Anyone have any luck repair rear window defroster?

I have a 98 Civic and the rear window defroster has a couple of
"stripes" that don't work. It looks like they've been scratched in a few
places.

Has anyone successfully repaired something like that? I was looking at a
product called "Frost Fighter" which is basically a conductive glue that
you apply over the breaks.

I called Honda and they said they would have to replace the whole rear
window, which seems a little excessive.

Here's the link for Frost Fighter:

http://www.frostfighter.com/

 

You could also clean the break areas thoroughly with isopropanol and then
use one of those Circuit Writer conductive ink pens. They contain a silver
particle based ink which dries in a few minutes. I've used it to
successfully repair circuit boards though it does take some practice to get
the compound to flow as you want it to.

The pens can be bought online for about $10 from http://www.cyberguys.com.
If you have a Frys store nearby then you can buy one there as well.

I should note though that I have not used one of these pens on a defroster
grid.

Eric

 

Typical Honda/Acura practice,they like to sell those overpriced parts.

I believe most auto parts stores will have repair kits with conductive
paint for fixing defroster grids.YMMV.

 

I called the local AutoZone and O'Reilly's, neither of them have the
repair kits.

 

Check with some local glass repair shops. Also do a google search.

 

I could see Honda wanting to replace to whole window. That's one thing that
irritates me about Honda dealerships (& I've dealt with about 6 different
ones during my days as a Honda owner); they always seem to select the
easiest & most expensive option for repair! Perhaps we could all partner
together to have a franchise that puts the customer first!
-chris

 

I ended up ordering "Frost Fighter" off of the internet. Sounds easy
enough to do the repair.

http://www.frostfighter.com/

 

Yep, definitely overkill.

 

Maybe I should have said the auto parts stores probably carry *generic*
defroster repair kits,not specifically the "frostfighter" brand kits.

 

I didn't give them any specific brand names, I just asked if they had
anything to repair rear window defrosters, neither of them did.

 

I have repaired a defroster trace in a Honda several years ago. The repair
was easy; locating the spot to repair took the time. I think that the kit
was made by Permatex. I would suggest checking at a NAPA parts store.

 

I would be leery of phoning a auto parts store to ask for items,as their
competence in knowing about the RIGHT part is extremely variable.I called
the local PepBoys recently for a thermostat for my Integra GSR,and they
said they had them,but they did NOT have the right one when I looked on the
shelves.
Had one (180 degF)for the regular Integra,but not the GSR;that uses a 195
degF thermostat.

Also,at a Home Depot,I was looking for a specific halogen lamp,and asked
the clerk for help finding it,and he said they didn't have one.Well,I
persisted in looking myself,and found the lamp on a upper shelf.

Unless you have a well-known reliable parts clerk,they may not know just
what stock they DO have.

 

I went ahead and ordered a kit on line. Upon further inspection, it
looks like the 2 damaged traces are worse than I thought. There are
several sections in which the damage appears to be greater than 4
inches, which is the supposed limit for the frost fighter kit that I
ordered. The damaged traces aren't completely missing, but you can see
some discoloration where part of the trace has been scratched off. I
guess I'll just have to try the repair and see if it works.

 

True, when I called, I was put on hold for 10 minutes and then someone
else picked up the phone and asked what I wanted. I told them what I was
holding for, waited another 5 minutes for them to say "Uh, we don't have
any." At least they didn't hang up on me.

 

you might try some of that blue masking tape to make a mask to get
nice,even straight lies if you try to bridge the longer gaps.A strip of
tape on either side of where you want the trace to go,then paint over
it,then peel off the tape,leaving the trace.

I haven't tried this,it's just an idea. YMMV.

 

Good idea, I'll give it a try.

 

Isn't that stuff made to conduct well? That might not be such a good idea
if the area to be repaired is large. If it conducts too much it will fry
what is left on the window or something else.