Rear Heated Screen switch

[Tinkley]

Weird one, to me at least. The heated screen switch just went to no lumination when I tried to use it tonight. The relay can be heard clicking but the element(s) are not heating up. When you repress the switch Ie to off, the normal low level illumination comes on. Any idea? switch? relay seems OK, or maybe the 8 month old rear screen which I'll bet is out of warranty....

Certainly something I would appreciate working OK in this wintery weather.

[Mothman]

New switch?
My rear screen wiper switch on my TZD has started to only work when it feels like it, maybe the same problem. However, ive just got my TXD Estate home[dont ask how] and its got one in working order so fingers crossed. It did the same as yours Tink and if pressed correctly, it worked , looked at it wrong, and it didnt!!

Andy

[David]

Sounds like a blown fuse to me.

The switch controls the low powered side of the relay, so it will still click, However there will be no power through the high powered side of the relay, so no power to illuminate the switch or work the heated window.

Hope that helps.

[Tinkley]

Thanks, David. I'll check the fuse in daylight tomorrow, it was too dark/wet/cold to entice me to investigate, plus I needed to use it half an hour ago o go and do a small job. Makes sense though as the fuse box has been pretty wet in the recent past, maybe a short around the relay? Got a few spares somewhere but hardly too difficult to buy locally.

It was working fine on Wed and last week when I needed it a lot, probably done close on 900 miles in the last week and a half, with no problem at all. Just this evening coming out of the Sailing Club workshop, pissing rain and of course the car is/was parked 5 meters from a lake - hence a slight mist up...

[rutter123]

Prob got a switch if you need one.

[Tinkley]

Thanks rutter. Fortunately the problem has been solved and very simply. One or both of the spade end terminals onto the element must have had corrosion on it as pulling and refitting them allowed full and proper activation of the elemnt and switch. Thank goodness, sometimes the solutions are simple. I suppose with the age of the cars now, a few issues like this are going to arise.

It was just odd, the way it had been working fine, then stopped the next day. Inevitably one feels it is a component itself failing not a simple connection. Fortunately I follwed the KISS principle and started by looking at the connections first, even before the fuse!.

Thanks to all for help, much appreciated.