@missileman, you are a lawyer! A lawyer never asks a question unless he already knows the answer. ; )
So what is the answer you were looking for?
You don’t need A/C to defrost your windows but you do need heat. Without it, it is very hazardous to be driving even in ski clothes.
Here a winter police check includes proof that your defroster works to clear the windshield.
No…not a lawyer but I do know the answer since I drove many vehicles without AC in my youth. They all cleared the windshields without any problem.
I never owned a vehicle with A/C until I was in my 30s.
Like missleman and others, I too drove many miles without A/C and was able to clear the windshields without any problem.
So just get the heat fixed. That’s important.
might just be the blower relay?
what is AC?
my truck hasn t had heat for years
the heater made it almost impossible to get that last spark plug out, so I yanked it.
the blower relay was out anyway…
I ran a rubber hose up on my dash for a couple of years but that didn t really help
my son got me a 12v heater from big rig, it worked great, but eventually burnt out my voltage regulator, so I took it out
if I come across a section of hot water base board pipe, copper with aluminium fins, I might try that , but I don t really want to put hot water back up on my dash again, that s just stupid.
Air conditioning is a relatively new option on cars. We drove cars for many years in winter with only a heater and defroster and did quite well. Warm air holds more moisture than cold air so as you warm up the surface the moisture will be held in the air instead of condensing on the cold surface. Its just a law of physics. That’s why your tires lose pressure in the winter and why its easier for a plane to take off in the cold air which is denser. I think I got that right.
sounds good to me bing, but I drive around with no heat at all, so…
I need a heater.
i have a mechanical voltage regulator put away for nuclear emergencies, i wonder if it would better handle the 12v heater i had to take out
the old voltage reg was prob 30 yrs old tho, maybe my new electronic one would handle it ok.
i ll probably just freeze tho, or leave the truck in the yard til spring
@Bing
… easier for a plane to take off in the cold air which is denser. I think I got that right.
You got that right. When I was piloting airplanes in the winter time on a cold, clear day (dry air = more dense, too), I was always surprised by the increased performance. The engine had more power and the wings had more lift. It was like installing a turbo!
Any pilot knows that if one factors in temperature (summer/winter) and humidity differences and runway altitude, the difference can be as much as 3x factor in take-off roll distance.
Passengers, baggage, and fuel loads must be adjusted, accordingly.
CSA
Not much ice or frost between LA and FLA unless you pick a bad time to make the trip…Pick a sweet spot and it’s smooth sailing…
That poor coyote @“common sense answer” !!!
That was my dads favorite show. Every Saturday morning…even if we were pulling an engine… we’d have to stop so we could go watch Wile E Coyote get out smarted by that Roadrunner.
I can still see him laughing at it now. I’m sure where he’s at it’s non stop cartoons day and night.
As far as having AC to defrost the windows. You don’t need the AC, but the fan needs to be in working condition.
Yosemite
Even without a fan,m there will be some exchange of air within the vehicle due to speed. Try running your own heater without turning the fan on. I’ve had to do it may times in cars with no blower. I would not suggest that the OP should start across the country without a working blower
IF you make this trip without the blower, remove the cabin air filter to minimize resistance to air flow. Set on “outside air” and crack a window to increase “ram air” flow into the car. Stay on I-10.
In Mexico, the Old Beetles have no heating system, no fan. When my nephew drove us to swimming near the volcano near Orizaba, the only warm place was the water from the hot spring which was fed into the swimming pool.
Driving back out of there it was very foggy. Solution? He handed me an old towel and as he drove, I wiped the inside of the windshield. We made it, no problems.
Um, pick up a Mexican illegal and hand him a towel. Just kidding, I think.
The OP has not returned since his initial post. I am guessing he is on his trip, either with his car or by bus.
yep, gotta have a towel. a cotton towel, polyester just won t work well enough.
newspaper will do in a pinch.