Ford Fiesta Rear De-Mist

[Trillipse]

I've bought a little old (W-reg) Fiesta, and I do love it, but the rear de-mist doesn't work at all. the connections on either side seem to be intact.

any ideas?

or am i doomed?

ps am about to ask a few more about same car...

[Donquixote]

The rear de-mist on Fords are essentially thin copper strips running along the screen, a bit like a circuit board. They work well, but the problem is they scratch very easily. If you follow the lines across the inside of the screen you may well find that it is scratched in places, and a deep scratch will break the circuit. An auto-electrician can normally fix this. Alternatively, it could be something as simple as a fuse!

[Waggers]

Hi, I've had this problem before. What Donquixote said is spot on!! If I were you I would check the fuse first as it is simple to do (and fix!). Have you got a haynes manual - it will tell you which fuse to check. Check the contact as well as the actual fuse. The other possibility is the switch. Do you have (or could you borrow) a multimeter? (It's the sort of thing lots of people have lying around) That way you can check for power at the switch and the connections. If there is power to the window then it is the strips that are at fault. If they are split they will break the circuit and prevent power from running through that strip. You can buy kits to repair them but it's fiddly and not that effective. The only alternative is a relpacement window. Probably an expensive last option.