De-icing your car, be careful folks!

KillerWatt

Start vehicle
Increase turbo timer delay to 10 mins
Switch climate control on
Remove ignition key
Lock vehicle
Job done

cyclonebri1

Strider590 wrote: »

The problem is not the temp of the water, it's the difference in temp between the car and the water, you may get away with room temp water on a normal frosty morning, but if it's -10 outside you might want to use with caution.

Fair point but tap temp water has worked for me for that long that I don't bother, If the screen is chipped or cracked fair enough, but in that case it's going to go soon anyway.

Shoshannah

What a tragic accident, I wonder how it happened?

Was she starting the engine whilst standing outside the car? If she was standing behind it to de-ice the rear window then the handbrake must have randomly failed.

Luckily for me, my car has a boot, meaning it is impossible for me to reach the rear window except from the side of the car; also, it needs a good push on the gas pedal to fire up so I really need to sit down inside the car to start it. Don't you just love carbs? Actually no, I don't, they're a pain in the %*!.

This event provides food for thought, though.

jd82

I have the same car as this woman too (a Panda) but I always do dip the clutch before starting it. It is less work for the startor motor to do for a start.

Strider590

Shoshannah wrote: »

What a tragic accident, I wonder how it happened?

Was she starting the engine whilst standing outside the car? If she was standing behind it to de-ice the rear window then the handbrake must have randomly failed.

Luckily for me, my car has a boot, meaning it is impossible for me to reach the rear window except from the side of the car; also, it needs a good push on the gas pedal to fire up so I really need to sit down inside the car to start it. Don't you just love carbs? Actually no, I don't, they're a pain in the %*!.

This event provides food for thought, though.

Apparently she ended up trapped under the front wheels, which would happen if you started the car standing in the drivers doorway. The car would jerk back (a lot of people put a car in reverse even parking on an up hill), the door would hit the driver and knock them to the floor, the car then wouldn't stop until the handbrake stalled it, but it would probably move a good meter or so, which would leave the unlucky driver somewhere near the front drivers wheel.

It is a tragic accident, I really do feel for the family and friends.

I very much think it's time that more car knowledge was required to pass the driving test, because accidents like this one could be so easily avoided if people were made aware of how dangerous a car can be.
No matter how smiley, frog eye'd, cute, stylish or expensive a car may seem, when not treated with the respect and caution is deserves (just like electricity) can kill you in an instant.

Stigy

maninthestreet wrote: »

Surely she would have let go of the ignition key as she was knocked down by the car door, and the engine would have stopped turning over at that point??

Depends how quickly the engine starts when turning the key. If it started pretty instantly (as I'm guessing was the case here) then the momentum would have probably stopped the car from stalling until it hit something solid such as a wall, or maby the unfortunate owner...Try it, start the car (whilst in it obviously!) and start it it, put it in gear and slowly lift of the clutch with no gas, you'll soon be driving down the road at about 5mph with the car apparently moving itself through its own steam!

You could try this as the lady did, although whilst in the car, but to maintain control I wouldn't advise this!

sassy_one

I started my car last year when we had that very bad ice/snow and my starter was jammed, had to leave it 30 minutes or so later in the day and tried again, it started

cyclonebri1

H'mmmm and remember if this car had carbs it would have a choke to start it. Easy enough then to have 2000rpm as soon as the key is turned:eek::eek: