Dan_cossie

Hi All,

Looking for a bit of help please.
The heated Front screen on the passenger side of my Escort Cosworth has stopped working.
Could anyone give me a few pointers?

Is there a seperate fuse and relay for each side? If so which fuse and relay are these?
Where are the terminals to the screen located? Under A post trims or screen lower edge?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Dan

Northants Ford Fan

the wiring for the screen is located under the plastic scuttle trim on either side on most mk5 onward escorts so cant see the coswrth being different

dojj

iTrader: (3)

the hot screen loom is stand alone so what you need to do is first find the wires that go to the screen in the bottom corners and see if it's getting power when you turn the screen on

the screen only works with the engine running so you need to start the car before you poke testers into bits of it

assuming you have power there the only fault then is the actual screen itself

they normally have a 60/40 split so that the drivers side, even though it sees the same current, clears quicker as it's got less to clear

you will also have hot washer jets so you can unplug these to see if they are also working, but they tend to be very brittle and after a couple of years worth of hard work can lead to having broken internal wiring in them

G420 DEL

wires are purple for refernce, and as said bottom corners of the screen.

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

Exactly as he ^^ said.

Martin

tabetha

I'm not sure on the escos by any means but most heated jets normally come on with the rear heated screen along with the mirror heaters if fitted.
tabetha

dojj

iTrader: (3)

mirrors come on with the rear screen
jets come on with the front

graham c

iTrader: (5)

screens go fooked all the time mine has it shite

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

No they don't they come on with front screen, mirrors with the rear heated screen.

Martin

Dan_cossie

Thanks for the info people! I didn't realise that it came with heated wash jets or mirrors, will have to check those too.

Is it a full plastic cowl tray out job to access the wires or can they be accessed with it fitted?

Also, is there a fuse/relay for each side?

Thanks,
Dan

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

No there is one relay, I don't think there is a fuse but I may well be wrong due to the amount of current the screen pulls, the feed from the battery has a fusible link so it probably is protected via this. You should be able to see the wires in each corner without removing scuttle panel with the bonnet up, there should be connectors as well which join the screen to the loom.

Martin

dangerousbrian

some bollox being spouted on this thread! 60/40 split? wtf...the wires earth out on the inner wings and can be got to without removing scuttle..easy to do anyway..the power for the screen can be got to on the drivers side but the passenger it is a bit tight..it is right behind a plastic casing behind the battery..done a screen on one not long back and was eaasier when i removed battery but not essential..if you need to remove scuttle do it with the bonnet down

dojj

iTrader: (3)

Maybe different on the escos but the sierra ones all work on the same priciples as do the connects and most other fords with hot screens so I don't k ow why you've got yourself worked up over the 60/40 split, I'd show you the s reen in real time but my transit doesn't have a bit screen but I may be able to sort out a connect in the morning if it's cold and icy to show you.

dangerousbrian

not worked up at all matey..tbh i dont even know what your getting at with this 60/40 split thingy..ive seen plenty of heated screens and never seen one side clear faster than the other unless there is a problem with the screen or the wiring..friends?

dojj

iTrader: (3)

ok, friends then

perhaps different companies fit different standards of after market screen which may explain the difference in the clearing times?

my mondeo has an aftermarket screen with the wires further part than standard, but it still clears the bit above the steering wheel faster than the passenger side, but in this weather, not freezing your fingers off cleaning the screen would be the best way, regardless of how much is cleaned however quickly

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

Is the aftermarket screen thing fairly new? As the Ford patent for the heated screen only expired a few years back and so surely that would of been copying?

Martin

SS1

iTrader: (3)

The connections are under the 'A' pillar trims and on either side by the scuttle panel

dangerousbrian

been able to get aftermarket screens since the day the car was first sold

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

Oh I presume you mean aftermarket for the same car then not other manufacturs?

Martin

dojj

iTrader: (3)

i mean that the replacement screen, although it's hot, isn't a proper ford screen, so it's a pattern part type thing

dangerousbrian

not sure i understand that..but from day one there was a good few w/screen manufacturers making them. but ford and other dont always have the same make of glass in their cars, even of the same model..

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

What I am saying is this was Fords patent technology, so if heated screens were avaliable for other manufactures aftermarket is this not copying?

Martin

dojj

iTrader: (3)

ford vehicles were available with it as they owned the patent, so eventually you have aston's with it and volvo's and stuff like that

astons even had heated headlight lenses at some point

dangerousbrian

ah i get ya. as far as i knowthe companies not asked by ford to supply screens have to buy the rights as in most other markets..the companies that do provide are not allowed to sell screens with the ford logo..i have seen a few where they must have been intended for ford, have had the ford badge removed and then sold on to glass companies. is that what you mean?

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

When I heard aftermarket mentioned I thought that there was some dodgy companies selling them for other vehicle manufactuers which would have been illegal as Ford had the patent to this.

Yes aware of the subsidery companies, Land Rovers have them also (Which of course Ford owned)

IMO Ford should have renewed the patent.

Martin

dangerousbrian

some other manufacturers have heated screens that are not (i think) associated with ford..ie vw, toyota,lexus and hyundai off the top of my head..vw at the min use the same design as ford (squiggly lines) but the others are designed differently..ie, lexus only put the heater lines on the bottom of the screen in the black band..

not sure if its relevant to this patent convo but i was once at nissan factory doing aa job and they had a renault in which they were stripping.i asked the bloke and he said they always do it to investigate any new technology other manufacturers are using..so maybe they just steal the idea?? this was before renault and nissan merged also

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

Is this as of recent though? The patent expired a few years ago hence why I think they should have renewed it, BMW for example had maybe still have a "Defogger" not sure what sort of setup this is though.

Martin

dangerousbrian

the nissan bit i mentioned was around 5-6ish year ago.. i know toyota had heated screens fitted to cars in the 80s so presume before the ford patent you talk of expired. in regards to bmw the only defoggeras you put it, that i have come across is in the form of a moisture sensor behind the interior mirror cowelling..when it senses moisture it auto put the heaters on to the windscreen..only recall them using that from around the time the e90 was introduced though i stand to be corrected