windscreen electric heaters

[brightspark]

with that advice why do you need a screen heater?

because when its damp in the cab the 1st 15 minutes driving the inner screen mists up and it ****** me off not having full vision and a clear screen

 

[Parm]

because when its damp in the cab the 1st 15 minutes driving the inner screen mists up and it ****** me off not having full vision and a clear screen

Why is it damp in your van? Modern heaters are quite good

 

[brightspark]

Why is it damp in your van? Modern heaters are quite good

makes no odds when your clothes are wet and you get in it steams up. unless the heater is fully warm

 

[Parm]

makes no odds when your clothes are wet and you get in it steams up. unless the heater is fully warm

I get the steaming up issue but it only takes a minute or two to clear.

id be looking at water leak as it’s not normall for 15 min clearance

 

[knighty]

got to open your window, I get in wet a lot too, transit heaters are surprisingly good, sprinters are good but not quite as good

when you're wet the air from the heater dries you... and puts all that moisture into the air / onto the screen :-)

 

[bricol]

CBA waiting for cars to defrost.

Fill kettle from hot tap, just cool enough to put your hand in is about right.
Pour over windscreen.
Start it up and put wipers on intermittent, to clear the water off before it can freeze again.
Put kettle away, turn wipers off, go. The heat is just enough to clear any condensation from the inside, then the aircon stops any more from forming.

Works for me. All done in less than a minute. Every time I mention this I get dire warnings of how it'll crack the screen, break the bonding, etc. Not happened so far over 10+ years and four different cars. YMMV.

Doesn't work quite so well when its colder - intermittent smears a trace of water back over and it freezes . . . bang 'em on, enough sweeps to clear, then off. Leave 'em on too long, and its back in for some more water.

 

[bricol]

When you come out to a rental car in Denmark or Finland . . . unstick the door, get into to fire it up . . . finally get folding key unfolded and in the ignition in your stupidly thick gloves . . . get out, scrap the ice and snow off the outside of the windscreen . . which appears to be made of bathroom privacy glass. . . get back in to find the heater is not making much of an impression on the 1/8" thick ice on the inside . . .

Rental car renters in Scandinavia must empty a bucket of water in the carpet when they return it, to hack off the next renter, or something . . . but probably more to do with not enough snow brushed or bashed off clothes and shoes.

 

[bricol]

makes no odds when your clothes are wet and you get in it steams up. unless the heater is fully warm

When you brake or turn - and all the cold, damp air in the back carries on travelling in the original direction and washes over you . . . brrrrrrr

 

[bricol]

because when its damp in the cab the 1st 15 minutes driving the inner screen mists up and it ****** me off not having full vision and a clear screen

Might be worth a quick check of he drain holes in the scuttle and in the heater air inlet - had a couple of cars that held water in those areas due to leaf mould etc blocking the drains. Clue in my Alfa 75 was the sound of water hitting fan blades as I went around a corner, followed by instant misting up.

 

[PhillipM]

You don't even need warm water, straight from the tap is usually enough at 8-10c.

I hate leaving cars idling to defrost, most of the wear and tear on cam lobe noses happens when cold idling, it's one of the hardest conditions for engine wear.

 

[zeppelin builder]

my old e39 530d had a webasto block heater to aid warm up they could be configured to be operated from a fob like the models for cold climates
it lives under the n/s wing cover
they are plumbed into the coolant

 

[zeppelin builder]

i take it was a "morris piper "
as used by a "few kerrs pinks" on there transits

 

[Melvyn Best]

makes no odds when your clothes are wet and you get in it steams up. unless the heater is fully warm

Use the AC !!it works as a dehumidifier

 

[Edward Teach]

I make my own de Icer

methanol diluted to 10% in a pump up garden sprayer. It the same formation as the stuff in cans. The eco mentalists will be happy as there are no propellant gasses

This makes me Laugh Out Loud every year,
All of the neighbours, out scraping, squirting, to clear their windscreens,
Me !
I just fill my watering can with lukewarm water,
Clearing my windscreen, side windows, mirrors, headlights even,
And as a bonus, it defrosts the inside of the windscreen as well,
I've lived here 20 years, and no one else will adopt it

 

[Fastdruid]

like others have mentioned could be the heater matrix
don’t suppose you have any damp in your passenger footwell?

it’s a bastard of a job though as i’m sure you know

it’s like car manufacturers start with the heater matrix and build the car around that

did it on my 306

View attachment 322640 View attachment 322641 View attachment 322642

Looks easier than the Mondeo at least. I once had some water in the drivers footwell coming from the heater area which needed investigation and so bought a HBoL to read up on how to gain access to the heater matrix (in case it was coolant) and it was this short list of jobs...

1) Drain coolant
2) Drain aircon
3) Remove centre console
4) Remove steering column
5) Remove facia (Dashboard) first removing everything in it
6) Remove both front doors (!!)
7) Remove windscreen wiper motor
8) Remove facia cross-member.
9) Remove air distribution unit.
10) Dismantle air distribution unit to access heater matrix.

Thankfully didn't need to do any of that as it turned out to be a blocked AC drain!

 

[Parm]

Another thing is the bulkhead blanking plug when the steering is on the other side.

Happened to me. Was a simple fix but required lots of interior trim to be removed

 

[rtcosic]

Just came across these auxiliary electric heaters from diesel Fords. Intended for heat and demist whilst the diesel slowly warms up:

Ford S-Max 06-10 Heater Matrix 6G9118K463DA 2.0 TDCi |Ref.1374 69118463 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Ford S-Max 06-10 Heater Matrix 6G9118K463DA 2.0 TDCi |Ref.1374 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

I didn't know these existed let alone were an OEM factory fit.

 

[octo0072000]

Is idling illegal?​

Leaving an engine idling is an offence under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The Act enforces rule 123 of the Highway Code, which states, “You must not leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while the vehicle is stationary on a public road.”


Section 98 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986/1078 requires a driver to stop the engine of a vehicle when it is stationary so far as is necessary to prevent noise or exhaust emissions, unless the vehicle is stationary because of traffic. Section 107 of the same regulations prohibits a person from leaving a vehicle unattended unless the engine is stopped.

If drivers are breach for reasons outside those stated above, is is consideredan offence under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 which can be punished by a fine of £2,500 if the vehicle is a goods vehicle or adapted to carry more than 8 passengers, or £1,000 otherwise (see Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 section 33 and Part I of Schedule 2 to that act).

that will not work well for anything that uses a PTO to deliver like bin wagons, car transporters, hiabs, lowloaders etc

 

[Parm]

that will not work well for anything that uses a PTO to deliver like bin wagons, car transporters, hiabs, lowloaders etc

The magic here will be the definition of "Unnecessarily"

 

[bricol]

The magic here will be the definition of "Unnecessarily"

Serious punishment if you don't have a good excuse though . ..

Enforcement by execution​