1/ In simple terms how does the front windscreen heat up? Are there fine elements in the windscreen or just one element running vertically down the middle of the windscreen?

2/ If I get into my car in the morning, turn on the engine and press the window defrost button only (just above the LCD - see picture below) how long approximately could I expect to wait for the heated windscreen to clear:-

•  A thin layer of frost from the windscreen ie: 1 or 2 minutes or longer.
• A heavy layer of frost ie: 5 minutes or longer?

I just need a rough idea from forum members who have actually used the the heated windscreen in a Ford Fiesta to clear frost.

Thank you in advance for any helpful responses/input.

I've used the heated windscreen a fair few times. 

In the windscreen, you have fine zig-zag lines/elements that do the work. There's a lot of those zig-zags running vertically down the windscreen and they have small spaces in between each zig-zagging element. If you were to look closely, you can see them but it is not a distraction or annoyance at all. 

In my use of it, a thin layer of frost would take around a minute to a minute to a half to defrost and a thick layer would be closer to 4-5 minutes although I haven't experienced many thick layers so far. Definitely quicker than deicer cans and far more comfortable than scraping the ice off 😄 

On most vehicles, there are several tiny elements going vertically in the windscreen and horizontally on the rear screen. 
It usually clears frost in a few minutes (you can usually see it start to work in a few seconds) and any inside moisture in about 30 seconds to 1 minute (it does in mine). Thicker layers will take a bit longer
I'm not familiar with the climate control in your vehicle but it looks as though you have 2 front screen defrost buttons (second one just below the LCD screen). 
If I set mine and want it to clear quicker (max), I have to turn the fan speed to 4 and make sure it is facing the screen and side windows only (demist). 

Thanks guys.

I turned my front windscreen defrost on for approx 5 - 8 mins for the first time and although the button above the LCD lit up nothing much else happened to the thin layer of frost.

Do you have the original windscreen still? If you bought your car second hand or have had a new windscreen fitted, it could be that the one fitted, does not have those elements inside it but is just a traditional windscreen. 

I believe it is the original windscreen because the car is a 2014 plate and I was informed that it has only been used as a demo car by the Ford main dealer.

I took a closer look at the windscreen and can see the fine zig zag filaments mentioned above.

Do you think that the windscreen something that can be easily tested and rectified by the dealer should there be a fault with the defrost function?

The car is already booked in for next week because the auto stat-stop doesn't work and so I will ask the dealers service/maintenance department to also check and test the windscreen.

I was pleased at first with the car but I am disappointed that I am having to go back to the dealer to sort out these issues.

Ok, if you can see the zig zags then you have the correct windscreen. It’s unlikely that all of the elements would fail at once (unless the fuse has blown). If there is a fault I would imagine it would be something straight forward like for example the fuse blowing. I can’t imagine it being super difficult for them to diagnose. 

Hope you get it sorted! 

Agree with those above. A thin layer of frost is clear almost instantly while a thick layer can take a couple of minutes.   Quicker and more efficient than clearing it by hand.

I find it immensely satisfying sometimes...

 

13 minutes ago, Bobr said:

Agree with those above. A thin layer of frost is clear almost instantly while a thick layer can take a couple of minutes.   Quicker and more efficient than clearing it by hand.

I tend to do both. Turn car on and whack it on max and then grab the scraper out the boot. 

By the time I've got it the ice is usually loosened enough to come off without much elbow grease. 

these windcreens are superb, which is why I bought another ford after I had my previous one for 9 years. if it were not for the heated windscreen I would probably have not bought a Ford. use it for demisting also, even if no actual frost. Beats having the noise of the heater fan on. And with mine being a diesel it takes ages to get any heat from the heater vents, so the quickclear windscreen is bordering on essential. 

They use a ton of electrical power. They only use the power if the engine is running.  if you have car running on tickover/idle and headlights on but heated screen off - then switch heated screen on you will notice the engine note change for a moment due to the sudden extra electrical load and also the headlamps change brightness for a moment.  If it does not do that then it would suggest there is something wrong. 

I do recall someone on this forum who had just bought a car which should have had heated screen, they could not get it to work and it turned out the screen had been replaced with a non-heated one.

Main dealers normally list the original spec which is how I got them to give me free mats. Would have been worth going back for a new screen or refund if that was the case.

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In very cold weather with a heavy frost you need the orange heated screen button top right this gives maximum heating (front / rear screens) and blowers

Agree with Isetta re the dip in idle revs, plus I've seen it show up as an increase in idle fuel consumption from 0.2  to 0.3 g/h while warming up.

Thanks - I will listen out for the drop in idle revs as mentioned by Isetta.

Also I will see what the Ford main dealer has to say when i take it into their garage this week.

We have hardly had any frost down here in London (not yet anyway) as I was hoping to have been able to test the windscreen a few more times by now.

Hopefully as DG97 has said it will be something straight forward for the Ford dealers garage to deal with for example the fuse blowing and something they can easily diagnose.

I am not very technical when it comes to cars I just hope the Ford  dealers garage can get it sorted for me.

Thanks again for all who have contributed to my post and questions.

You don't really notice the windscreen warming when it's on. When there is plenty of ice in the windscreen it takes few minutes to warm it up a little so you can a scrape the ice away easily but it doesn't melt the ice completely. Just so that it's easier to get off. The idle revs do take a small dip when you turn the heated windscreen on.

I found that the heated screen on my last Fiesta could melt any ice to the point where you could clear it with the wipers. I never scraped the screen in the 4 years I owned it.

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Mine always melted the ice also on my old 2007 fiesta and current 2015 fiesta. Start car, turn on heated front screen button and heated rear screen button. get out, scrape ice of all side windows, maybe rear a bit, check wipers aren't still frozen to screen by lifting them. (bottom left side corner sometimes needs help as the heating elements don't reach the extreme bottom corner - right hand drive car). operate wipers.  Superb.  I live in South of UK so I admit ice might not be as extreme as the far north.

I took the car into the Ford main dealer today for them to check the heated windscreen.

I was informed that the battery was only at 50% charge and that they could not find a fault with the heated front windscreen.

The Ford dealer also said that they had charged the battery today .

I am surprised the battery was only at 50% charge considering I only purchased the car at the beginning of December 2018 and had taken it down the motorway to Brighton and back home last week.

I will test the front windscreen again when we have some frost here in London (or whenever our winter truly arrives) and hopefully the defrost function will work.

it does not neccessarily need frost to test. If the inside is misted and you put the heated front screen switch on it should work and you can see when it works as it leaves a narrow line of mist down the middle.  The left and right side of screen are separate electrical circuits and there is a small gap down the middle between the two lots of fine wires embedded in the glass.

Perhaps the car does not allow the front screen to sap electrical power when the battery is below a certain level of charge. I don't know the answer on that, but mine has always worked (but battery is probably kept at a high level of charge as drive 33 miles each way to and from work Mon-Fri which includes 25 miles of motorway, fast dual carriageway).