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Rope-Pusher wrote:Got 'em in our 2008 PT Cruiser. I think it was the first year non-leather heated seats became available on PT. Wish I cudda got heated mirrors too, but they weren't available on any level.

The aftermarket almost certainly has heated mirrors for you.

theholycow wrote:

Rope-Pusher wrote:Got 'em in our 2008 PT Cruiser. I think it was the first year non-leather heated seats became available on PT. Wish I cudda got heated mirrors too, but they weren't available on any level.

The aftermarket almost certainly has heated mirrors for you.

No, I didn't wanta bastardize it, I wanted to buy it with OEM heated mirrors already installed, that turn on whenever HVAC Windshield defrost mode is chosen or rear defroster is activated. Anything less and the better half would have had issues with it, since it is her daily driver.

Rope-Pusher wrote:Anything less and the better half would have had issues with it, since it is her daily driver.

...that also explains the PT Cruiser. It didn't sound like something you'd choose for your own.

theholycow wrote:

Rope-Pusher wrote:Anything less and the better half would have had issues with it, since it is her daily driver.

...that also explains the PT Cruiser. It didn't sound like something you'd choose for your own.

The aftermarket almost certainly has heated mirrors for you.

If you emphasize the YOU in your post, it rings more true.
Some drivers are more discriminating (Read as "Fussy") than others.

PT has been a good vehicle for her - great outward visibility, ~1/2 the cargo capacity of a minivan (Rear seats, fold, flop and remove as necessary), and the only significant repair has been the radiator fan lost high fan speed (No oveheating, but AC was going overpressure and making the idle lumpy).

For me, it woulda hadta beena Amish transmission PT at the least, but really I got my Liberty at the same time, for a similar cost, and it tows significant loads, so that was my preference.

I just cant deal with PTs. So unpleasant. And the glues used in the interior smell awful on a hot day.

watkins wrote:I just cant deal with PTs. So unpleasant. And the glues used in the interior smell awful on a hot day.

New Mitsubishis smell like crayons on a hot day.

4onthefloor wrote:

watkins wrote:I just cant deal with PTs. So unpleasant. And the glues used in the interior smell awful on a hot day.

New Mitsubishis smell like crayons on a hot day.

The first car I drove was a 1990 Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon. It smelled like pancakes/waffles with syrup. I have no idea why. I don't believe that meal was ever consumed in that car and no air fresheners were used.

Better than a crayon, I suppose.

Rope-Pusher wrote:"Up Nort" packages would be available on every car as an independent option.

That isn't all that far off. A lot of manufacturers offer a "winter comfort" package or "winter convenience" package that comes with heated seats, mirrors, wipers etc.

4onthefloor wrote:

Rope-Pusher wrote:"Up Nort" packages would be available on every car as an independent option.

That isn't all that far off. A lot of manufacturers offer a "winter comfort" package or "winter convenience" package that comes with heated seats, mirrors, wipers etc.

I'd like to see heated washer fluid, heated seats, heated mirrors, heated steering wheel, maybe even heated windshield, right where the wipers park, like Chrysler used to do on Minivans,.....and I guess a bigger battery and alternator might be in order as well.

Rope-Pusher wrote:I'd like to see heated washer fluid, heated seats, heated mirrors, heated steering wheel, maybe even heated windshield, right where the wipers park, like Chrysler used to do on Minivans,.....and I guess a bigger battery and alternator might be in order as well.

Heated washer fluid is a recipe for windshield thermal stress cracks. It's also a recipe for fires.
http://www.autonews.com/article/2010061 ... l-smolders
I bought but never installed a simple aftermarket system that grabs some heat from the upper radiator hose and puts it into the washer fluid. I imagine a 12v-adapted fish tank heater in the washer fluid tank would do the job too (perhaps it exists for RVs).

I'd love heated wiper park position (I think I've seen it outside of those Chrysler minivans too) and heated steering wheel. Actually, if the wipers could park such that they are raised away from touching the windshield, that would probably work to prevent freezing. I'm always interested in bigger batteries and alternators.

Hmm...maybe I should do some of this stuff. I could probably make my own heated wiper park position using a DIY rear window defroster kit.

theholycow wrote:

Rope-Pusher wrote:I'd like to see heated washer fluid, heated seats, heated mirrors, heated steering wheel, maybe even heated windshield, right where the wipers park, like Chrysler used to do on Minivans,.....and I guess a bigger battery and alternator might be in order as well.

Heated washer fluid is a recipe for windshield thermal stress cracks. It's also a recipe for fires.
http://www.autonews.com/article/2010061 ... l-smolders
I bought but never installed a simple aftermarket system that grabs some heat from the upper radiator hose and puts it into the washer fluid. I imagine a 12v-adapted fish tank heater in the washer fluid tank would do the job too (perhaps it exists for RVs).

I'd love heated wiper park position (I think I've seen it outside of those Chrysler minivans too) and heated steering wheel. Actually, if the wipers could park such that they are raised away from touching the windshield, that would probably work to prevent freezing. I'm always interested in bigger batteries and alternators.

Hmm...maybe I should do some of this stuff. I could probably make my own heated wiper park position using a DIY rear window defroster kit.

Chrysler kinda had to do something when their "Cab Forward" styling moved the base of the windshield so far forward that they couldn't get the defroster to warm the glass under the wipers. It worked great - like life giving you lemons and you make some lemonade.

Why hasn't front heated windows caught on like rear heated windows for cars? It seems like even just putting one band around the outside to turn on to prevent ice/snow buildup would be a simple thing and useful in any place that gets ice/snow. I know I would like it on the mornings where we've had rain, it has frozen, and my windshield is a solid sheet of ice. I almost have to use my scraper as an ice pick to get started scraping the window.

You mean electrical resistance lines on rear windows? That kind of obstruction to sight is not welcome elsewhere. That's not to say that modern technology couldn't make a clear electrothermal film to integrate with the glass or apply to it, but there's no reason to bother when the HVAC system can easily direct warm air at the windshield and front side windows. Most vehicles don't pipe HVAC beyond the rearmost reaches of the front seats (which is where vents for the backseat are), which is why we have electric heating of rear windows instead.

theholycow wrote:You mean electrical resistance lines on rear windows? That kind of obstruction to sight is not welcome elsewhere. That's not to say that modern technology couldn't make a clear electrothermal film to integrate with the glass or apply to it, but there's no reason to bother when the HVAC system can easily direct warm air at the windshield and front side windows. Most vehicles don't pipe HVAC beyond the rearmost reaches of the front seats (which is where vents for the backseat are), which is why we have electric heating of rear windows instead.

I wasn't meaning the electrical resistance lines over the whole window, just a border near the edge of the window. I guess it would be a duplicate system to HVAC helping defrost them, but for cold climates could still quickly help clean off front windows.

theholycow wrote:

Rope-Pusher wrote: I'd love heated wiper park position (I think I've seen it outside of those Chrysler minivans too) and heated steering wheel.

Newer Subarus have heating elements on the windshield where the wipers rest.

Heated steering wheels are nice, but the ones I've encountered don't seem to be uniformly heated and the parts of the wheel that do get hot, get really hot.