CAVEAT: I apologize for not having a photo to accompany this post, as I suspect a photo is the best way to explain this. I'm not near my home computer nor a means to transfer (low-res) photos from my cameraphone to the site.

BACKGROUND: I've had my '06 FEH since March 6, 2006. It has 3120 miles or so on the odometer. I've never used the rear defroster or indeed any window defrost setting on the vehicle yet. It is garaged 85% of the time and outside in the hot Texas sun 15% of the time with a sunshade in the windshield.

ISSUE: The interior of my lift-gate window seems to be prematurely discoloring. The paths where the window defogger wires run, especially the thick portions around the exterior that link all the wires, are a rust color... literally looks like rust but isn't flaking off or anything like that. Also, the lower left (when the lift gate window is open and viewed from behind the vehicle) of the lift gate interior, where it's painted black, is now splotchy white...like the black paint is wearing off. This area is incidentally where the lift gate window, when closed, contacts near a little black rubber "bumper" that fell off my car in the first week of ownership and hasn't been replaced yet. If you look at your vehicle with the lift gate window opened, down at the lower left and lower right of where the window rests when closed is a single rubber bumper, one for each side, that fits in a small trim hole of the lift gate window assembly. I'm missing the one on the left.

SUSPECTED CAUSE: I'm worried my missing rubber "bumper" on the lift gate is somehow letting water or such (during drive-thru, hand dry car washing?) into the lift gate window and harming the window defogger wires and interior black paint on the lift gate window.

Anyone have anything like this on their vehicle? What color is the wiring/pathways where the defogger wires run on the interior of your lift gate window? Is the black paint fading/chipping/discoloring on the interior of the lift gate?

Photo forthcoming when I am near means to take and share one.

 

The discoloration of the defroster grid is nothing more than oxidation of the copper. Think about what happens to a new penny. Perfectly normal. I have no experience with the rest of your issues.

 

I've got ~5200 miles on my '06. Still have both little bumpers (I checked). My "paint" looks just fine the black is solid and all.

As for the defroster.... well... mines got a slight browner color at the edges than in the middle... but it looks pretty "normal" to me (who knows... maybe mine will get worse later and not look "normal".)

 

Funny you should mention the defroster discoloration, I just noticed some on mine; I figured it was oxidation, but it's nice to hear that I'm most likely right. However, as to the other paint part, I haven't a clue.

 

Good to know about the oxidation. I've had rear window defrosters before but nothing quite as elaborate as the one in the FEH's liftgate window, so I admit this is a little new to me. I'll still post a photo for reference as mine seems pretty darn colorful given its (limited) age and (total) lack of use thus far.

As for the black paint flaking issue, my FEH's due for a full wash and interior detailing so I'll see if maybe what I'm viewing as the black paint flaking off is perhaps just dirt/grit that isn't coming off with my unscientific (wet finger, to be honest) "it doesn't clean off, it must be permanent" diagnosis method. I rubbed good and it didn't behave like hard water deposits, but then again neither did the deposits on the roof of my FEH until I took some Maguire's NXT Quick Detailer to it and put a little elbow grease behind it.

That said, I think I'll bite the bullet and schedule my first service call. I need that little rubber bumper in the lift gate replaced as well as one of the flanged "screws" that are used to hold the windshield/under hood cowling on above the cabin air filter (figures -- all the ones I had to remove stayed in place; one on the other side, which I didn't touch at all, mysteriously popped off/went missing a week or so ago!) I also need my driver's seatbelt adjusted as it locks too quickly/easily, making it difficult to put on without several tries, in fact. Nothing major at all, so I'd been thinking of waiting til my 5k service call (tire rotation), but it can't hurt to establish a relationship with my Ford service dept. a little early I guess... they'll either love me or hate me for having such minor issues to address.

 

Shannon,
I haven't noticed anything on my 05 FEH, but I'll check in the morning when I leave work. As for getting to know your service advisor with so many minor issues, don't worry about it especially since they are all covered by warranty. I'd be more worried if you waited til the warranty has expired.

Rich

 

Here are the photos I promised:

1.) Showing the black paint chipping/wear on the lift gate window interior:
Image One

2.) View showing the rust-colored defroster tracks (Left Side, viewed when window open and standing behind vehicle):
Image Two

3.) View showing the rust-colored defroster tracks (Right Side, viewed when window open and standing behind vehicle):
Image Three

Any comments, based on the photos -- does your interior of your lift gate window look more or less the same? I still haven't had a chance to clean the interior of the lift gate window (slightly damp cloth, no detergents or anything) to see if that white stuff (Image One) is just hard water... it looks for all the world like the black paint flecking off, but like I said, haven't fiddled with it to see if it's something else yet.

 

I have nothing like the paint effect, looks like the weather stripping is rubbing on it doesn't it.

As for the discoloration. That is what I've got on mine, but yours is MUCH further along. mines only a little at the edges. I have used mine a little (MI weather).... Out of curiosity is your a premium trim or not. Just curious as to whether your back window is tinted dark.

 

Yeah, mine's the premium trim level with color-matched bumpers 'n all that jazz.

Incidentally, the rust colored window defroster paths have looked that way since I received the vehicle, or at least as early as I can recall noticing it. (I don't open the lift gate window a lot; usually loading enough stuff that I just open the lift gate entirely.) Makes me wish I'd taken more interior shots of my vehicle when it was fresh off the showroom floor. It'd just been bothering me lately because I know about my missing rubber bumper back there and started fretting that water was somehow getting in, though I've never noticed any water after my car washes.

At least I know it's highly unlikely it's water damage or something...just some "character" that comes with age. Hehe... As for the black I'm doing a full interior detailing and exterior wash, clay bar and wax of my vehicle in the next week or so (when rain leaves our forecast) and I'll play with that black/white area and see if it's just muck that comes off.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much how mine looks, though it seems mine is "further along".

As the for the first picture, I don't have anything like that, and it does look like something rubbing up against it.