Gladiator and Defrost

[ShadowsPapa]

So I was concerned about this too. I noticed the air only really comes from the center position of the front defroster and the side vents for the front windows, but very little in front of the driver and passenger. This morning - woke up and it as 40 degrees and I had frost on 100% the windshield. Went outside started it up put it on full blast HI front defrost. In about 5-6 minutes 95% of the windshield was clear. I also noticed that I have heating elements near where the wiper blades rest on the windshield and they were completely cleared as well (hard to see in the pics but they have copper colored elements). So I guess the real test is when I have ice/snow, but so far it worked as expected.

Like already said - not heating. There's no wires leading to it, and it does nothing. Heating elements require a ground wire or connection as well as power, so it would need traces and then wires to ground and power.

We found out that mine was only defrosting the right half of the windshield - well, defogging. We were in FL with very humid conditions and the windshield kept fogging over. I hit defrost and the right half cleared right up, the left half stayed foggy, we had to keep the wipers going to keep the fog off the left half.
There could be other reasons, but I've also noticed this 2022 has weird HVAC issues otherwise - similar to the 2020 I had but much much worse.

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[Jimko71]

That T shape on your windshield is a marker for the end of the blade so that they are installed correctly, not a heating element.

Well - the complete area under the blades were completely defrosted.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I wonder if this issue has been reported on the single zone climate systems?

Have a feeling that any "fix" is going to be Jeep telling you to manage expectations.

After our recent trip putting a few thou on the truck in a few days, and needing AC, defog, etc. - I'm wondering about a connection as well. When my wife had her side set to 73 and my side was set to 70, I was freezing and her side had very warm air coming out. To keep from freezing on my side I had to match the temperature she had set. If I deviated from what she had set, I either froze or melted. Defrost actually seemed to similarly follow.

 

[Jimko71]

That T shape on your windshield is a marker for the end of the blade so that they are installed correctly, not a heating element.

Looking from the inside you may have something. They appear to be in the middle of the wiper as well. Oh Well. It did look like there was an element in there from the outside. Either way - i was surprised to see the area around the entire blade defrosted.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Looking from the inside you may have something. They appear to be in the middle of the wiper as well. Oh Well. It did look like there was an element in there from the outside. Either way - i was surprised to see the area around the entire blade defrosted.

Those T marks are also there to determine where the wipers are mounted for right hand drive Jeeps.

So, half are there for left hand drive, half for right hand drive.

Nothing to do with any type of heating elements

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well - the complete area under the blades were completely defrosted.

Doesn't hurt that that's where the heat from the firewall, defrost, and so on first hits the glass.
Metal conducts heat - so as that engine bay warms up the heat from the firewall area gets to the glass. The wipers also keep air movement across the glass to a minimum where up higher air movement keeps the glass colder. If you are trying to stay warm, you don't want a fan blowing across you, so anything like wipers that keeps heat in place helps.

I have found on some vehicles that defrost "defogs" better with the visors down to trap the warm air from the defrosters against the glass at the top.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Those T marks are also there to determine where the wipers are mounted for right hand drive Jeeps.

So, half are there for left hand drive, half for right hand drive.

Nothing to do with any type of heating elements

What about Iowa where we drive right down the middle?

 

[CJXJJT]

This is the first Jeep I ever owned that even had a defroster. LOL

Maybe Jeep will do a fix/recall by creating a diverter that will just snap on/into the existing square holes. Or maybe aftermarket support? Done correctly would look factory.

In my Willys had a rag, and kept the windows half way down. No heater and vacume wipers. But hey... top speed was only 50, 538's ya' know?

 

[Sigz]

Bump -


Just had this issue driving home from picking up my trail cams yesterday here in cold and now winter-wonderland WI.

I had the front defrost on high - but the corners of my windshield kept getting CAKED with ice. Felt the air - and it was all coming from the center of the defrost vents.

Did some googling last evening that brought me to this (and a JL forum) and some youtube information related to this issue.

I guess I'm going to have to buy some of those plastic plugs - as it will sorta look clean. Anyone else have any interventions/mods to help disperse the air to the sides of the front windshield?

Pretty annoying glitch/manufacturing/design error that has been going on for years it appears...

 

[Sigz]

A little update:

Instead of ordering those 5/8" plugs (which the ones they now sell some say don't fit as well) - I decided to use some extra rubber/felt bumper that I had from our Roomba - and could a small piece that basically fit the distance between the dash storage tray and voila - it worked perfect.

The color of the bumper also looks "OEM" in a way - pretty natural and it adheres nicely (as I would know since I've been using it on the Roomba for over a year).

Here is a link to what I used -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWR8N88/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cheap mod/fix for a stupid design.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My wife and I noticed many years ago that our vehicles defrosted and defogged better with the visors down.
I've had troubles with my Ford and Chevy trucks guys are having with the JT, etc. These aren't alone with defrost being less than ideal. I learned the trick with my other trucks. My wife kept asking why I kept the visors down while defrost was on. I told her - she tried it in her GC - placebo? Dunno, but we are both "believers".
My thought is that it holds hot air in place instead of it just blowing by on its way to the roof, maybe forms a sort of pocket of hot air.
And with the Jeeps, we tend to run defrost with the fan on HIGH and heat to HOT.

 

[toddarama]

vacume wipers

Those are the best.... wipers banging away like mad when you are sitting at a stop sign idling, then they drop to a slow creep across the windshield when you hit the gas. Drove a late 50's Willy's pickup for several winters and remember this vividly.

 

[Lunentucker]

A little update:

Instead of ordering those 5/8" plugs (which the ones they now sell some say don't fit as well) - I decided to use some extra rubber/felt bumper that I had from our Roomba - and could a small piece that basically fit the distance between the dash storage tray and voila - it worked perfect.

The color of the bumper also looks "OEM" in a way - pretty natural and it adheres nicely (as I would know since I've been using it on the Roomba for over a year).

Here is a link to what I used -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWR8N88/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cheap mod/fix for a stupid design.

I'm unclear on where these go, so if you can post a picture?

Going back to the early days off the thread, the video posted by the father and son, it was 9 degrees and snowing.
When it's that cold and snowing I don't run the wipers at all and I only defog the windshield. The snow floats right off.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Those are the best.... wipers banging away like mad when you are sitting at a stop sign idling, then they drop to a slow creep across the windshield when you hit the gas. Drove a late 50's Willy's pickup for several winters and remember this vividly.

I've had multiple cars with vacuum wipers - never had them "banging away like mad" sitting idling - idle vacuum isn't much different from cruising vacuum. Most cars that had such wipers used a fuel pump with a vacuum pump made on the other side to boost the vacuum under load. It made the wipers operate like normal on the highway due to the RPM of the engine running the fuel pump's vacuum boost side.
That Willys must have been an exception! I suspect they didn't use a vacuum pump system.
Too cheap to add another part!

 

[Sigz]

I'm unclear on where these go, so if you can post a picture?

Going back to the early days off the thread, the video posted by the father and son, it was 9 degrees and snowing.
When it's that cold and snowing I don't run the wipers at all and I only defog the windshield. The snow floats right off.

Hope these pictures help!

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