Rear Defroster not working. Fuse? Relay?

mhuppertz · October 22, 2013

Looking in the owners manual, can't find a fuse or relay for the rear window defroster.

Where should I look first?

Thanks,

Mark

Ronnie · October 23, 2013

The photo below will show you where the DEFOG fuse and relay is located.

Click the link below. It will show you where to look depending on the model of your Reatta.

http://reattaowner.com/roj/component/content/article/62-electrical-system/other-electrical/137-location-of-console-fuses-and-breakers#accessible-fuse-breaker-identification

mhuppertz · October 23, 2013

Thanks much, I will check it out.

Barney Eaton · October 23, 2013

Check the connection at the top of the back window. I have seen broken connectors and had one that the contact came loose from the glass.

NCReatta · October 23, 2013

Check the connection at the top of the back window. I have seen broken connectors and had one that the contact came loose from the glass.

The connector at the top of the window is not for the defroster, but for the keyless entry antenna. The defroster connections are on the sides.

Barney Eaton · October 23, 2013

are both connected the same way? Could it be a bad connection at the window? Thanks for correcting me.

October 30, 2013

If the defroster tabs are not obviously off the defroster then a little sleuthing is required. Since I work for a company that makes defroster repair kits we see a lot of loose defroster tabs that need repair. It would be unusual if the defroster tab was still attached to the window and not making a good contact although we have seen repairs done with regular epoxy which is non-conductive but a great bonding agent.

If you have a volt meter verify that the tabs are electrically connected to the defroster. Test directly on the metal base of the tab and on the defroster material next to the tab. With the defroster on you should see almost no change in voltage between the two test points at 12.5 volts or so (13.5 of so with the car running). There should be almost zero resistance between these two points. If there is a sharp drop in voltage between the tab and the surface of the defroster this means there is a bad connection between these two critical parts. We like the Frost Fighter Tab Bonding Kit to bond these tabs back to the defroster because it is easy to use and is highly conductive. See www.frostfighter.com

If everything is ok with the tabs then I would suspect the ground side of the circuit. A quick test is to run a temporary grounding wire to the ground tab and see if your defroster works. Please use a 14 awg or better wire as defrosters pull a lot of amperage. Let us know what you find.

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Rear Defroster not working. Fuse? Relay?

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