It's getting pretty cold down here in NC, and I used it the other day on a long trip. I noticed that the rear window would keep fogging about every half hour, and the light on the defrost would be out. Just wondering if the rear window defroster is supposed to turn off by itself. Thanks,
-t.a.

 

Mine does the same thing. I believe its supposed to do that.

 

Yea ditto mine does the same thing.

 

 

Don't worry it is normal, once the defroster gets to a certain temp it will turn off. Trust me I lived in WI for 18 years.

 

i dont use my too often, and if i do...not for that long. why does it auto shut off? to prevent over heating, damaging the glass?

 

I just figured that out today, had a bunch of snow here and It kept turning off when I got in the car a few times after getting snow out the way.

 

it's on a timer...

 

oh...why would it be on a timer? a thermo switch makes a lot more sense

 

Yup, mine does it as well as my 90 mustang and the 88 CRX I used to have. I think all it does that in all cars.

 

Just noticed the same thing drivin hom in the snow yesterday.

 

Yup mine shut off today also, and it didnt even clear my window fully. I wish they had a regular On/Off switch so that way in the winter I can just get in the car and it would defrost automatically

 

I think Bmr4life is right, all cars have the defrost on a timer. For some cars it stays on longer for others shorter. For example, when I had '97 Altima the defroster would stay on for a looong time I even thought that it had to be turned off manuallly but it did turn off by itself eventually.

 

Never noticed this in my CRX or in my Accord, but seems reasonable enough and everyone seems to testify that its fo real... Good then, now I don't have to go check any fuses. Thanks peeps

 

not true at all my corolla has an on off switch. if its on when i get out of the car at night, its on when i get back in the next day. it can stay on for hours too...no timer.

 

yea its so your battery doesnt go dead when you shut off the car, old cars use to never shut off and if you forget.... dead battery, its a safety mechanism, but why is your car still fogged up after 30 minutes anyway???

 

just cuz i leave the switch on doesnt mean that its actually on. when the car is off, it goes off, simple. I use it on freezing days, keeps the rear window clear while i heat up the interior..its nice

 

what year is the corolla?

 

97, but many of my friends older cars have on/off type switches as well (93 and 92 integras, some 80s hondas, etc are like that, its just a button) although my old saturn had that auto turn off after a while...it was annoying. i can check on my camry later, but i think its on/off as well

 

i would actually prefer the on/off switch instead of the time. Sucks none of my 3 had that. It really sucked in the CRX because it would cut off before the window was even defrosted. (Damn it got cold in michigan).

 

yea, im in california...so the timer was never a big issue, but the car has gotten around. I have family in never, and have gotten snowed in before, and it kicks a$s to be able to keep it on for the ride home. Any cold day when you heat the car, the cold windows fog, it helps to have it on a switch

 

Just a guesstimate... It was a 4 hour trip home, 30 deg. and raining. It was either fog, or frozen rain. So it felt like the window was fogged up every half hour. Thnx tho

 

even here in california i use it for more than 30 minutes

 

On my 87 Pathfinder, once it was on, it was on...till the car was turned off or till it turned itself off. There are some cars where it stays on until you turn it off (mazda millenia) even after the car has been turned off. It just depends on the manuf.

 

15 min.

Here we go, wanting Nissans to be like more expensive cars. Thermo, make more sense? What year did Maxima get rain-sensing windshield wipers and adaptive Xenons?

 

um, after 98 also, a thermo switch would make more sense. it doesnt draw voltage when the car is off, so why does it need to pop off after a certain period of time? once it reaches optimal temperature, it could shut off, turn back on if the glass cools too much, etc, while still being on a switch. it atleast makes more sense to me

 

What ****es me off is that it doesn't come back on by itself in the morning. so if you have a remote starter, the rear window is still iced up even if you start the car 20/30 mins before you get in.

 

Thanks for everyone's input, but there's definately no reason for this post to be this long. Please stop replying . Thanks.

 

Who cares? Push the button if the window is fogging.

 

if you have remote start, or dont constantly look for the stupid light...