yes, i tried searching, noone had the same problem as me...
the defrost button lights up, the illumination part. i push the switch in, the little light doesnt turn on, and the rear defrost wont defrost anything.
I havnt done much to try and figure this out, since i dont know what to do. I've already checked the fuse, and it looks perfectly fine to me. Also, the defrost wasnt working when i first tried it, i parked the car (after getting to school), then when I was leaving after school to go home, I started the car and the defrost was on, so i just turned it off(since i nolonger needed it, since it had gotten warm outside). Then, the next day, i go to use it, and it isnt working again...
anyone have any solutions for me to try out?
thanks

 

You might have rubbed the rear lines off and now no heat is going through them.

 

Try here: http://autorepair.about.com/li...oster

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bryant &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You might have rubbed the rear lines off and now no heat is going through them.</TD></TR></TABLE>

dont know how that could have happened.. and wouldnt the switch still light up then atleast?
ill have a look though

 

Mine is like that - the relay and fuses are working properly, AND the light on the button itself DOES turn on when I push it, but the defroster doesn't work. I looked at the little copper(?) lines that are in the rear window, and it looks like all of them are broken/scratched off in some place or another so it's not completing the circuit.

But you said your light doesn't turn on...

 

yeah, my light isnt turning on, so im guessing its somewhere before the switch, but i really have no idea. I just went out, double checked the fuse, ran an ohmmeter across it, and there is continuity, so the fuse is fuine, im sure of that. also, there is power going to the fuse, so im guessing its somewhere between the fuse and the switch. what all is there between there? where abouts is the relay, and how do I test it?

 

This might help:
http://www.binghamtonlife.com/...l.htm

got to 23-146

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 88DXCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This might help:
http://www.binghamtonlife.com/...l.htm

got to 23-146</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, that helps, now i know where the relay is.
anybody know how to test it now??

n/m found the test on that website too.
"Remove relay from dash fusebox", "There should be continuity between A and B terminals when batery is connect to C and D Terminals", "There should be no continuity when battery is disconnected"


so do I just run power to C, and ground to D, and check for continuity between A and B?? I thought nothing was supposed to be hooked up to power when checking continuity?

 

http://www.binghamtonlife.com/...7.jpg

heres a complete wiring diagram of the rear defrost if anyone can use it to help explain this to me, lol. so far, i know i have power going up to the dash fuse box, and out. and I know that my illumination light is working.
I'm on my way out to go test my relay right now..


Modified by Hcivic88 at 8:07 PM 10/13/2003

 

If you have a volt meter,check for 12v at the rear window to start with...

 

have you actually tried swapping the defrost switch out to a new one or a buddie's?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 88DXCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you have a volt meter,check for 12v at the rear window to start with...
</TD></TR></TABLE>

edit: yeah, i checked it, im not getting any power back there

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by APEX CRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">have you actually tried swapping the defrost switch out to a new one or a buddie's?</TD></TR></TABLE>
nope, havnt done that yet, the only other person i know with a 4th gen civic form around here is gone for the weekend, wont be home till either late tonight, or early tomorrow.


Modified by Hcivic88 at 9:10 PM 10/13/2003

 

I checked all the defrost lines again, they all looked fine to me. and I also checked with an ohmmeter across the positive(black q/green) and the negative(black) and there is continuity between them, so there is a circuit there. So I now know that its somewhere between the 10A fuse, and the positive side of the rear window defroster.

I cant figure this out.....

 

I bet you have a wire that is disconnected somewhere between that fuse and the defroster.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FourthGenHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I bet you have a wire that is disconnected somewhere between that fuse and the defroster.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, thats a pretty good guess, lol
I just dont know where or how to check where the wire is broken.
one idea I have, is use an ohmmeter, with really long wires, and go from the green/black wire at the relay, to the green/black wire at the rear window. if it shows continuity, then I know that the wire is not broken between those places, although if it doesnt show it, then i have to start looking

 

I just had to replace my switch a week or so ago. (Forget about opening it up and rebuilding it, it has a timer circuit built in )

Find a friend with a switch you can borrow for a minute, or visit a junkyard and grab the switch and relay.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 7PSI CRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just had to replace my switch a week or so ago. (Forget about opening it up and rebuilding it, it has a timer circuit built in )

Find a friend with a switch you can borrow for a minute, or visit a junkyard and grab the switch and relay.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I got a switch for the night, im gonna try it and see if it works afterwards, I'm kinda hoping that isnt the problem tho, lol, cause then I have to buy a new switch. mayb eif im lucky, one of the wires on the switch just came loose, lol.
im going out to try it right now, ill let you know how it went in a bit.

 

okay, im back.
first thing i did was take out the defrost switch, i hooked it up to my amp remote line, and when the switch was pushed, it did not turn the amp on, so i know it was bad.
with the "new" switch. I found out that it had some problems too, it came out of the guys parts car, so he actually wasnt sure if it worked. I combined parts from both switches to make one good one, then while putting together the "not good" one, I was able to get it working too, lol, only problem is that illumination doesnt work on it, so I'm not using it for my amp switch(since the guy doesnt want it back, and it looks more stock). I hooked up the good one to my amp first of all, you hit the switch, the indicator light comes on, and the amp turns on, so I know its a good switch now. Also, when hooked up as my defrost switch, the illumination also works.
so I know that the switch is now good, although when testing for power in the back, im still not getting anything... although I could just be testing it wrong, i guess ill just have to wait till tomorrow morning and try it out, if the window defrosts, i guess its all good, if not, i have some more problems

 

the "illumination" ya'll keep referring to is just a bulb. it can be easily removed, but finding a new replacement could be difficult.
anyway those bulbs do go bad (we are talking about a 12+ year old car). even if the bulb does not light up, that doesnt mean the switch is bad.

have you tried replacing the relay? i've had 3 relays in my car go bad already and one of them WAS for my rear window defrost. go get a new relay and try it out.

additionally, i checked a (compressor clutch) relay by way of continuity and it checked out just fine, but when i would run my A/C i found the clutch was momentarily disengaging almost all of the time. replaced the relay and all is well. if you are going to replace the relay skip another used one and get a NEW one.

hth,
J

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sleeper4dr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the "illumination" ya'll keep referring to is just a bulb. it can be easily removed, but finding a new replacement could be difficult.
anyway those bulbs do go bad (we are talking about a 12+ year old car). even if the bulb does not light up, that doesnt mean the switch is bad.

have you tried replacing the relay? i've had 3 relays in my car go bad already and one of them WAS for my rear window defrost. go get a new relay and try it out.

additionally, i checked a (compressor clutch) relay by way of continuity and it checked out just fine, but when i would run my A/C i found the clutch was momentarily disengaging almost all of the time. replaced the relay and all is well. if you are going to replace the relay skip another used one and get a NEW one.

hth,
J</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, i think thats what im gonna do. I mean the relay cant be that expansive anyways, so I might as well just replace it, whats the worst that can really happen?
I didnt get to try the defrost today, since the window had no ice, but its supposed to get cold tonight, so ill try it tomorrow.
any idea how much the defrost relay costs?

 

damn i just dont know

 

what if you can defrost but the light automatically turns off on you?