'03 S-60 Windshield Freezing Up - Defrost No Help

Two winter storms in two weeks and my relatively new S-60 cannot take a
moderate snowfall in the first storm and a moderate sleet/freezing rain in a
storm today without the windshield freezing up while underway. A

Have defrost set up full high and heat setting high as well; wipers and
defroster just can't keep up and wondering if any others have same experience.

Unusual weather here in N. Virginia!

Rich in VA

 

In my experience with other cars of various makes, the defroster often can't
keep up with freezing rain. Once a little ice gets under a wiper blade, you
might as well stop and clean it off.

 

I would set it one notch off max defrost. When set to max, the AC is turned
on to remove condensation on the inside of the window. You are effectively
mixing air from the heater with air from the AC - luke warm, at best. One
notch off max should give you the hottest air available.

John

 

In any car, sometimes you just have to get out and clean the wipers
every few miles. Freezing rain is the worst. As you might expect, the
heat from the defroster just blows on the inside of the windshield and
side windows to remove fogging on the inside of the windows. It really
can't do anything to melt ice on the windshield wipers. That would
violate many laws of physics.

 

Back in the late 80's I saw a Mercury Sable that a guy I worked with brought
back to CA from Chicago. It had a heated windshield which I thought was pretty
neat. It had a strange tint which is why I asked him what was up with it and he
told me it was an option he had ordered. Being on the West Coast I have never
had a need for such an option. Any one else heard about internally heated
windshields? If they had worked well I would have expected them to be a popular
option for folks that live in the really cold areas. The replacement cost would
be outrageous I am sure.

Chris V

 

These windshields are probably made like the windshields of planes. The
have a thin, transparent layer of conductive material. They are VERY
expensive.

 

In Denmark, it has been possible to get Ford cars with heated windshield for
years.
It has very thin wires going vertically inside the glas. the wires can only
sligtly be noticed when driving and as long you dont focus on them.
My volvo does not have heated windshield, but even though living in one of
the nordic contries I have never experienced the windshield freezing up.
Using alcoholic mixed water in the windshield washing and the defroster on
full blow has been sufficient.

Per Hauge