Heated Windscreens?

[Fittster]

Have heated windscreens reached more manufactures than Ford yet?

Normally when there's an innovation in car technology (e.g. ABS) it spreads to all manufactures pretty quickly but heated windscreens not seem to have spread to other companies.

[RandomTask]

They were fitted to my Dad's old 1996 Range Rover. And are also on his Freelander 2.

Haven't seen them on more mainstream cars other than Fords though.

[ZOLLAR]

I may be totally wrong (probably am) but the system ford uses (which is damn impressive) is patented to them so I presume to develop their own version may be too costly for other brands?.
If not there must be some reason.

[varsas]

They where under patent for a while I think.

Unless they have changed recently I wouldn't want one. Clearing the windscreen isn't a big problem, and I couldn't stop my eyes focusing on the heating lines from time to time. It depended on the light but overall the pluses didn't outweigh the downsides.

[Defcon5]

The other halfs MINI has it, its very good.

[E38Ross]

didn't they patent it, so no-one else could use them?

this on your screen:

http://gtechniq.com/shop/3s-for-cars/kits/g1-g4-cl...

and lukewarm water is all you need. water melts and runs straight off the screen long before it gets chance to re-freeze.

FWIW, 15ml easily enough to do a full car, 2 if you're careful. i did 3 layers to 5 different windscreens with 15ml; but some use it on all windows.

edit - more on G1 here http://gtechniq.com/shop/3s-for-cars/exterior-coat...

Edited by E38Ross on Friday 16th December 13:25

[Shaw Tarse]

ZOLLAR said:

I may be totally wrong (probably am) but the system ford uses (which is damn impressive) is patented to them so I presume to develop their own version may be too costly for other brands?.
If not there must be some reason.

I think you are right, possibly why Ford related brands had them?
I do miss the heated windscreen on my Puma

[car95]

I have one on the VW Passat (56 plate). It clears snow, ice etc. very quickly indeed. Excellent.

[3 car ed]

I think i5t is on the range rover p38 that i have. If not the same system one that does the same job!

[Tyre Smoke]

My '99 Cerbera has one, as does my '06 Range Rover Sport as did it's predecessor a '95 P38 Range Rover HSE.

[Fittster]

I guess Ford let Land Rover and Jag use the technology when they owned those brands. Interesting that's it's spread to VW.

[itz_baseline]

Heated windscreen washers....

http://www.heatshot.co.uk/

Melts ice in winter or cleans off dead flies in summer.

[valiant1]

Hi-spec Renaults have them as well.

[JonnyFive]

Our Mazdas have them.

Guess it could be because of the partnership a little while ago, but still using them even though Ford are pretty much nothing of Mazda now.

[NHK244V]

cant still be pattented theres a bloke makes em for classic cars ?

http://www.heatedwindscreen.com/acatalog/ford-heat...

[LukeBird]

My dad's old Seven had one.

[Superhoop]

The Lotus 340r has one - It had too, as it has no heater, and needed a method of demisting the screen

[Roadru77er]

LukeBird said:

My dad's old Seven had one.

Yup my Caterham's got one

[Classic Grad 98]

varsas said:

They where under patent for a while I think.

Unless they have changed recently I wouldn't want one. Clearing the windscreen isn't a big problem, and I couldn't stop my eyes focusing on the heating lines from time to time. It depended on the light but overall the pluses didn't outweigh the downsides.

True. I love it this time of the year but the rest of the time they annoy me, and on balance I think I'd be better off without. They might've gotten more discreet since 2003 when my Mondeo was made though?

[Baryonyx]

I thought it was a great feature on my Ford Focus. I can't say the wires running through the screen ever bothered me, but they were very useful in winter.