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Repair rear window demister

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  • 07-11-2020 1:43pm
    #1
    MrCostington
    Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    My rear window has the demister heater elements on the outside of the glass (well, the inside of the car, but not within the glass!). Most of them are not working, I guess either burned out or scratched.

    I have seen pens for about 15 quid for DIY repairs. Are these any good? And if so, what would be the best one?

    Or, is there anywhere in Dublin that will fix it, and what is the likely cost?

    Any advice welcome!


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    #2
    wildwillow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,111 ✭✭✭wildwillow


    Only advice I have is to be careful.

    We had the experience of the rear window shattering while we were driving due to the grid lines over heating. There was a fault and it didn't seem to be heating but heat was concentrated in one corner.

    This was in a two year old car and wasn't abused or altered in any way. The children, in their car seats, were showered with shattered glass and were terrified but unhurt.


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    #3
    MrCostington
    Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭MrCostington


    wildwillow wrote: »
    Only advice I have is to be careful.

    We had the experience of the rear window shattering while we were driving due to the grid lines over heating. There was a fault and it didn't seem to be heating but heat was concentrated in one corner.

    This was in a two year old car and wasn't abused or altered in any way. The children, in their car seats, were showered with shattered glass and were terrified but unhurt.

    Wow, never heard of that before! My car is 1983 so it would be different to a 2 year old (unless you mean it was 2, 30 years ago!)


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    #4
    wildwillow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,111 ✭✭✭wildwillow


    It would have happened about 1986. So much the same vintage. Bought the car new so had the full history. Probably was faulty from the start. It was replaced and had no bother in the next few years while we owned it.

    I have never heard of it happening other than our experience.

    Car seats for children were almost a novelty then and fitting them was troublesome, so we were lucky to have the children secured.


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    #5
    MrCostington
    Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭MrCostington


    Thanks! Yes, it was the mention of car seats that made me believe it was recent. You were ahead of your time :)


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    #6
    kaizersoze
    Registered Users Posts: 7,042 ✭✭✭kaizersoze


    MrCostington wrote: »
    Hi all,

    My rear window has the demister heater elements on the outside of the glass (well, the inside of the car, but not within the glass!). Most of them are not working, I guess either burned out or scratched.

    I have seen pens for about 15 quid for DIY repairs. Are these any good? And if so, what would be the best one?

    Or, is there anywhere in Dublin that will fix it, and what is the likely cost?

    Any advice welcome!

    What car is it? Replacing the window would be an option and probably not too dear depending on the make/model.
    I'd imagine any repair would involve the window coming out. Could be as well whack in a new one at that stage.


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  • Options
    #7
    MrCostington
    Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭MrCostington


    IIRC all the heater element "wires" are accessible with the window in place. The feed to it is OK as a few of the elements work. It's a W123 coupe, I think those windows are very hard to source (being different to the saloon which has a c25 x production figure.)


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    #8
    dubbrin
    Registered Users Posts: 156 ✭✭dubbrin


    You can buy a kit with a grid on a sticky sheet. Not ideal I know but it might do the job and look ok on an older car


  • Options
    #9
    MrCostington
    Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭MrCostington


    dubbrin wrote: »
    You can buy a kit with a grid on a sticky sheet. Not ideal I know but it might do the job and look ok on an older car


    Thanks, I used one of them in my first car, a Renault 5, back in the day!


    I think I'll just try one of the pens, no major harm if it don't work I guess.


    Mods - thanks for fixing the title :)


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