these here new-fangled heated windscreens

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:14 pm

info wanted....

do they work?

do they interfere with visibility at all?

and is there any way of fitting them without having little trails of wire running up to the screen over the dashboard?

cheers guys!

wibble

Post by **simmitc** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:57 pm

Yes, No, Yes.

Unqualified approval, now fitted three. They are fantastic in the winter frost - start car, switch on windscreen, wipe side windows, drive off - no scraping front screen. Filament is almost invisible. To hide the wires you will need to drill a small hole in the top of the dashboard.

If you're going to our next spares meeting (Friday evening at the National) then you can have a look at mine fitted in the traveller. In fact, that answers how visiblw the wires are - you were standing beside it at the last meeting whilst we chatted

Post by **Orkney** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:17 am

Wasn't aware you could get them! What do they cost?

Post by **Welung666** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:26 am

Around £130 plus fitting but you'd need to convert to an alternator as they draw about 13.5 amps

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:18 am

simmitc wrote: If you're going to our next spares meeting (Friday evening at the National) then you can have a look at mine fitted in the traveller. In fact, that answers how visiblw the wires are - you were standing beside it at the last meeting whilst we chatted

I'll do that! cheers simmitc

sounds like a tiny amount of the feed wires would still be visible between the hole in the top of the dash and the windscreen itself - ie as the wires go around the windscreen rubber?

thanks also Welung666 for the info on the amps needed

Post by **forbesg** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:17 am

simmitc wrote: Unqualified approval, now fitted three. They are fantastic in the winter frost - start car, switch on windscreen, wipe side windows, drive off - no scraping front screen. Filament is almost invisible.

Does anyone have any pictures?
How is the element stuck on the windscreen?
Unfortunately for me £130 translates into lots of NZ$, and shipping etc. etc., but I might be able to copy the idea

... maybe

Thanks
Grant.

Post by **Orkney** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:25 am

Not something you can make Grant, these have very very fine wires (you cant see them after looking through it a couple of times) actually embedded in the laminate of the glass.

Post by **Kevin** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:49 am

PM sent Grant

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:28 am

many thanks to simmitc for showing me exactly how his HW is fitted at the National, seems that as my windscreen is out I should be able to drill holes located so that the wires don't show at all - cool

do the windscreeens come with a switch, or do you buy it separately? and can you get a switch which will turn the element off after a certain length of time?

wibble xx

Post by **picky** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:36 am

will not be hard to make/buy a small timer circuit that when you press a button, it turns on the screen for 5 minutes or so before switching it off again.

Picky

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:19 pm

yeah, that's the kind of thing. the whole idea might just be overcomplicating, though - introducing something else into the vehicle to go wrong! lol

might stick with a straightforward switch. just want to be sure i don't forget to turn the thing off and drive for miles with it on drawing current

Post by **dunketh** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:24 pm

You can get the switch gear out of a 90s ford with one fitted.
(XR2i, Orion, etc..)
They come with a relay that does the whole 'delay' thing for you.

Other options would be to pinch the relay from another car's rear-screen.
Once again old Fords had rear screens on a timer. Fiesta mk2s spring to mind... (which is probably a sign of some deep-seated mental problem..)

Post by **Kevin** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:27 pm

just want to be sure i don't forget to turn the thing off and drive for miles with it on drawing current

I thought that the kits came with a timed switch as part and parcel of the whole thing.

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:46 pm

ah, maybe so. will check and report back.

Post by **simmitc** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:08 pm

I thought that the kits came with a timed switch as part and parcel of the whole thing.

Mike at the Morris Minor Centre (Birmingham) has been searching for a suitable switch (in that it works, is small, sensibly priced, easy to fit, etc) since he started selling the screens. Last time I spoke with him he had found one but wanted to fit and test it thoroughly before selling it. Might be worth asking him.

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:49 pm

cheers simmitc

Have discovered that ESM sell the screens just with a length of wire coming out of each bottom corner - no switch or relay or even terminals - makes them easy to fit - they are planning to make up a "heated windscreen kit" as soon as they get less busy

anyway I now have the info I need to order the right stuff as part of the custom loom for the van - I want to have the wiring there even if I end up not fitting one at the moment.

cheers everyone for your help!