When testing rear defrost for power....should i get power from both sides of connector that attaches to tabs. I get power from the drivers side rear defrost connector wire.

please see the diagram attached, test the switch, for open or dirty, use de the wd-40 , look for some wires loose or connector, clean it, and of course see for the fuse open or corroded or oxide clean contacts, or test the motor for faulty.
see the diagram attached.
God bless you

This is all the Bentley shows:


Location: Driver's side door trim in storage compartment.

Removing:

- Remove driver's side door trim:
Repair Manual, Body Interior, Repair Group 70 - Unplug connectors.



Carefully disengage catches -arrows-.
- Press switch for interior monitoring and towing protection -1- or trunk release switch -2- out of trim toward rear.

Installing

Installation is carried out in the reverse order.



Remove trunk lid lock.

Repair Manual, Body Exterior, Repair Group 55
- Use a flat screwdriver to pry plastic tab -3- off retaining pins -1-.
- Bend plastic tab fully to rear.
- Pull contact switch -2- first sideways and then up and out of trunk lid lock.

Installing

Install in reverse order, paying attention to the following:

Note:

Make sure that washers are correctly seated between plastic tab and trunk lid lock.

Make sure the headlight switch is in the off position
1. Push in the two tabs on each side of the electrical connector and pull it away from the bulb.
2. Pull on the tabs of the rubber boot surrounding the assembly where the connector was, and pull it off the assembly.
3. You will see a retainer spring that attaches to one side of the bulb holder. The other side has two circular ends. Gently push the circular ends in (towards the front of the car) and then separate them. This allows the spring to open (towards the rear of the car) away from the bulb. you should be able to pull the bad bulb out. There are three tabs that you need to align to place the new bulb in. Take a moment to note where they are.
4. Do not touch the glass of the new bulb, the oil from your hands could cause it to burn out when you turn the light on! Place the new bulb into the socket, replace the spring attachment, replace the rubber boot and attach the electrical connector, and you are finished.
Test the light for proper operation.


Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_change_the_headlight_on_a_2001_Ford_Escape#ixzz1fmZd9IUa

Visually inspect the heating grid attached to the inside of the rear window for breaks in the horizontal lines. Any break in the filaments in the grid will cause a partial failure of the defroster, leaving a portion of the window fogged or obscured.

2 Use a test light or voltmeter to detect breaks in the filaments that aren't visible to the ***** eye. Touch one lead of the light or voltmeter to a grounded metal part of the car and the other lead to a spot on the heating grid. If the light doesn't light or the voltmeter doesn't register a reading, that indicates a break in the filament.

3 Place a piece of tape on each side of the break. Align one piece just above the filament, the other piece just below it, leaving a thin space through which the filament passes.

4 Apply the filament repair liquid with its applicator onto each break you've identified. Be sure to thoroughly cover the broken spot. Allow the repair to fully cure per the instructions on the bottle, then carefully remove the pieces of tape so they don't rip the filament repair.

5 Inspect the the vertical lines on the heating grid if you've discovered that the entire heating grid fails to work. Any break in the vertical lines will cause complete grid failure. These can be can be repaired in the same way as the horizontal lines. Check to ensure that the metal power tabs on each side of the grid are securely fastened to the vertical lines, as a break here will also prevent the entire grid from heating.

6 Reattach the metal power tabs to the heating grid as needed by removing the tab from its connector and repairing it using the epoxy found in the heating tab repair kit. Be sure to allow the full curing time indicated on the kit before reinserting the tab into the connector to ensure that the circuit isn't broken.

7 Check the power switch and wiring to the rear window defogger if there are no breaks in the heating grid and both of the metal power tabs are securely connected to the grid. Replace the switch and/or wiring as necessary.

Couple of things to check - first look for any scratches through lines, a couple of scratches will not let power run from side to side. The other is -> with a test light or voltage meter -> put (+)cable of meter/light to small electrical connector that attached to your window and (-) cable to a good ground (metal) light will come on/meter should read voltage there.

First i would check the fuses you have two fuse boxes one on the inside located by the left foot of the driver or the passengers right foot, and the 2nd is located under the hood i dont think it will be under the hood. Check with your owners manual for what fuses do what. if the fuses check out. i would move to the rear of the glass. you will have 2 plugs on either side of the glass you can test these with a voltage meter or a 12volt test light one side is a ground and one side is power what may have happen is on of the defroster strips has worn off and its not completing the circuit. Auto parts store sale a special kind of conducting paste that you can apply right to the glass and complete your circuit. If you think everything is good at the back glass, or you think the problem is not there.
Also there should be a relay maybe under the hood that is more like a timer for this feature there could be a problem there relays aren't very expensive. Good luck

u will need to test the grid for continuity, using a volt meter make sure you have power to the grid at the connectors, if u do move on to testing the grid bars, each one should have power from side to side, the voltage will drop or increase as u move across the grid from the load of the heater bars.

they have a fuse and a rely make sure the wire end is on the conector on the window

If you have a 12 volt test lamp, try this: Turn on the rear defroster. Attach the clamp to a good ground point; the door latch hoop is good)...Now, touch the test lamp to the extreme left and extreme right sides of the grids, on the inside of the glass. If the light does not light in either place, you probably either have a bad defroster relay, or the wires coming to the rear grids is off. Please feel free to get back to me with the results of your test.

I had the exact same problem and I had determined that it was in the wires leading to the rear defrost. The main problem area is in a connector located under the footrest for the drivers left foot under the carpet. The wire leading to the rear defrost runs through the drivers side under the plastic moulding in the car frame, the wire is black and the thickest one in the bundle. A large green/blue connector usually melts the plastic around the connection causing it to fail. I fixed this by just getting a new connector similar to my old one from a junkyard and just rewired it, connecting the same wires the connector as before. It is in an awful location but it is possible to do. Be sure solid connections are made and soldered correctly to prevent this from happening again.