I have the heated windshield on my XE and the outside surface is very rough. I can't even drag a micro fiber towel across it without it sticking. I tried a Nano Mitt medium over it and it made no difference. This is the only window on the car that has this rough surface. Car as 3K miles on it.

Anyone else in a similar situation? Is this a defect? Seems like it to me.

 

Nobody has this issue or even noticed it? My Range Rover had a heated windshield yet the exterior surface was smooth.

 

I've got the heated windshield as well - never noticed but never paid attention either so I will check mine later this afternoon and let you know

 

I will also check mine after work. I have cleaned it several times and have not noticed anything.

However, under the right sunlight, you can definitely see that the windshield has some "stuff" in it. Vertical dotted lines of some sort.

 

The only way I can clean the front of the windshield is with a squeegee or I get lint stuck. I normally use a squeegee inside and out, but even blotting any water to the windshield leaves material.

I tried to clean the debris with a medium grade Nano Skin mitt. Made no difference. I made an appointment with Sudbury Jaguar to look at it...

 

I didn't opt for the heated front windscreen, as I never needed it even in past tough snow/ice storms here in NY state... and I also heard one of the professional reviewers criticize the front heating element designs because some of the cause visibility challenges.

But I do know that a car maker does not want the exterior skin of a front windscreen to be rough or uneven. Wind drag, dirt accumulation, wiper performance, they'll all be detrimentally effected.
If you've used your heated windscreen already, you may have unknowingly driven through something that happily spread itself on your warm windscreen and now is stubborn to come off.

What does your county use on the streets to melt snow?

Here in NYC the traffic agencies have be "experimenting" with brine and beet juice (wha??!!) instead of rock salt. It takes 3 times as much wash water to clean the danged residue off your car---each time you think it's gone, you see and feel these tiny spikes re-crystalizing on the plastic trim, the rear window (hmm... that's heated), the tops of the headlamps (also a warm area). Like cactus thorns.
This is disgusting, because I know that same residue must be plating out underneath the car where I can't reach until Springtime.

This same stuff or something like it MAY be what you're struggling with on your heated glass.
Check the same areas on your car, that I've just mentioned on my car.
I'm curious.

 

It's been rough long before any snow or salt.

I don't find the lines for the heat to be a distraction.

 

Have you tried a degreaser first? Let it soak in and see if there is any effect? If there is a difference, then you know it's a contaminant on the glass and not a defect.

A mild glass polish like Griots MILD polish will also reveal whether you've got a problem with the windscreen or just a gross environmental situation on the glass.

Let us know how things go.

 

It does sound like something happened between Jaguar fitting that windscreen at the factory in Birmingham, UK, and you taking possession of it from your Jaguar dealer ! What's the paintwork on the roof like ?

 

I just checked mine and it is very smooth on the surface...

Yours might have something spilled on it or be defective from the factory which is unlikely.

 

The paintwork through out the car is fine. I can see tiny dots into the windshield through out it, This is where it must be dragging. No paint issues anywhere else. Not sure how this has happened... Car has 3K on it... No chips anywhere else.

 

Time to go back to the dealer. Windshields should be smooth, for many reasons, least of which is safety and visibility. It's not "as designed"; now, whether it is because the car was not prepped properly when it was unwrapped or there is a defect that wasn't caught...in a 40K+ dollar purchase, the retailer should be (and aye, there's the rub) more than anxious to rectify to your complete satisfaction. Worth a drive over there and a discussion with the Service Mgr to set things to right.

Just my $.02. for what it's worth.

 

I cancelled my appointment, but just drive over and have them look at it. I don't want to leave my car there for them to say "sorry" when they can do that in 5 seconds with me in front of them.

 

My concern with taking the problem right back to the dealership is this: The car is compiled of a myriad of exterior components, and between leaving a factory and reaching the owner, the market recognizes that "accidents" frequently occur that damages one of those exterior components. The dealership "remedies" any damage before it reaches you (paid for by that thing called "dealer prep fees" that you're charged for).
But the dealership isn't obligated to tell you what happened, or what he chose to replace the broken (glass maybe) with.
Before I'm ready to believe that Jaguar let a poor sheet of glass leave their quality-control factory,.. I am more willing to suspect something occurred under the dealership's possession, and the dealership tried to remedy it in a way that fouled your windscreen.
Under those conditions,... why would a dealership admit this to you?

Forgive my suspicion if you are lucky enough to have a good rapport with a good dealership. There are some great dealers out there who are fine credits to such a car as the Jaguar.

But if you don't have that kind of dealership, (here in NY/NJ that kind of dealer is hard to find) I would take the matter directly to Jaguar, so Jaguar can lead and oversee all your interaction with the dealership when fixing the problem. This way, the dealership is under pressure to be its utmost professional and helpful... because now they have no chance of concealing the issue from Jaguar, and know that Jaguar will be interviewing you about the results.

 

NewLester - you make some valid points. I have had issues with the local dealership. JLR NA and I have chatted a couple of times on this along with discussion with the dealership service manager. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt again and if they tell me to pound sand on my windshield, I'll go up the ladder.