How does one tell if the windshield is heated? 2008 Super V8. The manual seems to indicate that it is, but I can't tell by looking at it. Unfortunately I need to replace the windshield after a nasty stone hit that was already too big to fix and its now spread into a large crack. If it is heated, I want to go back with heated of course (assuming I can even find one - two places have already said they can only get non-heated and it's almost $1,000 for that!) Thanks for any input.

 

If you can't see the wires in the glass then it will not be heated.

My replacement screen is Chinese made and it has been fine.
$1000 is very very expensive and they are probably Chinese ones
that they fit
I claimed on my vehicle insurance for the new screen

 

The best way is to look at the defrost controls. All cars will have a button for rear window defrost. If there is only one button for demist, it will look like this:

Normal hot air defrost
In cars with navigation, the defrost button is in portrait rather than landscape as above. If there is a front heated screen, the button is divided in two vertically and the lower portion will have the logo as shown below.
If you have a heated windscreen, you will also have a button like this:

Heated front windscreen
My car does not have the facility for a heated windscreen as it does not have the heated front windscreen button. I did take a photo of the screen one day when the sun was at the right angle, that showed what looks like heating wires.

Heating wires?

My advice is to get the heated screen, if all other factors are equal. I'm not sure if my front screen has ever been replaced, or if it is the original fitment.

Pete M

 

1. Wires should be visible inside the windshield.
2. There are two buttons on the audio unit: defrost /air only/+ heating.
Definitely install heated windshield, even a substitute, it's a very good moment to do that, the wiring can be done later, it's not complicated. Replacing the audio unit would be good, but it is not necessary, it can be connected to the defrost button or driver seat heating button /not directly of course, it is supported by FEM/. If audio unit is replaced then new programming and car configuration should be done pointing screen heating.

 

Hi PeterX358,
Some markets do have two buttons as in my post above, but below is a pic of my car and you can see it only has one button, despite having wires in the windscreen. I would really like to think I can swap out the button, connect it up and have a working heated screen. Do you think that's possible?


Pete M

 

Hi Pete,
maybe for the Japanese market front and rear heated screens are operated via the same button. I do not see the sense in that, but do you have a possibility to check whether the front screen gets power and works?
I have a reserve unit and can check if it has two buttons and how they are installed on the weekend, unfortunately I am on a business trip right now.
Best regards,
Thomas

 

Thanks so much Pete. Pics are always helpful and apparently I do not have the heated windshield after all (no wires in glass and just the regular 'DEF' button. I may explore installing the heated windshield anyway and wiring it up later.

 

Hi Pete. I don't think so. Besides, there is no spare part like single AM ​​button, it is easier to buy a proper living used AM.

 

If you have not driven a car with a heated front windshield do so BEFORE installing one!
Many complaints especially at night from people who can see the wires and to some it's very bothersome.
.
.
.

 

Rather an exaggeration, you only see the wires when you look at them. I've had a few Fords with glass heated this way and that's why I wanted it in the Jaguar, it's just so helpful sometimes.

 

I agree for the most part. My Land Rover Discovery ('99 Series 2) has the heated windshield and I have never found it distracting. The Jag does not have the heated windshield after all, but I may still add it assuming I can even find one - so far no luck. I can get the non-heated one and I may have to go that route because I need it replaced sooner rather than later. The crack seem longer every morning.

 

Thanks, Thomas.
I checked my front fuse box today, and I have fuses 7 and 32, that control the heated windscreen (left and right) and heated wiper area. I also checked the output side of the fuses for resistance to ground. I have 1.6 and 1.8 ohms, which would equate to about 75 watts of power each. I don't think the screen is heated in response to the DEF button, as it doesn't clear quickly, but only in response to warm air from the aircon. I wonder if I inserted a switch to ground on the control wire to the fuse box that I could get a working heated screen. Looking forward to seeing how your reserve unit is wired.

Regards
Pete M

 

Would you mind elaborating how this is done please?

Also, how much should one pay attention to the product number of the AM?
Looking at eBay, it seems the product number has varying suffix while the unit itself looks physically still the same (same set of buttons, all with a CD-tray...)

 

I guess I wasn't very precise, I meant replacing the module with the screen with one that contains an additional button for electric heating, not a CD player below. Programming a new module, not an existing module, using SDD, providing the correct car specification, i.e. presence of electric windshield heating. It takes about 5 minutes. At the same time, you can change the RDS or region settings, e.g. for vehicles with a synthesis step from the USA, you can specify EU, then you can enjoy the full spectrum of stations in Europe. I don't think that module serial numbers are of any fundamental importance. It is important to recognize whether it is with or without video support and choose according to your own configuration. It's easy to see from the rear panel.

 

Nah, you were perfectly clear, sir.
I mentioned the CD as the first thing I was looking at when trying to understand why the product number varies. My apology for the confusion.

Ah SSD, I have heard of that before in other threads when wondering if I could teach my car to dip also the driver's wing mirror. (The answer was Yes.)
My understanding is that's something dealerships posses/does. I assume the cable is cheap, the software is not.

This part I don't understand. I know top-spec Jags did have TV-screens. I had no clue there was anything video-related in the head-unit.
So the important part is to check for the presence of a video input/output, and to make sure the back-end of the new head-unit is the same...?

 

Yap, they differ generally by monitor terminals on the back plate. I have both variants left /when I decided to upgrade the system, but gave up/, I would take photos, but they are in the attic, and now it's cold there, so I will take it in the spring ..... As for the mirrors, it's exactly the same, you have to use SDD to tell the car that it has folding mirrors. Before that, you need to replace the mirrors, harnesses and the control panel on the driver's door. This mod is not cheap if you have an X358, but mirrors for the 350 are much cheaper.

 

I meant the thing when the mirrors tilt down a bit when you put the car in R, so you can see the curbs better. (Currently only the passenger's wing mirror does that on my car.)

My mirrors do fold, I assumed that was standard on all x350/x358.

 

Oo, I see now, I've never heard that it is possible to program driver's mirror to tilt down.

 

check out the pdf in this post

 

I was wondering, let's say I purchase the heated windshield, where would I plug the wiring into? ...where would one find the sockets?
These two posts from the UK forum shed some light on that:
https://www.jaguarforum.com/threads/.../#post-1069769

and a follow-up: