Heated windscreen t6.1 Ocean

Richardjames · Jan 19, 2024

Is it possible to have a heated windscreen retro-fitted to my 2023 T6.1 California Ocean. The cold spell has made me realise I should have specified it!!

WelshGas · Jan 19, 2024

Richardjames said:
Is it possible to have a heated windscreen retro-fitted to my 2023 T6.1 California Ocean. The cold spell has made me realise I should have specified it!!

Why not use the Parking Heater to defrost the whole vehicle and warm it up.

Yes you probably could retro fit a Heated Screen BUT it’s not just the screen but the wiring loom and no doubt coding to the BCM.
VW won’t do it. They don’t do retrofits. So it would be 3rd party and so there could be warranty implications.

The Little Red Cali · Jan 19, 2024

Richardjames said:
Is it possible to have a heated windscreen retro-fitted to my 2023 T6.1 California Ocean. The cold spell has made me realise I should have specified it!!

As WG says the diesel heater works a treat. Lovely and toasty after about 20 minutes and much safer than running the engine with the keys in the ignition.

andyinluton · Jan 19, 2024

Richardjames said:
Is it possible to have a heated windscreen retro-fitted to my 2023 T6.1 California Ocean. The cold spell has made me realise I should have specified it!!

Reasonably easy to do but it costs a bit.
New screen is about £500 + fitting, connecting loom about £200 to supply, bit more for the switch & then you need the van coding. So unlikely to get change from £1k

JuanVecino2023 · Jan 19, 2024

Richardjames said:
Is it possible to have a heated windscreen retro-fitted to my 2023 T6.1 California Ocean. The cold spell has made me realise I should have specified it!!

Funnily enough, I’ve been thinking the same thing today. I was regretting the random selection of safe, large fuel tank and 4 keys earlier when it was -5.

That said, my screen is frozen about 5-10 days per annum. Which makes a heated screen an expensive luxury for a few cold snaps.

I figure some decent screen wash - Prestone claims to melt ice to -10 (time will tell), and some de-icer coupled with the remote heater is enough.

lohr500 · Jan 20, 2024

Could be an issue with insurance, but if you could get the heated screen fitted, there are several aftermarket relay/timer/switch modules available for little money.

It may well be possible to wire in the screen without the need for van coding, dedicated wiring looms and switches.

But based on @andyinluton costings, the screen looks to be the most expensive component anyway so I would probably do the job properly and use the OE parts throughout.

RockinNRollin · Jan 20, 2024

Surely even with the heated screen you’ve still got the side windows to defrost?

Pinocchio_888 · Jan 20, 2024

I ordered mine with the Sports Pack and specified the heated windscreen which I discovered was not fitted (after reading another thread) as I couldn’t locate the button. I have raised this with the dealer and i am still waiting for a resolution, although they did say it’s not an easy retro-fit due to coding.

Richardjames · Jan 20, 2024

Thanks for the responses. The parking heater, which I admit I’d not tried until today, seems to be the answer - and at no cost! You can tell I’m a ‘newbie’ to the Cali!

andyinluton · Jan 20, 2024

RockinNRollin said:
Surely even with the heated screen you’ve still got the side windows to defrost?

Open & shut the windows a couple of times ice scraped off with no effort.

WelshGas · Jan 21, 2024

andyinluton said:
Open & shut the windows a couple of times ice scraped off with no effort.

Unless windows are covered in more than just a light dusting of frost then you could damage the mechanism or the rubber seal along the bottom. :thumb

andyinluton · Jan 21, 2024

WelshGas said:
Unless windows are covered in more than just a light dusting of frost then you could damage the mechanism or the rubber seal along the bottom.

Ive been winding down windows that have been iced up of the last 40 years & not damaged one yet, I'll take my chances.

WelshGas · Jan 21, 2024

andyinluton said:
Ive been winding down windows that have been iced up of the last 40 years & not damaged one yet, I'll take my chances.

A gambler I see. :cheers

Ch1pbutty · Jan 21, 2024

andyinluton said:
Ive been winding down windows that have been iced up of the last 40 years & not damaged one yet, I'll take my chances.

I did until we owned a 2nd hand Audi TT. Snapped two of the regulator cables over a one month period. The issue was more that the window would try to unwind itself by a few mm when you unlock/open the do as many modern cars do….when frozen shut it puts strain on the regulator wire that pulls the window tray up/down, and then snaps after a few years. VAG/Audi issued a recall for any cars within warranty at the time.

I am now a bit more careful!

Wallaces Travels · Jan 26, 2024

I have the heated windscreen, but it is not that effective. On my Landrover, it works within seconds and based on this ordered it as an option for the Cali. But on the Cali it takes a lot longer to defrost/demist.