Rear Defrost Grid Line Repair

[pontiacgp]

What is the best product to use to repair the grid lines and can the repair be done in cold weather?. Thanks in advance ...

 

[69hurstolds]

Meh, I hope they have something better than the crap that GM tried on mine. When I bought my 85 442, the rear defrogger had one of the lines across the glass not heating up. In Charleston, SC, there wasn't all that many days you even needed a defogger so it wasn't noticed right away. There was a nick in the grid that needed to be bridged. I took it in to the dealership, thinking they would replace the entire glass. One of those hope they would, but hope they wouldn't type of deals. They didn't. They had some sort of copper looking glue kit where they had a grid slit template or something they taped to the back glass inside, then used a copper looking glue or something they brushed over the nick. Looked like CRAP. And guess what? It didn't work. They claimed it did then blamed me for doing something when it got cold enough to try it out and it didn't work.

Similar to this kit. https://www.ebay.com/i/223183407039?chn=ps But it was something the dealer had. They just showed me the goo and I had to watch from afar.

I forgot all about this being one of the examples of great quality control at the factory back then until today. Thanks for reminding me. Luckily I have my own new rear glass with defrogger to fix that.

 

[69hurstolds]

Here's a Permatex one. Looks similar to what they did to mine. I don't think it was the kit, it just needed to be connected again and that copper glue they used should have did the trick. I never messed with it again.

https://shop.bestreviews.com/produc...5XhVDd2V7O9HKPvLfgO8hjCVvokldcvRoCPbUQAvD_BwE

 

[oldsmobile joe]

the kits I've used were when i worked at gm and ford dealers. the liquid was silver. we used tape on the glass, one across the top and another across bottom. then we brushed on the liquid. never had one fail.

warning, these kits are for nicks or very small sections, like 1/4". not for installing lines that were never there.

i used after market liquid kits, once or twice with mixed results, but i was trying to do more length than recommended.

 

[gnvair]

I was just looking into this the other day for the rear window on my Malibu. Most of the lines are not working. I stumbled on this thread on another message board. The guy has an early Datsun Z car and the glass is not available. So he repainted the whole grid with the Permatex stuff and claims it worked well for him. He even had demonstration photos. I might try doing the same as I have not had any luck sourcing another window for less than $800. https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/38008-rear-defogger-renewal/