Does ne1 drive your 03/04 4Runner during snow?

[pwanghk]

Greetings:

Lately I have a couple of snow storm in NJ and get a chance to try my 04 4Runner Sport edition during the snow. I am surprise that the rear defogger is so inefficient. With the rear defogger button on and with the ventilation on defogger position, the snow keeps sticking into the rear window and doesn't completely melt away. Is this normal? If so, Toyota must defenitely build a more efficient rear defogger. I would prefer the old style defogger button where the driver turns it off manually.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[BlkSS1755]

mine works fine... i agree that the option to shut of manually would be nice too..

 

[Neech]

The wet snow we got was a lot to ask even the wiper to remove without freezing up let alone the defroster. Remember, it's a defroster on a vertical window where the spray kicks straight up on. Good luck.

 

[pwanghk]

Thank you all for your input.

Have a Merry Xmas, a Happy and Healthy New Years everyone.

 

[EDGE]

My rear defogger works well, does not melt snow but if I clear the snow off it will slowly melt the ice stuck to the window, it's a defogger

 

[gaslight]

if you would read the manual one of these days you might notice that the rear defrost is not for removing snow. Key word is 'Defrost', you know to remove the frost on the window.:bonk:

 

[prlundberg]

Don't you have a snowbrush? Or a rear wiper? :

The vertical sunken rear window does not stay as clear as other vehicles, it's the nature of the design, which has poor airflow even with a wind deflector. That's why they put a wiper on it. If it gets iced up, try putting on a rubber-covered winter blade.

 

[TechWrench]

I have to agree with pwanghk, I also think the rear defroster on my '03 should work better than it does. I picked my '03 up last winter, in early Feb, and in upstate NY snow is not an option it's a fact. I have a 25 min drive to work, and on more than one occasion I left the house with a light coating of snow on the rear glass that didn't melt off at the end of the trip. I'm not talking about 'hard' frozen on stuff, just the light stuff that brushes off. I own two Honda Accords, and both of them will melt snow on the rear window in 10-12 min, and the glass is nowhere as vertical as the Toyotas. Even if you clean the rear glass before you take off, within 5 min it is covered again with snow blown off the roof. And I do use the rear wiper, but so far I have been unable to find a winter blade for the rear. It's too small, and my dealer doesn't stock anything other that summer blades for the 4th gens.

I like the 4Runner, but I think Toyota could have allowed a little more juice to the rear defroster grid.

 

[pwanghk]

Well said, TechWrench, I couldn't agree more.