Portable car heater?

[FionaH]

Does anyone use one? My Dads heater in his Clio isn't great so he wanted one he could plug in to the ciggy lighter. The only ones I can find are for demisting, not really for heating. Any reccomendations?

[Two_Sheds]

Lo-tech option?
Hat, gloves & a hot water bottle which he could tuck behind his back?

[FionaH]

He has got all that TS. But car heater is pretty carp and he is pretty old

[flighty1]

hi there, hubby & I both have landrover discoveries & use the plug in heaters to defrost the inside of our screens. They are not to bad at the job albeit rather slow to clear the whole screen. As far as heating the car they are useless, however the interior space is quite a large area to heat. OH has a kenlow engine pre heater fitted in the cooling system. You just connect the external plug (a bit like they use on caravan power cables) to an extension lead & plug the other end into the mains via a time switch if required & the cars cooling system is pre heated. This makes for easier starting in the cold & instant heat when the car is started. The screen clears PDQ & de mists almost instantly.
Here is a link to kenlow should you require it.
KENLOWE
hope its of some use.

[Glutton4...]

I also have a Disco, mine has heated screen, mirrors and seats! Mr. G has fitted an Eberspacher (similar to a Kenlowe) to his Defender, that way the engine is up to temperature when he goes out to work at stoopid o'clock in the morning.

Mr. G used to have a plug-in one in his old Mini, for the same reason. It wasn't much use, to be honest. When it's this cold, I favour the wasteful method of going out and starting the car, and leaving it running for five minutes before going back out! I suspect the problem is that he only does short journeys, and the car doesn't have a chance to warm up. Alternatively, get the thermostat checked, it could be faulty.

[FionaH]

He just had the thermostat fixed last week G4. Warming the engine and demisting isn't really a problem its just the heater itself is pretty carp. He gets cold while he is driving, even with a hat, coat and gloves. He is 80 and his circulation is about as useless as the car heater . Thanks for the link though F1

[Glutton4...]

You can get heated seat covers, they plug into the cigar lighter socket - could be worth a google...

[FionaH]

You can get heated seat covers, they plug into the cigar lighter socket - could be worth a google...

Yeah googled those and they seemed like a good idea, till I read the reviews, some move around a lot, some catch fire!

[Liza]

How about a better car ? mine defrosts and heats up in 4 mins

Ok i`ll get me coat

[FionaH]

How about a better car ? mine defrosts and heats up in 4 mins

Ok i`ll get me coat

Tell me how he can do that on a state pension, he is already in the poshest car he has ever owned

[Nicos]

One of my cars had a rubbish heater so I used to make up a hotwater bottle and stick it on my lap. Used to do the trick. When I stopped at a junction or traffic lights I used to rest my hands on it.

I did buy a loaf of hot bread originally- but it used to steam up the inside of the windows!!!!

[FionaH]

I will suggest the hottle bottle to him Nicos. May well get him a pair of really cosy driving gloves for Christmas.

Daft old begger was round here today trying to give me money for the osteo, out of his winter heating allowance of all things. He's a great bloke

[Daz]

Hi
It may be that the heat exchanger is not performing at its best and if I where you would look at getting this checked.
Years ago we had the same problem with a MG Metro and after we had the heat exchanger changed it was toastie and no more agro from the other half.

[rana]

It could just be an air lock in the heater so hot water from the engine cannot circulate efficiently through the heater. Or is the Clio heater really that bad?

[Jeanied]

My Clio used to be ok on heating - believe me I would have noticed if it had been cold or inefficient!!
Now I may be imagining things, but I think it had a summer and winter setting - the winter setting circulated the warmer air round the car rather than drawing it in from the outside. Sounds like the heater needs a bit of checking out.