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        General >> Problems >> Heated front windscreen
        
(Message started by: tonyboy on Dec 11^th, 2010, 10:26pm)

Title: Heated front windscreen
Post by tonyboy on Dec 11^th, 2010, 10:26pm

Hello Iv'e got this problem with my front heated wind screen, I'm getting power to both positive terminals of the windscreen, earth continuity from the drivers side positive to the chassis, but not from the passenger side.
Half of the windscreen on the drivers side de-frosts, the passenger side not at all. Iv'e taken the strip off the windscreen where the earth wire goes up to the top of the "A" frame, and tested the earth continuity from the earth going into the windscreen and there was none. So i would presume that there is a break in the heated wire that goes through the windscreen. What i was wondering does the wire run on the outside of the glass, on the inside or is dose it run inside the glass. I saw this stuff on ebay that fixes breaks in the heated windscreen. Sorry it's been a bit long winded

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by gozz on Dec 11^th, 2010, 11:39pm

I would think it would be between the laminations.
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by lesterlad aka Rodders on Dec 12^th, 2010, 12:19am

As Gozz says, It is indeed sandwiched between the laminations.
regarding the 'stuff' on ebay I think you will find that its for the rear heated screens where the element is exposed on the outside of the glass (inside the car) this would be a metallic paint to fill in any minor gaps of a broken element.

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by tonyboy on Dec 12^th, 2010, 11:32am

I think your right there, So there's no way of fixing a break in the wiring in the screen

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by lesterlad aka Rodders on Dec 12^th, 2010, 1:02pm

on 12/12/10 at 11:32:32, tonyboy wrote:

I think your right there, So there's no way of fixing a break in the wiring in the screen

No afraid there isn't.

Edit:
Tonyboy, does your screen look whitish anywhere along the top or bottom next to the screen rubber ?
If so that is a sign that the laminate is starting to break down and letting damp in between it, therefore causing deterioration of the screen element.

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Dec 12^th, 2010, 1:07pm

Mine was replaced a couple of weeks ago due to a genuine crack which would have caused an MOT failure.
Bill was for about £340 of which my excess was £60
Screens are still available & the fitter told me they have even had screens made for older cars if there is no stock.

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by Mike H on Dec 17^th, 2010, 5:29pm

This laminate, it's a kind of plastic right?

'Cause first time I tried cleaning it with Windolene it didn't feel like I was cleaning glass.

Cleaning the insides of the other windows the same way feels like cleaning glass, the inside of the windscreen doesn't.

Sorry can't explain it better

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by lesterlad aka Rodders on Dec 17^th, 2010, 5:51pm

on 12/17/10 at 17:29:05, Mike H wrote:

This laminate, it's a kind of plastic right?

Yes similar to cling film.
Both sides of the screen are glass

Laminated glass is two sheets of glass with a membrane sandwiched between them.

More info > http://www.answers.com/topic/automobile-windshield

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by TiberiuS on Dec 17^th, 2010, 10:11pm

Yep, like a plastic sandwich, heater element is in the middle ;)

The front elements can be dodgy because they've got to be so thin. I've got the same issue on our runabout Mondeo, the Quickclear has stopped working on one side, power's getting through so it looks like the element has gone open. The screen is starting to de-laminate slightly on the lower driver's side, it shows up as milky patches, you can see it clearly on the parts of the screen where the black masking is - that's a replacement screen too, replaced by Autoglass a few years back - not just a problem with original screens.

Screens can de-laminate, the windscreen on our Capri has gone pretty milky in places, it's slightly opaque overall - even with 14 years in a garage away from sunlight and moisture :)

Bruce.

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by Mike H on Dec 18^th, 2010, 12:17pm

So the inside IS glass? How odd.

Odd in that it doesn't seem to wipe like glass. Unless it's covered in years of greasy cack. Which is possible. I'll try plain old warm water and detergent next time

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by lesterlad aka Rodders on Dec 18^th, 2010, 12:44pm

on 12/18/10 at 12:17:02, Mike H wrote:

So the inside IS glass? How odd.

I'll try plain old warm water and detergent next time

A drop of vinegar in the water helps as well, not to much mind, you don't want the inside smelling like a fish n chip shop.

Cleaning glass:
Fill a spray bottle with a solution of 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Shake well. Spray mixture on window glass and clean with a dry cloth. The vinegar and water mixture cuts through the greasy, grimy film that accumulates on window glass.
Once you've finished cleaning the window take a piece of newspaper, crumple it up and go over the window with it to remove any streaks

Read more:
How to Clean Glass With Vinegar | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2331023_clean-glass-vinegar.html#ixzz18SzJyod2

Title: Re: Heated front windscreen
Post by Mike H on Dec 19^th, 2010, 1:40pm

Top tip, ta ;D