Heat options - seat, steering wheel, failed PTC heater

[Livemeyer]

I have a 2011 Leaf I bought new in May 2011. Just three weeks ago the PTC heater failed (damn Nissan dealer charged $215 to "service" it but then told me Nissan no longer makes the part and couldn't fix it). I know I could just buy another PTC heater from a used Leaf, but how long until that one fails?

So, I'm looking at other options, like wiring a small PTC heater to the cig lighter or fuse block. Another idea came to me, that I could possibly swap my standard steering wheel for one with heat. I would need to buy the steering wheel and the dash switch, but I wondered if the wiring already exists. If it does it would be significantly easier to make this upgrade, just remove old wheel, install new, install switch and place proper fuse in the fuse box. Would love to know if anyone has done this.

In the same line of thinking, I could also either replace my original seats with heated seats or install heaters into the current seats. If all the wiring is there, I could get switches at the dash and a fuse for the fuse block and be done. All ideas are welcome.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

First suggestion; Location. w/o that, its really impossible to suggest viable options to you.

In my case, I would go with seat heater which is a simple add on and heated steering wheel wrap. That would work 90% of the time. I would also have an electric blanket and small 12 VDC heater for those colder days which will happen a dozen times a year or so.

But some areas will have those colder days for as much as SEVERAL weeks in a row.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I tested a setup that consisted of 2 200 watt personal ceramic heaters, an inverter, and a storage battery. You wouldn't need the extra battery, although I'd strongly suggest that you get a new, higher capacity AGM 12 volt battery as your 12 volt battery. You'd probably need to wire the inverter directly to the battery (with a fuse). If you search "heater in a box" here, you can see more details.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I tested a setup that consisted of 2 200 watt personal ceramic heaters, an inverter, and a storage battery. You wouldn't need the extra battery, although I'd strongly suggest that you get a new, higher capacity AGM 12 volt battery as your 12 volt battery. You'd probably need to wire the inverter directly to the battery (with a fuse). If you search "heater in a box" here, you can see more details.

A storage battery in the car? I have considered the idea of a direct wire to the current battery for additional power but realized it wasn't needed that much. TBH, the electric blanket (wattage 65) was quite a bit more effective than I thought it would be overheating me at times. I would be cold, put it on, then have to take it off 20 mins later.

Nowadays, I have it but for passengers if they need it. My range needs are so small, I just use a bit of regular heat with the seats and steering wheel.

 

[alozzy]

Looks like you live near Seattle, in which case most winter days are relatively mild. You could add a diesel powered heater to the trunk, which is discussed here:

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=26390&start=30

Obviously, you would want to be super careful about venting the exhaust properly and it would be a good idea to install a carbon monoxide alarm to your LEAF's interior somewhere, if you choose to go that route.

You can also buy 12V electric heaters, like those LeftieBiker mentioned already. Some people have even replaced the PTC under the dash with a 12V heater, so they can use the existing ventilation system, but that's a ton of work.

 

[Livemeyer]

First suggestion; Location. w/o that, its really impossible to suggest viable options to you.

In my case, I would go with seat heater which is a simple add on and heated steering wheel wrap. That would work 90% of the time. I would also have an electric blanket and small 12 VDC heater for those colder days which will happen a dozen times a year or so.

But some areas will have those colder days for as much as SEVERAL weeks in a row.

Dave, I have also been talking about this on the SEVA thread. I'm in Lynnwood, WA. You have some valid points, but as you know with our rainy season it's not about comfort in winter, it's about safely defrosting the windows so I need heated air.

As much as a heated blanket will help keep occupants toasty, don't they pull AC, and a lot of watts at that?

The seat heater add-on is most likely what I will do, but I think it could also be worth the effort to upgrade the steering wheel if it is a viable option. It looks like I can obtain one off ebay for $100-150 bucks.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Livemeyer]

I tested a setup that consisted of 2 200 watt personal ceramic heaters, an inverter, and a storage battery. You wouldn't need the extra battery, although I'd strongly suggest that you get a new, higher capacity AGM 12 volt battery as your 12 volt battery. You'd probably need to wire the inverter directly to the battery (with a fuse). If you search "heater in a box" here, you can see more details.

I do have a small, inexpensive inverter I was keeping in another car. It's the cigarette tap kind, and I figured if I got any heater at 110v worth its salt it would pull too much for that little guy. I could look into a more substantial one that could maybe live in the engine compartment but I wonder about if I could make it come on automatically when the car is on and go off when the car shuts down.

I'm looking into something I saw online which was some small PTC elements that I've seen mounted to the dash. Just a little heat at the base of the windshield and with the fan blowing it would likely be sufficient.

And yet, the objective of this post wasn't totally about finding ways to get cabin heat; it's more about seeing if I can make factory upgrades to the car without much effort. I'd much prefer a clean look with a heated steering wheel over some steering wheel wrap with clunky wires coming from it. If the seat heaters are simple with factory wiring already in the car, I don't mind spending a few hundred for a seat from a wrecking yard that already has the heating pad in it.

FYI, I did replace my battery about a month ago, just before the heater went out, and had suspicions as to if losing power or changing the battery in any way caused my PTC heater to fail. So, at least going into this situation I at least have a new battery, even if it isn't an AGM. If these mods end up killing the battery sooner, so be it, I will replace with a high quality AGM one at that time.

 

[Livemeyer]

Looks like you live near Seattle, in which case most winter days are relatively mild. You could add a diesel powered heater to the trunk, which is discussed here:

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=26390&start=30

Obviously, you would want to be super careful about venting the exhaust properly and it would be a good idea to install a carbon monoxide alarm to your LEAF's interior somewhere, if you choose to go that route.

You can also buy 12V electric heaters, like those LeftieBiker mentioned already. Some people have even replaced the PTC under the dash with a 12V heater, so they can use the existing ventilation system, but that's a ton of work.

Thanks, I have seen this option and even watched some videos on it. I'm not a fan of putting the diesel heater in the trunk, it adds complexity and takes away space. Another option I am considering is placing the diesel heater below the 12v battery in the engine compartment. I've been talking to a guy who has done just this. This would heat the coolant which would make the HVAC system inside the car work almost normally. I think I'll avoid doing anything too crazy like removing the entire system under the dash. If I go that extreme I'd prefer to just replace the original PTC heater under the 12v battery even if it is likely to either not fix the issue or fail soon after. I might even look into removing the PTC heater and seeing if I can fix it by resoldering the broken solder points. That's assuming the stupid impossible fuse isn't the real culprit.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Alozzy, I used 120 volt, 200 watt personal heaters with an inverter, not 12 volt heaters, which are universally panned as being worthless. I mounted the two heaters at the lower front of the driver's seat, on the frame, IIRC. I could then run one or both of them. They were able to create a bubble of warmth around the driver's legs and feet, and since the HVAC pulls air from that area when on Recirculate, they also provided tepid defrost air.

Dave, the reason for the storage battery was that the car was leased.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

First suggestion; Location. w/o that, its really impossible to suggest viable options to you.

In my case, I would go with seat heater which is a simple add on and heated steering wheel wrap. That would work 90% of the time. I would also have an electric blanket and small 12 VDC heater for those colder days which will happen a dozen times a year or so.

But some areas will have those colder days for as much as SEVERAL weeks in a row.

Dave, I have also been talking about this on the SEVA thread. I'm in Lynnwood, WA. You have some valid points, but as you know with our rainy season it's not about comfort in winter, it's about safely defrosting the windows so I need heated air.

As much as a heated blanket will help keep occupants toasty, don't they pull AC, and a lot of watts at that?

The seat heater add-on is most likely what I will do, but I think it could also be worth the effort to upgrade the steering wheel if it is a viable option. It looks like I can obtain one off ebay for $100-150 bucks.

Thanks for the ideas.

My blanket is 65 watts DC. To keep windows clear you need A/C which is a different system and guessing it still works. I understand the wanting it all being "out of sight" but now have to question the desire to put any real money into an 11 year old car? This is a 2011, right?

Don't see an easy way to do this because we will have a dozen days when defrost for ice will be needed. I have 3 rechargeable desiccants in my car and...well, not sure how effective they are (been using them since "my" 2011 days) but I also park in the garage so moisture level inside the car is probably minimal compared to most around here but is supposed to help with fogging.

Now I remember seeing someone who had two small 12 volt heaters mounted to the dash who said they worked "well enough" for defrost purposes and they were low profile types so didn't really block the view. Under two inches tall, maybe 6-7" long? They don't put out anywhere near enough air to keep you warm but in concert with A/C only defrost, it was effective I guess. This was several years ago so don't remember any of the details but he did a really good job of routing wires so hardly noticeable.

 

[alozzy]

To keep yourself warm, a 12V heated motorcycle jacket liner would work well.

 

[Livemeyer]

First suggestion; Location. w/o that, its really impossible to suggest viable options to you.

In my case, I would go with seat heater which is a simple add on and heated steering wheel wrap. That would work 90% of the time. I would also have an electric blanket and small 12 VDC heater for those colder days which will happen a dozen times a year or so.

But some areas will have those colder days for as much as SEVERAL weeks in a row.

Dave, I have also been talking about this on the SEVA thread. I'm in Lynnwood, WA. You have some valid points, but as you know with our rainy season it's not about comfort in winter, it's about safely defrosting the windows so I need heated air.

As much as a heated blanket will help keep occupants toasty, don't they pull AC, and a lot of watts at that?

The seat heater add-on is most likely what I will do, but I think it could also be worth the effort to upgrade the steering wheel if it is a viable option. It looks like I can obtain one off ebay for $100-150 bucks.

Thanks for the ideas.

My blanket is 65 watts DC. To keep windows clear you need A/C which is a different system and guessing it still works. I understand the wanting it all being "out of sight" but now have to question the desire to put any real money into an 11 year old car? This is a 2011, right?

Don't see an easy way to do this because we will have a dozen days when defrost for ice will be needed. I have 3 rechargeable desiccants in my car and...well, not sure how effective they are (been using them since "my" 2011 days) but I also park in the garage so moisture level inside the car is probably minimal compared to most around here but is supposed to help with fogging.

Now I remember seeing someone who had two small 12 volt heaters mounted to the dash who said they worked "well enough" for defrost purposes and they were low profile types so didn't really block the view. Under two inches tall, maybe 6-7" long? They don't put out anywhere near enough air to keep you warm but in concert with A/C only defrost, it was effective I guess. This was several years ago so don't remember any of the details but he did a really good job of routing wires so hardly noticeable.

OK, I didn't realize the blanket was DC and only 65 watts. I think I will pass on this as I have committed to some other ideas. I did buy two small ptc heaters that are 12v 200 watt that I plan to mount to the dash over the defrost vents, and good point about running AC, if I can run AC and fan on low I should be able to defrost windows. Unfortunately I can't park my car inside. I also bought a cheap Chinese made heater/fan that is rated to run at 200w and pulls off the cigarette lighter. It is pointed at the windshield and should provide a small amount of heat and defrost.

For passengers I have ordered the Dormann seat heaters and will follow the instructions to wire those up. I may also buy an OEM heated steering wheel from eBay and install it. I'm betting that the wiring is there so all I need to do is obtain the wheel and the switch.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Dave, I have also been talking about this on the SEVA thread. I'm in Lynnwood, WA. You have some valid points, but as you know with our rainy season it's not about comfort in winter, it's about safely defrosting the windows so I need heated air.

As much as a heated blanket will help keep occupants toasty, don't they pull AC, and a lot of watts at that?

The seat heater add-on is most likely what I will do, but I think it could also be worth the effort to upgrade the steering wheel if it is a viable option. It looks like I can obtain one off ebay for $100-150 bucks.

Thanks for the ideas.

My blanket is 65 watts DC. To keep windows clear you need A/C which is a different system and guessing it still works. I understand the wanting it all being "out of sight" but now have to question the desire to put any real money into an 11 year old car? This is a 2011, right?

Don't see an easy way to do this because we will have a dozen days when defrost for ice will be needed. I have 3 rechargeable desiccants in my car and...well, not sure how effective they are (been using them since "my" 2011 days) but I also park in the garage so moisture level inside the car is probably minimal compared to most around here but is supposed to help with fogging.

Now I remember seeing someone who had two small 12 volt heaters mounted to the dash who said they worked "well enough" for defrost purposes and they were low profile types so didn't really block the view. Under two inches tall, maybe 6-7" long? They don't put out anywhere near enough air to keep you warm but in concert with A/C only defrost, it was effective I guess. This was several years ago so don't remember any of the details but he did a really good job of routing wires so hardly noticeable.

OK, I didn't realize the blanket was DC and only 65 watts. I think I will pass on this as I have committed to some other ideas. I did buy two small ptc heaters that are 12v 200 watt that I plan to mount to the dash over the defrost vents, and good point about running AC, if I can run AC and fan on low I should be able to defrost windows. Unfortunately I can't park my car inside. I also bought a cheap Chinese made heater/fan that is rated to run at 200w and pulls off the cigarette lighter. It is pointed at the windshield and should provide a small amount of heat and defrost.

For passengers I have ordered the Dormann seat heaters and will follow the instructions to wire those up. I may also buy an OEM heated steering wheel from eBay and install it. I'm betting that the wiring is there so all I need to do is obtain the wheel and the switch.

Post back with updates on how they work. I will say that A/C only (an option I don't think you have) on defrost is effective with reducing fog on the glass and we have a lot of days I can get away with that due to lots of rain and mid 50's temps and still be comfortable.

 

[GerryAZ]

I am fairly sure the early 2011's (like mine and yours) did not have the wiring for the steering wheel and seat heaters which came later. I used my heated motorcycle jacket and gloves in the 2011 LEAF to minimize range loss from use of the cabin heater. Don't try to draw more than 120 watts continuous from the cigar lighter socket.

I had the heat/defrost fail on an office vehicle while on a trip and could not get to a dealer. A storm front with temperatures of 5F to 25F and heavy snow was moving through northern Arizona so I bought one of those heater/fan units to place on the dash. It worked OK to keep the windshield from fogging/icing for a while until the unit and lighter socket both failed (hence my reason for suggesting maximum of 120 watts when using a lighter socket and plug).