Hello folks,
I've recently bought a gorgeous 2000 Saxo VTR in the iconic Poseiden Blue. I got it at a great price, but I've inherited a few minor problems.
One of these is the fact that my rear-screen demist won't work. I've checked the fuse and it's ok. Any ideas where to look?
The plastic on one of the connectors on the inside of the boot lid that joins the wire to the actual windscreen appears to have melted. Though there appears to still be electrical contact, this does appear to be the result of some sort of overheat.
Does anybody have any ideas what to start trying?
Thanks
Saxo rear-screen demist
Moderator: RichardW
First job is to test the earth connection. There's not much point in following up the fuse side if it's something as simple as that. Just unhitch the positive terminal (the one that's melted, I'd assume) and run a multimeter from there to a solid grounding point. If you get a resistance reading (ohms), then that's one less thing to think about.
Then switch the multimeter back to 12 volts DC and check for a reading from the wire that you've disconnected. Have a good look at how the connector's melted. Has it broken the wire internally? I've been known to stick pins through suspect wires to find this sort of thing out.
If you're getting a clear 12 volts at the connector, then it's got to be a break in the screen heater matrix itself. A cracked metal tab? That's my guess, actually, becsue of the overheating. A verry delicate soldering job, because the glass is so close, but it can be done.
Then switch the multimeter back to 12 volts DC and check for a reading from the wire that you've disconnected. Have a good look at how the connector's melted. Has it broken the wire internally? I've been known to stick pins through suspect wires to find this sort of thing out.
If you're getting a clear 12 volts at the connector, then it's got to be a break in the screen heater matrix itself. A cracked metal tab? That's my guess, actually, becsue of the overheating. A verry delicate soldering job, because the glass is so close, but it can be done.