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Seriously. I've never heard of a car having that but I believe they exist, and I'd want one if I lived in Chicago and parked on the street like my daughter does .
Seriously. I've never heard of a car having that but I believe they exist, and I'd want one if I lived in Chicago and parked on the street like my daughter does .
Ford was actually putting them in cars as early as 1990. A friend had a 1990 Taurus with the "Instaclear Windshield Package" and whenthe windshield needed replacing 14 years later there was not one to be found. Ford stopped producing them in the late 90's for that model and none of the aftermarket places had a heated version to replace it with so he has lost the functionality in his car. He told me it was something like a $1500 option at the time of purchase.
It is now 20 model years later, the rest of the world seems to be ale to have them in there MINI so why can the US version not have the.
The technology is there. Other companies offer it. It is a great safety feature. So why MINI USA can we not get them?
Of course none of us here can answer that question but if we all write letters maybe we can get this changed for future cars.
And from what I have been able to find out it is not available in the USA. It is available in Canada though.
US dealers are not allowed to order this part. I just checked with three different dealerships. All of the parts departments stated it is a valid part number but can not be ordered or shipped to the USA. This baffles my mind as to why.
US dealers have to get everything through MINIUSA, who decides what goes into the US parts catalog. For whatever reason MINIUSA doesn't allow ordering parts not in their catalog.
However, you can obtain parts from aftermarket vendors. I've purchased Euro parts through newministuff.com and minigenuineparts.co.uk. For the heated windshield parts, Canadian dealers probably aren't allowed to ship outside Canada, but a Canadian aftermarket vendor should be able to handle it for you.
My Range Rover has it and it is the greatest. It make more sense to heat the front than the back. Even when it is fogged up inside it clears faster than the air heater can. Here is a picture of the micro elements in the windshield.
Since all the talk in this thread about the electrically heated windshield, I want to get mine replaced so all of it works. The huge crack I have from the rocks they put on the road in the winter has stopped parts of it working. :(
I saw one of these heated windshields on a MINI Coupe S of all cars... I found it very distracting, but the car was inside of a tent that had plastic windows, so everything looked hazy.
I will definitely have to test drive a car with this option and maybe try it at night as well... It's only a CAD$190 option from the factory here in Canada on a 2012 JCW.
I have the heating elements in my 2008 MCS, but a fake button where the actual button should be. It's kind of lame if I have the windshield, but cannot use it.
I have the heating elements in my 2008 MCS, but a fake button where the actual button should be. It's kind of lame if I have the windshield, but cannot use it.
I also suspect it to be blocking my EZ-Pass.
That is odd - did you car have the windshield replaced with the incorrect type?
I wonder if those elements block GPS signals? I suspect since I will have the moonroof I won't have too many issues with my iPhone4 GPS reception...
I test drove a Cooper S with the heated windshield elements and I noticed the lines at first but after a little while it wasn't an issue.
I'm the second owner and only purchased the car a little over a week ago, so I cannot be sure. I highly doubt it, though - I'm pretty sure that it came this way.
My roommate, who is an RF engineer, was explaining to me the size of the waves vs. the distance between the elements, can cause the waves will to be blocked (or something like that).
GPS uses multiple satellites, so even if it is blocked, another satellite can pick up the unit.
I just purchased a used 2010 MCS Mayfair with the heated windshield but no button. Dealer just told me it must have been replaced and they have never seen heated windshields before. The dealer cited lack of Mini logo on the windshield.
My car also has the auto wipers with the sensor behind the rearview mirror. I'm wondering if the windshield was replaced and they only had the base windshield and one with "all the features" in stock.
Reason for my inquire is that there is windnoise from the windshield, which could mean it has been improperly replaced, but I'm not buying lack of Mini logo as the determining factor of replaced or factory.
Can anyone tell me if there is a Mini logo on the LH lower corner of their heated windshield?
I went in to the glass place to talk about getting my windshielld replaced and said I want a PPG exact replacement. He had to go directly to the PPG site, as his normal sites only had Pilkington, but he asked "heated or not" so it's available in the US as an aftermarket.
Sorry to resurrect and old thread. Had to get my windscreen replaced, and everywhere I went for quote said they could order the one with heating elements. It was $400 for the windscreen with the elements and rain sensor.
I think I am going to undertake this retrofit in the near future. I need to do some investigation to see if the connectors are there and if so, do I have the necessary relays and such.
Let us know how it goes. I think it is sad that the option is available for the same car, but not provided just because you live in a different country.
Interesting to find out if the wiring exist and if it needs programming to work.
Had my countryman S for a week and the windshield cracked. The replacement OEM from Mini with rain sensor comes with the heating element installed. BMW only replaces the windshield with this option according to my glass installer. Can't order anything else because they only want two skews it seems like. Installer said I only need the harness, button and fuse and it will a heated windshield.
I have gathered all the parts and I'll be converting my car to a heated windshield. Naturally that depends on something taking out my windshield naturally. This time will be my forth windshield, so if I am doing another one, its going to be the heated glass. I bought the control head with the heated button from someone in England. If the provisions are not in the car for the relays or the the heated glass connectors, I will improvise and add them, then recode the car for having the heated glass.
I have gathered all the parts and I'll be converting my car to a heated windshield. Naturally that depends on something taking out my windshield naturally. This time will be my forth windshield, so if I am doing another one, its going to be the heated glass. I bought the control head with the heated button from someone in England. If the provisions are not in the car for the relays or the the heated glass connectors, I will improvise and add them, then recode the car for having the heated glass.
Resurrection... Will be replacing my windshield on my 2011 R56.
Here's a Pic (below) of the heated glass, PN:51312753976
Shows what looks like 4 connectors on it.
Looks like it is available in the USA for sub $400?
Wondering if it just needs to have 12V, or another voltage...or current limiter applied to the connectors... and just wire in a quality on/off switch for old-school manual activation using quality connectors??
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