Hey There, So I just resplice the wiring harness feeding the liftgate and rerouted the defrost wires through the boot with the washer hose. Only 3 lines on the glass are working including those near the wiring terminal. I just had a new tailgate from a junkyard painted and put on. The paint shop reused the glass which had some cheap window tinting. I don't see any damage to the conductor glass traces. Any ideas for troubleshooting? Thanks.

 

Not really sure I understand what the problem is.
Only some of the lines heat up?
In my mind I don't really see how that is possible.
The way figure it the defroster lines are just a wire.
Which means you can check for continuity.
Put one probe on the tab on one side, do the same with the other probe on the other side.
You get a beep you are good.
Of course I could be totally wrong about that too. LOL.

 

If you can find the cracks in the strips, you might be able to repair them with a small soldering iron or gun. If done right the result doesn't look too bad. That grid can be damaged by items rubbing on the glass when the hatch is closed. This problem is not uncommon. The only other way is to replace the glass with a good grid on it.

Basically you have to find the crack, carefully scratch off the plastic coating to expose the copper without tearing it, and add a tiny drop of solder. We are talking micro-soldering and extreme care. You may be out of luck with window tint over it.

 

Permatex makes a kick a** defroster grid repair kit. It's around $15 at better auto parts stores.
​​​I lost count of how many defroster grids I fixed with it. Follow the directions to the letter and your in like Flynn.

Adding.
The little jar of liquid with a stencil and brush.



They also make a different kit for reattaching the electric wire tab.

 

Hey Guys, Realy appreciate the info. Am kicking myself now for not putting in the glass which didn't have the tinting. The few lines that do work do a fairly good job.

 

Yes, but the few lines that are left will draw too many amps and burn out quickly.