Fitting a heated windscreen?

For starters you're going to want a bigger alternator , & a bigger alternator loom, & bodge the idle speed up. By which point it's probably cheaper ^ easier to trade it in for one that's got it already.

DuncanWood ( snipped-for-privacy@dmx512.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

I'm not so sure on that. How much current is a heated screen likely to draw, anyway? It's hardly a pair of jump leads going to the damn thing.

I don't think that's in doubt.

The message from Adrian contains these words:

I think they're at least a couple of hundred watts, but I could be wrong.

Looks like 2 x10mm2 feeds on the Sierra. & the heated window ones all get a bigger alternator.

DuncanWood ( snipped-for-privacy@dmx512.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Bloody 'ell.

No wonder.

Mark - simple choice - trade it in or live with it.

How good are these heated screens, anyway? If they're "all that", why has nobody but Ford used 'em? Patents? I can't believe Ford wouldn't licence the technology.

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian saying something like:

They're hardly new, afair Saabs have had them for years. Retrofits are available for all manner of cars also.

Grimly Curmudgeon ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Seriously?

Electric heated windscreens? The Ford "QuickClear" type?

I've never heard of them on anything bar Fords (and Ford group stuff).

They are *very* good!

I have read in the past that the patent was held originally by Jaguar, and was one of the reasons Ford bought into them. I can't find any reference to that now however.

I believe the current drawn is nearly 70 Amps. That is certainly heavy enough to make the installation far from simple. As well as raising the idle speed, the relay for the front screen will only operate when the engine is actually running. (As opposed to just with the ignition on).

I also seem to remember that the relay will be switched off if the ECU sees system voltage go too low. It's possible that some precautions are also taken to deal with the voltage spike generated when the screen is switched off with the alternator at full output.

All in all, I don't think it would be a sensible retro-fit.

Chris.

Ithink they've licenced it to Mercedes.

That's what batteries are for :-)

Speaking to salesman at Volvo dealership last week, I asked if the S60's were available with heated screens of some sort- he said no, Ford would not even let Volvo use the patent, so I very much doubt any other manurfacturer is going to either!

Tim..

true

it's a big draw, and it goes off after 4 minutes to stop everything from frying itself

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian saying something like:

There's a mob selling heated windscreens for various cars; was mentioned in the Scim group a couple of months ago and I went for a look at their site (although I unremember the name of them). The prices weren't too bad and they covered a lot of models. I don't know about it being a 'QuickClear' type though.

Hi there,

Hi there,

I have a fiesta MK4 '96 Ghia. It has a heated front windscreen. Now with it being the autumn months I am having to use my rear and front windscreen heaters.

However I don't think my front is working, I never see an effect from it unlike the back. So I've checked the haynes manual and checked the fuse, which happens to be fine.

Ok so, how do I actually check that the front heated screen isn't working, and if it isn't, what could the problem be?

And I assume the front and rear work on the same switch, because I only have one...

-------------

I now know there are supposed to be two switches.

Well, i've just had a really good investigation and...

There is no front window switch, there is no wiring to the switch, all there is are the connector tags to the front heated screen!!

This is a Ghia model, which is supposed to have a heated front screen? Well the screen is heated, there's just absolutly no circuitry to the screen!!

How can i fix this?

Cheers!!!

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com

Hi there,

I have a fiesta MK4 '96 Ghia. It has a heated front windscreen. Now with it being the autumn months I am having to use my rear and front windscreen heaters.

However I don't think my front is working, I never see an effect from it unlike the back. So I've checked the haynes manual and checked the fuse, which happens to be fine.

Ok so, how do I actually check that the front heated screen isn't working, and if it isn't, what could the problem be?

And I assume the front and rear work on the same switch, because I only have one...

-------------

I now know there are supposed to be two switches.

Well, i've just had a really good investigation and...

There is no front window switch, there is no wiring to the switch, all there is are the connector tags to the front heated screen!!

This is a Ghia model, which is supposed to have a heated front screen? Well the screen is heated, there's just absolutly no circuitry to the screen!!

How can i fix this?

fit the loom :) simple enough :) follow the thread from the beginning and it's all there :)

Cheapest will be a trip to the scrapyard & buy the loom.

Hi dojj, you sound like a knowledgable guy.

I phoned Fords and they quoted £200 for the loom?!!! I see you have a sierra loom for sale, will this work in my MK4? If so mate I'll take it :)

Let me know please, thanks :)

I got the loom don't know if it will fit into the plug in the back of your switch though (they normally do and from 87 to 93 the back of the switch was the same plug even if they changed the face and shape of the front of the switch £20 is all it takes (I'll even post it for that and you get the relay's AND fitting instructions "connect the batter to one end, plug it into the switch on the other, find the ecu plug and fit the spare plug in that loom" with it and job done :) )

Ok mate sounds good :)

Contact me on snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com and we'll sort it out.

Cheers :)