Rear Defrost Cable Detach

[Hurlz07Tahoe]

I know I've read threads on this before but I can't find them in the search...

About a year and a half ago the cable that attaches to the rear defrost grid (via some sort of cement/solder) pulled away from the grid (failed at the solder joint). I checked with the dealership at the time and they said that the kit to repair it doesn't work for sh$% and that they recommended replacing the entire back window!

Has/Is anyone else experiencing this and how did you fix it/do you plan to fix it?

Thanks

 

[badtothe bone]

if the grid is copper, you can try to solder it with some soft solder and a soldering iron.

The resistance in the circut would probably be high enough that if you tried to glue it - it would probably get hot and fall off.

 

[Hurlz07Tahoe]

It's not copper...

 

[ace2878]

My rear defroster did the same thing. My local Autopart store has a product they claim will work to stick it back on. I'm picking in up tonight and plan to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Hurlz07Tahoe]

My rear defroster did the same thing. My local Autopart store has a product they claim will work to stick it back on. I'm picking in up tonight and plan to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes.

Cool, yeah I'll be interested to hear how that goes!

 

[ace2878]

Didn't go well. I tried two different products from the auto parts store. The first one didn't work at all. It was more designed for fixing broken grid lines and didn't have any adhesive qualities as far as I could tell. The second product was an adhesive and worked well to stick the tab back on the window. I let it setup for almost 3 days before I used the defroster. I saw the defroster starting to work the first few minutes it was on and then the adhesive let go. Seems that when it warms up it lets go. Not a good quality. So, I'm back to the drawing board.

 

[LTZboy]

Have you thought of JB weld? It is metal and would conduct the electricity needed for them to operate.

 

[macky]

i used the a kit i got at advance auto parts. its only been a few days but its still on tight, ive had the defroster turned on along with big time vibration from my subs. i was expecting it to just fall off, but its as tight as when i put it on. the directions say to make sure the area is smooth and flat. so be sure to sand them down. so far im very impressed. i went over a year without using my defroster b/c it had been soldered twice and came off within a week each time.

 

[ace2878]

Do you know the name of the kit that you used? I tried sanding the area flat, but was running into issue with the metal part on the glass trying to peel off. The kit I used had a very liquid that was the adhesive. I think this might have a chance at work on a flat surface, but mine is somewhat uneven. I think a thicker adhesive would probably work better. I'm not sure about the JBWeld. I had thought about it, but didn't want to screw up the defroster permanently if it didn't work.

 

[macky]

Do you know the name of the kit that you used? I tried sanding the area flat, but was running into issue with the metal part on the glass trying to peel off. The kit I used had a very liquid that was the adhesive. I think this might have a chance at work on a flat surface, but mine is somewhat uneven. I think a thicker adhesive would probably work better. I'm not sure about the JBWeld. I had thought about it, but didn't want to screw up the defroster permanently if it didn't work.

i used this http://www.permatex.com/products/Au..._Complete_Rear_Window_Defogger_Repair_Kit.htm and just followed the step. clean with alcohol, sand both parts til they were smooth, cleaned again with alcohol, wiped both part with the activator a lot, let it sit about 5 min then put the adhesive on and hold it tight for a few min. i left everything disconnected for a couple days then hooked it back up. been on about a week now, no probs. temp got down to about 13 degrees today