Hello,

I did post this some time ago, but something happened when I tried to edit my message, and now that thread is invalid. I'll give it a second try.

Being a long time Ford owner, I'm spoilt by their heated windshields. I own a Mondeo and find it absolutely wonderful that I can just push a button, and within thirty seconds all ice on the windshield disappears. I have no garage. I park my car out in the open, and in winter it's very common to find the windshield covered in ice in the morning. I find the heated windshield to be one of the best inventions since sliced bread.
The NX has a de-icing option. The dealer swears that it does exactly what Ford's heater does, namely heat up the windshield to melt the ice. However, unlike the Ford's dense grid of thin wires that cover the entire surface of the windshield, the NX only has heating elements at the base of the windshield, under the wipers, as well as along one of the short edges (I believe on the driver's side, if I'm not mistaken). I’m skeptical. Is this enough? Is it enough to heat up two edges of the windshield to melt the entire mass of ice? The dealer says it is, but for the time being I can't test that, as we're having an unusually warm weather this month, and I find it somewhat hard to believe.

Has any of you got this de-icing feature? Does it really work like a regular heated windshield, meaning you push a button and then just sit there and watch the ice melt? Or is it only for defreezing the wipers and nothing more?

Thank you.

 

Used it on the CT, 3RX, and NX, all of which behave the same way which is to melt away just the lower base of the windshield to prevent the wipers from icing. But I never felt it was a problem here in Canada since this system is meant to compliment the windshield fan heater which then tackles the remaining portion of the windshield. One nuissance as with the RX is you need to navigate into three or so menus to finally get to enabling it on the 7" center screen.

 

I see.
Is the windshield fan heater electrical (are there electric heaters inside the windshield air vents), or do you have to wait until the engine warms up to see any effect? The windshield air vents of my Mondeo are electrically heated, but the effect is quite weak, especially when it's very cold outside.
I imagine a frozen windshield in the morning must be quite common in Canada. Do you have to keep your engine running for a long time until it's clear of ice?
Over here it's not uncommon to rain overnight in sub-zero temperatures, and to find the windshield covered in a 0.5 to 1 mm thick layer of ice. My Mondeo's heated windshield works like a treat (though it does take a bit longer than usual under such circumstances). How would the NX behave?

Thank you.

 

The windshield de-icer is element based and only serves to keep the area of the wipers free from ice and snow. If you have this feature, you will see the element outline on the windshield from the outside. In my experience, they are slow to heat up and are only useful during a snowstorm in slow moving traffic to keep the wipers from freezing up.

What's annoying on the NX is that this feature is hidden away in the on-screen system rather than a physical button, as in my IS.

 

What is the exact menu path to get to this setting?

 

must be under climate setting

 

Correct. Then click the ellipsis "..." symbol. It's the windshield icon with the swiggly line across it.

I believe US vehicles do not have this feature. Or at least not NX sold in SoCal