Okay, so as per my old post, my top got slashed two weeks ago. I'm getting a check from my lovely insurance company (Farmer's is fantastic!), and I'm out to buy a new Robbins top.

Question is: Defrost or not?

I've got a MY01, so I do not have any of the circuitry required to operate the defrost. I'd have to purchase and install the switch and harness for the defrost grid to work. MAJOR hassle (I hate pulling dashes).

However! I live in the PacNW where we get lots of rain and snow. Also, I will be getting a hard top very soon as well (haven't decided where to buy it yet). I'm probably going to get an OEM HT for the added rear visibility, but again, that top comes with a defogger grid, and I don't want it to go to waste.

I'd like some feedback: for those of you who have a glass window and live in rain/snow country, is the defogger THAT important? Is it worth my while to pull my car apart to install the switch and harness?

I'd like to do as much of this as I can all at once to reduce downtime.

 

well...I'm not sure how old you are, but just try to remember if you used it often on any previous cars and you'll get your answer.

 

I just put a MY02 roof on my MY01 and haven't hooked up the defroster yet. I garage my car at night so that goes a long way towards keeping the dew off. If I do hook it up at some point, finding a way to make the button on the MY06 console work would be my choice.

Hardtop guy says it's not compatible on his webpage, I suspect this is because it is a momentary switch, therefore it is not plug an play. However, there is a guy on here who designed a circuit board that would make that work, but his how-to is long gone.

 

Wouldn't the MY02 defogger circuit/harness/switch be a drop-in? IIRC it uses the unused dash slot from the 00/01.

Good point about the "if I needed it before" part. However, the S2000 is a bit different in that the rear glass is right behind your head, instead of three (plus) feet away. I am left wondering if the car heater vents would be enough.

 

Dash removal is required for defroster swith/wiring??

 

I just put the top down, then I have a VERY large window that will not frost under any circumstances.

But for a real answer, I use it sometimes however I have found it to work VERY slowly compared to the one in my DD.

-Mike

 

IIRC the defrost switch goes where the VSA switch is on MY06 and later. The opposite switch blank from the cruise control switch.

Unless you replace the center console, which I don't want to do. I actually like the AP1 console (cup holder is better ).

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

 

Don't expect to hear from him

 

LOL.

Guess I'll have to dive into the service manual to see what all needs purchased for a defogger upgrade. I imagine there's a timer circuit, the switch and a harness (crap-ton of wire).

If it weren't for the hard top, I wouldn't even bother. Part of the selling point for the Mugen/knockoff top is that there's no possibility of a defogger. Of course, the Mugen top has craptacular rear visibility, and I have to back out of parking spaces about 50 times every day.

Blah.

www.hardtopguy.com is back up!

Decisions, decisions...

 

Thats an awfully a lot of work to put in the defroster switch if the dash needs to physically come out. Argh. Isn't there a way to remove just the cluster panel, unhook a few connectors from the back, and get to it from there? (but will require removal of steering wheel maybe....