I almost went for a Mondeo instead of an Octavia for the heated front windscreen, still wish I had it on icy mornings. As someone else posted Ford’s patent has supposedly run out now so it will be a lot more common on other makes in future.
I don’t miss my old heated seats though, gave me an itchy back and just emphasise how cold your hands are first thing.

I’ve always just tipped water on my screens and windows

Effective but don’t you just end up with a frozen puddle of water right where you park your car?

Health and Safety nightmare that.

Effective but don’t you just end up with a frozen puddle of water right where you park you car?

Depending how cold it is yes you can.

Edit: Or you could just sit there while the engine warms up, but that’s not good for the engine or the environment

Doesn’t your car have an electric heater for when the engine’s cold?

You know what, there’s a couple of people on this thread, who, if you gave them a £20 note, would complain it wan’t two tenners.
Heated screens. What’s not to like?

We explained in our previous posts. Can’t you understand that not everyone’s experiences are the same?

My mum used to have it in her Galaxy about 15 years ago. A huge bit of glass but it cleared unbelievably quickly.

Doesn’t your car have an electric heater for when the engine’s cold?

I have often thought that that would be a simpler idea than having heated seats/steering wheels/windscreens etc. I’m sure there must be a reason why no-one seems to do it (apart from electric cars of course). Marketing maybe, seen as less of an opportunity to add cost?

Heated screen? Yes thanks – works fabulously well.

Yes, I have one, and yes, it was a consideration when choosing the car.

Doesn’t your car have an electric heater for when the engine’s cold?

What cars have those?

^^ plenty but in non uk markets where there is more extended cold spells (Fords included).

Friends parents live in Alberta their car has a block heater that keeps the fluids above freezing. Runs off the mains when the car is parked up. Plug in points in public car parks etc too. Thats when you live somewhete cold!

Yeah was going to say my Ford manual makes mention of a standalone car heater that works without the keys in – but it seems to be an American/Canadian feature.

Block heater’s there to protect the engine and make it possible to start it, not for the convenience of the occupants. My point above was more about electric space heating for the car.

Slightly OT, but picking up a new mondeo this week that blows cold air up your arse.

We explained in our previous posts. Can’t you understand that not everyone’s experiences are the same?

No. I think you’re just moaning about nothing. There’s no issue with heated screens. None at all. If you don’t like it, sure, you carry on scraping whilst I’m halfway up the road. Crack on, fill yer boots, I don’t give a rats ass!

My solution to an iced-up car is to put on a thick jacket and ride my bike.

Oh and warm water – not on the road or pavement please.

There’s no issue with heated screens. None at all. If you don’t like it, sure, you carry on scraping whilst I’m halfway up the road.

Except we’ve told you some issues.

With mine, it takes longer than scraping. So you wouldn’t be up the road. I dunno why you get all arsey like this, there’s no point. There’s just no need to argue. Just say ‘well I like mine’ and that’s that.

Saves using the ‘afterburner’ ‘re-heat’ heating setting

FTFY 🙄

With mine, it takes longer than scraping.

TBH then you either need to go on a “scrapping” course 😉 or heated screen is old & dieing (they ‘apparently’ have a limited life, though my old one was supposedly 10 years old). Mine, sadly gone last month, was completely clear by the time I’ve scrapped the side windows, not misted at the top, completely clear. My newer (non-ford) car takes 5 minutes to clear the mist, even after I’ve scrapped the windows (air-con & fan on full), very annoying after the joys of a heated screen.

TBH then you either need to go on a “scrapping” course

No, I’m quick at scraping, it seems.

I will concede that it’s not an OEM heated screen, it’s a replacement from Autoglass that the dealer had fitted just after I bought it.

Block heater’s there to protect the engine and make it possible to start it, not for the convenience of the occupants. My point above was more about electric space heating for the car.

A lot of ‘cold market’ cars will also have a fuel fired heater to get the coolant up to temp quicker. Block heater would be used for starts as you sya, but the fuel fired heater will get the coolant (and so the heater matrix temp) up quicker.

Yeah they’re often options in non-UK markets, shame as I’d spec one if I could. Can’t really do it off battery alone as you’d kill them, especially on short journeys.

I never use warm water to defrost the car. If it’s cold enough it’ll either re-freeze on the road/drive where it was parked or re-freeze on the windscreen.

Transit has heated windscreen, by the time I’ve de-frosted the side windows it’s ready to go. Find it very useful with snow too if the bottom layer has frozen. Two minutes sitting in the cab and all the snow brushes off easily 🙂

Jags have them too. Thought I saw it on the spec sheet of the one I bought but realised a few days after buying it there were neither heated front screen or seats. Was completely gutted but a 4.2 V8 doesn’t take too long to heat up! My neighbours love to hear it being rev’d up early morning to build the heat up (I don’t do this as I have mechanical sympathy but what a great way to wake everyone up!!).

You can also use the heated screen to demist the inside of the window when the AC won’t work because it’s too cold.

My motorbike had heated hand grips and I had a heated body warmer for long winter trips.

It is an excellent aid but my mondy has 150k of stone chips to the screen and with the heating elements also in there it is not the clearest to see out of, even when clean. When ever I get in a new car it is like my vision has cured.

Vision wise I noticed the element for about 30 seconds. Our next car will definitely have one.

I’ve heated windscreens for my Series One Landy. The club had them made to order from a company in Spain.