Heated Screen - Does it exist?

James35i

James35i

Member
I picked up my Z4 over the summer, so this is my first time dealing with frosty mornings in it. Today, I headed out for my commute and found the front windscreen iced over. I jumped in, cranked everything up to full blast, and then realized… it doesn’t seem to have a heated front screen?

It’s got heated seats, steering wheel, mirrors, rear window, and even the washer jets, but apparently not the windscreen. Was that ever an option on these cars?

The reason I ask is because the 2003 Mini Cooper S I had before had a heated windscreen and that was also made by BMW. :LOL:
 
Heated front screen as in an embedded element? Nope.

You can heat it by blowing air over it, but that's all that was ever offered for the z4.
 
Because the patent was owned by Ford (no longer though), any other manufacturer that wanted to use it would have to have paid the royalty for that.
 
My wife has it on her ford focus, it's brilliant. On the E85 there is a button that wacks out a powerful blast to the screen, works really well. (y) E89 has it also?
 
I'm not sure the royalty was a big issue if BMW were willing to pay it so Minis could have one. A heated windscreen was one of the options Mrs Tidy ticked for her 2006 Mini Cooper.

It was a handy feature on the 1985 Ford Scorpio I had.
 
MikeyH said:
My wife has it on her ford focus, it's brilliant. On the E85 there is a button that wacks out a powerful blast to the screen, works really well. (y) E89 has it also?
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This morning was super frosty, and to be fair, the powerful blast did clear the screen in 5 minutes, if that. It's just interesting that it was never an option on these cars.
 
Mr Tidy said:
I'm not sure the royalty was a big issue if BMW were willing to pay it so Minis could have one. A heated windscreen was one of the options Mrs Tidy ticked for her 2006 Mini Cooper.

It was a handy feature on the 1985 Ford Scorpio I had.
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That's what I find so odd. Perhaps Ford bumped up their royalty cost later down the line? It was ace on my Mini, although at one point the passenger side of the screen stopped working, so only half the screen would melt. :ROFLMAO:
 
I've only seen it on Jag + Range Rover both art of Ford group in the past. When I lived in north Germany it was brilliant and Rangie's are the mutts for waking up with 2 foot of snow.

I'd love a heated wheel was that ever a thing with BMW?
 
Bouliebout said:
I've only seen it on Jag + Range Rover both art of Ford group in the past. When I lived in north Germany it was brilliant and Rangie's are the mutts for waking up with 2 foot of snow.

I'd love a heated wheel was that ever a thing with BMW?
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Yup, got one on my E89. Didn't even realise for the first week. Used it once. Seemed pretty pointless tbh.
 
Bouliebout said:
I've only seen it on Jag + Range Rover both art of Ford group in the past. When I lived in north Germany it was brilliant and Rangie's are the mutts for waking up with 2 foot of snow.

I'd love a heated wheel was that ever a thing with BMW?
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I have a heated wheel on mine, and I've used it pretty much every day for the last month or so. By the time the revs have dropped after start-up, and I'm ready to start moving, the wheel is beginning to get toasty. I love it.
 
James35i said:
I have a heated wheel on mine, and I've used it pretty much every day for the last month or so. By the time the revs have dropped after start-up, and I'm ready to start moving, the wheel is beginning to get toasty. I love it.
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I accept it's each to their own. Personally I found it just made the backs of my hands feel colder. If I direct the vents at them they don't clear the side windows.
 
First world problems…I only find my hands are cold on really cold days with roof down ..say below 5c…

Of course with the roof down you don’t need to de-mist anything …so directed vents on pinkies works nicely…

FWIW I did have a heated steering wheel on this 35is but was never a great fan..threw it away to have my Audi-esque flat bottomed Royal steering wheel..
 
enuff_zed said:
Yup, got one on my E89. Didn't even realise for the first week. Used it once. Seemed pretty pointless tbh.
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As someone with Raynaud's, having a heated steering wheel is the difference between me having dexterity (and massive pain) or not, after dealing with de-icing a cold car. They definitely have their uses!
 
TriggerFish said:
As someone with Raynaud's, having a heated steering wheel is the difference between me having dexterity (and massive pain) or not, after dealing with de-icing a cold car. They definitely have their uses!
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That's a fair point.
Funnily enough, I was going to reply to Peter's comment about not having to demist windows with the roof down. I have tinnitus induced by sitting under Tornados with engines running. I find with the roof and windows down, the wind noise is exactly the right pitch to make my head vibrate!! So windows up for me. Yet, the E85? No such problem. Very strange.
 
enuff_zed said:
That's a fair point.
Funnily enough, I was going to reply to Peter's comment about not having to demist windows with the roof down. I have tinnitus induced by sitting under Tornados with engines running. I find with the roof and windows down, the wind noise is exactly the right pitch to make my head vibrate!! So windows up for me. Yet, the E85? No such problem. Very strange.
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Time for an ‘old duffer’ version of the E89..I can see the spec developing!🤔😳🙈🫡😂
 
MikeyH said:
Gloves?
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Honestly, not with Raynaud's, no. I can wear three layers of gloves (liners, and then dual layer ski gloves) and still get hand pain/cold - just by walking around outside in the cold. I suspect others with it are the same.

Before Covid, I used to cycle from the train station to my office - about 2 miles. Even with two pairs of gloves (any more and I'd lose dexterity for brakes/gears) once I'd get to the office my hands would be in pain and I'd struggle to type accurately for up to an hour.

If, at the end of the day, I was then able to get into a car with a heated steering wheel to get home from the train station - it'd have been amazing for revitalising my hands! As it is, I've since bought a large heated desk mat/mouse pad, and run that all day during the winter, otherwise I lose heat/feeling in my hands just by having them on the desk for typing - despite the house being warm.
 
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