rear defroster switch

[sripvw]

ive been to 4 different junk yards looking for a new switch, mine does not latch any more, i push in and it works as long as i hold it in. cant find my type of switch for 95 escort it pushes strait in the dash horiz. not like all others ive seen which you push down. any parts guys out there ? thanks sripvw

[mightymoose_22]

If you brose around the net you will find lots of cars that are being parted out. It shouldn't be difficult to find and contact someone with what you need. I believe there is even forum on this site for such a thing.
Have you tried eBay?

[denisond3]

The rear window defroster switch on my 92 Escort is the type that pushes down, and is supposed to latch. Another push unlatches it. That quit a long time ago. After trips to various auto parts places ('go to the dealer') and to Ford Dealers (no luck) and to junkyards (where I found that my type of switch was apparently only used on 92s and 93s), I still hadnt found one that still worked.
So I made up a -switch-. I used a common 30A 12 volt relay, wired in place of the original switch connector - and two momentary action pushbutton switches. One switch causes the relay to latch on, the other shuts it off. Turning off the ignition turns it off also. I probably spent 2/3rds of a day working on it - but my design uses switches and a relay that you can buy at any auto parts store or radio shack. I managed to keep the tiny light bulbs that indicate when the rear window heater is on.
Another possible source for these switches: If you go to ebay and search for Ford Escort Used Parts in general (like headlamps switches, instrument clusters, dashboard covers, heater controls) - you will find the names of businesses that pull parts from cars in junkyards to sell. Someone of that crowd might have a dash panel with that switch in it - and its not that hard to remove. Whether it would work or not - who knows?

This also seems to be a problem on later Escorts, though they have a slightly different type of switch.

[wintonboy]

When my switch went south, I just wired in an illuminated toggle switch. Works great.

[Davescort97]

Glad you didn't wait for H*** to freeze over to get a switch. There's more than one way to fix an Escort.

[wintonboy]

It is starting to freeze over Davescort. We had a high of 47 and a low of 27 yesterday.