B**tard Heated Rear Window

Newbie Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 4

My heated rear window is really beginning to p*ss me off. It's a 1997 Laguna and I had heard that the big white connector by the passenger side wheel arch can fail. So I cut this out and directly connect all the wires there, still no joy.

So I checked the element on the rear window and found a break, so I bent over at the local auto place whilst they took Â£10 of my hard earned and gave me a tiny little bottle of electro paint. Bloody rip off. Used the crappy template (too big) and brush (falling to bits) to paint over the break, still no joy.

I got out a multimeter and checked for voltage on the connector by wheel arch, I get a reading when its not connected, but as soon as I connect the thing together I get nothing. I am pretty clueless with auto electrics so have no idea what to try next, I know that I am getting a voltage at that connection, so it's only after that when something goes wrong. I tried just twisting the bare cables together to at least reassure me that my crimping was not shit, and even then get no reading (I think I cut and re-crimped both wires again). I can't remember the colours of the wires now but believe there is only 2 for the heated rear window.

So do I have an earth problem somewhere with the rear window heater? is the earth lead the one that comes out the bottom of the window on the drivers side? short of throwing a brick through the window and getting a new one (that I can't afford) I have no clue what else to try.

It's not really bothered me all summer long, but now the weather is turning to shit the steamed up rear window is getting on my nerves again. Thanks.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

when you connect the wires you won't get a reading, hold it on the window itself at the connectors and see if your gettign anything, then put 1 probe to an earth point on the shell and see what happens.