Rear defrost button

Tiny
ROBERTBECKER
  • MEMBER
  • 2008 DODGE CALIBER
  • 80,000 MILES
I Have a 2008 dodge caliber and my rear defrost button will not stay on. It turns off as soon as I let go of the button
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Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 AT 2:11 AM

16 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,005 POSTS
It sounds like the controller or the defroster wire in the back window was a break in it
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Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 AT 2:14 AM
Tiny
ROBERTBECKER
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I dont know if its a fuse or not I cant find the fuse number to check it. I looked in the manualand couldnt find it.
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Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 AT 3:22 AM
Tiny
DANJS1123
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  • 9 POSTS
Have same issue, when the rear defroster button is pressed, light goes on. As soon as you let go of button, light goes off - the defroster never engages. I've taken the dash apart down to the circuit board - I can bypass the defroster button by shorting the circuit board with a wire - same impact, the light goes on as long as the wire is there but goes out as soon as wire is taken off. Have also checked circuit breaker and no issue found. Seems issue is somewhere else in the circuit - maybe a relay? Can't find any diagnostic information on relays for 2008 caliber - anyone help? THanks.
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Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017 AT 6:43 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,544 POSTS
Hey Guys,

this is a common problem, what has probably happened is the circuit in the rear glass has an open circuit. While the button is down use a test light and test each line in the defroster to see if you can find the broken one. Then you will need to do a minor soldiering job to bypass the broken part.

Here is a wiring diagram and guide so you can do some testing to make sure. It could be the controller as well.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

Please run some tests and get back to us so we can continue helping you.

Best, Ken

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Friday, January 6th, 2017 AT 3:31 PM
Tiny
DANJS1123
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  • 9 POSTS
Ken, no power is getting to the rear grid. I turned the car on, had someone hold down the rear defroster button, and I measured the voltage at the fuse with respect to ground. The terminals at all other fuses had a voltage of 12-14 Volts, whereas the rear defroster fuse was getting zero volts. I used a multimeter to test the resistivity of all of the traces on the back window and they are all fine, on the order of ohms. No voltage is getting to the back window, so I assume that the relay is faulty or there is a bad connector/wire.

Do you have any thoughts on how to proceed from here? Thank you for your help.
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Sunday, January 8th, 2017 AT 9:52 AM
Tiny
DANJS1123
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  • 9 POSTS
The fuse number for the rear defroster is #25 on the Dodge Caliber. It is a 10 Amp fuse.
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Sunday, January 8th, 2017 AT 9:53 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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Hey Dan,

Did you check fuse #22? If that is good, it could be the TIPM itself. I know they had problems with them, other then that there are a couple of information buses that go into the instrument cluster and onto other controllers.

I would also call the parts department at the dealer to see if they have the TIPM in stock, this will let you know they are having problems with it.

Let me know what happens.

Best, Ken
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Sunday, January 8th, 2017 AT 11:31 AM
Tiny
DANJS1123
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Ken - Fuse 25 seems to control the rear defroster. In order to test the defroster circuit from TPM to defrost grid, I identified which side of the fuse lead went back to the defroster itself. To power the defroster circuit, I used power from another fuse (12V via a single wire to bring power. This caused the rear defroster to operate (it melted snow) as long as wire attached. So the circuit from TIPM and defroster itself is in good working order. Conclusion seems to be that power TO the TIPM at fuse 25 is lacking (while all other fuses measure a voltage). I'd be willing to change the TIPM but how can I know the TIPM itself is really bad? Any ideas appreciated! Thanks!Ken -
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Sunday, January 8th, 2017 AT 4:44 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Hey Dan if you hold the switch down does the rear window defogger work and get power? Im thinking it could be the switch, can you check to see if the switch holds to signal out of the controller please.

Best, Ken
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Sunday, January 8th, 2017 AT 6:17 PM
Tiny
DANJS1123
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  • 9 POSTS
Holding down the switch keeps that amber LED on, but does not provide power to the rear defroster. We pulled off the buttons and dials, and got down to the circuit board. I took a wire and connected the 2 terminals that the button would connect together and the same thing happened. As long as the wire was there, the amber LED was lit (but no power to defroster), but as soon as the wire was removed, the LED turned off.
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Monday, January 9th, 2017 AT 7:13 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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Hey Dan,

Sorry for the delay, it sounds like the TIPM is bad and needs replacement, I looked for further wiring diagrams and the only other part I can find goes to the instrument cluster and the BCM.

Let me know what you find.

Best, Ken
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Thursday, January 12th, 2017 AT 10:27 AM
Tiny
DANJS1123
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Ken - are there any tricks I could use to clear codes from the BCM - just to see if some kind of odd or incorrect software issue? Juat to reminde, the defroster circuit works fine when using 12 volts from another circuit. Thanks for any help. Regards, Dan
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Sunday, January 15th, 2017 AT 6:31 PM
Tiny
DANJS1123
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  • 9 POSTS
One other question, is the BCM the same as the TIPM or a separate module? If separate, where is the BCM located? Thanks again.
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Sunday, January 15th, 2017 AT 7:13 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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There doesn't seem to be a BCM just the TIPM and the main computer for the car.
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Thursday, January 19th, 2017 AT 2:26 AM
Tiny
NICKMESSIGR
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  • 1 POST
I have the same car but on mine sometimes the rear defrost amber light engages on its own when I turn my lights on upgraded to hid lights? Can it be the tipm or wires of the hids touching something else they not supposed to? Or when I turn the car and ac of the ac light flicking
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Wednesday, July 26th, 2017 AT 3:45 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Those after market HID lighting system can cause electrical problems, can you disconnect the lights to see if the defrost button acts up?

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken
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Friday, July 28th, 2017 AT 10:31 AM

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