Heated Front Screen not working

[-B-]

I tried it for the first time, when the inside of the screen misted up. Light for the switch came on (I’m not confusing it with the rear screen switch), but nothing happened. Screen felt cold when touched.

I thought the heated screen might have been replaced with a standard screen at some point, especially as I hadn’t seen that network of wires in the screen that sometimes, some owners can see. That was until a few days back, when the light conditions must have been just right, and I caught a glimpse of a pattern of vertical lines in the screen.

So what’s likely stopping my screen from working? Fuse maybe?

 

[sleepingcat]

Hi

Im no expert, but check the fuse 1st, theres also a relay for it too as it uses a lot of current!
Cant remember which fuse box relay is in should tell you in owners manual. Any way it should "click" when heated screen turned on as far as im aware. If not it may be faulty.

 

[-B-]

Thanks. I'll check it when I've got time. :wink:

 

[yippeekiay]

Happened to mine. I changed the fuse and checked the wiring behind the pillar cover but no luck as it was still lighting the switch up but no heated screen. I could hear a click behind the fuse panel inside the car but couldn't fathom out how to get to the relay to change/check it without ripping out a shed load of wiring. Anyway, car sold and new owner changed the relay and the screen worked so worth checking yourself.

 

[martinthrapston]

Relay on the side of fuse box,iirc its the middle of the 3 black relays

 

[Deborah]

Can anyone help a (clueless) damsel in distress?
The heated front screen window on my 1998 Puma 1.7 has stopped working. The light on the dash no longer goes on and the screen does not de-mist. I've read it's not a fuse in the box under the steering wheel that I need to replace - but something more tricky UNDER the bonnet. Does anyone know:
1. What I need to buy?
2. Where I might buy it from?
3. Where I put it when I've got it?

Visibility in this little car is never that great, and it's even worse when the wind scree is all misted.
Thanks, Deborah

 

[Sisangster]

I have a rx8 with a heated screen and same prob I fit the fuse and relay and nothing but then I checked the rubber sills where the wire for the screen comes out and it was snapped which was a costly repair. Could be the same on the puma but tbh ur probly better off just with the fans on for a few mins will soon demise it.

 

[Deborah]

get-attachment.jpg
I was hoping to be able to show a photograph of my auxiliary fuse box, but it doesn't seem possible.

Anyway my heated front windscreen still isn't working. The manual is very confusing. It shows a diagram of an auxiliary fuse box which does not correspond to the one in my Puma (1998 1.7) It says the heated windscreen is worked by fuse 52, which is a 40amp green. My fuse box has no fuse at all where (according to the manual) number 52 should be - also there are no 40amp fuses in the box at all. I have tried replacing all of the relays - well the box-type coloured ones. The only thing I can see which says 40A on it is one of 5 rectangular boxes to the right end of the fuse box - 4 of them are yellow and one is green. It's the green one which says 40A.
I don't know if these rectangular ones are fuses or relays. They have clear plastic lids. Could this be the thing I need to get hold of?

 

[jifflemon]

Guessing your fusebox looks like this?



Looked in my handbook and yup, the handbook totally differs from whats under the bonnet - Cheers ford!

 

[masl]

The fuse box you are looking for his in side the car to the right of the steering wheel.not the one under the bonnet.

 

[moondustka]

Mine doesn't work either - the light comes on at the switch, the relay clicks and nothing happens?! I haven't looked into too much, apart from checking the obvious. I know the connections to the screen are ok and the element makes continuity.

I read above that changing the relay might be worth a shot even if it's 'clicking', but my heated mirrors work when I turn on the front windscreen?? So this would suggest that the relay is ok.

Any suggestions, have I missed something?

 

[martinthrapston]

Mirrors ARE NOT on the same relay,it is seperate,on side of main fuse box,iirc it is the middle 1 of the 3 that are on the side of it.

 

[yippeekiay]

Mine did the same, light worked, relay clicked but I couldn't see how to get to the relay behind the fuse panel next to the steering wheel so never bothered.

When I sold the car the new owner did though, changed the relay and hey presto it worked again

 

[moondustka]

Ah thanks for these replies, most helpful.

So the clicking could be the one for he mirrors and not the heated screen then.

I'll locate it and change.

 

[martinthrapston]

Heated mirrors only come on when the heated rear window is switched on,not operated by the front heated windscreen.

 

[1-pd]

mine was also is playing up, swapped switch in case faulty and the switch still lights up and relay clicks so checked aux box fuse and its good, then took pillar cover off to check if power was getting to the glass and nothing, so dropped central fusebox down and tried relays inc swapping them about and nothing, so traced wiring back to aux box and found spade connector had come off, reconnected and hey presto its working so screen was not getting any juice

 

[ethanfitz]

so traced wiring back to aux box and found spade connector had come off, reconnected and hey presto its working so screen was not getting any juice

Where abouts was this spade connector? the drivers half of mine isn't working and im running out of options to try lol. Also how did you get to the wiring? from what i see it runs mainly on the inside of the car...

 

[1-pd]

I traced it with a circuit tester and noting cable runs and colours, but before becoming a puma sherlock I would simply pop off your pillar trims and test the faulty side has earth and live to its connections and if they do then its a faulty screen which is quite common

 

[ethanfitz]

I have just had my screen replaced as there was a chip in it i then noticed that half wasn't working (never needed to use it before) and i has been replaced again and still the drivers half isn't working. i have has the pillar trims off and tested on the spade connector (on end to the other on the beep setting of a multimeter (it beeped)) but maybe i didn't do it right. i was just wondering if there is another obvious place i should check.

 

[1-pd]

if you have a live and earth on the faulty side its the glass, another simple way to test is to unplug working side and temp extend cables over to non working side as that will eliminate if its a faulty screen or not if its works and before opening up looms etc