Ea81 electric heater?

[NWSubie]

So here it is winter again and back to sitting in my car waiting 15+ minutes after work just for the windshield to un fog enough to safley drive, forget about the rear it takes at least an hour to unfog. So my question is has anyone found a cheap solution to install an electric heater? I was kinda wanting to install it in the roof right at the rear window so it would defrost it. (not a single one of my defroster lines work due to an exgirlfriends dog clawing them) I have seen the little 12volt golf cart heaters but $200 is way out of my budget plus way coller mods can be done for that. Haha any help or ideas would be awsome. Thanks

 

1980 ea81 wagon

[ferox]

You'll probably have better results with a couple small 12V fans. I have tried the electric heaters that plug into the cigarette lighter socket and they were junk. They draw a lot of power porportional to their meager heat and fan output.

 

A fairly small fan can produce a decent air flow (I am thinking of fans like ones for cooling high power audio equipment or computers). If you mount a fan pointing at the front windshield from the drivers side and one toward the rear window on the passenger side you will create a bit of a circular current too.

 

Just make sure to supply the fans you choose with proper power requirements.

[NWSubie]

So just a plain fan will defog the glass? Im not sure that will help in a few weeks when its frozen though. I had thought about wiring in some pc fans since they are small but I still dont have much heat in the car until I drive for at least 30min.

[bheinen74]

OEM thermostat, less than 10 bucks with the gasket.

go to junkyard pull rear hatch off junky car, they sell them for 45 i think.

 

also you can try anti fog stuff

 

http://www.amazon.com/Rain-X-AF21212-Anti-Fog/dp/B0009H5W5W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1321415628&sr=8-3

 

Problem fixed less that 57 bucks and your time. make sure you don't get one that your ex dog clawed up .

Edited November 16, 2011 by bheinen74

[NWSubie]

I cant remember if I have the warmer thermostat in this car or nor. Its on its second motor and im not sure what one I swaped it on haha.

[zukiru]

You can buy a pen that you can supposedly draw the rear defrost lines back in with...

Haven't tried it but I read about it.

[GeneralDisorder]

You need to stop the leaks that bring the moisture into your car. Remove things that retain it also - carpeting is cheif among the wet crap in your vehicle. It also hides leaks that would otherwise pool and be visible and traceable.

 

Repaint the lines on the back window with a silver electronics circuit pen.

 

Get your thermostat working properly and your heater core flowing really well - should be able to bring the heat on much quicker if you address your cooling system.

 

GD

[ferox]

So just a plain fan will defog the glass?... I still dont have much heat in the car until I drive for at least 30min.

 

In conjunction with proper heat from a fully functional cooling system they will help quite a bit. It's still a band-aid as others have pointed out, but that is what you were asking for. Without heat you are s.o.l. in the winter.

 

A couple notorious places to check for leaks are the lower corners of the windsheild, of course around the main windows, and sometimes the rubber body plugs in the floor get popped out or pushed in leaving a gaping hole in the floor of the car.

 

If you get your car up on jackstands and see any perfect 1"-1.5" holes in the underside with no plug in them you know you are soaking your carpet and leaving unseen puddles in your car everytime you drive in the rain.