How to repair your defroster (if it isn't the common breaker issue)
#1
How to repair your defroster (if it isn't the common breaker issue)
My defroster hasnt worked on my TA since I got it. Pretty annoying. When I went into the fuse panel the previous owner had already replaced the circuit breaker with a 30 Amp fuse. So I decided to dive in and see what the problem was. Many had said you cant replace just the button but in reality that is not true.
I picked up a junk yard set of controls and took them apart. Behind the defrost button is a a circuit board which can be easily removed from the front of the controls. I soon realized I could remove this while the controls stayed in the car. So I pulled them out as far as they could go and just unclipped the defrost button's plug.
Plug removal
Once removed, I pulled the ***** off (just pull straight back) and then removed the face plate. The face plate was easily removed using a curved pick. It has two tabs on top and on the bottom. You just need to lift it over the tabs on only the top and it will just fall off.
Face plate removed. Pick is pointing to tab that retains face plate.
Once removed you will see the circuit board. It is retained by two tabs on the top and bottom. It slides into a shelf basically. All you need to do is gently press of the lower tab and pull back from the LED post on the board towards you and it will slide right out. As you can see immediately on mine, the relay is crooked. Upon further inspection the soldering broke on the bottom of the board.
Circuit installed in its shelf.
Busted solder points.
Once removed you can either buy a junk set of controls whose button worked and swap it or solder on a new relay. The relay is available through mouser electronics part number 817-FBR56ND12-W. It's like a dollar and change.
Once done just push the board back in, install the plug and pop the face plate and buttons back in. You're done.
I cant take credit for any of this really. I found another user awhile back on another forum,I believe, mention this fix but had no write up so here you go.
I picked up a junk yard set of controls and took them apart. Behind the defrost button is a a circuit board which can be easily removed from the front of the controls. I soon realized I could remove this while the controls stayed in the car. So I pulled them out as far as they could go and just unclipped the defrost button's plug.
Plug removal
Once removed, I pulled the ***** off (just pull straight back) and then removed the face plate. The face plate was easily removed using a curved pick. It has two tabs on top and on the bottom. You just need to lift it over the tabs on only the top and it will just fall off.
Face plate removed. Pick is pointing to tab that retains face plate.
Once removed you will see the circuit board. It is retained by two tabs on the top and bottom. It slides into a shelf basically. All you need to do is gently press of the lower tab and pull back from the LED post on the board towards you and it will slide right out. As you can see immediately on mine, the relay is crooked. Upon further inspection the soldering broke on the bottom of the board.
Circuit installed in its shelf.
Busted solder points.
Once removed you can either buy a junk set of controls whose button worked and swap it or solder on a new relay. The relay is available through mouser electronics part number 817-FBR56ND12-W. It's like a dollar and change.
Once done just push the board back in, install the plug and pop the face plate and buttons back in. You're done.
I cant take credit for any of this really. I found another user awhile back on another forum,I believe, mention this fix but had no write up so here you go.
Last edited by TPIZ92; 02-07-2019 at 07:00 PM.