Heated windscreen wipers on new models

[mdunc]

I've had this sort of system on various Subaru over the years. Certainly helps accelerate screen defrost, especially if you haven't or can't preheat the cabin.

Also helps in deep frosts where wipers can freeze to screen and be damaged if operated while frozen to the screen.

In the UK, for most people, for most of the time the benefit will be speeding up screen defrost where you have not been able to pre heat the cabin or have only limited preheat time, such as having forgotten or for whatever reason the preheat didn't happen.

It's proved useful in the past, particularly when I lived in the Scottish Highlands.

 

[Zakalwe]

A heater for the washer jets and associated plumbing would be better. Once the pipes freeze then they stay frozen for ages. Unlike an ICE there is no source of tonnes of waste heat under the bonnet to thaw the washers out.
I drove for 30 miles this morning with no washers....low sun and a messy screen wasn't a good combination at all.

 

[Mr H]

Why is China getting all the upgrades first? Seems like more development is happening there than in the US. I hope the US does not get passed up by China but it looks like that may be happening.

Just be grateful as the Chinese government are watching all MIC owners via the in car camera, this is why i drive around in one of these.....

 

[PITA]

When are they going to ship night-vision goggles so we can find the door handles?

Mine look like they've been groped at a dogging site

 

[MrT3]

Once the pipes freeze then they stay frozen for ages. Unlike an ICE there is no source of tonnes of waste heat under the bonnet to thaw the washers out.

yeah -20 deg. C screen wash undiluted is the best option for an EV in winter.

Time consuming getting diluted wash out of the system though in the M3 with it only squirting intermittently very few seconds.

 

[Mr H]

Mine look like they've been groped at a dogging site

hmmmm you know how that looks then..........

 

[PITA]

hmmmm you know how that looks then..........

My imagination has no limits ...

 

[exlatccatsa]

yeah -20 deg. C screen wash undiluted is the best option for an EV in winter.

Time consuming getting diluted wash out of the system though in the M3 with it only squirting intermittently very few seconds.

I start putting neat or almost neat washer fluid in from about November and then start mixing in the water again from March/ April.
Lidl used to do some really great stuff which never froze but stopped doing it about 4 years ago.

 

[Fortudrew]

Any SR+ owner have the heated wipers? Or is it just LR and Perf? Just downloaded the latest update the other day expecting to have it, but it's not listed so I'm guessing not.

 

[MrT3]

Any SR+ owner have the heated wipers? Or is it just LR and Perf? Just downloaded the latest update the other day expecting to have it, but it's not listed so I'm guessing not.

I don’t think we have had any RWD vehicles delivered in Q1 yet to confirm. it’s only 2022 vehicles that have the heating elements on the windscreen - at lease for China built vehicles.

 

[Adopado]

Any SR+ owner have the heated wipers? Or is it just LR and Perf? Just downloaded the latest update the other day expecting to have it, but it's not listed so I'm guessing not.

I don't think you can grow heating elements via a software update

 

[mitpianoman]

A reddit thread guided me to look for the heating elements attached to the windshield area near the firewall under the top panel of the frunk. I took a couple pics, including some zoomed out more to help others locate this. FYI my manufacture date is Jan 22 '22 (Fremont) vin 161xxx.