Rear Defroster tab again & again

[the blur]

Took my truck to the dealer again for the rear defroster. I lost track of how many times they soldered it, & even replaced the glass. I have the extended warranty now.

The ***** wanted to charge me $100 !!!
I told him to go f_uck himself.

How about you fix it right, or redesign the glass, or do something so we don't have this discussion anymore. He told me I was right, but he couldn't help me. I told him to be a standup guy and fix it as a courtesy. So he threatened me not to honor my GMPP any more.

But hey, service departments don't realize good service brings back customers to buy new cars.

 

[NathanJax]

Seriously though... I'd be upset too

 

[08HoeCD]

It's an annoying problem.
Consider stretching that darn coiled connection so there is more slack and less tension on the soldered tab.

 

[Rocket Man]

I used www.frostfighter.com 's product and it is amazing. It's a thick electrically conducting epoxy in the right color to match and I guarantee your tabs will never fall off again. It's $35 but worth it.

 

[sumo]

I used www.frostfighter.com 's product and it is amazing. It's a thick electrically conducting epoxy in the right color to match and I guarantee your tabs will never fall off again. It's $35 but worth it.

That's the stuff I was trying to remember what I used to fix mine. I tried to solder but it would never hold cause of the angle of the glass.

 

[ta07hoe]

Pull the cables down and wrap them around the base of the shock to stretch them out or hang something heavy off them. Wrap thin solder around the tab 5x6 times. With the hatch open Put a wet rag on the glass behind where the tab goes. Clamp vise grips to the connector part of the tab. Holding the visegrips put the tab wrapped in solder to the window where it belongs and using a fine point small butane torch melt the solder and push the tab on. It will suck the solder in and then let it sit. Leave the vise grips on. Let it sit for a little and if it doesn't fall off its good. Use smaller vice grips not some giant pair

 

[ta07hoe]

Did it chip the glass and pull some of the glass off. How's it look where it pulled off from

 

[Rocket Man]

Pull the cables down and wrap them around the base of the shock to stretch them out or hang something heavy off them. Wrap thin solder around the tab 5x6 times. With the hatch open Put a wet rag on the glass behind where the tab goes. Clamp vise grips to the connector part of the tab. Holding the visegrips put the tab wrapped in solder to the window where it belongs and using a fine point small butane torch melt the solder and push the tab on. It will suck the solder in and then let it sit. Leave the vise grips on. Let it sit for a little and if it doesn't fall off its good. Use smaller vice grips not some giant pair

I would not recommend soldering or adding enough heat to attempt solder. You actually would need to heat the entire glass up enough to melt the solder in which case you'll probably end up breaking the glass. It's tempered and so heat in one area has a good chance of shattering it. The entire glass is heated during the initial process. If you did it this way and the glass survived you're lucky. It's worth the $35 for the epoxy. I was an auto glass installer and any glass shop would tell you not to do that unless you want to buy new glass. Plus that's a recipe for what's known as a cold solder joint which doesn't conduct electricity well.

 

[ta07hoe]

I would not recommend soldering or adding enough heat to attempt solder. You actually would need to heat the entire glass up enough to melt the solder in which case you'll probably end up breaking the glass. It's tempered and so heat in one area has a good chance of shattering it. The entire glass is heated during the initial process. If you did it this way and the glass survived you're lucky. It's worth the $35 for the epoxy. I was an auto glass installer and any glass shop would tell you not to do that unless you want to buy new glass. Plus that's a recipe for what's known as a cold solder joint which doesn't conduct electricity well.

I did this to mine and every other one that gets fixed permenitly does to. Takes 10-15 seconds of lightly applying heat. It's a fine point and there is no need to heat the glass. The wet towel prevents the glass from getting hot. Glass was no hotter after than when started. If it has pulled the solder off and there's a piece of the glass missing you need a new window. That's just how The GM dealers that I know of actually fix it

 

[Rocket Man]

If you look at www.frostfighter.com' s videos and description you'll see how well it works, how easy it is, how it looks like factory, and the fact it's permanent. I used it on mine after failed attempts by others and not only did it fix it permanently but it covered up the area where the old tabs had been torn off and had damaged the area under them. It can also be used to repair the individual grids. I just found out that GM now recommends it also:

General Motors bulletin recommends 2000 Frost Fighter Tab Bonding Kit. New General Motors (GM) Bulletin 16-NA-171: Repair Information of Reconnection of Rear Window Defroster Contact or Tab. This bulletin recommends the 2000 Tab Bonding Kit for the reconnection of defroster terminals to the rear defroster.