Rear Defroster not working

[Tyler Richards]

Tesla Model 3. Rear Defrost on the window isn’t working any longer. I did have my windows tinted when I got the Tesla and it worked fine for over a year.

Now, Tesla is saying it voids the warranty and it will cost me $1000 for them to fix it.

Anyone know of any other remedies that don’t cost $1k? I can certainly use my ice scraper if needed but I can’t justify spending $1,000. It was working fine and out of the blue just stopped.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Tesla Model 3. Rear Defrost on the window isn’t working any longer. I did have my windows tinted when I got the Tesla and it worked fine for over a year.

Now, Tesla is saying it voids the warranty and it will cost me $1000 for them to fix it.

Anyone know of any other remedies that don’t cost $1k? I can certainly use my ice scraper if needed but I can’t justify spending $1,000. It was working fine and out of the blue just stopped.

Is it just some lines not working or all lines?

If no lines are working, you can check if the defrost lines are getting voltage using a multimeter. One side should be ~12V, other 0V.

You can check if connectors are loose to the defrost lines or the ribbon cables are broken. This thread seems to show some connectors are near the rear brake light.
FML: Defroster ribbon sheared during tint

There might be connectors on the rear left or right pillars too. This video who shows how to take off the covers (note the instructions may vary a bit with different model years).

I found a picture of a removed rear glass. The top part with the black is the FM antenna (it will have its own ribbon cable). The bottom shows two connections. There is also one cable on right. I suppose there will be another cable that snakes to the left. One should go to ground, the other should go to 12V (might not be exactly 12V).

3 PANORAMIC BACKLIT GLASS ASSEMBLY - M3

You may also check the service manual, which Tesla now offers a free subscription. Note that Tesla describes the removal procedure for the rear glass under: 10 - Body > 1020 - Windshield and Body Glass > Glass - Backlight
Tesla Service