is there a such thing as a portable heater/defroster(that plugs into cig lighter) for a toyota...

T. T.

...camry ? the heater core in my toyota camry has been bypassed. I live in minnesota where heat/defrost are necessary. Any ideas?















if so, can you tell me what & where to get one?

Observer

yes there is

wondering

Yes there are but in Minnesota they won't help much since they don't put out enough heat. A standard 120v 1500w heater puts out approx. 5120BTU/HR of heat. Since in a car you are working with a little over 1/10th the voltage and a cigarette lighter socket is only good for 15 amps on a good day the absolute most wattage you can get is about 200w or 685BTU/HR. I suggest as a test you try running a good heavy extension cord out to your car and plug in a small electric heater that is set to 600 watts and see how warm it makes the interior and then realize that you would only get 1/3rd as much heat as that with a 12v unit before you buy it.































The other downside here is that the engine coolant heat is free while the car is moving under its own power since it is being produced anyway and is either dissipated by the heater core or the radiator while electric heat is not free since the electricity has to be produced by the alternator which is only 40-60% efficient. Since there are 746 watts per horsepower the alternator would be drawing over 1/2 horsepower extra from the engine.































www.amazon.com

Roger

On your toyota's water heater have a heater core and just change it.If it has been bypass try to put it back to normal way as it use to.Do not alter or modified something that you don't know.

miiiikeee

I use to live in eagan mn. Please get the heater core fixed. There really isn`t anything that will properly blow on the windshield to keep it defrosted when it get`s to those -25 days. If you can remember just your breath frost the windows in the inside.