Heated Windscreen

[Caff]

Would welcome some opinions from the forum before I send a very angry letter off...

 

I had a cracked windscreen so insurance paid for a new one to be fitted and I paid the excess of

[chromedome]

The company must be using sub standard heated windscreens or indeed not fitting them correctly. My original fit is 5 years old and still works fine.

 

Can you insist in an OEM windscreen to be fitted?

[MrT]

When my heated screen was replaced the job was not done properly. The screen (assuming it has not changed recently -MK2 circa 1992) has two 12V contacts with large spade connectors half way up each side of the windscreen behind the pillar covers. These are usually connected OK. However at the top centre of the screen there is a plastic strip with copper wires (looks like a PCB connecting cable) which goes to an earth stud attached to the roof. On mine they damaged the stud and did not make proper contact to earth with this plastic/copper strip. I suggest you look behind the roof light unit and ensure that there is a good earth contact here. If you measure the voltage on this copper strip when the screen is on, it should remain at 0Volts but if there is a bad earth, it will rise towards 12V. A bad contact here may also show burning marks on this strip. If this is OK, check the voltage at each side of the screen, there should be 12V at each side connector when it is on, if you don't have the 12V the fault is elsewhere, probably in the wiring or timer/relay area.

 

As the screen has two sets of elements it is unlikely that both sides would go at once, the only common part being the central earth connection.

 

A pont to note is that when testing the screen the engine must actually be running otherwise the screen will not work, just having the ignition turned on does not have the screen powered on.

 

This is from memory from around 8 years ago and I seem to remember posting details here about it then, so have a search and see if anything else comes up on this topic.

[Caff]

Yes thanks Mr T I had already read your previous posting. It doesn't seem to be one sided. My problem is that some of the elements on each side are working. There's a very annoying "malfunction" running down straight in front of the driver and other places. The middle bit is perfect! The previous screen was similar!

 

chromedome. I don't know if it's OEM. Not sure that's an issue though as I didn't specify. I doubt the insurance company would have specified it. But it's a thought.

[Mirez]

Yes thanks Mr T I had already read your previous posting. It doesn't seem to be one sided. My problem is that some of the elements on each side are working. There's a very annoying "malfunction" running down straight in front of the driver and other places. The middle bit is perfect! The previous screen was similar!

 

chromedome. I don't know if it's OEM. Not sure that's an issue though as I didn't specify. I doubt the insurance company would have specified it. But it's a thought.

 

Unless it went into a Ford dealer to be done then it won't be OEM. Autoglass and RAC both use Pilkington and it should be stamped as that in the lower right (from inside).

 

Stone chips are the normal cause for individual elements to fail, if you don't have any then its been caused by flexing at the joing strips during install/transport. The elements are extreamly delicate and very sensitive to flexing, its imperative the company keep it as level as possible to avoid damage and this includes the warehouse, the van and the install! On a screen the galaxy's size to prevent it flexing there should be two people to do the job properly, if its been done by a mobile fitter its likely it was only one man so that could also be your issue.

 

I've seen OEM screens on 95 Mondeos still going fine with over 200K on the clock.