Heated Glass Element: Description and Operation

CAUTION: Grid lines can be damaged or scraped off with sharp instruments. Care should be taken in cleaning glass or removing foreign materials, decals or stickers. Normal glass cleaning solvents or hot water used with rags or toweling is recommended.




The optional rear window defogger system, also known as electric backlight (EBL), consists of two vertical bus bars (1) linked by a series of grid lines (2) fired onto the inside surface of the rear window (3).

The EBL system is turned on or off by a switch located in the A/C-heater control at the center of the instrument panel.




When equipped, the electric backlight (EBL) system is controlled by a momentary switch (1) located in the A/C-heater control (2) in the instrument panel. When the rear window defogger switch is pressed to On with the ignition switch in the Run position, the switch sends a request signal over the CAN-B Bus to the totally integrated power module (TIPM) to energize the internal EBL high side driver. When energized, the EBL high side driver provides battery current to the rear window defogger grid lines and the heated side view mirrors. The grid lines heat the glass to help clear the rear window and side mirror surfaces of fog or frost.

An amber indicator (3) in the rear window defogger switch will illuminate to indicate when the EBL system is turned on.

NOTE: The EBL system turns off automatically after 15 minutes of initial operation. Each following activation cycle of the EBL system will last 10 minutes.

The EBL system will be automatically turned off after an initial programmed time interval of about 15 minutes as long as the ignition switch is the Run position. After the initial time interval has expired, if the rear window defogger switch is turned on again during the same ignition cycle, the EBL system will automatically turn off after about 10 minutes. The EBL system will also turn off if the ignition switch is turned to any position other than Run or by manually pressing the rear window defogger switch a second time.

Repair of the rear window defogger grid lines, bus bars, terminals or pigtail wires can be accomplished using the Mopar Rear Window Defogger Repair Kit (Part Number 04549275) or equivalent.

The EBL control system is diagnosed using a scan tool.