MX5Ireland

Guys

Finally took the hard top off yesterday but by windscreen heater (rear) doesn't seem to be working with the soft top.

All was OK with the hard top, so I guess that means connections through the car are good. I've unplugged and replugged connectors in/swapped polarity (although not sure this matters) and chased cables to see if there was a kink/split etc Nothing obvious to see apart from what appears to be a slight rust colour around the connections to the window. I think that's always been there, can't be sure. Could be oxidation I guess, causing a bad contact?

The light doesn't go on from the dash, so I'm assuming it's an electrical fault.

Any thoughts before I get my soldering iron out?

Thanking you as always
Shena

Funny, but I have a similar problem, I've just changed the soft top for a new one & I can't get the rear window working again.

Is yours a mk2? If so, check the switch in the roof frame just behind the passengers left ear-ish.. kinda just behind the seatbelt tower when you have the roof half lowered.
Do you have a multimeter to check continuity across the heater element?

I'm not going to say what it was .. but Steve, no, I didn't find the switch but thanks for making me look there ..

all sorted.

If I have a few in Galway, I MAY confess how stupid I was!!

doh

I had that before with another car.
Please follow the metal wiring over the window. it could be there is a break on it.
That often happens if you clean the window on the inside and by accident scratch a bit of that metal off. That means the current can't flow.
You can get a littel bottle at halford especially for repairing that. It's also handy to keep if the metal on the printplate of your dash board start wearing.
You'll notice dash lights might be off and when you replace it with a new bulb it still doesn't work.
I can bring it to the Connemara run, alternative tip down to halfords (or any other car supply shop) and look for something like this:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/1272291.html

I can't find it on the halfords site, but I know they have it as I bought it there a few months ago. It's only 2 or 3 euro

Cloggy, thanks but I have it sorted.

heheh g'wan... did you have your key in your pocket?

No, not keys, not far off tho! I was actually in the car, looking for the switch ... that should give you an idea (I'm an idiot)

That's all I'm saying
S

Confession's good for the soul

John

True true .. but I do call myself an Engineer, whatever cred I did have would be lost if I fessed up to this one .. so, come to Galway .. p'rhaps I'll tell ya then.

Right, here's my problem, there is no mounting point for the little switch behind the passanger seat. I assume that's there to automatically turn off the rear window when you put the roof down.

The switch is a constant connection that breaks when the roof goes down. As the switch isin't mounted there is no connection, I assume that I can just make a permanent connection at that switch & the window heater will start working again (but no auto cutoff)

Let me know what you think.

Pete

Pete

I couldn't find any switch, not sure I have one although it would make sense for the heating to be disconnected when the roof is down, I just turn it off on the dash.

I have an O1 Eunos

There again I am fairly blind at the moment, so it's possible I've missed a switch too.

Shena