The White Stuff has Arrived...

[redlig]

Why do folk persist in using scrapers and sprays when most houses have a ready made source of " material " for clearing ice from anything ?

Tepid /warmish WATER not only clears the screen and defrosts the doors but leaves the windows clean . I've done that for 60 years and never had a cracked windscreen or damaged seal or cold fingers . Just make sure the temp of water is just warm. All my cars /vans etc have always been left outside in all weathers .

 

[bricol]

No one has a remote car starter ?
Or how about those magnetic windshield tarps ?

My mum gave me a screen cover for xmas when I was 17 . . . it's finally got too fragile to use as it simply tears - and it only just reached side to side on the Challenger - whereas on the Renault 11 it was first used on, there was a foot trapped inside the car by the door frames each side.

I suspect there are plenty of remote starting cars here - but not usually on manual shift cars - and part of the Road Traffic Act forbids leaving an engine on when to needed or unattended.

I am surprised to not have seen/heard any news stories of stolen cars yet this week, from people leaving them running to demist while they go back in the house

 

[bricol]

Why do folk persist in using scrapers and sprays when most houses have a ready made source of " material " for clearing ice from anything ?

Tepid /warmish WATER not only clears the screen and defrosts the doors but leaves the windows clean . I've done that for 60 years and never had a cracked windscreen or damaged seal or cold fingers . Just make sure the temp of water is just warm. All my cars /vans etc have always been left outside in all weathers .

Just a bit of git to walk home to get a container of water to defrost my screen in the carpark . .

But yes, I too have done it - although it's annoying when if freezes into a thinner, harder to remove layer. Which is why my Lancia has had a heated screen for 25 years.

I don't like de-icer - but I'd rather my other half uses it to get a fast solution to the problem in the dark, isolated, station car park on an evening.

 

[Morrisman]

Why do folk persist in using scrapers and sprays when most houses have a ready made source of " material " for clearing ice from anything ?

Tepid /warmish WATER not only clears the screen and defrosts the doors but leaves the windows clean . I've done that for 60 years and never had a cracked windscreen or damaged seal or cold fingers . Just make sure the temp of water is just warm. All my cars /vans etc have always been left outside in all weathers .

I’ve used cold water before, with no harm. I’ve been told it ‘can’ crack frozen glass, so I generally don’t advise others do it.

 

[redlig]

I’ve used cold water before, with no harm. I’ve been told it ‘can’ crack frozen glass, so I generally don’t advise others do it.

The problem occurs when the impatient folk try to speed up the process by using Hot water .

 

[Greeves246]

Spending many years as a rep I used to put two large plastic milk bottles full of hot water on the dash before I had breakfast. By the time I got outside the screen was free of ice.

 

[Farside]

The car moved for the first time in days, and the weekend's snow had frozen solid to the roof and windscreen.
It was a mug's game trying to remove it, so left the engine on idle, the fan on full and windscreen blower on for 20 minutes. No chance of anyone nicking it around here.*
Came down and flipped the 4" thick ice sheet off in two easy goes, drenched the wipers in aerosol de-icer fluid and lifted them after a few seconds. They seem to have survived the ordeal.
Looks as though the windscreen fluid isn't methanoly enough, ho hum. Need to thaw that out and replenish with neat mix.

* What I must try, is start the car and lock the door with a spare key.

 

[Erie Fred]

The problem occurs when the impatient folk try to speed up the process by using Hot water .

Our water comes from the ground around 50f....so the delta to 10f is pretty risky.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Mrs Robo was testing out a new scraper this morning but been a shorty couldn't reach the centre of the windscreen so I went out to help, as soon as I started she jumped in the car "to warm the engine up" while I finished scraping the rest of the windows, I think I've been had

I have long since ceased to bother scraping the truck.

I go out, turn it on, hit the "power heat" button and let the PTC heater do the rest, it's just as fast as trying to manually remove the ice or snow and much more civilised.

Still not quite as convenient as the 7 years or so that I had Mondeo's with heated windscreens... But perhaps slightly nicer as it warms me too.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

No one has a remote car starter ?
Or how about those magnetic windshield tarps ?

I have debated installing one of the petrol ("benzin") erberspacher's I have sat around (I think there's 3) into my partner's MX5 as she would definitely appreciate having it pre heated by remote control.

But in such a small vehicle it would become oppressively warm very quickly indeed.

I will definitely be adding one (if not two) to the Land-Rover when it's done.

 

[qwakers]

It's getting white in Cornwall again...

 

[addjunkie]

The car moved for the first time in days, and the weekend's snow had frozen solid to the roof and windscreen.
It was a mug's game trying to remove it, so left the engine on idle, the fan on full and windscreen blower on for 20 minutes. No chance of anyone nicking it around here.*
Came down and flipped the 4" thick ice sheet off in two easy goes, drenched the wipers in aerosol de-icer fluid and lifted them after a few seconds. They seem to have survived the ordeal.
Looks as though the windscreen fluid isn't methanoly enough, ho hum. Need to thaw that out and replenish with neat mix.

* What I must try, is start the car and lock the door with a spare key.

I too use this method, but wouldn't if I wasnt in the middle of nowhere. Another way is to put car in shed or garage, works a treat.

 

[bricol]

I've done it with the Lancia before - leave it running on the drive with the spare ignition key only. Lock the doors and back inside. But I also had a Bullock pedal lock around the clutch and brake pedals.

Not sure the neighbours liked it, although no-one said anything. 3" system from manifold back with not a lot of silencing with twin outlets. These days its still a 3" system, but silenced.

 

[daleyd]

Why do folk persist in using scrapers and sprays when most houses have a ready made source of " material " for clearing ice from anything ?

Tepid /warmish WATER not only clears the screen and defrosts the doors but leaves the windows clean . I've done that for 60 years and never had a cracked windscreen or damaged seal or cold fingers . Just make sure the temp of water is just warm. All my cars /vans etc have always been left outside in all weathers .

Warm water in a decent ziplock type plastic bag, defrosts in seconds and you don’t get puddles of water left on your drive to freeze again. Empty down grid, put the bag in your car and refill with warm water when you leave work.

Job jobbed.

 

[Erie Fred]

I have debated installing one of the petrol ("benzin") erberspacher's I have sat around (I think there's 3) into my partner's MX5 as she would definitely appreciate having it pre heated by remote control.

But in such a small vehicle it would become oppressively warm very quickly indeed.

I will definitely be adding one (if not two) to the Land-Rover when it's done.

Not the same thing.
Seems most new cars come already equipped (aftermarket does good business adding them as well)
Push the remote on your key fob, and the vehicle starts and runs, while locked.

 

[Morrisman]

The car moved for the first time in days, and the weekend's snow had frozen solid to the roof and windscreen.
It was a mug's game trying to remove it, so left the engine on idle, the fan on full and windscreen blower on for 20 minutes. No chance of anyone nicking it around here.*
Came down and flipped the 4" thick ice sheet off in two easy goes, drenched the wipers in aerosol de-icer fluid and lifted them after a few seconds. They seem to have survived the ordeal.
Looks as though the windscreen fluid isn't methanoly enough, ho hum. Need to thaw that out and replenish with neat mix.

* What I must try, is start the car and lock the door with a spare key.

My Mondeo simply won’t get to full temp without driving it a few miles. Even with a new ‘stat in it just sits at the bottom of the temp gauge. Once it’s driven and up to temp it stays there rock steady though.

A lady friend of mine tells me her neighbour left his car running to warm it up, yesterday morning, and went back in the house, and someone took off in the car. She lives on a reasonably bush street though.

 

[Morrisman]

Not the same thing.
Seems most new cars come already equipped (aftermarket does good business adding them as well)
Push the remote on your key fob, and the vehicle starts and runs, while locked.

My mates VW electric car can have the climate control turned on, the heated steering wheel and seats on too, all from his phone app.

 

[Gragson]

My mates VW electric car can have the climate control turned on, the heated steering wheel and seats on too, all from his phone app.

Same here with the volvo, but I never remember to do it

 

[Dozzer]

Dont know what everyone is complaining about. Get a ford or landrover with a heated screen
have fitted a kit to my disco that will fire up the webasto well before i get in it.
https://lr-fbh.co.uk/product/fbh-controller/

 

[dave h 2]

Our water comes from the ground around 50f....so the delta to 10f is pretty risky.

There's always a bright side though, at least the day after you won't have to do it again.