Rear Defroster Scorching...

[AstroDave]

So I have been reading other folks' experiences with the rear defroster. It seems the most common issue is the connection becoming unsoldered. For me, the issue is what appears to be scorch marks. It appears around the entire perimeter and on the smaller wires.

When I asked the dealer he said that was normal...hahaha... I guess for a jeep. So is this what precedes either the disconnection or as I have also seen here, the exploding rear window?

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[DanFelix]

I don't thick that is scorched. It appears to be oxidized, which is normal.

 

[AstroDave]

I don't thick that is scorched. It appears to be oxidized, which is normal.

Thanks Dan...that makes sense given how the back window leaks

 

[JeepWildman]

I have a 2018 JL with 12k miles that has the connector solder joint broken off the window on the rear defroster connector. This break appears to be a manufacturing defect as a cold solder joint. This should be under the warranty IMHO. We’ll see...
There are multiple YouTube videos of a fix. See photo and screenshot of explanation for cold solder joint below:

 

[DanFelix]

I helped a friend repair his detached rear heater connection. In his case, the solder melt temperature was lower than the heat from the botched solder. We removed all old solder, using a soldering gun - not any abrasive. The silver-epoxy compound was used liberally. The defroster has worked without error and the connection remains solid. Any new connection needs to ensure that the electrical path is not narrowed by too little epoxy/solder. The voids concentrate the electricity to narrow paths, causing the overheat and melt. IMHO

 

[Pat’s Sahara Unlimited]

This how I fixed mine: lots of solder onto a copper heat sink, heatsink glued with Permatex. Bigger electrical path/surface, bigger glued surface = higher sheering resistance. Some used a penny instead of a heatsink.

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