Staying Toasty

The cable is tucked away out of sight, and it's removable (velcro).

One of the issues that came with my MX5 was a non-functioning heater.

The previous owner explained that the condenser had developed a leak and fixing it would involve removing the dashboard. The cheapest quote was over $1000, so he decided he could do without the heater, and the hoses were looped to take it out of the cooling system.

In sunny Brisbane, where the car originated, the lack of a heater was not a problem, but it does occasionally get pretty chilly in Toowoomba. Also, I am inclined to head out for a recreational fang early in the morning when the frost is on the ground.

A solution lay in the purchase and installation of a cabin heater (see pic).

I decided to plumb it into the circuit for the rear window demister, which would remove the necessity to plug it into the cigarette lighter socket, already in use with the dashcam.

My friendly auto sparkie installed the plug for not much money, but I still think he’s a bit confused by the whole deal.

The plug.

It works a treat, although does make a soft whirring sound which annoys my bride somewhat.

In any case, it warms the cabin in a minute (literally) so the noise doesn’t last long.

You also don’t have to wait for the engine to warm up. The heater cost $30.