Hello, I have just bought a second hand Ford Focus 2011 (11 reg) 1.6 SCTI EcoBoost Titanium X 5dr. 

Anyway I'm very disappointed to find that the front windscreen defrost is faulty.

Money is tight (I'm a student) so I need to try to fix this myself. I need it to get to student work placements and uni.

I've been looking around for other people with this problem but no one's pattern of where the screen defrosts and doesn't seems the same. Looking at it, I guess it's NOT a fuse or copper strip problem?

Does any one have any idea where the fault might be and if there is anything I can do to fix it myself please?

Thank you!

Edited January 23, 20215 yr by Impoverishedstudent
forgot to add photo!

Welcome to the forum. The fault will be in the windscreen itself, requiring a replacement windscreen. 

Cheapest solution is an ice scraper or bottle of de-icer...  

The windscreen heating elements are failing it happens overtime the only cure is a new screen, if you have windscreen cover you could claim for a new screen if say a large stone where to break it.

44 minutes ago, pragmatix said:

... if you have windscreen cover you could claim for a new screen if say a large stone where to break it.

He'd still have to pay ~£80 excess for a new screen through insurance.  I guess it depends how impoverished he is as to whether that's viable.

(Plus the the camera may need to be recalibrated at garage with that spec)

As was said earlier just live with it and get scraping, it's only for a month or so.

Am I being stupid? My car does not have a QuickClear windscreen, but I just dial the fan speed up to max, the temp up to max, and direct it all to the windscreen - a couple of minutes later I drive off...

9 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

He'd still have to pay ~£80 excess for a new screen through insurance.  I guess it depends how impoverished he is as to whether that's viable.

(Plus the the camera may need to be recalibrated at garage with that spec)

Better than £600+ (if he's got it that is)

I had to check that wasn't my old car then as mine did the same. Mine was a 1.6 ti-vct titanium but had nearly the same sections missing. I lived with it and found leaving the quick clear on until it turns off automatically gradually cleared most of the missing sections. Blower on max windscreen did the rest as I was driving away.

17 hours ago, StephenFord said:

Am I being stupid? My car does not have a QuickClear windscreen, but I just dial the fan speed up to max, the temp up to max, and direct it all to the windscreen - a couple of minutes later I drive off...

That doesn't melt ice though...  The QuickClear screen is fantastic, it's probably the thing I miss most in the Golf!  Will have to get some of that pre-icer on this afternoon ready for tomorrow...

9 hours ago, FatHead1979 said:

Better than £600+ (if he's got it that is)

True!  And presumably he's not so impoverished if he can run a 1.6 EcoBoost lol... 

It was £750 for my Mk2 back in 2015, must be over a grand on a Mk3 by now!  

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

The QuickClear screen is fantastic, it's probably the thing I miss most in the Golf! 

True!  And presumably he's not so impoverished if he can run a 1.6 EcoBoost lol... 

It was £750 for my Mk2 back in 2015, must be over a grand on a Mk3 by now!  

Agree about the screen, one of the things I loved most in my 1990 RS Turbo, surprised other manufacturers don't make use of the very old tech!

1 minute ago, StephenFord said:

Agree about the screen, one of the things I loved most in my 1990 RS Turbo, surprised other manufacturers don't make use of the very old tech!

They do now, Fords patent ran out within the last few years so it's optional on many cars now.  The VAG screen is a different design though, uses a very thin conductive layer so no wires visible in the screen.  

28 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

The VAG screen is a different design though, uses a very thin conductive layer so no wires visible in the screen.  

Yeah, the wires are the thing I don't like about the Ford screen - very obtrusive in certain light conditions, I find. 

 

6 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Yeah, the wires are the thing I don't like about the Ford screen

 

Must admit that I found them very reassuring that I had a bit of (then) cutting edge technology in my car LOL

4 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

They do now, Fords patent ran out within the last few years so it's optional on many cars now.  The VAG screen is a different design though, uses a very thin conductive layer so no wires visible in the screen.  

Beat me too it😀