Heated Windshield? Really?
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Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jan 2015
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Heated Windshield? Really?
So since the switches by my left knee are generally hidden from view by the steering wheel in the MDX Sport Hybrid, I just realized purely by accident that a switch was on with an amber light and I did not remember turning it on. In fact I never bothered to figure out what that particular switch was. So I looked it up and discovered it is a heated windshield switch! Really???? Apparently it turns on automatically but I never knew it. Is this switch in the Advance model of the RLX Sport Hybrid? 7 months with the MDX SH and found something new tonight! Awesome!
Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,596
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From: Virginia, Besieged
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,920
Likes: 421
ok - now you have me looking at those buttons down there.
I assume the lower right button is the heated windshield? Didn't know I had that either
Top right turns on/off road departure mitigation. there is a message displayed in dash when goes On or Off
What about the other 2 buttons - no light and no message that I can see when I hit either button
top right looks like it may turn off traction control, but I see no confirmation of off or on
I assume the lower right button is the heated windshield? Didn't know I had that either
Top right turns on/off road departure mitigation. there is a message displayed in dash when goes On or Off
What about the other 2 buttons - no light and no message that I can see when I hit either button
top right looks like it may turn off traction control, but I see no confirmation of off or on
Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,596
Likes: 2,609
From: Virginia, Besieged
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Three Wheelin'
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Suzuka Master
Joined: Dec 2014
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I was so surprised to see they added this for the 2017 model year on the MDX because it’s typically only reserved for very very expensive vehicles. See those thick lines in your window that heat up when you turn on the rear defroster? Your front windshield also has those lines but you have to look really closely and focus on the glass in good lighting to see them because they are so thin. I bought a 2009 Touareg and found out it had a heated windshield after the fact, I thought the glass was dirty for the first 2 weeks until the sun hit it at the right angle and I seen the individual lines. It’s an amazing feature and you can say goodbye to frost ridden windshields! Sidenote: While this feature is lovely, the cost of a replacement windshield can be painful (think $900-$1500 on some vehicles with it).
Last edited by RDX10; Jan 4, 2018 at 07:06 PM.
Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,596
Likes: 2,609
From: Virginia, Besieged
:-)
Love the idea. But, of course, having a 2014 KC2, I don't have it.
Jalopnik had an article talking about what you dont do with an ice covered wind shield...
in the comments, someone showed a picture of, I think, it was a suburu with the defroster lines at the base of the windshield to heat up the wipers! i thought that was cool!
in the comments, someone showed a picture of, I think, it was a suburu with the defroster lines at the base of the windshield to heat up the wipers! i thought that was cool!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 935
Likes: 266
From: Holly Springs, NC
I don't see this option on my '16 RLX SH. Typically it would be of no use to me here in NC. But over the last couple of days, it would have been handy!
Pro
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 628
Likes: 359
From: Toronto, ON
You got me briefly excited that I had this in my SH, but alas, it's only in the 2018 apparently. But I do have headlight washers - whatever little value that offers... My car is rarely dirty enough to benefit from that feature.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 935
Likes: 266
From: Holly Springs, NC
Huge value to me. Would love to have had them on my car yesterday when I was out tooling around in the aftermath of the storm here in NC. My car has never been this filthy. I cleaned the headlights and taillights when I stopped to fill up. Drove home less than 5 miles away and it looks like I did nothing. Yuck! Really could use those washers!
Pro
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 628
Likes: 359
From: Toronto, ON
Huge value to me. Would love to have had them on my car yesterday when I was out tooling around in the aftermath of the storm here in NC. My car has never been this filthy. I cleaned the headlights and taillights when I stopped to fill up. Drove home less than 5 miles away and it looks like I did nothing. Yuck! Really could use those washers!
For example, if a bird poops on my windshield and I engage the windshield washer, the headlight washers automatically activate and spray fluid all over the front and hood of my car. Very frustrating when you've just recently detailed your car and only want to clean the windshield. I know, problems of the spoiled...
Suzuka Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,532
Likes: 959
Kia and Hyundai have been including heated windshield wiper elements in their cars since 2007 (but they only hat the lower edge of the windshield where the wipers rest. They do nothing for ice buildup on the windshield though so a heated windshield is amazing. I usually park in the garage but I remember a few times last winter where I had to park my MDX outside and the next morning the windshield was absolutely caked in a thick sheet of ice and I was running late...literally drove for 10 minutes half blind!
As I mentioned above, Kia and Hyundai have been icluding this as standard since 2007. If you look at the base of the windshield from the outside you’ll see the heating elements. It’s not super effective IME but still a nice touch I guess.
Headlight washers are garbage, I’ve had them on numerous cars over the past several years (X5, Touareg, MDX) and all they really do is make a massive mess all over my hood and bumper. It’s especially frustrating when I’ve just washed my car recently and it’s still clean but need to clean the windshield and the whole hood gets nasty. Starting in 2010 lexus actually found a solution for this, in the 2010 RX they have the hood overlapping the headlights and the washers aimed in a way such that the overlapping hood stops overspray from going onto the hood (a salesman was showing us this feature when we were going to buy an RX a few years ago).
They do come in handy the few times per year when it's a bad storm at night and the headlights get covered in salt. What I dislike however, is how they will automatically engage when you clean your windshield (there is also a button on the dash to activate the just headlight washers).
For example, if a bird poops on my windshield and I engage the windshield washer, the headlight washers automatically activate and spray fluid all over the front and hood of my car. Very frustrating when you've just recently detailed your car and only want to clean the windshield. I know, problems of the spoiled...
For example, if a bird poops on my windshield and I engage the windshield washer, the headlight washers automatically activate and spray fluid all over the front and hood of my car. Very frustrating when you've just recently detailed your car and only want to clean the windshield. I know, problems of the spoiled...
Three Wheelin'
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,971
Likes: 1,021
From: Western Canada
Here's my take on headlight washers...I think that the reason you are using the headlight washers is because you have been driving on wet, dirty roads and the dirt is actively building up on the headlights. If that is the case, the fact that a bit of washer fluid has sprayed on the hood or bumper is moot because most of the car is covered in the same dirty muck as the headlights.
This has been my experience driving in melting conditions when the road gravel and sand mixes with the melting ice and snow and makes a mess over everything. The headlight washers are meant to be a stop gap measure to get you safely where you need to go and to get by until you do a proper car wash to rinse off the salt and dirt from your car.
Regarding the electric windshield defroster, I think that is a great idea for short term use while the engine warms and makes the traditional windshield defroster more effective. I hope to be buying an MDX Sport Hybrid for my wife very soon and I look forward to trying it out.
This has been my experience driving in melting conditions when the road gravel and sand mixes with the melting ice and snow and makes a mess over everything. The headlight washers are meant to be a stop gap measure to get you safely where you need to go and to get by until you do a proper car wash to rinse off the salt and dirt from your car.
Regarding the electric windshield defroster, I think that is a great idea for short term use while the engine warms and makes the traditional windshield defroster more effective. I hope to be buying an MDX Sport Hybrid for my wife very soon and I look forward to trying it out.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 30,487
Likes: 4,417
From: In an igloo
Curious.. what is the cost to replace a heated windshield? Do aftermarket options exist, for those who don't want to get hosed by dealership prices?
People who rely on their defrost setting to keep the inside of the car warm, generally develop big cracks in their windshields... a chip in the glass, plus hot heat on the inside and cold weather on the outside cause the glass to fracture. I wonder how a heated windshield stands up to that scenario... like, do you risk rock chips turning into cracks if you use it?
People who rely on their defrost setting to keep the inside of the car warm, generally develop big cracks in their windshields... a chip in the glass, plus hot heat on the inside and cold weather on the outside cause the glass to fracture. I wonder how a heated windshield stands up to that scenario... like, do you risk rock chips turning into cracks if you use it?
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,954
Likes: 1,164
I don't recall the last time we heard from Tampa now that I think about it. It has been a while. I hope he is ok.
On a less important topic, after the Blackbird sat in the cold for days, I went to start it and it was dead as a door nail. After a jump start and driving it for a while, all was fine, however this is not the first time for this experience and with a new battery I assumed that would be in the past. I guess not. Hey its 11 degrees! We are having a heat wave!
On a less important topic, after the Blackbird sat in the cold for days, I went to start it and it was dead as a door nail. After a jump start and driving it for a while, all was fine, however this is not the first time for this experience and with a new battery I assumed that would be in the past. I guess not. Hey its 11 degrees! We are having a heat wave!
Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 731
Likes: 394
From: Boston, MA
It's been between -5 and +10 degrees for the past few days here. I didn't drive the SH-AWD for two days and when I went to use it the battery was (surprisingly) fine. But I think I'm now pushing my luck with the original 3+ year old battery. Maybe time to get a new one, although I had the dealer test it when I was recently in for a broken window switch and they said it was still in normal range. At least I'm still carrying my DBPOWER battery starter (which, BTW, seems to have lost only a % or two of its charge every six months when I check it).
Suzuka Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,532
Likes: 959
Here's my take on headlight washers...I think that the reason you are using the headlight washers is because you have been driving on wet, dirty roads and the dirt is actively building up on the headlights. If that is the case, the fact that a bit of washer fluid has sprayed on the hood or bumper is moot because most of the car is covered in the same dirty muck as the headlights.
This has been my experience driving in melting conditions when the road gravel and sand mixes with the melting ice and snow and makes a mess over everything. The headlight washers are meant to be a stop gap measure to get you safely where you need to go and to get by until you do a proper car wash to rinse off the salt and dirt from your car.
Regarding the electric windshield defroster, I think that is a great idea for short term use while the engine warms and makes the traditional windshield defroster more effective. I hope to be buying an MDX Sport Hybrid for my wife very soon and I look forward to trying it out.
This has been my experience driving in melting conditions when the road gravel and sand mixes with the melting ice and snow and makes a mess over everything. The headlight washers are meant to be a stop gap measure to get you safely where you need to go and to get by until you do a proper car wash to rinse off the salt and dirt from your car.
Regarding the electric windshield defroster, I think that is a great idea for short term use while the engine warms and makes the traditional windshield defroster more effective. I hope to be buying an MDX Sport Hybrid for my wife very soon and I look forward to trying it out.
Curious.. what is the cost to replace a heated windshield? Do aftermarket options exist, for those who don't want to get hosed by dealership prices?
People who rely on their defrost setting to keep the inside of the car warm, generally develop big cracks in their windshields... a chip in the glass, plus hot heat on the inside and cold weather on the outside cause the glass to fracture. I wonder how a heated windshield stands up to that scenario... like, do you risk rock chips turning into cracks if you use it?
People who rely on their defrost setting to keep the inside of the car warm, generally develop big cracks in their windshields... a chip in the glass, plus hot heat on the inside and cold weather on the outside cause the glass to fracture. I wonder how a heated windshield stands up to that scenario... like, do you risk rock chips turning into cracks if you use it?
RLX SH²-AWD
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 102
Likes: 26
From: North Jersey
Here is a Youtube video of the Heated Front Windshield for the 2018 TLX
Also, there are several other nice features the TLX has but the RLX doesn't have, such as, Automatic High Beam and Ambient Accent Lighting
Here are the Acura Youtube videos for both:
Also, there are several other nice features the TLX has but the RLX doesn't have, such as, Automatic High Beam and Ambient Accent Lighting
Here are the Acura Youtube videos for both:
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,920
Likes: 421
The MDX has auto high beam at least in the Advance
What am I missing in the heated windshield video? It showed nothing.
Yesterday, it was raining and I backed out of parking spot. The rear wiper swiped a couple times. I don't think I accidentally hit the button. Did not do it today under similar circumstances. This is on my MDX
What am I missing in the heated windshield video? It showed nothing.
Yesterday, it was raining and I backed out of parking spot. The rear wiper swiped a couple times. I don't think I accidentally hit the button. Did not do it today under similar circumstances. This is on my MDX
Pro
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 628
Likes: 359
From: Toronto, ON
I suspect if the MDX has rain sensing wipers like the RLX (which I assume it does), then the vehicle knew it was raining and when you put it in reverse, it will automatically clean the rear window for you. Just slightly more advanced tech than on my wife's 2006 Honda Odyssey. If her front wipers are activated and she reverses, the rear wiper will engage automatically without her initiating anything. The logic makes sense - if your front wipers are on, then it's raining so the vehicle cleans the rear window when reverse is engaged so you can see better. Perhaps on the second day, your MDX wasn't sensing the rain for whatever reason.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,170
Likes: 748
From: NY
^^
You need to have the windshield wiper lever to "Auto", or to "On", if you want the rear windshield wiper to go on automatically when you engage reverse.....
At least that is how its on my 2014 MDX.
You need to have the windshield wiper lever to "Auto", or to "On", if you want the rear windshield wiper to go on automatically when you engage reverse.....
At least that is how its on my 2014 MDX.
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