Is my windshield heated?

....and WHY do I even care? Well, first let's talk about these babies. Although you may have heard all those truck driver stories of how you can cook a turkey on your car's engine and stuff, that's NOT what a heated windshield is for. And no you can't grill a hot dog on it eiher. There are quite a few legitimate benefits though to having a heated windshield.

For instance, clearing away the ice and condensation and not having to go outside to scrape that glass. This helps your vision to the outside world you are driving in. It also helps keep you warmer and drier. Another benefit is that you don't have to run the heater or air conditioner so much to get the glass clear.

How do these things work?

There is a very tiny web of wire that is layered inside the glass which are heated up to raise the surface temperature of the glass above the temperature of the snow and ice - ta dah! Then it melts! Even though you can't feel the glass heating up, it will be warm enough to do the job and increase your visibility on the road. That's a GOOD THING!

If you're not sure whether your is heated or not, look at the bottom of the windshield by where the wipers rest. You will see very small wires inside the glass. They look a lot like the defrost lines on your back glass. Of course, you can always read your owners manual that describes your car's features. (It's more fun to look for them though).

If your heated windshield should need to be changed, make sure to tell your professional technician that it is heated one. They will need to replace it with the same features or the heating elements won't work. It's those little things that make a difference in whether your driving experience is blah or the BEST! We want to you enjoy the road every mile.

Be safe and HAPPY DRIVING! S.