De-frosting your windscreen?

[Drpps]

Yes

Oh I didn’t know I could so that. Wondered this, this morning as I set off with cold from the front vents having turned it off! I assumed it went off when you set off.Thanks.

 

[Bellcrew]

Hi everyone, i'm fairly new here having bought my first cali at the tail end of the summer but the heater remote on cold mornings is definitely one of my favourite features.
Does anyone leave the heater on when driving to avoid the cold bit between setting off & the cab heater warming up?

We often turn the air heater on after we set off, my wife dislikes the diesel smell when the Eberspacher first starts, this smell is lost when travelling. The last few mornings the Webasto coolant heater is also starting, we must sound like a jet fighter leaving our road.
Is there anything as luxurious as sitting in your beautifully heated beach hut looking out on the Solent on these cold sunny days, just great.

 

[Borris]

Frosty this morning, needed to defrost the windscreen...

I use De-Icer and a scraper, I would never, ever, ever use hot water as that might crack my windscreen...

However...'mrs willwander' thinks I'm an idiot and de-frosts her windscreen every morning with warm water...I've told her, but she won't listen

10 years later... and her windscreen has never cracked or shattered and my hands are freezing, is she right...again ?

I've been using warm water for donkey's years and never ever had an issue. So I'm sorry but your wife is right. However if it's your Cali that needs defrosting just stick the parking heater on whilst you have your brekkie.

 

[Borris]

Regarding our soon to be delivered Cali, I must admit that another of the 'selling points' in having the diesel parking heater was the fact that you could switch it on remotely, when you got up, on a frosty morning, and by the time you were ready to go out, hey presto..... a nice defrosted warm van.

That was the sales pitch & what I've imagined since..... can anyone confirm if this is actual realistic??

Yes. As a grandad charged with driving our little ones to school I use it on most cold mornings. Press the remote when I get up and by the time they have arrived it's toasty warm inside and the windows are mostly defrosted. If there's still frost on the windscreen then I usually use the heated winscreen. If it is heavy thick frost then a couple of buckets of warm water will sort it out instantly.

 

[Borris]

Hi everyone, i'm fairly new here having bought my first cali at the tail end of the summer but the heater remote on cold mornings is definitely one of my favourite features.
Does anyone leave the heater on when driving to avoid the cold bit between setting off & the cab heater warming up?

Yes, it's not a problem.

 

[Keith Smith]

Do you notice the fine wires in the screen while driving?
I found on a rental car that if the sun was in the wrong place, these became distractingly obvious.

Alan

Yes, I find them distracting when the sun is very low and also headlights from oncoming cars can create a starburst effect especially when it's raining. It is effective though but on balance I've decided not to have it on my next Cali.

 

[B J G]

A light frost then barely warm water will do. Seriously cold then no because the water your pouring on will simply freeze over.

I have the van heater going on and off periodically during the night. Minimal fuel usage, no frost, lovely and warm to jump into to.

Water jug in one hand and a squeegy in the other to wipe all the melted ice off before it refreezes is my method on frosty mornings. Nice clean windows and any salt residue wiped away for clear vision in the rising sun.

 

[Borris]

Water jug in one hand and a squeegy in the other to wipe all the melted ice off before it refreezes is my method on frosty mornings. Nice clean windows and any salt residue wiped away for clear vision in the rising sun.

If it refreezes then just chuck another bucket of warm water at it then put the wipers on. Two sloshes usually sorts it out.

 

[Nick Stubbs]

Regarding our soon to be delivered Cali, I must admit that another of the 'selling points' in having the diesel parking heater was the fact that you could switch it on remotely, when you got up, on a frosty morning, and by the time you were ready to go out, hey presto..... a nice defrosted warm van.

That was the sales pitch & what I've imagined since..... can anyone confirm if this is actual realistic??

Its worked for me this week..fired the heater up with the remote from the house 20/30 mins before leaving for work, all defrosted and toasty warm..

 

[GrannyJen]

Hi GJ
Do you notice much fuel consumption as this sounds like a good idea on very cold nights (as long as I remember)

It barely registers on the fuel gauge.

Max running of the heater will consume around 0.4l per hour so full on for 12 hours would be around 4.5l - a hefty cost of just over a fiver a night. However that is max and I doubt if mine consumes even 1/3 of that.

All depends what you want. I know standing out clearing the windscreen takes only minutes but at my grumpy old goat age I would rather not and there is something quite hedonistic to getting into a van all toasty warm with clear glass all the way round and ready to go. There is also the other thought that none of my water systems will freeze, something that would make a fiver a night for a few nights of the year appear extremely cheap.

A bit tongue in cheek but I also spend around 90 nights a year overnighting in Alfie, a lot of those nights through the winter when the heating will be on anyway so a few days of keeping the van warm when empty is negligible cost to me.

It's all horses for courses, or, just to show my age, YMMV.

 

[sapto]

Does anyone leave the heater on when driving to avoid the cold bit between setting off & the cab heater warming up?

Yes, sometimes. Great to dry the ski/snowboardboots (in general wet clothes) on my way home.

 

[El Greco]

Do you notice the fine wires in the screen while driving?
I found on a rental car that if the sun was in the wrong place, these became distractingly obvious.

Alan

I have had heated windscreens and heated rear windows on all my cars for at least the last 25 years with no problems. The heater wires are only visible to me when focusing on the windscreen. I have not suffered from any glare issues.

 

[El Greco]

Still have a cold vehicle though, and doesn't help the side windows.

True but the side windows are small, accessible and being vertical may accumulate less ice so are easy to quickly clean.

 

[Hotel California]

What's wrong with wrapping a silver screen on the Cali while sitting on the drive , half of the Cali owners have a screen on while camping so simply use it at home or at work !
Serious ...boiling water to defrost your carwindscreen ?!...shame on you all...

 

[greenfintry]

For what it’s worth, was once on a ouch on way to Alps for a ski trip. The driver chucked a bucket of warm water at windscreen to help clean it, and watched in horror as a long crack appeared running all the way up the very big piece of glass..... it was about -10.... and sure some of our Scandinavia members will have things to say....

 

[NickClay]

Regarding our soon to be delivered Cali, I must admit that another of the 'selling points' in having the diesel parking heater was the fact that you could switch it on remotely, when you got up, on a frosty morning, and by the time you were ready to go out, hey presto..... a nice defrosted warm van.

That was the sales pitch & what I've imagined since..... can anyone confirm if this is actual realistic??

Sure is, as soon as I'm up I press the remote for the heater and as it takes me half an hour to get ready the van is warm and defrosted.

 

[bvddobb]

I find the rear heater has limited effect on the windscreen without running for a long time, often the top of the screen clears but not the bottom .

Remember this trick to heat the attic?



I have seen people use it to defrost the windscreen very rapidly, directing the tube at the screen.
Only when camping, though. We have never used it thus, we always have the silverscreen on when camping, and at home the car sits in a garage...

 

[Ray Cali]

What remote control for the heater? Where is it found?

 

[Grumposaur68]

Just programme the heater to come on in the morning

 

[GrannyJen]

Hi everyone, i'm fairly new here having bought my first cali at the tail end of the summer but the heater remote on cold mornings is definitely one of my favourite features.
Does anyone leave the heater on when driving to avoid the cold bit between setting off & the cab heater warming up?

Yes

 

[GrannyJen]

Regarding our soon to be delivered Cali, I must admit that another of the 'selling points' in having the diesel parking heater was the fact that you could switch it on remotely, when you got up, on a frosty morning, and by the time you were ready to go out, hey presto..... a nice defrosted warm van.

That was the sales pitch & what I've imagined since..... can anyone confirm if this is actual realistic??

Hugely , decadently realistic

Lying under a nice warm fluffy duvet, wanting to get up and get kettle on, stretch an arm out, grab remote, switch heater on, snuggle back for 10 minutes then emerge into a nice warm van.

 

[GrannyJen]

What remote control for the heater? Where is it found?

It should be with the parcel of ancillary items left in either the kitchen drawer or or bench seat drawer on handover.

A remote control for the heater is standard and if your dealer has not given you one then get back to him and ask for it.

 

[Ray Cali]

Thank you for the info. Found the remote under the seat. Just need to learn how to use it now

 

[willwander]

It should be with the parcel of ancillary items left in either the kitchen drawer or or bench seat drawer on handover.

A remote control for the heater is standard and if your dealer has not given you one then get back to him and ask for it.

When did the remote become standard? I recently bought a 2011 SE and I don’t have a remote ;-(
I think it was an option back then maybe?

 

[GrannyJen]

When did the remote become standard? I recently bought a 2011 SE and I don’t have a remote ;-(
I think it was an option back then maybe?

It was standard in 2013 when I bought Albert.