rear window defroster, W115

[Zeppo2K2]

Hi,

I have a 1971 220D with rear window defroster, which does not work. I have voltage on driver's side up the the wire on the panel behind the rear seat. The ground wire on the passenger side is also intact. I can follow these wires through the panel into the trunk, then they snake up around the mounting for the trunk hinges. I can only feel (not see) and they seem to go through the sheet metal. How do they connect to the element on the window? The heating element is intact and painted on the inside surface of the rear window, not between glass surfaces. Inside the car, on the window, the horizontal element stripes end in a vertical bar which goes under the weather strip. How is the connection made to the wires in the trunk? Should I pull away the weather strip inside? Or outside? Inside, I pulled the weather strip back a little bit, and can see only the headliner, which I'd rather not mess with.

'Sorry if this has been covered before, I looked and couldn't find reference to pre '74 cars.

Any suggestions would be helpful,

Ron