This is my first winter with my '01 SCrew. The defroster is not doing a very good job at keeping the windshield clear of ice, as the air coming out of the defroster vents is only luke-warm. Setting the vent controls to vent or heat produces hotter air, but it must not be hot enough to compensate for the A/C compressor running on defrost.

Is it possible to wire a switch to bypass the A/C compressor coming on during the defrost?

Where should the needle in the temp gauge be pointing at normal operating temperature? The needle in my truck probably goes to 1/3 of full scale. Should I consider putting in a higher temperature thermostat, or perhaps just replacing it with a new one of stock temperature?

Thanks in advance for any help.