Do any of the dinky 12V defroster/heater things work?

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Cheezslap@reddit (OP)

Came back to say that u/Shot_Investigator735 was correct; it wasn't the worst job ever and clocked in around 12-hours, with my son doing about half the work. We labeled bags of hardware from "group" areas, like "driver's lower dash" or "center dash supports". The Tacoma ended up really straight forward, just...A LOT of shit to remove. Reminds me of the way my W123 Mercedes was put together. And in the end, we only had like 2 screws leftover!

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Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Nice! Next time it should take under half that, now that you know where everything is. First time is the worst time.

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Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Just pull the dash. It's not that bad.

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Cheezslap@reddit (OP)

The how to looks like 20+ hours, My Dude.

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Shot_Investigator735@reddit

For a first gen taco? Not unless you're really... really... really slow. I've pulled many dashes. It's really not that bad.

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Cheezslap@reddit (OP)

Yeah, a '96. You also drop the steering shaft, right? I guess it's possible the how to I looked at was made by someone with no real mechanical skill.

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Jay-Moah@reddit

I know my experience isn’t from a Tacoma but I have a Nissan pickup from 94 and can pull the dash in about an hour.

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Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Exactly. The pre tacoma pickup takes me 15-20 minutes to pull. A bit longer to get access to the heater core once the dash is out of the way.

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Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Dunno, haven't done a 1st gen taco. But none of them are as bad as you think, especially something that old from Toyota. An evaporator job for your enjoyment: https://preview.redd.it/srowblztvlpf1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=069611a9ec67ef93672960f054d1b749c34cabe0

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mikemontana1968@reddit

No, overall it wont deliver enough heat. You \*\*might\*\* get better efficiency and more warmth by powering it directly from the altenator and only turning it on once the car is running. Iffy. Or, you could do this. Where you mount it is your business (ha ha), HOW you mount it is tricky business. In my application (an EV conversion and therefore wont have any cabin heat) I will be mounting it \*in\* the trunk with ventillation addressed. The "hot air" will be blown in through a channel cut into the rear passenger wall. [https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Portable-Control-Heating-Vehicles/dp/B0FJM43J1W/ref=sr\_1\_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PqlYJQcyh1xBQ37GIiQuzMHh\_T0ZTVdoUzcizIIGZXyI-\_O4KaKnFb1NbemE3EFXNFN2YaGM3zSoF6aRVu5Gy1rsy8SyiLoX5kM-wA6DNmqF90hSLaNOJ8TZN\_BVo\_KEEGS88AcpP3Q4y\_EQyi6W-WNKJDWY3bEc0pSPReKHSH0Tu7Y0724\_AQZayVfdPd0g0cyl0iEeOosx4Z-He\_qtgRkuYv3usXV8lWXq4Wih5hw.Xj4VwpaEcHbRnunBsdcsYfuT5OPNwmWYGbXHCmH4Dao&dib\_tag=se&keywords=chinese%2Bdiesel%2Bheater&qid=1758218223&sr=8-6&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Portable-Control-Heating-Vehicles/dp/B0FJM43J1W/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PqlYJQcyh1xBQ37GIiQuzMHh_T0ZTVdoUzcizIIGZXyI-_O4KaKnFb1NbemE3EFXNFN2YaGM3zSoF6aRVu5Gy1rsy8SyiLoX5kM-wA6DNmqF90hSLaNOJ8TZN_BVo_KEEGS88AcpP3Q4y_EQyi6W-WNKJDWY3bEc0pSPReKHSH0Tu7Y0724_AQZayVfdPd0g0cyl0iEeOosx4Z-He_qtgRkuYv3usXV8lWXq4Wih5hw.Xj4VwpaEcHbRnunBsdcsYfuT5OPNwmWYGbXHCmH4Dao&dib_tag=se&keywords=chinese%2Bdiesel%2Bheater&qid=1758218223&sr=8-6&th=1)

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716econoline@reddit

A 1500w inverter won't even run a small space heater in the back of our work van .

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BadBadBenBernanke@reddit

They might keep the some of the windshield from misting up but they can’t do any heavy lifting. If you live somewhere that just has rain and light frost for winter, you might squeeze by with one. If you live somewhere with real winter, just pull the dash.

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qkdsm7@reddit

Straight electric power, from 12V? Realistically <200w output is just enough to prevent frostbite if it's blowing directly on your fingers and toes. Aux 12v powered blower, with a standalone heater core that is feed engine coolant? Now you're getting somewhere...

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MetaphysicalEngineer@reddit

The 12V socket might give you 150W. 1W is 3.41 BTU, so there's 511 BTU. Direct to battery with alternator at absolute max output might give you 1500W, or 5100BTU, but that would involve huge cables and a custom heater rig or something silly with an inverter and space heater or a hair dryer pointed at the windshield. This could burn out the alternator in short order. Compare the heater core, which might be 20,000 BTU or more. Engines make a massive amount of waste heat so it's a no brainer using some of that for the cabin. For keeping the kid warm, a heated seat cover would be a better use of that limited power. For defrost, there's not enough. For the curious, EVs use the several hundred volt main battery for heater power, which removed the power limitation of the 12V system. Many newer ones use the AC in reverse as a heat pump as well, which is much more efficient.

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V3X8TE@reddit

I have seen cheap ac conversion kits that have a heater core in them. I haven’t pulled the trigger but they look promising

Do any of the dinky 12V defroster/heater things work?

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16 Comments

Cheezslap@reddit (OP)

Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Cheezslap@reddit (OP)

Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Cheezslap@reddit (OP)

Jay-Moah@reddit

Shot_Investigator735@reddit

Shot_Investigator735@reddit

mikemontana1968@reddit

716econoline@reddit

BadBadBenBernanke@reddit

qkdsm7@reddit

MetaphysicalEngineer@reddit

V3X8TE@reddit

RobbMeeX@reddit