Rear Defrost question

[BOSSV6]

My rear defrost switch when turned on, will come on no problem but then will automaticly shut off after barly 2min and if i turn it on again it will come back on for anyther 2 min or so. fact is i need it to stay on for at least 5-10min or stay on to defog the back window.

Anybody eltse have this problem?

Any way to increase the time the rear defrost comes on for and stays on for when you press the button?

[Muttled]

This is a common problem.

The easiest way to fix it is to replace the 30amp breaker with a 30amp fuse in the fuse box on the driver side visible when you open the door.

[BobbyZ72]

I dont think our cars have breakers in them. Id have to look at mine, Even if how would this make it stay on? Just wondering.

[98Camaro3.8]

There's actually a timer built into the relay that controls the defog. There's nothing that can be done unless you want to go in and rewire the system.

[BobbyZ72]

Thats what i was thinking.

[Muttled]

I replaced mine with a fuse, as would be found by a search ;) and it works fine now.

[BobbyZ72]

Your replacing the timedelayed relay with a fuse?....i guess that would work

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by Muttled:
I replaced mine with a fuse, as would be found by a search ;) and it works fine now.

You replaced the relay that controls the defogger with a fuse? So you mean you're pulling all the power from a different source than before? That's dropping a 30 amp fuse and getting the power from a smaller 20 amp fuse that wasn't meant for powering the whole defogger system. Probably won't make a difference, but not sure I'd do it that way.

I would probably strip off that relay/timer and add in a different relay in place of it.

[Muttled]

From what I've read, replacing the whole assembly with stock parts tends to go right bad again.

All I did was pull out what I believe to be a breaker from the fuse box and replace it with a fuse, now the defogger comes on for 10 minutes, turns off, then when I turn it on subsequent times it stays on for 7 minutes.

I'm not sure if I was clear in what I said before, but when I replaced it the system performs exactly as it should.

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by Muttled:
now the defogger comes on for 10 minutes, turns off, then when I turn it on subsequent times it stays on for 7 minutes.

Ahhh, I thought that's what you were trying to get around.

If it's shutting off earlier than it should, then the problem is probably the breaker just like you said.

[FunkZ]

The problem is indeed the breaker. I had this same problem and it is fixed by replacing it with an equal value fuse. There is no increased danger of overloading if you use the same value. The breaker is not the timing device for the defroster, that unit is located behind the actual defrost button itself in the center console. The breaker is just what its name implies, a cutoff for power to the defroster in case it begins to draw too much power, as in a short or ground. A fuse will perform the same function but does not suffer from the same problems that plague the cheap, simplistic breakers.

[Rob Bell]

The breaker probably gets worn out and then cannot handle the current, so it keeps tripping. Then it cools off real quick, allowing you to turn on the defroster again. But it heats up after only a couple of minutes, causing it to trip again. This same thing happened on my old cavalier, and I never could figure out what was up. Glad I now know the fix!

[Silver 99 Camaro]

There's more to it than that. I tried a new breaker and it still doesn't work. You have to use a fuse to replace the 30 amp breaker. FunkZ is right on with the fix. Here is the thread that tells you all about it...

http://www.camarov6.com/cgi-bin/ulti...c;f=1;t=014212

[FunkZ]

Silver 99 is the man, LOL my still-working $0 defrost fix thanks you.

[Silver 99 Camaro]

Don't thank me...the V8 guys over at ls1tech.com figured it out. I just found it.