Windshield defroster vents not engaging correctly.

[Kielly]

Anyone else notice this? Particularly those in extreme cold environments because I never had an issue until temps started dropping below -30⁰c

I need to enter a cheat code in order for my vent system to switch to windshield defrost. If I just click the windshield defrost button my vents won't properly do their internal thing and switch the hot air to my windshield.

I have to cycle the modes first until I get to the feet + windshield combo, and THEN click the windshield defrost button. If I don't do this, hardly any air will push out through my windshield vents.

My service is coming up soon, so I'll inevitably get them to look at it, I expect it's going to end up being a full dash tear apart for a fix, but wondering if anyone else is having this same issue.

Nearly caused me to crash the first time it happened, and it's quite distracting when it does happen as you're driving because you forgot to enter the cheat code. Driving on an overpass with no room to pull over, and a semi directly behind you on icy roads, windshield decided to completely ice over because my defroster wasn't correctly working AND the sun was blaring bright so it just lit my windshield up like a bright orange pumpkin. Absolutely couldn't see anything, couldn't pull over without being pile drived by a fully loaded semi, just had to reduce my speeds. If it wasn't for the emergency brake alert and my quick thinking to hit the brakes and swerve into another lane (thankfully free lane) I would've 100% wrote off my truck, and the truck I nearly piled into. I would've done everything I could to take Toyota down.

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[TheGreatWhiteNorth]

I live in Alaska and feel your pain in the extreme cold. Ive owned every gen Tacoma, and all of them had terrible defrosters in extreme cold. (my work trucks of various makes do way better with a more uniform spread).

This one is particularly bad. Its spread pattern is terrible. I havent had to do the cheat code thing though. It blows hard but is very centralized and takes a while to spread the heat, and as such, had to drive while looking through a small center hole at -30f once when i turned it on and the window flash froze.

 

[Kielly]

I live in Alaska and feel your pain in the extreme cold. Ive owned every gen Tacoma, and all of them had terrible defrosters in extreme cold. (my work trucks of various makes do way better with a more uniform spread).

This one is particularly bad. Its spread pattern is terrible. I havent had to do the cheat code thing though. It blows hard but is very centralized and takes a while to spread the heat, and as such, had to drive while looking through a small center hole at -30f once when i turned it on and the window flash froze.

Definitely noticed the spread you talk about! Takes quite a while to get the defroster to the top portion of the windshield, especially top corners.

Definitely very centralized compared to other Toyotas i've driven but sadly only a fraction of the issue I'm facing.

Temps have been mild the last few days, some days at 0c and today being at -14c, and never had a hitch switching to the front defroster, but as soon as those temps drop again to -25 and under again I bet I'll once again struggle to get it to switch properly.

Such a weird problem I'll hardly find anyone else having because most folks don't get to see that temp drop like us haha

I'll place a bet that my next service will fall on a "mild" week and they won't be able to reproduce the problem and I'll have to face it again next winter haha

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