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Rear Window Defogger Wiring
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kerian159
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:23 am    Post subject: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Real quick question to the people that have the rear window defogger hooked up and functional does the wires come down both sides of the bus or does it T off somewhere in the back? Just wondering I am doing some repair to the back hatch of my bus and while i'm there I was going to see about hooking this back up and I don't have any point of reference as to where to start looking for the wires. Thanks in advance

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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:49 am    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

The power wire runs from under the glove box, up the RH windshield post, along the roof structure and comes out at the RH hatch hinge. The ground runs along the LH hinge and grounds on one of the hinge cover screws.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 12:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

thanks i'll be looking at that this evening (pending weather)
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 4:43 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

busdaddy wrote:
The power wire runs from under the glove box, up the RH windshield post, along the roof structure and comes out at the RH hatch hinge. The ground runs along the LH hinge and grounds on one of the hinge cover screws.

My right side wire runs up under the glove box and into the center of the silver socket Confused Is that normal? Couldn't find the socket in the wiring diagram to confirm this is correct. Defogger never worked in the past but I'm trying to get it going.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 4:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

captincanuck wrote:
busdaddy wrote:
The power wire runs from under the glove box, up the RH windshield post, along the roof structure and comes out at the RH hatch hinge. The ground runs along the LH hinge and grounds on one of the hinge cover screws.

My right side wire runs up under the glove box and into the center of the silver socket Confused Is that normal? Couldn't find the socket in the wiring diagram to confirm this is correct. Defogger never worked in the past but I'm trying to get it going.

Don't expect the defogger to work if you live in a climate that ever gets humidity or condensation, the silver on the glass erodes from the environment.
The fat black wire from the RH windshield post should connect to K on the defog switch.

The silver socket is only on the Westfalia diagram and I can't find that right now, the fuse moves around from year to year, but it's a red wire that's live all the time.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 5:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

busdaddy wrote:
captincanuck wrote:
busdaddy wrote:
The power wire runs from under the glove box, up the RH windshield post, along the roof structure and comes out at the RH hatch hinge. The ground runs along the LH hinge and grounds on one of the hinge cover screws.

My right side wire runs up under the glove box and into the center of the silver socket Confused Is that normal? Couldn't find the socket in the wiring diagram to confirm this is correct. Defogger never worked in the past but I'm trying to get it going.

Don't expect the defogger to work if you live in a climate that ever gets humidity or condensation, the silver on the glass erodes from the environment.
The fat black wire from the RH windshield post should connect to K on the defog switch.

The silver socket is only on the Westfalia diagram and I can't find that right now, the fuse moves around from year to year, but it's a red wire that's live all the time.

Thanks BD Wink
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kerian159
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:07 am    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Ok so I got a chance to look at the rear hatch last night and I can't find the wires at all. Could someone post pics of the wires on a late bay window? I need if possible to see the color and gauge of the wire if possible.
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:30 am    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

There are no wires in the hatch, the tabs on the glass are at the top and the wires from the bus connect directly to them, the wires run along the hinges.
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 12:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Sorry for the wrong term Smile, in the back of the bus where the wires come out of the vehicle going to the arms that hold the hatch I have no wires. If possible I need some pics of these wires so I can try and track them down. Smile
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 1:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Take a look at current track 20. You're looking for a 14 AWG (2.5mm) black wire on the passenger side and a 16 AWG (1.5mm) brown wire on the driver's side.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 1:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Both black on mine. Probably wrapped in a thicker sleeve to keep them from getting pinched easily.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2023 7:58 am    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Working to get my rear defroster going on a '78 bay. I bought the OEM switch used and it has three prongs. Does power from the fuse box go to the silver prong and the two feed wires to/from the rear go on the other two (brass) prongs on the switch? Does the black wire that goes along the passenger side connect to the prong of the window on that side and then the brown runs back from the driver's side prong and back to the switch?
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2023 12:49 am    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

sun-bug74 wrote:
Working to get my rear defroster going on a '78 bay. I bought the OEM switch used and it has three prongs. Does power from the fuse box go to the silver prong and the two feed wires to/from the rear go on the other two (brass) prongs on the switch? Does the black wire that goes along the passenger side connect to the prong of the window on that side and then the brown runs back from the driver's side prong and back to the switch?


If the switch has an indicator bulb in it, the three prongs are 12 volts in, switched 12 volts out and a ground for the built in indicator bulb.

It depends on the mechanical design of the switch - on some the indicator bulb comes on with the 12 volt feed and brightens up mechanically when you pull the switch (so there is a glow from the switch all the time, but it gets brighter when it is on) .
On others the indicator bulb is just wired to the switched output side so it comes on when the switch is on . (the first type will work like this if you swap over the two 12 volt tags, as the switch disconnects the tag that powers the bulb)

The single wire from the switch goes to the defogger. The ground of the defogger goes to the bus chassis near the rear hatch.

But before launching into any work on the wiring, check that there is electrical continuity between the two tags on the heating element on the rear window, and preferably that you have powered it up via a test circuit.
I tested out a friend's bus over here in the UK, and every single circuit track across the glass had corroded away, so it was pointless even trying to make the electrical power reach the heated glass.
It needed a new heated rear window.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2023 8:26 am    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Every German made switch has numbers beside the terminals, 15 is power, 31 is ground, you can figure out what the last one does by yourself.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2023 9:42 am    Post subject: Re: Rear Window Defogger Wiring Reply with quote

Thanks guys. I bought an aftermarket grid and will be hooking that up.
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