[Mrmidnite2]

I have had my 2010 Terrain now for 3 months. The rear defogger is not working. Most annoying when transporting a pair of "wet " dogs back home and the rear window fogs up and I cannot clear it, unless I open the rear windows....which as we all know, is not a good thing to do when travelling over 25 mph due to the air turbulence noise..which is hard on everyone's ears.

The dealer did a cursory check a while ago....still was not resolved.

Today, they had the vehicle for a couple hours, took the rear interior tailgate panels off and checked the wiring. NO voltage to the defogger. All plugs are intact. The dash indicator light works, indicating the defogger is on....but NO voltage at the fuse, or relay under the hood in the fuse block...

So it goes back in next Tuesday for an additional 4 hours maximum...for the mechanics to do a more complete wiring check....

Anyone else had this problem with their rear defogger, either in a Terrain, or a Nox??????

 

[mnussbaum]

Bizarre. Could be a broken wire or bad connection between the dash button and the relay, but the dealer will eventually find it.

 

[Mrmidnite2]

Yep, logically that would be my guess too....I just hope they get it fixed before we get the really cold icy weather we normally get up here in N. Ont ..need the defogger to keep the ice off of the rear window..as well as "defogging" the interior back window,.....

I'll post any results after next Tuesday's (Nov 30 ) appointment with the dealer!!!

Bizarre. Could be a broken wire or bad connection between the dash button and the relay, but the dealer will eventually find it.

 

[GMCdriver]

Mine stopped working on Saturday and is going in for it's appointment tomorrow, I'll update with the results after the visit.

I've had mine for about a year now and the rear defroster worked fine last winter (and for the first few cold days of this one as well) it just stopped working on the weekend. Same situation, dash light is on but no heat on the glass.

 

[RNOX]

Depending on your build date their was a recall earlier in the year. Slight chance this could be it. The dealer can check if your vehicle was part of this recall:

Recall Number: 09V489000 Owner Notification Date: January 12, 2010 Record Creation Date: December 23, 2009
Defect Description:
General motors is recalling certain model year 2010 chevrolet equinox and GMC terrain vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems and with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 101, controls and displays". The software in the center instrument panel can cause the heating, air conditioning, defrost, and radio controls, as well as the panel illumination to become inoperative.
Defect Consequence:
Driving without a functioning defrost system can decrease your visibility under certain driving conditions and could result in a crash without warning.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will replace the computer module in the center instrument panel free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during january 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, GMC at 1-866-996-9463 or at www.Gmownercenter.Com.

 

[GMCdriver]

I've had that recall performed on my vehicle already last winter, it is for a problem that is very different then what is going on now.
With the recall the problem was that a driver would be unable to opperate the front windshield controls because they would lock up.
In the situation we are dealing with now, the controls are working but the power isn't getting to the rear window grid.

Mine is at the shop right now, the tech said he'd call me when he's done.

 

[GMCdriver]

The tech called and said he finished the job & the defroster is working again.
He said he would go over what the problem was with me when I pick up the vehicle which I'm going to do as soon as my daughter finishes eating her lunch.

 

[GMCdriver]

I picked up the vehicle and the rear defroster is now working again.
The failure was caused by a low battery condition, if the vehicle sees the battery as showing <70% charge it disables the power flow to the rear grid.
The fix procedure was to put the battery on GM's battery service & testing unit, the unit confirmed that my battery was showing a weak condition, it charged the battery and then retested it. My battery passed the second test so it was put back in the vehicle.
The tech asked me to let him know if I have any other problems, the battery is covered under waranty but GM's procedure requires the battery to fail on it's service & testing unit before they will replace it under warranty.
He suggested that if I throw my trickle charger on the vehilce over night for a few nights I will probably not have any more issues.
We have had a few unseasonably cold(close to -30) nights here in Saskatchewan the last few weeks and the vehicle has been parked outside unplugged so that could be a contributing factor. I haven't plugged in the last three GMC vehilces I've owned and I've never had any problems like this but they were also parked in a garage (unheated, detached) almost everynight. If I can get my father in law's stuff out of my garage and start parking indoors soon I will be very happy.

 

[RIT333]

I picked up the vehicle and the rear defroster is now working again.
The failure was caused by a low battery condition, if the vehicle sees the battery as showing <70% charge it disables the power flow to the rear grid.

Who wooda thunk ? Certainly not me. Interesting.

THX

 

[mnussbaum]

How about that. I can see how -30 temps could kill even a 1-year old battery. I haven't looked at mine (it's under that electronics package), can you check the water level on the battery?

 

[Mrmidnite2]

Thank you GMCdriver for your posts. The solution to your defogger problem is really interesting and I'll print it out for my dealer to review when they attempt to fix my defogger this coming Tuesday. I have no reason to suspect my battery as of yet. We have not had the cold temps you have had so far ..it will be our turn in N. Ontario in the coming days no doubt.... ;D

However, sometimes when starting my Terrain first thing in the morning, it does seem to turn over slower than I would like. Maybe my battery could be the problem?
Tuesday will be the "fix" day, and I'll post back here once the fault is diagnosed and rectified.......

Thanks again!!

 

[Mrmidnite2]

Well, as promised, today being Tuesday, here is the update on my Rear Defogger issue. Today was appointment day at my GM dealer!!

Its fixed!!!

Yep, just as in GMCdriver's situation, mine turned out to be exactly the same. Dealer checked the battery....it was at the 60% "efficiency" level. So, they removed the computer which sits atop the battery, and charged the battery up for a couple hours. Then they have to disconnect the battery from the vehicle for a minimum of one minute....hook it up again, and lo and behold, the rear defogger is working again!!!

GM is aware of this issue...they issued a "bulletin" in May 2010, #PIC5308C which addresses this problem with the 2010 Terrain....I am not aware if it affects the 2011 Terrains..

Just as a note.....GM will NOT replace the battery because of "low" efficiency. If however, it cannot be charged UP and hold that charge, then a new battery will be installed at GM's cost.
IMHO, MY battery should be fully charged at all times. The vehicle is driven daily, and regularly is driven several times a week , 60+ kilometers (40 miles) to my favourite walking place with the dogs...and back.....so there is no reason for my battery to be operating at 60% efficiency. To me, the battery is on its way to being a dead one as soon as we get really cold weather.... then GM will replace it as it is under warranty.
I'll have to use my ONSTAR to call them if it fails to start my vehicle while at my walking site....no cell phone coverage out of town here......just one more reason why I keep my Onstar active....

;D

 

[RIT333]

I guess GM ought to use this in their Theta advertising. They could say that the vehicles have a battery charge-level indicator, in addition to a rear-window defogger. Whenever our rear defogger is not working, we know that our battery has a low charge condition. Come on GM - certainly you can do better than this. We deserve good batteries for our $30k.

Christina of Customer Support - Are you on our side on this ?

 

[mnussbaum]

Most new cars are so loaded with electronics that it causes quite a drain on the battery. And cold Canadian weather isn't going to be much help. A few years ago there was a lot of debate and research among the auto makers about bumping up the voltage system from 12 to 24 or even 36 to try and handle the load. Not sure if that's still on the radar as they've gone to multiplexing and other tricks, but you can see the problem.

 

[Mrmidnite2]

Good post RIT333....

In all my years of automotive experience and ownership, I have never come across a situation where a customer is expected to know that his/her battery is supposed to be at +70% efficiency for all the on board equipment to work properly, and if the battery is not up to par, the customer (as I was told today) is to put his battery on trickle charge once or twice a week to keep it charged up....Heck, I thought that was what alternators were for..silly me.........

:-(

 

[RIT333]

Since the output of a battery is weather dependent, we should not worry. In the Summer, we will be able to run our rear defoggers day and night - providing we don't run the A/C too much. Well, there's always Spring and Summer to clear up that rear window. This is absolute B-S. I would rather have them limit the stereo. Seems to me this is a safety issue, and if we complain to DOT, I'll bet we can see a recall to correct this deficiency. Backing up can be very difficult with a foggy rear window. We need to rally around this cause.

Sorry - I'm just amazed to hear about this.

 

[Mrmidnite2]

Its not only the interior "fogginess" that the rear defogger can be used for. During times of freezing rain and snow of course, the rear defogger (if working!!!) will keep the rear window free of those visual impediments while travelling....it IS a safety issue I agree......and I hope the GM Customer service folks who read this thread will pass on our concerns....

 

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

I guess GM ought to use this in their Theta advertising. They could say that the vehicles have a battery charge-level indicator, in addition to a rear-window defogger. Whenever our rear defogger is not working, we know that our battery has a low charge condition. Come on GM - certainly you can do better than this. We deserve good batteries for our $30k.

Christina of Customer Support - Are you on our side on this ?

The best I can recommend at this time would be to stay in contact with your local dealership regarding this issue. If the problem continues after the fix, feel free to contact me or the dealership again. As I primarily work with US customers, I am also going to provide the Canada Customer Assistance number for those of you who live in Canada. You can contact GM of Canada at 800-263-3777. The hours of operation are M-F 7:30am - 11:30pm, Sat 7:30am - 6:00 EST. If anyone has further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly. Thank you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

 

[mnussbaum]

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

Tricia--just want to thank you for being a forum member and taking an active role in some of the issues members here have raised. As a life-long import buyer, the Equinox was a leap of faith for me that Chevrolet and GM have turned things around. I hope I never have any significant issues with my 'Nox, but seeing you chime in gives me a measure of confidence that whatever might happen will not go unheard.

 

[GMCdriver]

Mine stopped working again this morning, I have it going in tomorrow for an oil change so I'll have them do the re-charge procedure again at that time.
I'm curious how many times GM will be willing to pay a tech to put a battery on a charger for a few hours before they step up with a real solution.
I'll have it in there costing them money every two weeks if that is what it takes to get it fixed for real.

I don't know if they need to consider a larger battery(more CCA?) or a stronger alternater or if the problem can be fixed in the programing.
I worry that the fix is keeping the defrost working but killing the heated seats instead, while this would be better from a safety stand point, I would rather a solution that doesn't cause my vehicle to loose features every feww weeks all winter long.