Winter temperatures can be brutal on their own, but there’s nothing worse than getting ready for a drive and realizing your car heater is not working. Of course, the ideal solution would be to get your car heater fixed ASAP, but schedules and finances can sometimes make that tough. Fortunately, there are a few other budget-friendly ways to keep warm until you can take your vehicle in for heater repair.
1. Park in the garage.
It may be uncomfortably cold outside, but chances are good that temperatures will be at least a few degrees warmer inside a garage. Park in a garage or covered space to shield your car from the winter elements that can make interior temperatures drop.
2. Cover the windshield.
Until you can head to the shop for car heater repair, you won’t have help from your defroster when scraping ice and snow off the windshield. If parking in a covered location isn’t possible, you can still save yourself from scraping ice or snow off your windshield in miserable temperatures.
Buy a windshield cover at a big box retailer or online for less than $15 (like this one from Walmart), then use it to protect the front windshield of your car. All you’ll need to do is shake off anything that accumulates on top of the cover and you’ll be on your way—no scraping or shivering required.
And if your windshield wipers get frozen in place? Try these quick fixes for frozen wiper blades.
3. Stock up on hand warming packets.
Purchase chemical hand warming packets in bulk and keep several in your car. These small warming packets are the perfect size to slip into a glove or pants pocket to create heat close to your body (and keep your hands comfortably warm as you drive). The warmers won’t activate until you open the individual packaging—meaning they can stay in your car all the time and will still work just fine when you need them.
4. Buy a heater or seat cover that plugs into your car.
Your car heater may not be working, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck. A small 12V heater or a heated seat cover that plugs into your car’s interior power socket can deliver some much-needed coziness while you drive. Amazon carries heated seat covers for about $20—a small price to pay for the benefit of full body warmth!
5. Keep blankets in the back seat.
Don’t forget about ways to keep your passengers warm, too! Stash a few thick blankets in the back seat so everyone can be cozy.
6. Take along a warm beverage.
There’s no better way to combat winter chill than a steaming cup of coffee or cocoa. Crank up the coffee pot before you hit the road and warm up from the inside out.
Even with a few temporary solutions for keeping warm, a broken car heater can still make for a miserable drive. When quick fixes don’t quite cut it, head to your local Firestone Complete Auto Care for top-notch car heater repair. Have your heat fixed the right way—the first time—at your nearest location today.
Firestone Complete Auto Care does not endorse and is not affiliated with any of the other companies, products or apps listed in this article. Any references to third party products are subject to change without notice. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
