Is It An Antenna ?

:lol: :lol: The wires in the lower, tinted glass in the hatch an ANTENNA... ??? No way. :lol: :lol:

As frequently observed, some dealer employees aren't well-informed on the details of the Prius [and I suspect for other Toyota models as well]. It appears when they don't know the answer to your question, they simply "make up" a response to appear knowledgable and authentic. Instead, their nonsensical responses reveal their insecurity. Wise persons can admit they don't know. An appropriate answer could be "I don't know but will try to find the right answer for you." or just "Sorry, I don't know."

The best answer to your question has been posted for more than two years in PriusChat. The wires are not defrosters. Perhaps they were intended as such [speculation], but the feature was omitted, likely to save costs.

 

this makes me laugh too. now i really don't get why toyota will not hire me... i make those people look really stupid.

 

Not so fast

It's probably true that they are not antennas but my 1996 maxima had two antennas and would use the one with best reception (claimed).One was a telescoping antenna and the other was in the rear windshield.

/Robert

 

The lower wires are a part of the demister, but it appears to be the case that on some Priuses they are not connected. On mine they certainly are, and they work, but not quite as fast as the ones in the upper window.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SomervillePrius @ Jan 29 2007, 03:33 PM) [snapback]382401[/snapback]</div>

Seems like they're wrong about the 'antenna' wires on your Prius, but my old Carrera did have a thin wire embedded in the windshield that was, indeed, the radio antenna.

 

You have got to love dealership service goons. This is why I never use them and do my own service.

 

All you need to do to determine whether the lower wires are part of the defrosting system or are an antenna, is to observe what happens when you turn on the rear defrost when the rear window is fogged. I've observed this many times, and, as expected, bands of dry glass begin to appear and grow in width, corresponding to the same phenomenon observed in the upper window. The clearly could not happen if the wires were an antenna unless, perhaps, I was listening to a debate between Al Franken and Ann Coulter.

Bob

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob Allen @ Jan 30 2007, 05:51 PM) [snapback]383034[/snapback]</div>

Naw, if that were the case the glass would fog up and then melt.

- Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ Jan 29 2007, 12:10 PM) [snapback]382392[/snapback]</div>

Strange! They must have forgotten to omit the lower window defrost feature on my Prius. I used the rear defroster on my car this morning and it worked very well on both windows.

 

There are leads in the upper glass that are part of the antenna system. They have dead ends, which a defogger cannot have, so they must be part of an antenna. I think this combo of in-glass and pole antennae is what is meant by "diversity reception" radio in the manuals.

 

Common sense peeps ~ you turn on the rear defog / demist whatever term you want to call it ... the FIRST part to become clear? Right where the wire is. What's the car fixer guy going to reply to that ~

 

Used for transmission of invisible electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz band. also known as infrared (i.e. heat.).

So it _is_ an antenna of some sort. So, in a way, the dealer was right, they are antennas, just not at the right frequency.

Easiest way to tell (BTW, be VERY careful, they get hot) is to turn it on and touch em, they should be warm/hot, if not, there might be an obvious break (sometimes not.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob Allen @ Jan 30 2007, 05:51 PM) [snapback]383034[/snapback]</div>

That’s it, I need to get out more often and broaden my interaction with the world. The reason you ask? I've never heard of Ann Coulter.

 

we beat this to death in 2004 and I was one of the ones that they were disconnected on and I hooked them up and yes they are part of the rear defrost circuit. I'll post the wiring diagram for those who are still not sure. One thing is they heat slower than the upper glass. If in doubt check with a IR thermometer.

 

Here is a pic of the rear defrost in action as I deliver the U.S. Mail on a Wisconsin winter day.

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