Rear Windows With the Defroster and Antenna Reconnected

Rear glass is usually tempered, so it breaks all at once and the whole panel has to be replaced. It is also the piece most likely to carry a defroster grid and, on many vehicles, the radio antenna — which is why fitting it correctly matters more than it looks like it should.

Defroster Grids, Antennas and Why Back Glass Is Different

Those fine horizontal lines are a printed heating element with a live connection at each side. On plenty of vehicles the AM/FM antenna is printed into the same panel. A back glass fitted without reconnecting them properly leaves you with a window that will not clear and a radio that will not tune.

Getting the Glass Out of the Car

A shattered rear window drops several thousand fragments into the trunk, the parcel shelf, the rear seat belts and the seat runners. Clearing it is slow work and skipping it means finding tempered glass in the car for months.

Hatchbacks, SUVs and Pickup Rear Slides

Rear glass on a hatch or tailgate carries hinges, a wiper motor and a lock in the same panel, and pickups often use a sliding centre section. Tell us the year, make and model so we bring the right glass and the right hardware.

Need Help?

Don't hesitate to contact Alpine today!
Know Someone Driving Around With a Cracked Windshield?

$100 Visa Gift Card!

If your friend goes through insurance for a full windshield replacement, we’ll give you a $100 Visa Gift Card as a thank-you.

What’s Included:

Same-Day Mobile Service

Most jobs are done at your home or workplace across Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, with same-day appointments available.

Insurance Billed Direct

Glass damage falls under comprehensive coverage. We bill your carrier directly, so you pay your comprehensive deductible and nothing more.

Your Choice of Shop

WAC 284-30-390 bars an insurer from requiring a particular facility. You cannot be penalized for choosing an independent shop.

ADAS Recalibration

Lane departure warning, adaptive cruise and automatic emergency braking read through the windshield, so those systems are recalibrated after a replacement.

30-Mile Service Radius

We cover a 30-mile radius from the Spokane Valley shop. Outside that zone, call anyway and we will make exceptions where we can.

Repair Before Replacing

If the chip is smaller than a quarter, the crack runs under about three inches and it sits outside the driver's line of sight, a resin repair is faster and cheaper.

21 Years in the Northwest

Alpine has been replacing and repairing auto glass for Spokane, Spokane Valley and Coeur d'Alene drivers for more than two decades.

Two Numbers to Reach Us

(509) 892-6699 for Spokane and Spokane Valley, (208) 640-0549 for Coeur d'Alene.

Alpine Auto Glass repair and replacement for vehicle windshields and auto glass.

What Customers Are Saying:

Most Popular Questions

FAQs

Quick answers to the questions we hear most. Don’t see yours? Call (509) 892-6699 and ask directly.

Will my rear defroster still work afterwards?

It should. The defroster is a printed grid on the glass with a connection at each side, and reconnecting those is part of fitting the new panel. We check it before we finish.

It is common on many vehicles and it is handled the same way as the defroster: the connection is part of the fitting. Tell us the year, make and model so we bring the right panel.

No. Rear glass is tempered, so it breaks completely rather than cracking, and the whole panel is replaced.

Often yes, within a 30-mile radius of the Spokane Valley shop, given a level surface and room to work. Some vehicles are better done in the shop and we will say so when you book.

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