Heated Front Windshield

[NASkeet]

Sometime prior to September 2002, I learned from Bob Wallace (a fellow member of the VW Type 2 Owners' Club), that Beetles (UK) Ltd (later incorporated Danbury Motorcaravans), who imported Brazilian-built, post-1996 “bay-window” VW 1600 Type 2c vans, were marketing electrically-heated front windscreens, at what was described as an “introductory price”.

These electrically-heated front windscreens, were essential for the 1997~2005“bay-window” VW 1600 Type 2c vans, which had the VW Type 1 style air-cooled engine with Bosch Digifant fuel injection, but no exhaust heat exchangers or under-floor ducting, to provide front windscreen demisting & defrosting.

At that time, I contacted Jason Jones, technical director of Beetles (UK) Ltd, enquiring further about the technical specifications of these electrically-heated front windscreens, but received no response! Even at that time, more than 12½ years ago, the quoted price exceeded £200, so I didn’t pursue the enquiry any further.

I have since learned that electrically-heated front windscreens for the “bay-window” VW Type 2, have separate left-hand & right-hand heated zones, each rated at 19A (i.e. 228W @ 12V), which if operated simultaneously, would draw a total of 38A (i.e. 456W @12V). Noting that the 1968~79 VW 1600 Type 2’s dynamos & alternators are rated at a maximum of 38A & 50A respectively and the 1972~79 VW 17/18/2000 Type 2’s two available alternators are rated at a maximum of 55A & 70A respectively, simultaneous operation would not be practical.

In principle, one could use two accessory relays and two separate switches, such as those with a green-lensed warning light, which are employed for the 1968~79 VW Type 2’s electrically-heated rear window, but with these, there would be no fool-proof way of ensuring, that the separate left-hand & right-hand heated zones were not switched-on simultaneously. Hence, it would be appropriate, to operate these electrically-heated front windscreens, using a single-pole, double-throw switch and two accessory relays, so that the separate left-hand & right-hand heated zones are switched on alternately.

In general, there are two types of double-throw switch, which either switch-on two circuits alternately or switch-on one circuit and then both circuits. Most double-throw switches I have encountered are of the latter type, requiring the use of a change-over relay, to mimic the switching characteristics of the former type, which would be the preferred option for the electrically-heated front windscreens.

Former Type:

Switch Position | Circuit No. 1 | Circuit No. 2
0 | OFF | OFF
1 | ON | OFF
2 | OFF | ON

Latter Type:

Switch Position | Circuit No. 1 | Circuit No. 2
0 | OFF | OFF
1 | ON | OFF
2 | ON | ON

Assuming one preferred to use a 1968~79 VW Type 2 pattern dashboard switch, with integral warning light, then the double-throw, pull-knob fog-lamp switch (VW part No. 111 959 631), would be most appropriate. These normally have an orange warning-light lens, with fog-lamp emblem, but I believe it would be possible to substitute a green warning-light lens, with heated-window emblem, originating from a 1968~79 VW Type 2’s heated rear window switch.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=1165189

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=1165190

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=1165191

http://s300.photobucket.com/user/aquatopaz/media/nnkh131.jpg.html

http://s300.photobucket.com/user/aquatopaz/media/nnkh130.jpg.html

Although I have yet to confirm it, I suspect that the double-throw fog-lamp switch (VW part No. 111 959 631) is of the latter type, that would need to be used in conjunction with a changeover relay.

If a double-throw fog-lamp switch (VW part No. 111 959 631) is not readily available, one could alternatively use either a 1968~72 VW Type 2 front-windscreen wipers & washer rotary switch (VW part No. 141 955 517) or 1968~79 VW Type 2 two-speed, ventilation booster fan rotary switch (VW Part No. 211 959 511 A), but both lack an integral warning light.

For my own vehicle, I have mounted in a custom-made switch panel (substituted for the dashboard’s central ashtray), six Citroën Visa, 24 mm (i.e. 15/16 inch) square-section push-button switches; one of which is a double-throw switch with windscreen-demist emblem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Visa

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Citro%C3%ABn+V...ajaxhist=0

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Citro%C3%ABn+V...ajaxhist=0
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

https://vwt2oc.co.uk

[NASkeet]

I have had some further ideas about the electrical switching circuit, for the following type of double-throw switch:

Switch Position | Circuit No. 1 | Circuit No. 2
0 | OFF | OFF
1 | ON | OFF
2 | ON | ON

Provided one had a change-over relay of sufficiently high current rating (i.e. at least 25A, but preferably 30A, 35A or 40A), there is a circuit arrangement which would require just one accessory relay (terminals labelled 30, 85, 86 & 87) and one change-over relay (terminals labelled 30, 85, 86, 87 & 87A), but the windscreen's load current, would pass through both relays and involve two extra in-line connections.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

https://vwt2oc.co.uk

[vwwestyman]

It seems that this just died out.

Too bad, I need a windshield and will probably just have to get a used one.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[scrivyscriv]

[vwwestyman]

Skills posted a link to this company in my rear defroster thread.

Perhaps their low windshield kit might be good, if not quite as good as a fully heated windshield. They say it prevents wiper blades from freezing up.

http://www.frostfighter.com/clear-view-bus-front-windshield-defrosters.htm
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[SGKent]

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/bay-bus/211845101H...tartRow=51
_________________
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it." - George Carlin

[raygreenwood]

[tristessa]

BD carries it here in the USA, but I can't tell if it's OE or reproduction: http://www.busdepot.com/j13431

.. still, compared to a non-functional window, even repop is an improvement.

[vwwestyman]

[tristessa]

My bad -- I confused the vwheritage.com link posted in this thread with the one in the rear window defroster thread. Had 'em both open at the same time.

Aside from the issue of potential breakage in shipping, the other problem I could see with the heated windshields is they may not have the appropriate markings to make them DOT legal in the US...

[raygreenwood]

[SGKent]

[NASkeet]

[tristessa]

[NASkeet]

[tootype2crazy]

BA6 for the win! A better alternative to this would be to get a gas or diesel heater and install it under the belly into the existing heat pipe. Believe me, your window will steam in the winter time, side windows will clear too.
_________________
air-cooled or nothing for me
1978 Sunroof Deluxe Bus (daily driver)
1978 Transporter (mom's, making into a camper)
1970 Single Cab 2.1 turbo/EFI 6 Rib, 78 front beam, vanagon backing plates on rear (project)
2001 GTI VR6 (wife's)

[tristessa]

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[tristessa]

[NASkeet]

During the 1987/88 & 1990/91 winters in southern England (Scotland where I lived during mid-1956 to mid-1965, is much colder!), when I had to use the 1973 VW 1600 Type 2, because my 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300, four-door saloon car (water-cooled engine with a nice cabin-interior heater) was off the road, I needed to wear two pairs of woolen gloves, so that my hands didn't become numb with cold, as a consequence of gripping the steering wheel. My feet and calves also used to get quite cold, but I managed to avoid frostbite.

Cross-section of pattern-part (left) & genuine-VW (right) exhaust heat exchangers, for VW Type 1 style air-cooled engines, as used in the 1968~79 VW 1600 Type 2

_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

https://vwt2oc.co.uk