Rear window heater element repair

You could use the silver paint to provide the conductivity and then paint over it in black, I suppose.

paint a black line first, overpaint with the silver stuff, paint it black on the inside (if you notice it)

Mrcheerful ("Mrcheerful" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Ummm, don't forget that the REASON the silver paint works is that it makes electrical contact with the ends of the broken section of the old element. If you paint it black first, you're going to have to be careful not to overlap the section you want to be conducting electrickery from.

Nope, that's your options. Live with it, replace, or bodge with paint.

I know what you mean - it annoys me that I've got three or four broken elements - and that's on an 18yo screen... But I'm not going to be doing anything about it. Life's too short.

Of course it'd be a right bugger if the local chavs smashed said rear window & you had to get it replaced....

What? under your windscreen insurance do you mean? I hope you are not suggesting abusing the insurance system.

Duncan Wood ("Duncan Wood" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It would be...

Even so, though, it's a right bugger getting the granules of glass out of everywhere - not to mention the sheer hassle factor of a bonded 'screen (assuming it's in stock, and you don't need to wait a day or two in the pissing rain) that should be left for 24hrs to cure properly. Then there's the removal of the remains of the old one, which can easily result in paintwork damage leading to rust which wouldn't be covered under the bodywork warranty.

Take window out. Put tarpaulin over boot space and rear seat. Buy big Russian hat (with hammer and sickle emblem) and a warm coat.

Sorted.

So you neglect rear view visibility, do you, s*****ad? What other aspects of safety do you neglect? Life may be even shorter than you think!

He may live in a warm climate without any need for a heated screen, you apparently live in scumland, I assume it is moist and clammy.

Err that's what wing mirrors are for. Hence the lack of any legal requirement for a rear view mirror or a rear window.

Mrcheerful ("Mrcheerful" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

No, I live in the UK.

But that's three or four (non-consecutive, and fairly non-intrusive) broken elements in an entire rear screen with no dealer or other stickers on it, in a car with excellent ventilation. The factory-fit third brake lamp intrudes on rear visibility more.

The rear window on my previous car, which was in full working order, took far, far longer to clear.

Then, of course, there's the cars I've got with unheated rear windows. Or even the one without a heater at all.

Er, so you don't think a rear window improves visibility?

There are no warm climates on this shitty little island, you stupid Essex chav.

It's vaguely usefull for reversing but I don't miss it when driving the van, so in general, no.

Yes, it could be vaguely useful if someone happens to be standing/walking behind the car when you're trying to park.

I saw a lovely video clip once of somebody trying to 'chav' their windscreen with a breezeblock.

Didn't break the screen, but it did bounce off and put a lovely big dent in the bonnet..

David Hearn wrote on 14/04/2008 :

Black paint over the conductive paint, before you remove the masking tape?

They are easily damaged by finger rings, luggage and dogs etc.. Better are the embedded in the glass fine wire elements mine is fitted with and they are almost invisible.

That's their problem then. Having just driven two 200 mile journeys with no view out of the rear window due to the amount of stuff in the car, I'd say you were talking bollocks mate. Oh and before you say anything I did pass several police cars on the way and not one of them batted an eyelid.

Not really. If you hit them, they're never at fault - you are.

You can black out your rear windows for all I care. It's probably legal, but doesn't add anything to increasing your line of vision, ya muppet.