Fusion Fun - heated screen mutimeter testing

[egg]

2002 Ford Fusion, my heated front screen has failed completely in the last month or so.

 

What I can tell you is that the switch light still comes on, the 2 x 30 amp fuses appear intact and I can hear the relay above the fuse box switch on and off with the switch.

 

Any ideas? I've read about the wiring connections failing.

 

Also, since the screen has failed I've noted a lot more condensation on the inside of the car - it is taking me 20 minutes to clear the inside with max blower and air con on heat. So is it maybe something to do with the bonding on the windscreen itself letting in damp?

 

The screen has 2 chips and also a small crack - 'Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A'' - in MOT terms.

 

Options:

- get an auto electrician have a look?

- Just claim for a new windscreen under my insurance and pay the £65 excess?

 

(Helpful) thoughts please! 

 

 

[AlabamaShrimp]

Did it just fail or did it slowly give up? I don't know how to fix it but mine in the ST seems to be not fully working. It's already had a replacement screen about 6 years ago due to a big chip

[Richard]

Find out where the terminals are behind the trim and check that power is getting to them, which it will be. The screens just seem to be appalling shit, one side of my Transit's had failed before its first winter.

[egg]

Due to the mild autumn - I'm not sure if was a gradual fail, as barely used it. I'm not sure now if the linked heated door mirrors are working. 

 

The car sits outside all the time - so wonder if some damp has got in somewhere...

 

My Fusion is an early build - July 2002 - and quality leaves a bit to be desired on these early cars I think from reading up on the 'net

[Jazoli]

Find out where the terminals are behind the trim and check that power is getting to them, which it will be. The screens just seem to be appalling shit, one side of my Transit's had failed before its first winter.

 

was going to suggest this, then if you know your screen is knackered hit it with a bfo hammer and claim off the insurance.

[Guest Lord Sward]

Just get a new screen; they wear out.

[TRW]

When I had a Sierra Ghia 6 or so years ago I was instructed that the heated front screen was only to be used to thaw frost/ice. Nothing else.

 

Bastard thing use to give me headaches at night, trying to focus through the glistening elements.

[egg]

My Sierra Ghia one still worked at 15 years old from memory too...(and yes the lines were obvious!)

[Pillock]

I love heated screens but they do seem fragile. My Focus had two elements gone when I bought it, and that was a non-Ford replacement.

Had a new screen thanks to a crack, that was a branded Ford one from Autoglass, that lasted a year until half of it gave up. Another crack, another new one.

 

My mum's Fiesta only had about three elements working after 5 years.

 

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

[wuvvum]

The one on my Mondeo only worked on the driver's side half of the screen.  The one on the Sierra only had half a dozen elements that worked.  They do seem quite fragile tbh.

[Junkman]

The driver's side heated (sadly leather) seat in my 405 doesn't work.

 

Now what?

[Tamworthbay]

The one on my Mondeo only worked on the driver's side half of the screen. The one on the Sierra only had half a dozen elements that worked. They do seem quite fragile tbh.

my mates mondeo is the other way round, I told him they had fitted a lhd one by mistake.

[TRW]

The driver's side heated (sadly leather) seat in my 405 doesn't work.

 

Now what?

 

Scrap it, obviously.

[Asimo]

The condensation: is the recirculate mode stuck on?, are the aircon condensate drains blocked? is the pollen filter wet and or blocked?

[Sealtainn]

The HFS on the Granada is virtually non-existent so I am trying to track down a replacement. Much like trying to find a radiator it is proving difficult

[overrun]

On my old mk3 Mondeo, a few of the elements had packed in, but obviously the rest of the screen still worked.

 

On this current mk4, I had the screen replaced after buying it in the summer, due to it being cracked and come the winter, only one side was working.

As I correctly assumed, the lad fitting it hadn't secured the loom and the wiper linkage had ripped it out.

 

They have a power feed for each side, and each side in turn has around half a dozen 'strips' in it.

For the whole lot to fail, it will be a wiring or power supply fault.

 

Pull off the scuttle panel and get a meter on the terminals.

[egg]

The condensation: is the recirculate mode stuck on?, are the aircon condensate drains blocked? is the pollen filter wet and or blocked?

 

recirculate mode is kicking in and out fine, will check the pollen filter - I changed it last year, not sure where the drains are 

[overrun]

Is your rear screen also covered in condensation?

Could be water ingress into the boot.

[egg]

Is your rear screen also covered in condensation?

Could be water ingress into the boot.

 

No, rear screen is ok, don't think it is that, but Fusion is known for rear light clusters letting in water.

[sierraman]

Good luck there, I had a new screen with heated element in on a Mondeo years ago, from memory the cost for the actual screen was just over £500 for the screen alone

[overrun]

No, rear screen is ok, don't think it is that, but Fusion is known for rear light clusters letting in water.

I don't think the Fusion is known for the wiper linkage getting hold of a badly routed/secured loom, after screen replacement either, is it?

 

I would just pay the excess for a new one, given the current is getting on and has visible damage, rather than shelling out an auto electrician and then possibly a screen, anyway.

 

@sierraman, no windscreen cover on that policy?

[tommotech]

Check the earth lead is attached ok. Had these give trouble before and people tend to always assume that the 0v connection is ok.

[sierraman]

I did yes but I spoke with the chap from Autoglass who did the swap, who informed me of the cost. I didn't have any cause to doubt him. Ironically it leaked like a cunt after it had the new screen in.

[wuvvum]

The driver's side heated (sadly leather) seat in my 405 doesn't work.

 

Now what?

When the heated seats fail on 405s it's usually because there's a 20p piece stuck in the seat and it's shorting the heating elements out against the seat frame.

[forddeliveryboy]

The driver's side heated (sadly leather) seat in my 405 doesn't work.

 

Now what?

 

Hot water bottle. Stick it on top of the dash 5 mins before take-off and there's no need for a heated screen, either. Obvious. Buy an extra one and the passenger can see, too - plus the other cheek'll be warmed up.

[Guest Lord Sward]

I've known the doors fill up with water on Fusions.  Check the drain holes are cleared out.

[egg]

Update on this. I took the inside trim off to look at the screen connections and found the offside connection was a bit loose and there is a bit of a tear in the live connection. I don't have a multimeter to check....(and not cold enough to tell if my wiggling it has made a difference).

 

Then I took the rain drain off on the outside of the car - at the end of the scuttle and found that it is not a very effective seal (the rain drain) - and hang on - the windscreen rubber has a gap and doesn't go all the way down - should it be like that?? This is letting damp into the car.

 

Thoughts? Put some silicone in the windscreen gap?

 

 

 

 

[egg]

I've known the doors fill up with water on Fusions.  Check the drain holes are cleared out.

 

Thanks, I've checked these and all clear.

 

Lots of leaves under the scuttle though that could do with clearing out - but that's a wipers off job, and I bet I'll need a puller which I don't have...

[matty879]

on my 06 focus the actual connector has come detached from screen,really fragile design.

[cobblers]

Like other people have said, if it's all failed at once it's probably not the screen cos they run a load of separate elements, IIRC with a 12v at each side and the grounds in the middle.

That said, the flexy cable with a little tear doesn't look great to me though.

 

You'll spend forever guessing without a multimeter - a halfway decent one is £10-£20 off ebay and it'll come in handy forever.

Presuming it's fairly straightforward to get at all of the connections, I'd measure (with the screen on and plugged in) the voltage at every connection point with respect to a proper good earth like an unpainted door catch or something.

 

Ideally you'll get 12.something at the side two and 0.something at the bottom if that's how they are wired.

If you have power and ground then the problem lies with your screen. Make sure you're very careful putting everything back together and don't drop a ratchet on it and crack the glass as you finish up for the day.

 

If there's 12v at all points then you have a dodgy earth.

If there's 0V at all points then you have a dodgy 12v feed - it could be the relay - they'll still make a click even if the contacts are paggered. Maybe crap wiring somewhere or a baggy connector. 2x30A fuses makes me think this runs two separate circuits though so again you'd probably only lose one side at a time.