Jasper moore
New Member
My heated windscreen only partially works. Can I get this fixed. Is it expensive or could I do it myself.
Shimsteriom
Master Procrastinator
Welcome 
Jasper moore
New Member
Thank you.
Major Eazy
Active Member
I got similar problem, I asked at a Land Rover specialist garage about a year ago, I forgot what they said should be done, but it sounds like a garage job and expensive, not something you could fix at home.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
You need a replacement windscreen. It's thin wires in glass, so no way to fix it.
I had mine replaced by the insurance company, when it got damaged by a flying stone.
Major Eazy
Active Member
You need a replacement windscreen. It's thin wires in glass, so no way to fix it.
I had mine replaced by the insurance company, when it got damaged by a flying stone.
Oh, so that's what the independent Land Rover specialist garage was explain to me. So it's actually replacing the whole windscreen? I remember the garage saying something about removing the windscreen, but I assumed, remove it, fix heater, replace windscreen.
By the way, if there are thin wires in the glass, how come we don't see them?
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
If it's got a heated front screen, then there's no way to fix it if it's faulty, you just replace it.
If they were talking about the vehicle heater, there's no need to remove the glass. So I assume they're talking about the heated front screen.
They're very visible, it's just something you learn to ignore.
The heater element look like wiggly vertical lines buried in the glass.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
That's correct. The LH and RH are split into two separate circuits. This is to spread the electrical load, meaning smaller (and cheaper) feed wires. Also the ground points are separated too, normally grounding right by the bottom of the glass.
A HFS is invaluable at this time of year.!
norseman
Well-Known Member
Can never understand why HFS are not at the very least on the options list for all vehicles.
It seems bizarre to me HRS have been standard for decades, but isn't it more important to see where you are going rather than where you've been … unless you are a politician of course, in which case that scenario is ideal
It seems bizarre to me HRS have been standard for decades, but isn't it more important to see where you are going rather than where you've been … unless you are a politician of course, in which case that scenario is ideal
Hippo
Lord Hippo
We have had the heater bowers to help clear the front windscreen. Heated front screen is a faster luxury. Same as electric heaters to speed up the blowers getting warm without the need for the engine coolant to warm up. Where eggstra bits are needed it costs more to produce. So it's standard on higher spec models. Optional on others to keep the price down. On a safety its similar to mud flaps. A safety feature to reduce spray so should be fitted as standard but they don't.Can never understand why HFS are not at the very least on the options list for all vehicles.
It seems bizarre to me HRS have been standard for decades, but isn't it more important to see where you are going rather than where you've been … unless you are a politician of course, in which case that scenario is ideal
Major Eazy
Active Member
Well I can't see any wiggly vertical lines buried in the glass.
Anyway. Here's how I would describe the problem with mine. Front windscreen is either fogged up with mist or frozen up with thin icing on the outside. I get in car, turn engine on, turn the heating to hot, and to full power. I press the front window heater switch and a little LED light comes on. Give it a moment.
It would look like a lot of the window cleared up, but part of the window seems to be taking ages to clear up, mainly in front of me. It would look like as if someone used a cloth and cleaned up half of inside the window. It looked like a wide vertical strip of mist. Looking like: [____¦¦¦¦_¦¦_]
[ ] ends of the windscreen, ¦¦¦ area of mist/icing.
UPDATE: This website's forum is one of those that seems to mess up how many space bars we used, so going to try to edit it.
Okay, try this, [______] is the side ends and the bottom edge of the windscreen
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
If it's a heated front screen, then the wiggly heating elements are visible.
A heated screen button is on fitted with a heated front screen.
This is what a couple of minutes of HFS use is like on a frosted screen.
Major Eazy
Active Member
Mine is 2005 Freelander TD4 SE model. It does have a front window heater button, and it does have heated seats. Even if I still can't see those "wiggly vertical lines buried in the glass" I'll take your word for it. See attached photo showing the buttons, I assume this button imply the kind of heating system you're talking about?
Taking your above photo as an example, this does more or less what it looks like on mine, usually the still misted up part (the part just to the right of the centre of the window) is usually more in front of my driving seat. Usually I would turn on the front windscreen heater, wait a moment, but the area in front of me is still misted up or iced on the outside, by the time the rest of the window is clear. I figure if the rest of the window normally gets clear that quick, surely the part of the window right in front of me should also clear quick too, but if it is taking much longer than the rest of the window, then I thought there may be something wrong with the heating. At that time, I'm still inexperienced with the Freelander, still learning about Freelander, so I have no idea how it heats up and clear the windscreen.
You said your photo shows what a couple of minutes would look like, well in a couple of minutes, the rest of the window would look like your photo, but the area in front of the driver's seat would still look like it hadn't even started and still got a long way to go.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Yes it's got a heated front screen.
Ironically, I put my HFS on for the first time this year, as I've just put my SE back into use, and guess what? There's a larger section right in front of the steering wheel which isn't heating.
So looking like I'm going to need a replacement screen in the new year myself.
Major Eazy
Active Member
Yes it's got a heated front screen.
Ironically, I put my HFS on for the first time this year, as I've just put my SE back into use, and guess what? There's a larger section right in front of the steering wheel which isn't heating.
So looking like I'm going to need a replacement screen in the new year myself.
You too..?
Oh well, so it is a case of replacing the whole windscreen!
How much do those usually costs?
In the meanwhile, I usually use the hot water bottle trick.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately.
Yes, unfortunately it needs a replacement screen.
My last one cost me a £75 insurance excess.
