S1. Scope. This standard specifies requirements for windshield defrosting and defogging systems.

S2. Application. This standard applies to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses.

S3. Definitions. Road load means the power output required to move a given motor vehicle at curb weight plus 180 kilograms on level, clean, dry, smooth portland cement concrete pavement (or other surface with equivalent coefficient of surface friction) at a specified speed through still air at 20 degrees Celsius, and standard barometric pressure (101.3 kilopascals) and includes driveline friction, rolling friction, and air resistance.

S4. Requirements. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each passenger car shall meet the requirements specified in S4.1, S4.2, and S4.3, and each multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck, and bus shall meet the requirements specified in §4.1.

(b) Each passenger car, multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck, and bus manufactured for sale in the noncontinental United States may, at the option of the manufacturer, have a windshield defogging system which operates either by applying heat to the windshield or by dehumidifying the air inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, in lieu of meeting the requirements specified by paragraph (a) of this section.

S4.1   Each vehicle shall have a windshield defrosting and defogging system.

S4.2   Each passenger car windshield defrosting and defogging system shall meet the requirements of section 3 of SAE Recommended Practice J902 (1964) (incorporated by reference, see §571.5) when tested in accordance with S4.3, except that “the critical area” specified in paragraph 3.1 of SAE Recommended Practice J902 (1964) shall be that established as Area C in accordance with Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 104, “Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems,” and “the entire windshield” specified in paragraph 3.3 of SAE Recommended Practice J902 (1964) shall be that established as Area A in accordance with §571.104.

S4.3   Demonstration procedure. The passenger car windshield defrosting and defogging system shall be tested in accordance with the portions of paragraphs 4.1 through 4.4.7 of SAE Recommended Practice J902 (1964) or SAE Recommended Practice J902a (1967) (both incorporated by reference, see §571.5) applicable to that system, except that—

(a) During the first 5 minutes of the test:

(1) For a passenger car equipped with a heating system other than a heat exchanger type that uses the engine's coolant as a means to supply the heat to the heat exchanger, the warm-up procedure is that specified by the vehicle's manufacturer for cold weather starting, except that connection to a power or heat source external to the vehicle is not permitted.

(2) For all other passenger cars, the warm-up procedure may be that recommended by the vehicle's manufacturer for cold weather starting.

(b) During the last 35 minutes of the test period (or the entire test period if the 5-minute warm-up procedure specified in paragraph (a) of this section is not used),

(1) For a passenger car equipped with a heating system other than a heat exchanger type that uses the engine's coolant as a means to supply the heat to the heat exchanger, the procedure shall be that specified by the vehicle's manufacturer for cold weather starting, except that connection to a power or heat source external to the vehicle is not permitted.

(2) For all other passenger cars, either—

(i) The engine speed shall not exceed 1,500 r.p.m. in neutral gear; or

(ii) The engine speed and load shall not exceed the speed and load at 40 kilometers per hour in the manufacturer's recommended gear with road load;

(c) A room air change of 90 times per hour is not required;

(d) The windshield wipers may be used during the test if they are operated without manual assist;

(e) One or two windows may be open a total of 25 millimeters;

(f) The defroster blower may be turned on at any time; and

(g) The wind velocity is at any level from 0 to 3 kilometers per hour.

(h) The test chamber temperature and the wind velocity shall be measured, after the engine has been started, at the forwardmost point of the vehicle or a point 914 millimeters from the base of the windshield, whichever is farther forward, at a level halfway between the top and bottom of the windshield on the vehicle centerline.

[36 FR 22902, Dec. 2, 1971, as amended at 40 FR 12992, Mar. 24, 1975; 40 FR 32336, Aug. 1, 1975; 50 FR 48775, Nov. 27, 1985; 59 FR 11006, Mar. 9, 1994; 60 FR 13642, Mar. 14, 1995; 77 FR 755, Jan. 6, 2012]