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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Car makers listen up! Heated windshields
Listen up North American car makers, I've got a simple and practical idea!
Build a defrost system that sits in the front windshield under the windshield wipers. Take the technology that goes into rear-window defrost systems, and apply it to the front. A simple metal contact that sits underneath the wiper blade ... no more ice buildup! How many times have you stopped on the side of the road because the wipers froze up?
My HVAC system in my 2004 Jeep Liberty just doesn't seem to be very effective when defrosting the front windshield.
Build a defrost system that sits in the front windshield under the windshield wipers. Take the technology that goes into rear-window defrost systems, and apply it to the front. A simple metal contact that sits underneath the wiper blade ... no more ice buildup! How many times have you stopped on the side of the road because the wipers froze up?
My HVAC system in my 2004 Jeep Liberty just doesn't seem to be very effective when defrosting the front windshield.
Functional winter mudguards
Here's an idea for an automotive company, or perhaps even a parts supplier like Magna :
Build mudguards that are smooth on both sides - including the side that faces the tire! This way, during the snow-filled winter months here in Canada, snow has a hard time sticking to it.
If you've ever driven in snow, you'll notice that occasionally during heavy sticky snowfalls you might notice some degradation in turning, or braking ability, or even strange noises.
When your tires travel across the snow some of it is picked up in the rotation of the tire. Most cars have a slippery smooth surface on the underbody of the wheel well. The snow will travel along this path until it hits the mudguard.
Being the rough-edged, bumpy, and cavernous moulded plastic it is, the snow will undoubtedly stay there gradually building up like a rolling snowball.
My idea? Round it out to continue the flow of the smooth-surfaced wheel well ... that way the snow has nowhere to stick and continues on back to the road.
Granted in an industry where every penny is pinched (which reminds me of a story an automotive engineer told me when I asked why all car underbody parts weren't painted ... to save a few extra dollars) I can see how this "might" be a valid excuse, but if today's generic household product can be packaged in virtually indestructible plastic packaging, I don't see why it would cost THAT much more.
Build mudguards that are smooth on both sides - including the side that faces the tire! This way, during the snow-filled winter months here in Canada, snow has a hard time sticking to it.
If you've ever driven in snow, you'll notice that occasionally during heavy sticky snowfalls you might notice some degradation in turning, or braking ability, or even strange noises.
When your tires travel across the snow some of it is picked up in the rotation of the tire. Most cars have a slippery smooth surface on the underbody of the wheel well. The snow will travel along this path until it hits the mudguard.
Being the rough-edged, bumpy, and cavernous moulded plastic it is, the snow will undoubtedly stay there gradually building up like a rolling snowball.
My idea? Round it out to continue the flow of the smooth-surfaced wheel well ... that way the snow has nowhere to stick and continues on back to the road.
Granted in an industry where every penny is pinched (which reminds me of a story an automotive engineer told me when I asked why all car underbody parts weren't painted ... to save a few extra dollars) I can see how this "might" be a valid excuse, but if today's generic household product can be packaged in virtually indestructible plastic packaging, I don't see why it would cost THAT much more.
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