What could this be
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Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Richmond VA
What could this be
Hey guys, for the last couple of days I've noticed a slight electrical smell in the car. Today I decided to try and find it and I was able to track it to what I think is the rear window defroster. Has anyone else ever had this problem? And if so, what do I do to correct it so I don't walk outside to a Corvette engulfed in flames.
TIA,
Michael
TIA,
Michael
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Well until you get a chance to figure out the problem, unhook the wires from the hatch cylinders and see if the smell goes away. It may have power back there all of the time and activate to ground, I don't really know.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Richmond VA
Thanks Chris, I'll do that. Oh, one other thing that might help in diagnosis, This past Saturday, I went out to the car to get my plastic bottles out of the insane heat so that they wouldn't melt and when I opened the hatch a small plastic piece was laying on the floor. I quickly saw that it had falling from the recently melted 
plastic cover that covers the wire for defrosting that is connected to the glass! Could the heat have somehow damaged the wire?
plastic cover that covers the wire for defrosting that is connected to the glass! Could the heat have somehow damaged the wire?
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
It would seem that you have a bad connection there since that's where it's getting hot. You didn't mention having the defroster on so I'll assume it's getting hot all of the time. This would seem to indicate that the defroster is on all of the time. Let me check my manual for the details of this system.
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by KnightmareVette
Thanks for the help Chris! I really cannot tell if it is on all of the time or not. If it is, can it really get hot enough to melt the housing that surrounds it?
Melting Slicks
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From: OR
Originally Posted by KnightmareVette
Hey guys, for the last couple of days I've noticed a slight electrical smell in the car. Today I decided to try and find it and I was able to track it to what I think is the rear window defroster. Has anyone else ever had this problem? And if so, what do I do to correct it so I don't walk outside to a Corvette engulfed in flames.
TIA,
Michael
TIA,
Michael
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,452
Likes: 1
From: Richmond VA
Yup, that's how I found it today. I started by turning off everything until the smell went away. Then I turned on my AC, nope no smell. Then I tried the front defroster, still, no smell. Turned on the rear and bingo! The monsoon is still going on outside right now and I won't be able to check on it until morning.
Thanks Newbe!
Thanks Newbe!
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by KnightmareVette
Yup, that's how I found it today. I started by turning off everything until the smell went away. Then I turned on my AC, nope no smell. Then I tried the front defroster, still, no smell. Turned on the rear and bingo! The monsoon is still going on outside right now and I won't be able to check on it until morning.
Thanks Newbe!
Thanks Newbe!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Richmond VA
Originally Posted by Corvette Kid NC
Well if it's only happening when you turn it on (which you should have mentioned) that's a good thing. If you repair the connection, you should be good to go. The fact that you are able to turn it off and on would indicate that the rest of the system is functioning properly. That's good news because it's a rather complicated circuit that's tied in w/ the CCM, HVAC programmer, etc.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Richmond VA
Thanks for all of the input guys. Hopefully, whatever storm system that's been hovering over east coast for the last couple of days will be gone tomorrow and I will be able to take care of this (or ask you guys how to do it) 
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Hell yeah, you can fix anything w/ a hammer, one way or the other. 
That storm system sucks. I got to drive 14 hours in it coming back from Boston Sunday night and Monday. Happy, happy, joy, joy.....
That storm system sucks. I got to drive 14 hours in it coming back from Boston Sunday night and Monday. Happy, happy, joy, joy.....
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,452
Likes: 1
From: Richmond VA
Just an update. The rain finally let up today and the first thing I did was disconnect the wire. The connector, although covered in melted plastic, didn't look to be in that bad of shape, but I think I'm gonna go ahead and replace it anyway. Thanks for all of the help guys. As many have stated before, this place and its people are the best!
-M
-M