Hi, all.

Like so many of you, I'm having trouble with my 2013 F150's rear window defroster. My XLT unit has a sliding rear window, and the rear window defrost has hardly ever worked. But now it never works.

I have checked the relay (I swapped it for an identical one in the fuse box, to test), and I have checked the fuses. Everything looks good.

Is "sliding rear window contacts" the only other possible cause here? Anything I can do to clean them, or am I just looking at replacing the window? Is any auto glass company a fine one to use, or do I need to have the dealership do this job?

To be clear, the symptom is: I push rear window defrost button, and the light never comes on, and the rear window does not defrost. I have not confirmed yet whether the mirrors get warm, but for now I assume they do.

Thanks.

 

Is this a new truck for you? Maybe it is disconnected behind the rear seat?

 

I've had the truck for just under 2 years. When I bought it, I don't remember checking the rear defroster, but in the time since owning it, it has worked occasionally. But it stopped working several months back, maybe 6-8 months ago. Now the light never comes on, and the rear defrost never works.

I did check the connections behind the seat, and both sides are connected. I am going to take my DMM and confirm voltage between the window contacts (one on passenger side, one on driver side, behind rear seat).

 

Be glad it doesn’t work. One day you might hit that button and the whole window will explode.

 

Wow, what causes the rear window to explode? Sounds like a design flaw.

 

Very common problem with the 2013 trucks.
There was never a fix for it...except to replace the entire rear window unit.

Given that the heated mirrors are tied to the RWD, there was some kind of hack so as to allow for the mirrors to work.

 

Well, if replacing the rear window fixes the defroster and eliminates the "exploding window" danger, maybe I just do that. Seems a small price to pay for both functionality and safety.

 

the mirrors should still work, even if the rear window doesn't and the light doesn't come on. The rear defrost hasnt worked on mine in years, I thought about fixing it where the contacts break at the glass but all the stories about the window exploding I decided not to. When I looked it up years ago the window assembly alone was like $800 or something, not worth it to me. My side view mirrors still work just fine, the button does not light up. Some people did install a jumper wire at the rear defrost (personally I think there should be a resistor inline) which will make the light work again. Supposedly the replacement window assemblies wouldn't explode

 

Yes, almost certainly there should be a resistor inline. I'm going to take my DMM and confirm that there is power at to the window after pressing the button, and I'm going to check continuity on the window. I expect there will be power at the contacts behind the seats, but no continuity through the window.

Based on what I saw over the weekend, $800 sounds like the dealer price. Is this something I should only consider doing at the dealer, and not at one of the glass replacement companies?

 

i dont see why a glass company couldnt do it just fine. Again it was years ago that I looked, saw the Ford price for the window assembly using one of hte online parts houses and said no thanks. Id be interested to see what you get quoted though.

if its the same as my 12 the connector behind the pass side of the rear seat is where you can check for power but correct, you're not going to get power across the window. Theres a couple threads that talk about where it fails and ways to repair it but again, you do seem to risk window failure