Hardtop - Defroster?

[DonRich90]

The '02 'Bird I'm considering had the softtop up when I saw the car last week. It comes with the hardtop but it was stored in the dealers building and I haven't seen it yet. Does the hardtop have the electric defrost wires in the rear window? If so, how does it connect when installing or removing the top?
I haven't "pulled the trigger " yet but, I'm getting close. Damn I love that T-Bird.

Don

[Sealy]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

Fun place to pick up information - - -
http://www.portholeauthority.com/thenewtbird/2002/02options.html
Yes, it appears to have rear defrost, hard and soft. Wiring connects through the top mount/latch on the passenger's side.
Nice time of the year to be buying a convertible. Store the hard top for all but January and February in PA. Grab the sun every chance you get.

[berogersjr]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

The hardtop does have a defroster. You don't have to do anything to connect or disconnect it when the hardtop is put on or removed. The defroster is connected when the top is put on and the locking levers are pulled forward.

thanks,
bobby

[rcjohny]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

The defroster makes connection with one of the pins on the hard top, I think the passenger side there will be a connection on the pin & arround the hole it fits in on the car.

[Ski]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

Don, I put my hardtop on late October-early November and keep it on until mid-March or early April. I'm not a cold weather person and it feels warmer with the hardtop plus, as pointed out earlier, there's a bit more headroom with the hardtop. Not enough top down weather between November and March to suit me.

[DonRich90]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

Thanks for the info. Since I'll be using the car this winter (clear roads only) I'm sure the rear window defroster will be needed. Thaks again.

Don

[DonRich90]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

[quote=Ski;374620) Not enough top down weather between November and March to suit me.[/quote]

Boy, this morning would have been a good day to have the top down. I drove down to Fallston about 11 AM and the car thermometer read 63 degrees. Felt like Spring.

Don

[MATBird]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

Don:
Have the Ford dealer check through his OASIS system to be sure that the TSB for correcting the defrost on rear windows was done on this car.
When they came out, I believe it was the '02's that had the rear window defroster running the battery down. If the switch was left on after the car was turned off. The TSB corrected that.
There was also a seatbelt TSB, so it's worth checking the car through the system to double check that these were done - Just a thought

[Ski]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

Boy, this morning would have been a good day to have the top down. I drove down to Fallston about 11 AM and the car thermometer read 63 degrees. Felt like Spring.

Don

It was nice yesterday. Sunny today but colder. Not like spring and summer though when only the rain makes me put the top up.

[jaguar72]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

The TSB was 03-15-9 and it applied to 2003s built before 6/1/2003 but some 2002s had the problem as well.

It's a software glitch in the DATC module that turns the rear window heater back on after the car has been shut down. However, if you turn the RW heater off manually before turning off the ignition, then there is no problem. In my case, I never bothered to have it fixed (requires replacement of the DATC module) but make sure I turn the RW heater off manually every time; the problem happened to me once and has not recurred.

There are several excellent TBN forum threads on the problem and the TSB may be found online with a little searching. It's only one page but also has some good advice about battery condition after discharge (e.g., the battery is not necessarily trashed just because the sight glass shows only red; it can be recharged and the red will change back to green but only after the car has been driven for a while; I was sceptical but it happened just as the TSB said. They were talking about Motorcraft battery BXT66-650 but it no doubt applies to others as well).

The title of the TSB is: "Driveability-No Crank/No Start-Discharged Battery-Heated Backlight Stays 'On' Intermittent".

You need to read the TSB and the other threads. It's a preventable problem.

Hope this helps some.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[bobc4383]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

The TSB was 03-15-9 and it applied to 2003s built before 6/1/2003 but some 2002s had the problem as well.

It's a software glitch in the DATC module that turns the rear window heater back on after the car has been shut down. However, if you turn the RW heater off manually before turning off the ignition, then there is no problem. In my case, I never bothered to have it fixed (requires replacement of the DATC module) but make sure I turn the RW heater off manually every time; the problem happened to me once and has not recurred.

There are several excellent TBN forum threads on the problem and the TSB may be found online with a little searching. It's only one page but also has some good advice about battery condition after discharge (e.g., the battery is not necessarily trashed just because the sight glass shows only red; it can be recharged and the red will change back to green but only after the car has been driven for a while; I was sceptical but it happened just as the TSB said. They were talking about Motorcraft battery BXT66-650 but it no doubt applies to others as well).

The title of the TSB is: "Driveability-No Crank/No Start-Discharged Battery-Heated Backlight Stays 'On' Intermittent".

You need to read the TSB and the other threads. It's a preventable problem.

Hope this helps some.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

Thanks for the info. I only tried the HT rear window heater one time - to see if it worked - and when I went out the next morning, the battery was dead. It took about 15 minutes to recharge it enough to start the car, and I had not tried it since. Your tip about turning off the heater BEFORE turning off the ignition was good info.

Bob

[jaguar72]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

Thanks for the info. I only tried the HT rear window heater one time - to see if it worked - and when I went out the next morning, the battery was dead. It took about 15 minutes to recharge it enough to start the car, and I had not tried it since. Your tip about turning off the heater BEFORE turning off the ignition was good info.

Bob

That was exactly my experience...same exact thing. The next morning the battery (relatively new Motorcraft BXT66-650) showed only 10.43V across the terminals and, of course, the car would not start. After charging at 10a for several hours the voltage was stable at about 12.80 but the sight glass was still completely red; however, after reading the TSB I drove the car a total of perhaps forty miles and the next day the sight glass had turned back to green as (apparently) the electrolyte circulated (it is my understanding, perhaps erroneous, that a sight glass only shows one cell...). Battery voltage has been holding steady at around 12.60V since (been a month or so) so I guess all is well.

Rather hope it continues that way.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

The TSB was 03-15-9 and it applied to 2003s built before 6/1/2003 but some 2002s had the problem as well.

It's a software glitch in the DATC module that turns the rear window heater back on after the car has been shut down. However, if you turn the RW heater off manually before turning off the ignition, then there is no problem. In my case, I never bothered to have it fixed (requires replacement of the DATC module) but make sure I turn the RW heater off manually every time; the problem happened to me once and has not recurred.

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

Had that happen to my '04 PCR several times till I realized what was causing the problem. I had it replaced because I knew I would never remember to turn it off.
Bad part is the DATC module on mine had the ash color face and does not have a separate part number so it cannot be ordered and they had to put a black faced one in.
This really bothered me until my wife pointed out the air vents above already had black louvers.

[jaguar72]

Re: Hardtop - Defroster?

Had that happen to my '04 PCR several times till I realized what was causing the problem. I had it replaced because I knew I would never remember to turn it off.
Bad part is the DATC module on mine had the ash color face and does not have a separate part number so it cannot be ordered and they had to put a black faced one in.
This really bothered me until my wife pointed out the air vents above already had black louvers.

John,

In the thread "Electrical Problem" post #10, you gave an excellent summary of the problem and how to keep it from happening. It really helped me to figure out what was going on with the RW heater. The TSB covered the same ground but was nowhere near as clearly written.

Very much appreciated!

V/R,

Gary Jenkins