LukeUK
Member
Climate control had been on for 30 mins or so, it was toasty warm, once we actually got inside!
I'll be turning it on earlier if it's as cold tomorrow morning.
I'll be turning it on earlier if it's as cold tomorrow morning.
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Winter is coming
- Thread starter MrBadger
- Start date
And if prevention or giving it a judicious thump doesn't work use an old style hot water bottle held against the handle area for a minute. It only tends to happen with a relatively unusual combination of rain quickly followed by a freeze.
That may be so, but the 2017 Evoque I drive (until 10th December) has such a device. I don’t like the reflections from the filaments either.
SpareHeadOne
Member
Patent expired about eight or nine years ago, which is why you're starting to see it on some non-Ford vehicles now.
There are two problems for putting it in a Tesla. First it has a high current draw, so much that ICE vehicles will only let it operate when the engine is running - not particularly good on an EV. Second, the shape of the windscreen would make manufacturing extremely difficult.
There's also a third reason: The system was never popular in the States, so very few vehicles actually have it; Tesla seem to have a problem with considering non-US market requirements (although that's a more general problem for US-centric manufacturers anyway I think).
Before electric cars enabling pre heating in winter. I have for many years used a jug of warm water over all the windows, lights and door seals/handles to remove morning frost.
As long as you dont use boiling water, there is no risk of damage
I can completely de-ice a whole car in less than a minute
SpareHeadOne
Member
Rear screen typically 12A up to 15A depending on temperature. Front screen 20A up to 23A depending on temperature and don't forget you will often run both at the same time.
Tesla have already had problems with the 12V battery getting killed by their standard electronics, so while these are trivial numbers for the main battery it's a load that the 12V could do without right now. If enough customers ask for it I'm sure it's something they could provide, I just doubt it was a priority - much like the heated steering wheel on the M3/Y.
Glan gluaisne
Active Member
Resting a bare buttock on the handle might work but could amuse/startle those nearby
Visions of it being so cold that someone's bare backside got stuck on the frozen door . . .
The Model 3 12 V DC-DC converter can reputedly deliver up to 200 A, and as the main contactor will be closed, so that DC-DC converter will be running, whenever the car is awake, it shouldn't be a problem to deliver ~250 W or so to an electric front screen, at the same time as running the rear screen heater.
Most aircraft (at least larger types) have heated screens, have had for years. They use laminated glass, with very fine wires embedded in the plastic laminate between the two sheets of glass. The main problem for cars, and the one Ford overcame with their patent for their thin metal oxide coating system, is that using such very fine wire means the resistance of the element is high. Not a problem on aircraft, as heated screens are pretty much always powered off the 115V 400Hz supply, rather than the 28 V DC supply.
I'm pretty sure other cars have since used the Ford system, as the Land Rover my brother owned a few years ago had what seemed to be a thin film heated screen, with no visible wires, which suggests it was using a similar metal oxide film system to Ford.
Reportedly in the Antarctic survival manual, pouring a warm liquid over the frozen part bonded to cold metal will release it. Generally when out and about in sub-zero temperatures, urine may be the only conveniently available warm liquid. If you get both of your hands frozen to metal, that's when you find out who your friends are
In the instant conundrum, if your backside is frozen to the door handle, there are certainly geometric problems - but at least both hands will be free. But friend identification may still be required
SpareHeadOne
Member
We seem to have got tangled somewhere, I never said it was impossible, I said it was likely to be one of the problems they would have to resolve along with the shape of the windscreen probably making manufacture difficult and they may not have seen much demand anyway because they have not been popular in the States.
Glan gluaisne
Active Member
Not sure the shape of the screen matters, as the technology used, thin film metal oxide sputtering, could be applied to pretty much any shape, I believe. I'm not sure where the GPS antenna is, but if that's located somewhere where it needs a sky view through the windscreen that might be an issue, as this sort of screen heating blocks RF a fair bit. Other than that, I suspect it may just be that demand isn't there for screen heating, although I'm a bit surprised by this, as it is a really quick and effective way to defrost/demist a windscreen.
SpareHeadOne
Member
According to a thread on this very forum it's in the same pod as the front camera: 2019 Model 3 GPS Antenna
I guess there's no real reason to take any heating element all the way up the screen, I think we're coming down to the most likely reason being lack of demand in their home market.
It's not like they didn't add stuff once they started selling MS and MY outside of the US, so it could come in future I guess.
I guess there's no real reason to take any heating element all the way up the screen, I think we're coming down to the most likely reason being lack of demand in their home market.
It's not like they didn't add stuff once they started selling MS and MY outside of the US, so it could come in future I guess.
The Declarations of Conformity list the locations of each RF device antenna. They back this up. For the Model 3, GNSS is listed as being located "Between windshield and rear view mirror"
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I had a Renault Laguna about 10 years ago with a heated front windscreen - fantastic. You didn't really notice the heating elements.
They apparently are more likely to crack when hit by a stone and are quite expensive to replace. I can't vouch for the expense since I only paid the windscreen excess which wasn't much but in 3 years we had 2 replacements. Nevertheless if it came up as an option on any future car purchase I wouldn't hesitate to tick that box!
They apparently are more likely to crack when hit by a stone and are quite expensive to replace. I can't vouch for the expense since I only paid the windscreen excess which wasn't much but in 3 years we had 2 replacements. Nevertheless if it came up as an option on any future car purchase I wouldn't hesitate to tick that box!
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