not geostationary and therefore "tests" have to address available satellites at that moment in time  and  the direction the windscreen is "facing".  If a GPS receiver is placed at the top of the windscreen then the shielding effect of the roof  comes into play along with the loss of signal from low elevation satellites that passes through the side windows

[panmat]

  VW only sell one type of screen (wired?) with a "phone box"????

 

Hope Skoda buck the trend on this one, wouldn't have ordered the phone box in my upcoming L&K if I'd known about that......

[peter_k]

I should have been clearer. I haven't checked it but I think if you go to the VW configurator for the Passat and add a wired(?) screen then you can't have it unless you add the phone option (signal blocked) the "film" screen doesn't ask for the phone option.

[RickTT]

What's the big deal about GPS then ? Most cars have sat nav.. Phone box increases phone signal...

 

If you want it for a dash cam, run an external GPS under the roof lining to the rear side window or rear screen ?

[MartiniB]

1. What's the big deal about GPS then ? Most cars have sat nav..

2. Phone box increases phone signal...

 

1.a) Any built in Navigation can't be compared to Online Systems as Waze, GoogleMap etc

1. position of media display is lot more dangerous than phone on dashboard.

2. it helps to receive GSM, but doesn't for GPS. And i also have doubts, it helps to receive 4G(LTE)

Edited 15 October, 2016 by MartiniB

[Kungfugerbil]

1. The inbuilt nav is perfectly decent. Use google maps through android auto if you must. The directions are mirrored on the MFD in the cluster which is a much better place than a phone on your dash.

2. You would have doubts that the sky was blue.

[MartiniB]

i believe pink glasses helps a lot, but i prefer see all in natural colors

Android auto is country dependent :(

Options list of GoogleMap under AndroidAuto is just 1/3 of full version, can't change even sound level

https://www.android.com/intl/en_uk/auto/

The Android Auto app is currently available in the following countries:

Argentina Australia Austria Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominican Republic Ecuador France Germany Guatemala India Ireland Italy Japan Mexico New Zealand Panama Paraguay Peru Puerto Rico Russia Spain Switzerland United Kingdom United States Uruguay Venezuela

[linni]

Guys, this is heated windscreen topic here.

[unclerichy]

Guys, this is heated windscreen topic here.

 

It's now become a 'heated' debate on an entirely different subject 

[Chiily]

Guys, this is heated windscreen topic here.

It is and I love mine, very handy indeed.

[sam555]

Hi quite new to forum but read this with interest if I can pass on my view! Just purchased a new VW Golf (same parts), Superb estate next. Wouldn't be without heated screen so chose this as option. On the Golf called 'Comfort Screen' non wired and is the thin film version helps keep car cool in summer deflecting sun rays and you have to select 'phone box, with it, no choice. Works brilliant as winter approaches clears the screen of moisture and no doubt ice in seconds. Have the built in SatNav but sometimes use our TomTom also. Never had a GPS issue for Tom Tom or iPhone and we hardly ever use the phone box. May be other factors not just the screen causing issues though obviously a problem for some and hope you find a quick solution.

[Norian]

@sam55: In the German and Romanian configurator, choosing the Heated Windscreen option does not call for adding the "phone box" option...

 

Noticed that in the German configurator, the Heated Windscreen is mentioned to have heat reflecting properties, beside the normal heated windscreen function

Edited 17 October, 2016 by Norian

[MartiniB]

Guys, this is heated windscreen topic here.

who told it isn't?

just missing information about side effects :(

which creates problems and abnormal consumer like me would avoid to have that.

non heated windscreen = no problems with GPS signal reception on the dashboard

heated windscreen = lottery, manufacturer can't produce windscreens with equal properties

[Waltan]

I have heated windscreen - gps on iphone works without any lags.

[RickTT]

I didnt go for a heated windscreen for 2 reasons..

 

1) cost.

2) There is not really a requirement for it in the UK... if its required for melting ice, seen as though you will be doing the side windows and rear screen, its not much bother to do the front screen is it... max 1 minute extra ?

[panmat]

From the German Configurator

 

[linni]

non heated windscreen = no problems with GPS signal reception on the dashboard

heated windscreen = lottery, manufacturer can't produce windscreens with equal properties

 

My previous two cars had wired heating + IR resistant coating, drove them 6 years totally. Had never issues with GPS reception.

 

I believe I know where your problem lies.

Riga center, like St. Petersburg in Russia (which are both built on 18 - 19. centuries) has narrow streets and high buidings. The sky you can see is literally a stripe above you. And not many satellites fit into this stripe. These towns are the only two places I have sometimes lost GPS reception besides the tunnels in Alps.

[panmat]

From the German Configurator

 

And from the UK

 

 

Not so much detail.......

 

So can anyone who has got a car with the Heated Screen AND PhoneBox (with wireless charging) Confirm if it Has film or visible wire screen fitted.

If it's the visible wire type I will cancel the phonebox option on my ordered L&K.

Thanks

[linni]

After reading tons of brochures I believe the wired heating is not an option at all for Superb.

 

P.S. Check out the pics and first comments in this thread:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/390696-collected-my-superb-today/

 

P.P.S. In Estonian configurator the heated windscreen and phonebox are not related, each one can be ordered separately. 

I believe phonebox + heated windscreen is a market - based sales trick.

Edited 17 October, 2016 by linni

[Chiily]

who told it isn't?

just missing information about side effects :(

which creates problems and abnormal consumer like me would avoid to have that.

non heated windscreen = no problems with GPS signal reception on the dashboard

heated windscreen = lottery, manufacturer can't produce windscreens with equal properties

As before without doubt any metal element between the gps RX and the satellite will reduce the signal strength.

The lottery is a combination of different gps RX sensitivities and different locations of the gps RXs in the car. I would doubt the idea of differences in the heated screen between cars. First do far more controlled tests...my suggestion.