My teenage son inherited a 1990 Dodge Dynasty which we don’t expect to last too long. The heater/defroster blower has stopped working. Does anyone have any experience with the “instant defroster” devices that mount on the dashboard and plug into the cigarette lighter? Do they work? do they damage the battery? Is this a solution for a car that we hope to keep on the road at least through the winter? By the way, we’re in the North East, so we need do use the defroster for half the year! Thanks for any advice
Why not just repair the blower? Worst case scenario is a new blower motor. This is not a mega-buck repair.
Fix it! The crazy add-on devices you are contemplating are not worth their cost, and will do more harm than good.
Check for 12V between the switch and the resistor block. If there is power getting that far, it’s likely the resistor block needs replacing.
You can also try using a jumper and bypass the resistor block to make sure the fan motor is still good.
None of the parts are expensive. If you can see the heater blower motor, you can change it. The resistor block, when you find it, doesn’t cost much either. When the newer motor in my impala stopped working it was because the resistor connections were corroded. I removed the connector and wire brushed the spade terminals.
Thanks everyone for the advice. My mechanic was sure it wasn’t the blower motor, but since the transmission expired on Thursday, the answer no longer matters. He’ll be spending his repair money on a bus pass instead!