Rain-Sensing Windshield I.D

Hi Guys,

Been considering putting a good windshield from a salvage yard into Harlem to take care of her issue with the big star cracking (i.e. where the WW arm hit it while r/ring the blade). Looking at the classic Jag website, it looks like Jag has 3 different versions of the windshield for the XJ8s, one with heating and rain sensing, one with just heating (no rain sensing), and one w/o either heating or rain sensing. :dizzy_face: I know Harlemā€™s has rain sensing, b/c it has the detector on the back of the rear view mirror. Presumably it is also heated, since it has that metallic black ā€œgrillā€ around the perimeter of the inside of the windshield.

How do I know for sure that the windshield Iā€™m getting from the yard is ā€œrain sensingā€? I donā€™t see anything special about mine. Obviously that would seem to be the case if it came out of a car that had the rain sensor on the back of the rear view mirror ā€“ however itā€™s possible the OEM windshield may have since been replaced by one that is not rain sensing. Moreover, I donā€™t know where the part #, if any, would even be located on a windshield. I donā€™t want to end up paying for something I canā€™t use. :no_mouth:

Never heard about a rain sensing windshield. There is a rain sensor, mounted in the base of the rear view mirror. At least thatā€™s how it is on my 2002 X308.

Jeroen

While I canā€™t speak for the X300 as I never had that feature on mine, on my X350 the rain-sensing/wiper system has nothing to do with the windshield other than thatā€™s where the rain hits. The sensor in the mirror sees the rain and tells the wipers to operate if they are set on auto or intermittent (canā€™t recall which). I likewise have no experience with a heated windshield ā€¦ just a heated seat and steering wheel ā€“ but i would imagine there would be a separate switch youā€™d have to install in a blank position, if you assume that the car is prewired for such via the wiring loom and that you found a heated windshield that could be wired into the prewire.

Cheers.

Eliot Brenner
X350 VDP
X300L now living at Peter Crespinā€™s
XJ40 now probably a refrigerator or freezer somewhere

The ā€œautoā€ position senses the rain on the windshield and activates the wiper based on where its sensitivity is set. ā€œIntermittentā€ activates an adjustable timed wipe.

BTW, Eliot, the slave cylinder on the E is back in and working perfectly.

Thanks for the reminder. I went out to my car and read the booklet on the wipers and by the time i got back to my computer I forgot whether it was auto or intermittent. Iā€™ve had it come on unannounced while driving, which was strange the first time it happened.

Glad to hear about the the slave cylinder. I hope it wasnā€™t too difficult to pull out ā€¦ and hope this rebuild last a long, long time.

The ONLY X308s I have seen with HEATED WINDSCREEN were from CANADA. A Dallas car dealer used to buy XJ8s from auctions up in Chicago and New York and bring them to TX. for sale.

Every one I saw with a HEATED WINDSCREEN had a MAPLE LEAF on the driverā€™s door near the VIN plate.

You can see the heating elements if you hold a white paper on the inside and look from the outside through the windscreen.

You only need to decide Rain Sensing or EXCEPT Rain Sensing unless the car has the CANADA Winter Package.

bob

Good to know, and thanks Bob. Iā€™m curious now as to what that thing that looks like a little metal grid is that is attached to and goes around the inside perimeter of the windshields, as I donā€™t think Iā€™ve ever owned a Jag that didnā€™t have that item. Any idea what it is for? :confused:

btw, back to my original question ā€¦ is there any way to tell the rain-sensing windshield from the non-sensing one, just by looking at it?

I donā€™t think ā€˜rain-sensingā€™ was offered before MY2000 (US models). The interior mirror will have a 3 wire additional plastic piece mounted to the windscreen.

bob

THanks, Bob. btw, speaking of the mirror, mine seems to be a bit loose - whenever I hit the auto-dim butoon I end up having to re-positioin it. Is there any way to tighten it up? I know most of the old mirrors have a ball and socket arrangement and usually there is a screw somewhere on the stem that can be tightened up, but I donā€™t see it on Harlemā€™s. :confounded:

If the ball/socket is loose, then not much I can think of will tighten it. If the mount base on the windscreen is loose then I just pull the mirror and slightly bend the spring steel clamp.

bob