Not much demand for heated windshields
Posted Jan 21, 2010 By Brian Turner
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Tweet ThisEMC Lifestyle - "Hello Mr. Turner, (I'm sure you have been asked the following question many times. Why don't large, main stream, automobile manufacturers (domestic and foreign) like Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Ford, etc. incorporate 'heated windshields' into the design of their vehicles (as standard equipment!) for safety reasons? It may well be that some of the more expensive, higher end cars, have heated windshields, but I have yet to see them in vehicles such as the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. (
Windshield washer fluid that is rated at -35 degrees C does a good job of cleaning dirt and grime off windshields, but it frequently leaves a very thin layer of ice on the windshield for a short time until the ice/moisture evaporates, either as a result of the forward motion of the car and/or the in-car defroster blowing hot air on the inside of the windshield. It seems to me that if windshields were heated the problem of a thin film of ice from windshield washer fluid would be eliminated. (
Cars have been manufactured for many years with heated rear windows. Heated rear windows are fine, but I would also like to see heated windshields as well. (It's always nice to see where you've been but it's more important to see where you are going!)."
Kind regards, (Bev
In fact I haven't heard the call for heated windshields too often, but it's always on my mind when trying to do a 'quick' defrost before heading out for the morning commute.
And by the way, frosted windshields defrost while you are sitting in the car about as fast as a watched pot boils. Heated windshields have been around for more than a decade but only in a handful of vehicles (either high end domestics like Cadillacs or European imports like Jaguar and Mercedes and even a few Asian brands). The technology involves sandwiching a conductive material between the two layers of glass and applying a controlled electrical current.
Unfortunately the feature can be pricey and most car makers have a hard time seeing north of the 49th parallel when in comes to equipping their products. While I know that more than a few U.S. states see winter temps and conditions such as ours, when a car maker looks at the volume of vehicle sales in non-frosty jurisdictions versus those to the north, the math doesn't add up to justify the expense.
Of course this business picture can be quickly thrown out with the frozen bath water if more consumers were asking for such an option, or if a heavy lawsuit or two came from an overly litigious public arising from collisions between vehicles with ice covered windshields.
Then watch the car manufacturers race to the windshield makers clamouring for some warmth.
There are lower cost alternatives such as washer fluid heating systems. A tech I know got one of these aftermarket kits for a gift a few years back and installed on his car. He found that he went through a lot more washer fluid as it took several seconds of flow before warmed fluid came out of the nozzles. A simpler method would be to utilize the same heat source that supplies warmth to the passenger cabin, the engine's coolant. If the washer fluid lines were wrapped with insulating tape to the car's heater hoses then the liquid flowing through them would be pre-warmed before it hit the windshield. This might not necessarily bring faster morning defrosting but it certainly would help when driving through those messy freezing rain or drizzle storms.
Let your favourite car maker know what you think of the lack of heated windshields, they won't react if no one's asking.
Speaking of missing features, the one I would dearly love to see would be a sensor that prohibits fog lamps from coming on unless there's actually fog present!
I know I'm not alone when I want to shout at the idiot coming up on my tail on a perfectly clear night with his or her fog lamps blinding me (even with the mirror set to the night driving position) to TURN THEM OFF! If you really need those extra and always improperly aimed fog or driving lamps to navigate after the sun goes down, then get your eyes checked.
I especially get a chuckle at the number of these vehicles I see with all the lights a-blazing driving on urban roads lined with street lights.
If you have any questions, opinions, or stories on anything automotive please drop me a line, (By email to emc@perfprint.ca listing 'Question for the Car Counselor' on the subject line or by post to Record News Communications, 5 Lorne St., P.O. Box 158, Smiths Falls, Ont. K7A 4T1).
Yours in service,
Brian Turner
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