Upgrading to a Heated Windshield
 

Hi

It looks like I am going to have to replace the windshield (or Windscreen in the UK) and I am thinking of upgrading it to a heated one.

1999 RHD Cabrio.

Having checked my Vehicle care handbook I think I only need to do the following (obviously + a new heated screan)

Relays: "Engine Compartment right hand side within bulkhead extention" (under cover). Add 2 number Brown Relays in the 2nd and 3rd Slots.

Fuses: " Engine Compartment Passenger Side- Within Bulkhead extention" Add 2 No 30a fuses in slots 15 and 17.

I believe that the heating elements should then work for 6 minutes when I use the front screen demist button.

I could also replace the switch strip on the dash with one that allows the front screen element to be controlled seperately.

My question is. has anyone done this before, is the wiring there, is there anything I have missed?

regards

Be aware that these screens are very expensive and cannot be repaired if you get even a small stone chip. As your car did not have one out of the factory, I doubt your insurance would cover you.

I recently had the entire heated screen on my 2009 Ford Transit van (same screen supplier as the Jag) replaced at a cost of over £1000 (!). It only had a miniscule chip in the bottom right-hand corner, but the filaments cannot be repaired individually. Fortunately, my insurance paid for 95% of the work.

OK the heated screen is in, the switches are in, the primary wiring is in, with the relays and loom donated from an XJ8, then modified.

I now need to get the signel to the relay from the AC moduele (purple and slate wire).

So two questions.

1) Does anyone know where this normally passes through the bulkhead into the engine bay? (So I can check if its there)

2) Where would be the best place to pass a wire from the cabin through the bulkhead into the engine bay? (RHD so relays next to the brake servo, under the cover, on the rear right of the engine bay).

regards

Frog

£405 quote for a heated screen, but a crack in the screen helped with the insurance.

By the way assume thats you in this months Jag World, I recognised the garage!

regards

The electrical diagrams will yield:

-- harness layout

-- connector locations

If you locate the relevant elements on the diagrams, the accompanying notes will have a callout for the connector. For this circuit it is likely a multiplug at the footwell. You can then see if the wires go all the way. It is likely because there is only one harness variant. That means the wire on the far side may just be tied away somewhere.

If it is not a multiplug, then it would have been a dedicated hole and grommet up in the corners under the windscreen. If you have those grommets, then all is good and you can just run it the same as the factory.

There's been a debate on XF section about the visibility of the wires in heated windscreens:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...dshield-83468/

I don't notice the wires in my XK8 nor in an earlier XJ6 fitted with one but some XF owners are getting very upset about them.

Be interesting to hear opinions from other XK8/XKR owners.

Graham

I don't notice the wires in my screen, but I put that down to old age and needing glasses for reading (there are some benefits with old age).

I remember thinking, the first time I took an XKR test drive back in the late 90's, I don't think I would like to have the heated screen - if it was an option!

Can you post pics the switch and the glass? thanks

The switch for the Heated Front Screen is in the Climate Control Switchpack:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...windscreen-jpg

You need to look very closely at the glass to see the heating element:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...eld-heated-jpg

Although the vertical lines of the heating element show in this pic, I cannot see them when driving.

Graham

And anyone who can see them while driving is not looking far enough down the road.

Focal distance and depth of field are the search terms for anyone curious enough to figure out why.

+1

But don't go telling the XF guys that or you'll get your head bitten off. :icon_lol:

Graham

Been there, done that, have the ban hammer cocked :D

UPDATE

As of 7pm my heated screen is working.:D

The purple and slate cable was definately not in the wiring loom.

So I cheated and took advantage of the fact that my car only has a standard stereo but does have the tweeter wiring from the centre consol to the doors. I wired the AC module control earth signal via the tweeter wiring into the drivers door, then following the route used by my Jagwrangler auto roof lowerer, routed the signel through the drivers wing and up into the relays next to the brake servo.

Now ready for UK winter motoring.

regards

This!

Keep us posted during the winter!

Always nice to see someone pursue improvement with an inventive mind rather than whinging about it not being "as original" or some such nonsense.

Hi smoggyx100.

Very nice and impressive modification. I think you will be very pleased with the new screen. I have the same in my X-type, and I have never used an ice scraper. It only takes from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes for the screen to clear depending on temperature and ice accumulation. As my XK8 is imported from southern US it does not have the heated version, and I am missing it.
I may try your mod, or I will install a block and cabin heater which I also have in my X-type, but then you are dependant on external electrical power.
I wish you good winter driving.:icon_snowman:

Plums and Oyster

Thanks for you support.

As it happened there was a decent frost the following morning and it cleared in around a minute. Well worth the effert.

Regards