Rear Defrost Help

[ADKExplorer]

I am looking for a way to reattach the electrical contact to the rear window defrost. It just popped of the other day and the dealer said that there is no way to reattach it. They said that you would have to replace the window. I think that I have heard that there is a special glue that will work but I can not find it. Any suggestions or a product name???
Thanks for the assistance!!

 

[DeRocha]

Welcome the the site and here is the info you requested...

Repairing the Grid

Items Required:

Repair paint

defroster repair paint (This is typically a small bottle of conductive epoxy paint, often colored to match the color of your defroster grid, in a kit with a small brush and piece of cardboard with a slit in it. Most auto parts suppliers (including WalMart, KMart, etc.) have these, and kits can also be obtained from JC Whitney. The usual cost is about US$10. I've repaired well-over 50 breaks using a single small bottle of paint (although I had to add some acetone to thin it when it began to dry out.)
masking tape (This is preferable to the cardboard paint guide included in the repair kits, both because you can repair a number of areas at the same time and because the slits in the cardboard are typically much wider than the grid elements.)
a razor blade (This is used to trim the edges of the repaired grid elements, where the new paint will have a tendency to wick out from the grid. It can also be used to remove the felt-tip marker or crayon elements.)
acetone (This is used to thin the paint, which will often begin to dry out in the bottle very quickly. It is only required if you have a number of repairs to make, which allows the acetone in the paint to evaporate.)
a large piece of white or light colored cardboard or cloth (This is used to enable you to see the grid elements more clearly.)

Full Article

 

[ADKExplorer]

Wow...what a great response!!! Just what I was looking for......but....I have one question. Is this epoxy strong enough to hold the attached power source wire. The grid is ok it just that the element popped off from the grid. I am assuming that this would hold the wiring but just wanted to make sure. Thanks for the response!!

 

[nailhead_sled]

Did this product work for you?
I have tried a few products to reattach one of my broken defrost connections; however they will not ‘set’ in freezing weather.
Great engineering :thumbdwn: If it was not freezing out side I wouldn’t need the bloody defroster

 

[DeRocha]

Did this product work for you?
I have tried a few products to reattach one of my broken defrost connections; however they will not ‘set’ in freezing weather.
Great engineering :thumbdwn: If it was not freezing out side I wouldn’t need the bloody defroster

I have no experience with this product, how long does the expoxy take to cure? If it is only a short time you can use a blow dryer to keep the area warm (just don't overheat it). For longer periods I would drape a few blankets on the outside of the glass for insulation. I would then get an electric thermostatically controlled space heater and place it in the hatch area. Run the cord under the botton of the hatch and place another blanket/towel to help seal it off better. I would run the engine to preheat the interior first which will allow the space heater to work easier. I then place a thermometer in the back so I can monitor the temp from outside the vehicle.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

Did this product work for you?
I have tried a few products to reattach one of my broken defrost connections; however they will not ‘set’ in freezing weather.
Great engineering :thumbdwn: If it was not freezing out side I wouldn’t need the bloody defroster

It sounds as if you've had this problem for a while (?) and it didn't just happen recently. Did you procrastinate over the summer and not try to fix it b/c you didn't need it? Good luck and listen to DeRocha!

 

[Brock94]

I noticed that the top four grid-lines were not working a few weeks ago when we finally got some frost around here and I needed to use the grid repair stuff which also requires warmer temps than we're expecting for a couple months.

I took my rear window off and brought it inside for the repair-- On my '94, the hardest part was getting my wife outside to help hold the window so I wouldn't drop it while removing (and later replacing) the two torx screws that hold it onto the hinges-- make sure you disconnect the unbroken wire as well so you don't rip that off too (a small flathead screwdriver inserted in the connector was necessary for this.)

Good luck!