aaddpp

I have a nearly mint dash in my car -- except for a very small crack near the upper corner of the glove box. A while back I read a thread about a 928 owner who's dash cracked over night during a cold spell in a normally warm climate. Since we're moving into the cold weather months here is the Northeast I am worried about the small crack growing since the car lives in an unheated garage. Short of adding a heater to the garage, are there any after market options to keep the dash or interior of the car warm during the freezing months?

Thanks,
Dave

Mark SF

The first thing to do is drill a hole, about 2-3mm, at the end of the crack. This will stop it propagating any further.

aaddpp

I think that would be about a 3 Hr job for me....15 seconds to drill the hole, and balance spent trying to convince myself to actually do it.

But, in the end, a small enough hole + some filler might be the better of the two options.... would still like to look at some climate control options...at least for the cosmetic parts of the car...

Marine Blue

The pod on my 87 S4 cracked when the car was in winter storage, that really bummed me out.

I would also be interested in learning others ideas on keeping the pod and dash crack free during the colder months.

aaddpp

Was it below freezing where the car was stored?

Here is what I have been thinking....

The first place I looked was at those car bubbles...I though it would be perfect if they had a warming unit option on the circulation fan connected to a thermostat.

I also though about something along the lines of a hair-dryer (or similar) connected to a 110V thermostat in the cabin - this frankly scares me b/c of the potential fire hazard since hair dryers (especially) were not built for this.

Another thought was to run a heater hose from an HVAC duct to the car via the sunroof and throw an insulating blanket over the car. Seems crude and offers little control.

Last was an electric blanket laid on the dash - again dangerous b/c of the potential for fire.

3rd party storage is not practical since it would run between $125 and $175 / month and I would not have easy access to the car. Plus at those prices, it would just be easier to put a heater in the garage....but they seem to have their own set of issues - venting, clearance, etc.

Dave

Marine Blue

The car was in an attached garage and temperatures were probably hovering near freezing for a few of the days.

A heated car bubble would be very cool and something worth considering.

jthwan22

My garage is insulated so it never goes below freezing. The car bubble is not heated. Only heat you get is from the electric fan.

928mac

have you seen these

http://answers.canadiantire.ca/answe.../questions.htm

install the heater and wire open your heater control valve. your heater core will keep the inside of the car warm

Mark SF

Would have thought that just 60 or 100W would keep the interior warm - which is a light bulb. Put a suitable desklamp or something in there. Be careful nothing is touching the bulb and so on.

Imo000

These are not designed to be on all winter. They are mainly for diesel engines. to be turned on a couple hours before the morning and that's about it. They are popular in the TDI crowd.

aaddpp

Not a bad idea. There are some issues with possible fire if the lamp fell over or contacted something, but its certainly the simplest (and cheapest) approach I have heard of yet. Add a 110V thermostat to the mix, and you have some control over the temp as well. Worth some consideration for sure - Thanks.

tailpipe

just hang a trouble light with a 60 watt bulb from the mirror and your done

Marine Blue

Has anyone used the light bulb method?

depami

That's very funny! Was the pun intended?

I once toasted the plumbing on a jet pump well with a light bulb. But, I did use a heat lamp when a 40 to 60 watt would have been fine.

928 at last

In Central/Northern Ontario for people who keep their cottage water pump rooms insulated and heated during the winter months. Drain back the plumbing, and the pump room has a long-life 100w bulb installed to keep everythimg above 32F. (Small Rooms) and, some people I 've known have developed back-ups in case the bulb blew.

Anyway, it works.

My dash has cracked already, so it's not a concern for me here. I just cycle it up to operating temps once a month and cycle the A/C and all's been well so far.