rear window defog
- Bonneville'n
- SLE Member

- Posts: 84
- Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:56 pm
- Year and Trim: 2000 SSEi
- Location: Bridgewater CT.
Re: rear window defog
Yes!! Had the same problem, there is probably a break somewhere in the defogger grid. Check with a volt meeter, and get a repair kit. Easy fix

240k, Cleared Corners, Silverstars, Yellow 893 fogs, LED Marker,
Reverse & interior bulbs, L32, Triple Edge
transmission, Intense FWI, N*, GXP Brake & Swaybar Swap, Pacesetters
Re: rear window defog
defogger ok,it also makes static when running windshield washer,got to be a bad ground maybe?
Re: rear window defog
I get same static when windshield wiper goes on...i didnt see any ground wires to check like the firewall one
Re: rear window defog
i noticed that the 4th grid in the drivers side did not defog its line across,when i checked it with ohms meter there was no break in that grid,could that do it?
Re: rear window defog
how does the volt meter find it?Bonneville'n wrote:Yes!! Had the same problem, there is probably a break somewhere in the defogger grid. Check with a volt meeter, and get a repair kit. Easy fix
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myfirstbonnie
- Resident Gearhead

- Posts: 5530
- Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 10:19 pm
- Year and Trim: .
2015 Buick Enclave
2013 Buick Regal GS - Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Re: rear window defog
Turn on the defogger, put a lead on each side of the grid and if it reads 12 volts, then the break is in between the leads. Keep moving the leads closer together a little at a time. Don't drag them, just move each lead an inch closer one at a time. When you read 0v, then you skipped over the break.
Go back to the previous spots and look between them for a break in the grid. You can even move them closer at smaller intervals also. They make a repair kit to fix the grid and it is usually carried at most part stores.
Go back to the previous spots and look between them for a break in the grid. You can even move them closer at smaller intervals also. They make a repair kit to fix the grid and it is usually carried at most part stores.
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imidazol97
- Posts like an L67

- Posts: 1204
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:55 pm
- Year and Trim: 2003 Lesabre Limited, 2008 Cobalt, 2014 Malibu
Re: rear window defog
After you've found the area, hold a flashlight on the inside of outside if it's close enough you can reach, and you'll see light through the crack/scratch in the wire on the glass. Or have someone else hold the light while you're on the opposite side looking.vendo wrote:how does the volt meter find it?Bonneville'n wrote:Yes!! Had the same problem, there is probably a break somewhere in the defogger grid. Check with a volt meeter, and get a repair kit. Easy fix
The Permatex kit works nice BUT I had to use scotch tape pieces applied along the grid right up to the edge. Remember to turn the end of the tape to give you a grip to remove it when things are dried and done. I wondered if blue painting tape from 3M might work. But I only used about 1 inch lengths.... The stickon grid mask in the Permatex kit was too wide for my Cobalt grid. About double the width. That would show up. Using the scotch tape kept the repair width the same as the grid...
The brush in the Permatex kit is too big. I cut away 2/3 of the bristles to give me a better control on painting the fine line width of the grid.
Note the Permatex kit I got was a double duty kit: it also has sandpaper to freshen the contacts for the power leads to the whole grid, but that's not used for the individual grid wire repair.
Good luck.
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imidazol97
- Posts like an L67

- Posts: 1204
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:55 pm
- Year and Trim: 2003 Lesabre Limited, 2008 Cobalt, 2014 Malibu
Re: rear window defog
On another part of the question, I had the same static problem with my 98. There's a box close to the rear window on the 98 leSabre and the radio antenna goes to that box along with the power lead to the grid. The box somehow combines the rear grid and the antenna work. The contacts on the power lead to the small circuit group inside were burned. I sanded and freshened the contact. That cured the problem. I also thought about cleaning and soldering the power lead on. I have not checked the setup on 2000+ models. The box on the 98 was on the passenger side C-pillar under the cloth cover panel.vendo wrote:when i put it on lately the radio goes to all static... seen this one?
Re: rear window defog
I have 14 volts on the end at the drivers side and when I get to the first vert grid its 10 volts and over at the pass side end i get 0 volts...


