DRIVERS are only just discovering the “magic” unknown dashboard button which can defrost the windscreen in less than a minute.
Many may not know their car could have the time-saving feature, which can also help prevent the window misting up.
The Quickclear button, found in many Ford models, can be found on the dashboard, typically symbolised with wobbly heat arrows going up onto a curved windscreen.
The Quickclear Heated Windscreen is a trademarked technology used in Ford cars since the 1990s.
It works using thin mental filaments embedded within the windscreen glass, which heat up the surface to melt away ice and frost.
A press of the button will clear up the windscreen and give visibility.
According to Autoglass UK, the patented technology was first used in the Ford Scorpio, a little-known sales flop sold between 1994 and 1998.
It has been an optional or integrated feature in many Ford models produced since then, including the now-discontinued Focus, and drivers may not know about this hack.
Ford enthusiasts on a Ford Owners Club forum, said the Quickclear button is an unknown, but extremely useful feature.
“I have always thought Ford do not do enough to promote the Quickclear windscreens. Many people I know with other make cars have never heard of these windscreens and how they work,” one wrote.
Another wrote: “Love my Quickclear screen, that’s why I bought another Ford. If all cars had them I would probably have bought something else.
“I sometimes get that glinting of the heating filament but only rarely when the sun is at a certain angle.”
Youtuber Big Phil Online also raved about the feature, calling the technology his “secret weapon” against chilly mornings at home in Scotland.
In a video posted earlier this year as part of his Big Phil Drives series, he showed how quickly and easily he was able to defrost the windscreen of his Ford Focus Estate.
He explained: “This little beauty works like magic. You press one button and just like that the windscreen starts to defrost.
“Depending on the temperature, it will clear within 30 to 90 seconds, so I have to admit it’s quite quick.”
He said: “Look at this. I’ll be ready to hit the road before my neighbours have even found their ice scrapers.”
The video shows the frost melt away “in a matter of seconds” with no effort from Phil.
He does recommend using an ice scraper on side windows though, as the Quickclear technology is only used in windscreens.
Phil said now he’s used the feature, “there’s no going back”.
“It is one of the little things that makes driving a Ford just a bit smarter, and to be totally honest, once you get used to those micro lines in your windscreen, it’s not a problem at all,” he said.
He did caution that drivers who haven’t used it before might be bothered by seeing “those little lines”, but insisted these would quickly become unnoticeable.
Phil also noted another cold-weather use for Ford’s trademarked technology.
“When there’s a moisture inside the car and the engine is not warm enough to blow the hot air-con onto the windscreen, you can use the Quickclear to clear the moisture,” he said.
“It works perfectly.”
