2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure

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Sun 6 Jan 2013 08:39
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - Armitage Shanks {p}

The left hand half of my heated windescreen has failed, a few weeks out of warranty! The heated area is in two halves but there is only one fuse. As there are no "Moving parts" and nothing has been moved or worked on in the area of the dash/switches or the screen I am at a loss to know what else I can check. I am guessing it is put up with it until I get a crack or large chip in the screen and have it replaced free. I think the cost of buying and fitting a screen would be a lot of money.

Any money saving ways forward would be most welcome!

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Sun 6 Jan 2013 11:38
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - elekie&a/c doctor

Having owned Ford models with heated screens for the last 25 years,it always happens that one side fails before the other.In my case ,usually the driver side.Must be something to do with the fact that the cars are left drive first!Well that is my theory.Failure is often due to damp getting in between the laminate of the glass and corroding the wiring.I think a new screen is in order here.IIrc,my last mondeo screen was a little under £200 fitted.hth

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Mon 7 Jan 2013 08:06
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - Armitage Shanks {p}

Many thanks for your informed opinion. It may be able to wait until next Winter! £200 seems very cheap for heated windscreen, fitted!

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Mon 7 Jan 2013 09:01
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - Armitage Shanks {p}

Autoglass quoted £600+, fitted. That has gone onto the backburner until next winter then!

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Mon 7 Jan 2013 09:36
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - Galaxy

If a windscreen has a large crack in it, caused by a large stone or a rock, then you can claim for a new one on your car insurance (assuming Fully Comprehensive). Whether the heating elements were working on the old one is neither here nor there.

Windscreen excess is usually something like £75, much cheaper than £600! Doesn't affect your NCB, either.

I can't say any more!

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Mon 7 Jan 2013 10:06
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - gordonbennet

If you don't want to go down the insurance route get some quotes from small independent windscreen companies that don't pay for hours of banal TV and radio adverts.

If you know any small car dealers or preferably bodyshops ask them who they use, they won't be paying £600 a time.

My last screen for my MB was IIRC £175, insurance claim may not affect NCB but nothing to say they can't note it on your file and increase the basic premium.

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Sat 2 Feb 2013 15:39
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - Armitage Shanks {p}

Further to my original post the left hand half of the screen has comeback to life! There is only one moving part in the set-up (the switch on the dash) so what now? A small local Ford dealer has offered to check the connections which might be worth trying but not when it is actually working, obviously!

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Thu 21 Feb 2013 19:14
Screen Saga part 2 - Armitage Shanks {p}

Large Ford Main delaer fixed the screen today for £45, found a corroded connection somewhere.

Gave a Safety Check which I had't asked for and tell me that with a 4 month old MOT, 3 1/2 year old car with 24K miles I need 2 new front discs and the exhaust is blowing, total cost to fix £488. The brakes seem OK to me, the MOT threw up no relevant advisories and I can't hear the exhaust blowing.

Any thoughts please?

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Thu 21 Feb 2013 19:57
Screen Saga part 2 - elekie&a/c doctor

The connector for the screen must be near the plenum air intake /wiper motor area.As for the safety check,I can only think that these parts are sitting on a shelf somewhere ,collecting dust,waiting for the next victim with a Ka to arrive!

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Thu 21 Feb 2013 20:56
Screen Saga part 2 - Armitage Shanks {p}

Dead right on point one and very perceptive on point 2, I think

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Thu 21 Feb 2013 23:54
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - focussed

Faulty heated windscreen+ ballpein hammer = chip or crack.

Far be it for me to suggest that you should think of doing this but............?

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Fri 22 Feb 2013 07:20
2009 Ford Ka - Heated windscreen failure - Armitage Shanks {p}

SFAIK it is fixed - not enough frost last night to check it! I am more concerned about being perhaps taken for a sucker by a main dealer re unrequested safety check. How odd that they should do one, on their own initiative, and turn up £500 worh of problems and they happen to be able to book it in next Wednesday! I am old but not senile and nothing is happening on the car that would have me going to a garage for a check up. I am only home 5 days in the next month and the car is going to be out of use so it can wait. I am going to get a second opinion!

Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 22/02/2013 at 07:21

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