Of the different types of heated windshields, the most common is a “heated wiper park area”.
Manufacturers have gotten better at hiding heating lines. This can make it difficult to know if you have a heated windshield unless you know what to look for. For example, would you be able to tell if the window in the image below was heated if you couldn’t see the power cord at the bottom?
Tips to Help You Identify If You Have a Heated Windshield:
- 1) Look closely for thin lines in the glass underneath where the wipers sit; most heating lines are still visible even if only barely.
- 2) If available, check your vehicle feature documentation
- 2) Next time you have a frosted windshield in the winter, turn on your defrost (if possible, both air vent and rear window defrost). Watch if the area under the wipers thaws quickly – much faster than the rest of the windshield.
- 3) Call your local dealership and see if they can bring up windshield details with your VIN number.
Windshields with heating features (such as heated wiper park area) are more common in Canada than the USA. Some vehicles are nearly always sold with heat lines in Canada while that same model may not even be available with that option South of the border.
If you are ever unsure about what features you have in your glass, give us a call. We would love to help you with any information regarding your windshield, and auto glass needs.