Winter is a great time for the rear defroster not to be working!!
i dont want to hurt anything prying it out w/ a screw driver if i dont need to.
the led is not lighting up, if i check the strips on the window for conductivity
what should it show and how should i remove the switch in the dash? thank you

 

Hi bigmay850,

Greetings from Chicagoland.

>Winter is a great time for the rear defroster not to be working!!
Agreed.

Have you checked the fuse?

Unfortunately, you'd have to pry out the switch, if you need to. This is pretty much the same for most dash switches. It does not require much effort, try prying at different angles with a small flat-blade.

When testing for conductivity, the result depends on what functions your DMM has:

1. If it has continuity function, it beeps and shows you very low resistance (less than 1 Ω)
2. If it has resistance function, it shows you very low resistance (less than 1 Ω)

I'm not sure about the specs on voltage drop across the strips.

Good luck,


JPN

 

One question about the switch itself: Should it be backlit when the lights are on? It's my only switch that does not. If so, I'll pull it and replace the bulb, but never asked anyone if it should be lit. - AB

 

Hello AB,

Yes, the Defrost symbol on the switch should illuminate. There is a tiny bulb inside the switch, which has to be soldered onto the switch. The switch can be movedby prying it off with a flat-blade screwdriver withlittle force, try prying at different angles to dislodge it. .

I used a tiny bulb found at Radio Shack, it's 12V & 60mA, slightly brighter than the original. It is a package of two bulbs, with hair-thin wires of about 1.5". The wires on the old bulb have to be cut off.

I hope this helps.

*PS: The Ω reading may be higher on the defroster element, depending on the spec. For example, the Ω reading on a light bulb changes according to the filament temp; the hotter the filament, the higher the Ω.


JPN

 

Thanks for the info jpn should be very helpful!!