these ere newfangled heating windscreens - any good?

[wibble_puppy]

hi all,

in the last issue of MM there were a couple of mentions of the newfangled heated windscreen now being stocked by the MMC Birmingham.

Anyone tried one? Any good? Wiring difficult? Battery problems? How's the visibility - are there any driving conditions which cause problems, eg night driving, oncoming headlights, funny flaring, owt like that?

Are they worth the outlay?

cheers

juliet

[woo]

W.P.

I had a heated screen on a Modeo. I thought I would be bothered by the elements in the screen. You can see them and initially I found myself focussing on them. However, very soon I got back to focussing on the road and the problem away. From memory the Modeo rear screen heater turned off in about 7 minutes (ish) and the front screen in about 2 minutes (ish). The actual numbers may not be correct but their relationship to each other is about right. Heated Windscreens use a lot of current, so I would say that you need an alternator. In use they are briiliant! On a wintery morning with an Iced up screen I just used to turn on the heater and in no time flat a screenful of slush slid down the screen clearing it completely. It also stopped it misting up inside as well when you drove away.

Personally I'm sold on them if they form part of the original equipment. If you are happy about the cost of an alternator and the screen I would say go for it. Living in the Sunny South East I probably wouldn't really need to use it enough times to justify the cost.

[simmitc]

When I'm away on business I have a company car, usually a Mondeo, and usually with a heated front screen. You can see the very thin wires if you look for them, but not concious of them during normal driving. I agree with Woo, the defrost value and demist effect is GREAT. I visited the MMC Brum at the end of last year and sat in Mike's car with the screen fitted. Looks good, and I'm buying one as soon as a respray is fitted - don't want the screen (a) painted or (b) tripped over in the garage !

The elements run ertically and reach to a couple of inches from in from each pillar. Wiring requires small hole in internal rubber and dashboard for neat routing. MMC Brum say they draw about 13 amps. You can run with an ordinary switch or fit a timer, eg from Vehicle Wiring Products.

I wish that I'd had the screen in the frost this morning !

[wibble_puppy]

thanks very much for your thoughts guys )

[Multiphonikks]

So are you going to get one??!?!?

[wibble_puppy]

I dunno...... depends how much dosh is left in the kitty (if any) after the essentials have been done..... I'm lucky in that my windscreen is in good nick so it would seem a bit of a waste to pass it on and install a new one..... and also I'm thinking that there aren't many times when I would need to use the heated one?.....

[iwsmithy]

I have one of these windscreens and they are excellent. Ironically, since I have fitted it I haven't had a frosty day to see the quick clear properties, but I can tell you that it gets rid of the misting up on the inside a treat. When I bought mine a good few months ago the MMC Birmingham did not have a switch up and running for it. They recommend that the screen is used in 2 or 3 minute blasts and so a switch that would time out automatically would be advantageous as you cannot leave it switched on by mistake. If thety now do such a switch let me know. You don't notice the small wires in the screen as you look through them. Fitting was OK, the power and earth leads from the screen go through holes you need to drill through the screen rubber and windscreen frame, then you just connect it up to a switch, although I would recommend using a relay as it draws quite a current. I have a heated front and rear windscreen in my saloon and think they are the best mods you can make to update a Minor. I would recommend an alternator to go with them though.