De-Icing Car

ailuro2

On the Peugeot I scrape by hand wiuth the engine running and don't put any windscreen wash near it till it's warmer.

I used to put cool water on the screen to defrost it but found if the screen was still very cold it would smear the screen if I cleared it off with the wipers - did it once when I'd driven off, pulled into the side of the road sharpish as I couldn't see where I was going.

If in a hurry it's better to "dry scrape" as you can get going a bit sooner ( saving petrol too)

In the Mondeo I switch on the screen heaters and scrape the side windows. Wonderful invention, front screen heater - when we got the car it was summer and I wasn't convinced, some winters later I still love it.:D

adonis

My petrol flap was frozen yesterday ,I thought about a lighter under it, not a good idea and anyway i don't smoke.
Then i thought in the old days when the carburetter was frozen they would wee on it but as it was a busy sainsburys I decided against that. besides Mr todger might get stuck to the flap.:eek:
So I just used brute force in the end.:D

getmore4less

If you do use hot water and keep the temp not too hot and spread it out quickly the screen won't even feel the temp rise a bit all the energy in the water will have been used up melting the ice.

The trick is to do this once to remove the crusty stuff and then with the wipers on the refrozen smooth layer.

With good wipers you don't get the refreeze problem after that.


Another technique to reduce the frozen layer is to wash the screen and set the wipers going at the end of your trip.

This cleans and dries the screen, but you need good wipers.

[Deleted User]

I like the trigger spray de-icer made by CarPlan which I got last winter. Little bit of this and it does the job.

puppypants

They used to say that half a potato rubbed on the windscreen the night before would stop your windscreen from icing up. Thats a raw potato before some eejit rubs his chips on his screen! Never tried it myself I always imaging streaky windscreen with all the starch. Perhaps someone would like to try this and post the result??

DCFC79

Fluffysheep38 wrote: »

Thought about a sheet, but wouldn't it just ice up and stick to the window? Would you use just a normal sheet or something specificly brought for a car?

i use an old sheet with no problems at all albeit if its windy then its not tied down anywhere so it can end up not covering the car and i also use a windscreen frost cover thing,

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

redlady_1 wrote: »

I guess it's fine if you want to end up with a cracked windscreen - which may not be so MSE.

I've been using warm-hot water to clear my iced-up windscreen for many years, and not once has one ever cracked.

chippy2u

I have an old fan heater which I put on the back seat and switch on. Works a treat. Clear windows and a nice warm car!!

wba31

pair of the wife's pink gloves and a cheap halfords scraper... I do envy Ford owners with that quick clear windscreen, such a great idea...

Rolandtheroadie

wba31 wrote: »

pair of the wife's pink gloves and a cheap halfords scraper... I do envy Ford owners with that quick clear windscreen, such a great idea...

Yep, loved my heated front screen in my 1992 Range Rover. And the one in my 1985 Rover SD1.