I did a search and went through all the threads and haven't seen this issue.

To start, I have a 1985 Camaro (base) that I got for my 16 yr old son to learn to drive. The car has been sitting inside for the past 7 years. The interior was gutted when I got the car. The 2.8 liter motor has a fresh and complete rebuild and the $200.00 price tag was perfect.

I just finished getting the car back together this past weekend and it is ready for inspection. The last remaining issue is the rear defroster is not working. I press the switch and the light comes on but when I remove my finger, the light turns off immediately. Also, while the switch is pushed, the lights dim and the engine wants to stall. It is like there is a very heavy load on the charging system.

There is power at the red wire at the switch at all time. When the switch is pushed, there is power at the purple wire until I release my finger. I check for any opens or shorts with a multi-meter fron the switch (purple wire) to the right side hatch strut and it reads 0 ohms. The ground is good on the right side.

Would this indicate that the switch itself is faulty?
It appears that the relay and timer are built into the switch...

Thanks in advance for any help that you all can give

 

It sounds like the purple wire has a short to ground somewhere..