Blijft-maar-werken
Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2025
- Messages
- 5
Hi everyone,
I’ve been dealing with an issue where my adaptive cruise control kept warning about a blocked camera. After a few drives, I noticed the front camera was fogging up on the inside, even though the rest of the inside windshield was clear.
When I connected the car to ISTA+, it flagged an error indicating an open contact in the camera heater. After taking it apart, I found a break in the heating wire. My first attempt to fix it by soldering didn’t work—in fact, it made things worse. The only option was to replace the entire front windshield since the heater is integrated. That was a bit to expensive for just a winter foggy camera….
So after some brainstorming, I decided to design a flexible PCB with tracks that could function as a heater. I prototyped the solution using 3D-printed test parts and was satisfied with the design. While researching manufacturers, I found out that custom-made self-adhesive heaters were an even better option.
To produce these custom heaters, the manufacturer needed to create a mold, which increased the initial setup costs. However, the per-unit cost was significantly lower compared to flexible PCBs, so I decided to order 20 pieces (and I can always produce more since the mold is now made
). I’m now hoping others in the community might need one too!
Here are the details:
If you’re interested, feel free to reach out! I’m happy to help answer any questions about the installation process or shipping.
I’ve been dealing with an issue where my adaptive cruise control kept warning about a blocked camera. After a few drives, I noticed the front camera was fogging up on the inside, even though the rest of the inside windshield was clear.
When I connected the car to ISTA+, it flagged an error indicating an open contact in the camera heater. After taking it apart, I found a break in the heating wire. My first attempt to fix it by soldering didn’t work—in fact, it made things worse. The only option was to replace the entire front windshield since the heater is integrated. That was a bit to expensive for just a winter foggy camera….
So after some brainstorming, I decided to design a flexible PCB with tracks that could function as a heater. I prototyped the solution using 3D-printed test parts and was satisfied with the design. While researching manufacturers, I found out that custom-made self-adhesive heaters were an even better option.
To produce these custom heaters, the manufacturer needed to create a mold, which increased the initial setup costs. However, the per-unit cost was significantly lower compared to flexible PCBs, so I decided to order 20 pieces (and I can always produce more since the mold is now made
). I’m now hoping others in the community might need one too!Here are the details:
- Price: €25, including shipping to the EU, US, and most other regions.
- What you get: 1 self-adhesive heater and 2 heat shrinks.
- Installation:
- The cable with plug need to be cut from the original heater.
- The new heater needs to be soldered to the original cable (alternatively, two WAGO 221-2411 connectors could also work as there’s enough space in the covers).
- No camera calibration is required after installation since everything clicks into place.
- Installation takes approximately 5–10 minutes after soldering.
- And most important this fix is invisible from the in or outside, and can even be made undone.
If you’re interested, feel free to reach out! I’m happy to help answer any questions about the installation process or shipping.
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