Kind of a random question here, but I was curious to know how well everyone's rear defroster works.

I never really thought anything about it before figuring it to be just the age of the car/design they used back in the 80s, but the performance of my rear defroster seems really lacking. Usually takes about 10 minutes to thaw out the back window.

Is this typical of thirdgens, or is something up?

 

Thats normal. Its a big window.
My 08 G5 takes atleast that long to defrost a smaller rear window and about 10miles or more to really start putting heat out.

 

OK thank you just wanted to be sure. I recently repaired the two defroster lines that had been broken since I owned the car.

I really only try to use the rear defroster while the car is moving or I have my foot on the gas a little since I have an underdrive pulley setup and the large load at idle is really hard on the alt. I'm gonna have to get into the viper programming and disable the feature that turns the rear defroster on with the remote start when the ambient temp is 55F or lower (Had the stock pulley setup at the time I installed the viper).

 

My defroster draws a ton of amperage and makes the belt squeal like a BITCH - and it doesnt even work that well. I'm confident theres a problem though since mine was hit pretty hard in both rear quarter panels. I just scrape it off now lol.

 

If you repair the lines going to the defroster, that should help ease the power consumption. Mine are corroded badly and need to be replaced but I don't know how to get that side panel off to get to them.

 

There is a similar rear defrost thread with diagrams, service manual schematics,
pics , comments here:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...ster-time.html

 

Mine works fairly well actually.

I have however replaced the wires from behind the panel, coming out around the end of the "strut"; made AHELLUVALOT of difference. They were all corroded and green and obviously not carrying electricity very well any more.

 

My wires are in the exact same condition you just mentioned.

How did you get those panels off? I can get them off from the tail lamp area, but moving forward to the middle of the car they seem to get stuck om something. Is there a hook, a hidden latch, or bolt I need to take off to get them loose? I obviously don't want to break the panel.