Rock Dog

http://www.microheat.com/03_index/index.htm

Soon it will be on many OEM vehicles. But they just released their aftermarket unit. It plugs into any stock system, on any production car. And does everything from snow to ice, to grime, to bug guts. And so on...

There's going to be a demo of it at NAIAS (Detroit) I want to check it out. It's about time someone came up with a better way to clean a windshield. :shakehd:

MSRP is $349. But I've seen it for $299 already on some sites.

The OEM version will be even better, because they engineered a whole new nozzle. From what I read in a write up in Automotive Egineering in the last 2 or 3 months. Ths new nozzle is revolutionary. Has a very fine misting pattern, and greater more controlled coverage. Almost like micromister that diffuses the droplets into a very fine mist.

The nozzle will only be available as original equipment from the car manufacturer,

darrinb

thats cool, i park in the garage though

KavexTrax

your garage isn't everywhere when you travel.

IntegraVT

iTrader: (1)

This seems like a great idea... What a time saver it would be.

But what about thermal shock? (20° cold glass windshield + 145~185° hot fluid doesn't sound like a great combination)

Rock Dog

So do I Darrin. But I don't have one at work. Besides these guys started with the idea of clearing ice, but they soon realized that the market was limited to the northern part of the U.S. and Canada. So they designed the thing to help with bird droppings, tree sap, dead bugs and insect grime. Evidentally it does a great job on any gunk on your windshield.

These guys setup their headquarters out by you. Farmington Hills. They wanted to be close to the TIER 1 automotive suppliers.

Rock Dog

They're all over that. Early in the developement they broke a lot of windshields. That's exactly why they came up with that operating range. If I recall correctly, the unit does take into account ambient conditions, and won't get hotter than that 145 number just to protect the windshield. They also spent a lot of time making sure it would work just fine with standard winshield washer fluid. They didn't want the customer to have to buy a "special fluid." The main guy came up with this idea in 1994. If I remember correctly, his frozen windshield made him late for a midterm or final in college. That's when the "mouse started to spin the wheel."

BTW. I have no "interest" in this product. I just think it's a great idea. That's a long time coming.

Rock Dog

J.C. Whitney's got it! $299.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jht...requestid=3122

Jens H.

That's cute but Mercedes Benz BMW etc. have had it for years .Jens

Neech

Holly crap that thing is great! I was outside one morning for 25 minutes getting the ice off. Time to place an order for me and the wife!! Those things will sell like hotcakes in the north!

Rock Dog

Where they heat the fluid Jens? I thought they had heated glass, and wipers and such. But not a unit that actually heats the fluid.

Microheat says they will have and rear window version (SUVs and such) soon. They already have OEM agreements for front and rear windows, as well as headlights. They are expected to be in OEM cars late next year, 2004 models. And according to them, a large chunk of the OEM market by 2005.

Hopefully they'll keep their wits about them, and not get fvcked like the inventor of the intermitteny wiper delay. That guy finally got his money, after a couple of decades of suing Ford and GM. Once he had won his case. Every single manufacturer that used the intermittent wiper system. Had to pay this guy a royalty, for every single car. HUGE BUCKS!

Microheat has 3 patents, and 2 pending. They should be ok.

IntegraVT

iTrader: (1)

A couple of makes have had heated washer nozzles, but that's just to keep them free of ice.

I haven't heard of any that directly heat the fluid prior to spraying with the express purpose of deicing the windshield. At least not to this kind of temperature.

chikai

LOL..."Hot Shot"

Jens H.

Many of the higher end eurocars have the same idea.In Benz's version of this the base of the windshield countains a defroster element.Along with this a coil of tubing is submerged in the washer fluid reservoir.Within this coil hot engine coolant is circulated maintaining the washer fluid in a heated state at all times .It works very well and is virtually bulletproof.I worked for Benz in the 80's and all of their cars except bottom end no option cars have this .BMW uses a variation of this.The advantage is that there is nothing to wear out no wiring to worry about.Many of these high end cars also feature climate control systems that maintain interior temps even if the engine is not running by using auxiliary electric water recirculation pumps to maintain heat.Jens

Rock Dog

Al righty then. As always you are a cornucopia of automotive knowledge.

Thanks Jens.

Jens H.

Actually rock you could if you wanted to cobble a system like this together with about 10 dollars worth of stuff from the parts store.A lenght of tubing rolled into a coil a pice of rubber hose and a few hose clamps and you are there.Jens