Do I have wiper de-icers or not?

[MossJenks]

Hey guys,

I bought my 2011 earlier this summer and the windshield was cracked. The dealership sent a guy out a few weeks later to replace it (I insisted on this before I bought it but it took awhile to set up) and he pointed out that my windshield includes heating elements. He had to run back to the shop for a new one with the elements. But I don't have the button? What gives? I haven't really played with it - I saw a thread about this but nobody came to a conclusion. I wish I'd been more familiar at the time and asked the guy if he was actually able to hook the elements up to something.

Maybe I can add a button?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Laurich]

Windshield wiper de-icer switch

Check out page #2 here;

2011 Quick Reference Guide

 

[MossJenks]

I DID :rtfm:!! Hence my comment about the button! My manual says "press the button" and even has a picture of said button which my truck doesn't have. But it DOES have the heating elements embedded in the windshield.

So to be more clear: my question is, if I don't have the button why the heck do I have the heating elements? I did read a thread talking about it being integrated with the mirror/rear-window de-icing switch but that's not what my manual says.

The second part of my question is, if if my Runner isn't fully equipped for the wiper de-icer but has the elements, can I activate it by adding a button and/or relay?

Thanks ever so much for your help,

Chris

 

[[email protected]]

You dont have a defrost button? I dont know about yours, but in mine(2014) the rear defrost works with the wiper de-icer.
If you have that, test it out. turn it on.. pour some water on it and see if it heats up and dissipates the water... or just feel the glass and see if it warms up. Pretty simple and straight forward.

 

[MossJenks]

Thanks Evan,

For my 2011 the manual says that thee should be a separate button but I'll experiment a bit and see if the rear/mirror defrost does the trick.

Chris

 

[Laurich]

On ours the Rear Defrost heats the Side Mirrors as well. The Windshield Wiper De-icer switch is dedicated only to that function.

 

[MossJenks]

^^^^ Wrong. Thanks for playing though.

You were right, Evan, they come on with the rear defrost button on my 'Runner. They're not super strong (the rear glass definitely gets warmer) but now that I have cool day to try it I can definitely feel the warmth and I have current running through the fuse for them which I hadn't checked before.

Thanks for your help!

 

[nb rob]

It must have switched over to a dedicated switch somewhere along the way. Here's what mine looks like, driver side left knee

 

[harlow2]

On ours the Rear Defrost heats the Side Mirrors as well. The Windshield Wiper De-icer switch is dedicated only to that function.

Ding ding. This is correct according to the 2011 I am sitting in right now as well.


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[harlow2]

I DID :rtfm:!! Hence my comment about the button! My manual says "press the button" and even has a picture of said button which my truck doesn't have. But it DOES have the heating elements embedded in the windshield.

So to be more clear: my question is, if I don't have the button why the heck do I have the heating elements? I did read a thread talking about it being integrated with the mirror/rear-window de-icing switch but that's not what my manual says.

The second part of my question is, if if my Runner isn't fully equipped for the wiper de-icer but has the elements, can I activate it by adding a button and/or relay?

Thanks ever so much for your help,

Chris

Why wouldn’t you just hit the switch that you think controls both the wiper heater and the rear? Wouldn’t the rear need defrosting at the same time as the wiper de-icer?


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[MossJenks]

I wonder if it has something to do with the various trim levels? I'm not sure what's going on here.

My manual does show the button as nb_rob shows and doesn't say anything about the rear/mirror defog button running the wiper de-icers. My vehicle does NOT have the dedicated button but it DOES have the elements and a fuse in the fuse box. Hence my OP. It was making no sense to me that my truck would have the elements and the fuse but no way to turn them on. However, as Evan clued me in, my rear/defog button does indeed cause the elements to become warm.

 

[MossJenks]

Why wouldn’t you just hit the switch that you think controls both the wiper heater and the rear? Wouldn’t the rear need defrosting at the same time as the wiper de-icer?

Ummm.....as you pointed out the manual says the two are on different switches. That's why? I mean, I totally agree why wouldn't they make it so that one button controls the wipers, the mirrors and the rear window? I could see the mirrors and the wiper de-icer being on one switch and the rear being on another since the mirrors and wipers are battling outside elements and the rear could battle either inside (condensation on the inside of the window) or outside elements. But the manual, Lausich and you all say there is a separate switch for the wiper de-icers. On my vehicle one button rules them all, however.