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NYG500
Member
Date registered: Aug 2014
Location: NJ/NY
Vehicle(s): 2007 G500
Posts: 43
| 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
With winter weather have arrived in the Northeast I noticed while driving last night in light snow that with the heated windshield button "on" it light up red but the windshield still felt cold and I was getting an accumulation of ice on the top of the glass and the snowflakes that hit the windshield they didn't melt. The dash light stays on for several minutes then shuts off as stated in the manual but I don't think its working. I have previously expirenced a heated windshield in a Range Rover and it worked fantastic as soon a snowflakes hit it they melted and ice never accumulated on the glass. I'm wondering how to test my heated windshield? Anyone have comments on how it functions/heats? |
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Otiswesty
Administrator
Date registered: Jun 2007
Location: Portland, Oregon
Vehicle(s): 463.241, 461.213
Posts: 3004
| Re: 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
The leadds for the windsheil run up under the front edge of the headliner. You may be able to get at them through the opening for the dome light assembly, but I doubt it. If you take off the visors and clips, I would think you could reach the posts with a multimeter. Mine works great both for defogging and snow/ice melting. I did notice that on a 2008 G55 I test drove, the heated windsheild had was functionally different in that it turned off rather quickly in the warm summer weather. My 1999 has no feedback for ambient temps. |
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ace10
Regular
Date registered: Dec 2012
Location: Rural NoVA
Vehicle(s): '13 G550 and other stuff
Posts: 85
| Re: 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
Perhaps this is a silly question but... have you visually inspected the windshield to ensure it has the necessary filaments?
If you're not the original owner, it is possible that an incorrect replacement windshield was installed. |
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diesel_jim
Veteran
Date registered: Jan 2014
Location: N Wiltshire. UK
Vehicle(s): LR Defender 110, 1989 W460 SWB
Posts: 114
| Re: 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
Know anyone with a thermal image device? aim it at the screen and see if it (the imager display) glows orange? |
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NYG500
Member
Date registered: Aug 2014
Location: NJ/NY
Vehicle(s): 2007 G500
Posts: 43
| Re: 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
So I pulled the leads down from the front headliner by removing the sun visors. I initially got 14 volts between the two leads on each side of the windshield but then nothing after a few minutes. The switch is functioning normally (not turning on over 50deg and under 50deg the light turns on for about 10-15 mins then off) If I purposely fog up the front glass the haze doesn't go away with the heated windshield ON. Yesterday it was 32deg in the morning and I tried out the REAR defroster, the glass was warm to the touch after it had been operation and I saw a voltage .2 v drop when it came on in the UB instrument panel voltage display. I turned on the heated windshield and after 10 mins the glass is ice cold but the light on the button is on. The glass is NOT cracked or chipped so Im thinking its a relay or wiring issue, I checked the fuse and its good. Good idea on the thermal imager but I don't know any one with one. Any ideas? Anyone know how these units work or where components to the system are located? |
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diesel_jim
Veteran
Date registered: Jan 2014
Location: N Wiltshire. UK
Vehicle(s): LR Defender 110, 1989 W460 SWB
Posts: 114
| Re: 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
IF it's anything like my Land Rover defender front screen:
The timer only works for a short while. the defender is about 7 minutes, MB may me shorter.
I had my LR glass fitted brand new, and when I went to use it a few months later, I'd say about 40% of the "wires" in the glass are duff (there are loads of spots where the condensation/ice doesn't go), so you could quite easily have a broken main wire that feeds all of them.
If you have +ve on one terminal, good. check that the other has a good earth.
Easiest, stick a decent 12v lamp between them (even a spotlight with a good 55w bulb in, something that will draw a good load over the relay & wiring)
If that works then it looks like your screen is duff. Time for a "stone chip"... ahem... and insurance claim.... (did I say that? nooooo...... ;-) |
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NYG500
Member
Date registered: Aug 2014
Location: NJ/NY
Vehicle(s): 2007 G500
Posts: 43
| Re: 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
Thanks for the light bulb idea I'm going to try that and see what happens. I didn't Think about the main wire in the windshield. |
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Otiswesty
Administrator
Date registered: Jun 2007
Location: Portland, Oregon
Vehicle(s): 463.241, 461.213
Posts: 3004
| Re: 2007 heated windshield - how to test if it's working?
FYI, my heated glass works great but never "feels" warm to the touch. |
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