When it’s cold, your first reaction is probably to turn on the car heater, raising the cabin temperature to something comfortable. But what if the heater develops an issue that disables it, and you can’t fix or replace it for the time being? Alternatively, is it worth burning the fuel needed to run the car heater when it’s merely chilly? Let’s look at some ways to stay warm in your car without turning on the heater.
How Can You Keep Warm Without Running Your Car’s Heater?
Unless it’s freezing, you can leave the car heater off and still stay comfortable if you have certain useful accessories and take steps to prepare beforehand. Here are some tips to stay warm in your vehicle without the heater:
Cover Your Parked Car
Always cover your vehicle after you park it, especially if you leave it outside and expect a cold night. Car covers insulate your vehicle from direct contact with the weather. While a car cover won’t heat the car without a built-in heating element, it can slow down the loss of heat and prevent the formation of frost and ice on the exterior. A good car cover will keep your vehicle’s interior from getting cold enough to require using the heater when you enter.
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- Covercraft CB31AC 5-Layer All Climate Series Indoor And Outdoor Car Cover
- Bestop 81044-01 All-weather Series Indoor And Outdoor Car Cover
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Add Seat Heat Pads to Your Vehicle
Instead of raising the temperature throughout your vehicle’s interior, you can simply heat your seat to stay warm. A heated car seat has a built-in electric heater that warms the entire seat on demand.
Heated car seats offer several advantages over heaters. They don’t rely on the engine for heating, so you can turn on a heated seat without waiting for your vehicle to warm up. Heated seats also warm up faster because their heating elements only need to heat their respective seats instead of the vehicle’s interior.
If your vehicle didn’t roll out of the factory with heated car seats, you have two options to upgrade it. One is to replace the non-heated seats with heated ones. The process takes considerable time and effort because you have to remove the old seats, install the new seats, and connect the heated car seats to the electrical system.
The other way is to install a seat heat pad in your car seat. Seat heat pads are accessories that heat the seat’s bottom. You usually install a heat pad on the seat and pull the seat cover over it. Seat heat pads offer a budget-friendly alternative to full-sized heated seats.
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Put Seat Covers on the Car Seats
Car seats usually have seat covers to keep them clean and dry. Some covers are made of materials that can capture and trap heat, keeping the cover warm even when it’s cold. Fleece and sheepskin seat covers are highly recommended if you live and drive in states with cold seasons.
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- Weathertech SPB 002 CBR Seat Cover
- Covercraft GTD1371ABCABN Carhartt PrecisionFit Series Front Row Seat Cover
- Dorman 926-844 OE Solutions Series Front Row Seat Cover
Other seat covers have heating elements that work like the ones in heated seats and heated seat pads. Heated seat covers plug into the appropriate port for power. They won’t generate as much heat as the car heater or the bigger heating devices, but they can keep you comfortably warm in most situations.
Get a Steering Wheel Cover
The steering wheel can get quite cold because of its metal components. When you grip the wheel with your bare hands, the cold will permeate your skin, leading to you eventually getting cold as well.
You can help keep the steering wheel from getting too cold by putting a steering wheel cover on it. The accessory acts as insulation for the steering wheel, reducing the heat lost. Furthermore, the steering wheel cover prevents direct contact between your hands and the steering wheel, protecting you from any cold transmitted through the control part.
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- Dash Designs 3401BK Comfort Grip Contourz Pro Grip Steering Wheel Cover
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- Plasticolor 006733R01 Elite Series Steering Wheel Cover
Keep Hot Drinks in the Cup Holders
You can also opt to warm yourself. One of the best ways to do so is to drink something hot, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Not only does a hot drink raise your body temperature, it also provides nourishment and rehydrates you.
Get a vacuum-sealed cup, mug, or tumbler that can keep its contents hot or cold for hours. If you want the option to heat your beverage during extended trips, you can try a heated mug. Heated mugs have a built-in heating element that keeps beverages warm. They plug into a charging port for power, so make sure the heated mug that you pick has a plug that can use your vehicle’s existing ports.
You’ll need cup holders that can handle heated and vacuum-sealed travel mugs. If the current cup holders are too small or located in inconvenient places that are difficult to reach, you might need new ones.
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- APA/URO Parts 51-45-7-070-324 Cup Holder
- Dorman SET-RB41000 Cup Holder
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- GenuineXL 51-45-9-173-469 BMW Cup Holder in Dashboard
There’s one major drawback to driving with a disabled heater during cold weather. Frost will appear on the window glass if the vehicle’s interior goes unheated. It can get difficult to see outside the car if ice covers the windshield and other window glass.
Normally, the car defroster prevents frost formation on the windshield. However, most defrosters draw heat from the heater. If you drive with the heater off, the defroster won’t work. Wire-based defrosters will work, but they’re usually on the rear windshield only.
A big problem when driving with a disabled heater during cold weather is that your windshield will start fogging up.
–Anthony Harlin, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
With a little investment and thought, staying warm in your car without running the heater is possible and even practical. You can save on fuel costs without sacrificing your comfort during cold days.
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Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.
