Heated windscreen Option in New Q7

[san1234]

Hi All,
I have paid £700 for an option of Heated windscreen, however i cannot locate any instructions on that in the user manual.

In the Brochure it is listed as Code "4GR" with description "Heated windscreen – heated windscreen in insulating/acoustic glass, facilitates rapid defrosting and provides a condensation-free windscreen. Controlled via a button on the air conditioning controls;"

Now the problem I have is , i only had had frost once so far, first time since i bought the car in October , and I cannot find this button they mention in AC to control this option. There are two buttons with windscreen heat sign, one is for rear window and the other one is the Demist button in AC , When i press Demist button, it just blows cold air with max fan speed and that made me cover my face to stop getting the cold air gushing inside. There is heated mirror turn on button - where the mirror controls are , turning on just cleared mirrors. And Windscreen had to defrost the same way as other cars - leave engine running to warm up for about 15 minutes.

Has anyone ordered this option or any thoughts please? I already asked the question from the dealer - they said they will ask the factory, that's it. I definitely hear less outside noise, so i believe there is definitely acoustic insulation so it could mean they may have overlooked the Heating bit !

Thanks in advance.
San

[Nemo78]

Not sure of the location of the heated windscreen button but I presume there are fine lines (heating elements) visible in the windscreen? They won't be blatantly obvious but must be something.

I know parents Nissan has this and you can if you look hard enough see the fine lines in the windscreen

[JMB7]

I don't have it myself but saw this small print in the manual on bottom of page 83.

"Applies to vehicles with windscreen heating*: at low outside temperatures, the windscreen heating is automatically switched on with the blower.If you want to switch on the windscreen heating manually, press and hold the max (image of button) until the led in the button flashes."

Hope that works for you.

[san1234]

Thanks everyone, I will try the options when the next wave of cold and sleet hits us :)

[san1234]

Interestingly it seems the hold down option is meant only for the 4 zone Air Conditioning. Mine is just dual zone and press and hold don't seem to do anything. Actually i read the manual again very carefully and i spot that it mentions it works when you set the temperature above 22 Celsius and if outside temperature is very cold it should heat up the blowing air quicker than usual. The dealer said actually when it said heated windscreen its meant that.

Ironically last week they gave me a Audi A8 as a courtesy car while i left the Q7 to do some checks. And A8 did have a front windscreesn heat button which works exactly like the rear window heat button (turns on and heats silently and turns off after a timer - not anything like the what i got with the Q7 and I paid extra £700 for this option).

[Nemo78]

Interestingly it seems the hold down option is meant only for the 4 zone Air Conditioning. Mine is just dual zone and press and hold don't seem to do anything. Actually i read the manual again very carefully and i spot that it mentions it works when you set the temperature above 22 Celsius and if outside temperature is very cold it should heat up the blowing air quicker than usual. The dealer said actually when it said heated windscreen its meant that.

Ironically last week they gave me a Audi A8 as a courtesy car while i left the Q7 to do some checks. And A8 did have a front windscreesn heat button which works exactly like the rear window heat button (turns on and heats silently and turns off after a timer - not anything like the what i got with the Q7 and I paid extra £700 for this option).

That is very strange - I would've also expected a button and heated windscreen effect like rear window

[jophenna]

Hi,

I've just taken delivery of my Q7 with the £700 heated windscreen option... And again it doesn't appear to be fitted!

There's definitely no heating elements in the screen like you see on Fords, and holding the front windscreen demist does nothing. I do have the 4 zone deluxe climate control.

The dealership say that Ford own the rights to the type with heating elements in the screen so they think it's air based, but isn't that just the same as any other car?!

Something tells me they've had production issues with this and we're being fobbed off and robbed of £700!

Anybody else got any ideas?

[Nemo78]

The dealership say that Ford own the rights to the type with heating elements in the screen so they think it's air based, but isn't that just the same as any other car?!



Parents Nissan have the elements too so not just Ford...

Unfortunately I can't answer the functionality as not something I spec'd on mine but wonder if the OP sorted it at all?

[san1234]

They just given us a rip off option by giving us a wrong product for the Q7.

Very easy to prove- Just demand them to let you into a new demo Audi A8 at the showroom and you see that the A8 has got a proper element based front windscreen heater. The A/C got a "Front Heat" worded button with light grey light below it (similar to our Q7) however, the button on A8 demists/defrost windscreen within matter of 1-2minutes and turns itself off (exactly like the rear window heater) and no air is turned on with this button. If you look closely it shows very thin demist lines horizontally but naked eye can't see the wiring or similar thing to the rear window once demist finished. So to me it just sounds a bad joke if they said to you that only Ford got rights to that sort of thing.

[nathanparrett]

I purchased heated front windscreen. I managed to get it working once, you have to hold down the button and it eventually blinks.

I have a feeling that the conditions have to be met, ie cold outside and the heating is turned high. Havent figured out combination yet though!

[Gourockian]

Chances are this windscreen heater will be like the Golf's where it doesn't have the Ford type wires, but the laminate is made from a transparent conductive material which I believe is also the IR reflector. Interesting to note that new Passat can be specced with either kind. Golf and Passat screens do not have buttons but are controlled by the touchscreen, either manual switch on or auto. Interestingly, the Superb has a button. Those in the know say this kind is not as effective as the Ford type but better than nothing.

[san1234]

I think I may have seen it in operation at last, I too agree the conditions have to be met. The outside temperature have to drop below to about 4 degrees (my dash showed the snow indicator). The Inside temperature is set on the AC for 22 degrees (as mentioned on userguide) and when I pressed the Heat Max button , it started to blink and the gust of air to windscreen by the vents also died to a low whim and it seem to clear the thin frost quickly. The light on the button never blinked and the gust of Max air from vents never slowed with button for me before so something new has happened. I would wait to see if we have more frost and let you have an update.

[andyhud007]

Hey Guys

Did anyone figure this one out?

I've just ordered my 2016 Q7 with Heated Windscreen option (4GR) along with Heat/Sound Insulating Glass + Privacy Glass (PDJ).

I've been searching online for the button that heats the windscreen but I know the front windscreen doesnt have heat elements in it like a Ford does, so I'm confused how it works as like some, there is no obvious "Front Heated Windscreen" button on the dashboard

Any outcome?

Cheers

Andy

[nathanparrett]

Yes works for me.

You need to press the heated front windscreen button on, then press it off and then hold it down for 10 seconds for it to start flashing, it may take a few times for it to flash.

[andyhud007]

Hey Nathan, many thanks for your reply

Is that process in the car operating manual that comes in the car?

What does it actually do? Just blow hot air? I'm just confused what this additional cost is actually paying for? (or are we actually paying for a fancy coated windscreen?)

Cheers

Andy

29959

[nathanparrett]

Makes a difference for me. Would recommend it. It clears the windscreen in less than a minute as opposed to my other car.

Its a quality of life feature at the end of the day.

A couple of features I wouldnt bother with, Night vision (Used it a couple of times), HUD (Turn it off as it bothers me).

Not sure if NV is needed for the auto dimming lights feature (Where it detects when to use auto headlights), that is really cool

[andyhud007]

Thanks Nathan

I skipped NV as I couldnt justify a £2000 extra. High Beam assist (where full beam is dipped for oncoming traffic etc) I've had in the last few cars and would never go back. It comes with the "Technology Pack".

Cheers!

Andy

[san1234]

Yes it definitely works, the blinking bit will happen only when snow indicator appears. The windscreen helps reducing engine noise immensely too.

One thing i am not sure now is if its good idea to have headlights to AUTO. yesterday afternoon I was doing 60 miles on a country road (cruising), and there was a car coming towards me from opposite side and they were indicating and waiting in the middle of the road to run right and suddenly they just turned just in-front of me as if they didn't see me. Lucking i managed to brake in the nick of time to avoid a crash but it was heart thumping very very close. The car which turned were scared too, they said i have flashed to let them through while i didn't. Then only i realised the auto light has come on. People watch out.

[srbsq7]

Just stumbled across a real world demo on YouTube. Seems to work quite well Audi Q7 G2 Heated Windscreen Feature - YouTube (http://youtu.be/nmSqiEXGCI0)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[andyhud007]

Good spot and thanks for sharing!

Funny though, in the Audi manual it says if you want to manually start the heated windscreen you hold the heat windscreen button down for 10 seconds till it flashes (button just to right of passenger side temp control).

In the video (at 13 seconds in) its not lit at all, but appears to be working anyhow. Maybe it doesnt light up when its automatically running.

Or... I could just be completely wrong...lol

[Diver Bryn]

I have the same on my Q7 my first thoughts like yours were: That it is electrically an electrically heated system like BMW and the RR Vogue not the case, Windscreen is heated from engine and clears an icy windscreen in less than a minute from engine cold start.. Great for the English winters. Acoustic glass is superb extremely quiet in cabin, apart from the irritating niggle / rattle from my panoramic sun roof blind...