Went out this morning (-4 + chilly!) and sprayed ...... ice remained. Same happened yesterday. Am using well known shop-brand de-icer. Perhaps it could be because it is left over from last year ...... anyone found a spray de-icer that works really well as I would like to know!?
I never remember having this problem a few years ago - has the formulation been changed recently?
Thanks! Yoby
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I rarely use the stuff. I have an old wine bottle I fill with hot water from the tap and poor it over the windows, keeping a bit spare incase I need a bit more at the end of the road. Very effective and free, on the basis you've got the bolier on anyway for other things. I keep a can of deicer inthe glove box in case it's really cold and the inside of the window freezes up but I should think it's about five years old.
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>>I have an old wine bottle I fill with hot water from the tap>>
Not too hot I trust...:-)
I use a similar method but in my case it's a watering can without the spray attachment - you can do all the windows at once.
However, if it's really cold (unusual in our area as I'm on the NW Irish sea coastline) the water trick is much harder to pull off as it freezes almost as soon as you put in on the glass.
That's when a de-icer comes into use.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I rarely use the stuff. I have an old wine bottle I fill with hot water from the tap and poor it over the windows, keeping a bit spare incase I need a bit more at the end of the road. Very effective and free, on the basis you've got the bolier on anyway for other things. I keep a can of deicer inthe glove box in case it's really cold and the inside of the window freezes up but I should think it's about five years old.
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I agree with above, the spray de-icer stuff is a waste of money, I keep a watering can by the back door which I half fill with slightly warm water to do the job very nicely.
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I've always got on well with stuff from Halfords in the squirty bottle - not the aerosol. It's probably the same stuff as in the aerosol, but it just seems to spray on better.
I find that hot water freezes again when I'm 50 yards down the street. Whereas with de-icer a residue remains on the screen that keeps it clear.
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Life is complex; it has real and imaginary parts.
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The trigger spray de-icers are slightly stronger and better than aerosols, I've found. Of course, they are also more prone to leakage. I tend to keep a can of the aerosol ones handy, but at home use hottish water.
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15 minutes with a 3kW fan heater. No ice on any windows, car nice and warm inside, it doesn't steam up when you get in, and no chance if it getting nicked a la leaving it running. Having to get away in a frozen up car away from home without the heater is a real chore!
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Used to do this, it works very well especially if you put it on a timer. But only practical if you can get the car off the road.
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Swedish spec cars (certainly the Volvos that my colleagues drive) have a weatherproof mains voltage socket set in to the front bumper or grille, and a normal domestic mains voltage socket in the passenger footwell. This allows them to leave a fan heater in the car and safely connect it on a timer each night. Indeed it works a treat.
See two of the photos I shot during the summer of an S40 2.4i rental car that I had:
groups.msn.com/honestjohn/interestingshots.msnw?ac...6
groups.msn.com/honestjohn/interestingshots.msnw?ac...7
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Use the warm water but wipe it off with a blade before it re-freezes. Simple.
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Didn't someone post, this time last year, about using COLD water instead?
The Broomers that were clever at physics n chemistry at skool, will tell us why!!
VB
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We've used Holts de-icer for a few years now. The stuff in the aerosol.
Living on the North Sea coast, it can get cold here, and I?ve never known it not shift the ice. I think its frozen to the screen once, when driving on the dual carriage way, but its not bad given the price. Costco sell it 6 or 8 at a time and it works out very cheap indeed (probably something like 50p a can)
See: www.holtsauto.com/products/index.html and go to 'Holts De-icer'
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Get car started, set to max demist pour warm water from a milk container.Wipe screen .Chuck container in car and drive off.
If you use a kettle you will need to go back in the house, reset alarm, trip over cat etc.
If you are away from a source of water keep a disposable discount card in your pocket as an emergency scraper.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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A bucket of tepid water does the job for me.
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a bucket of stone cold water straight out of the tap is best
NEVER use warm ish or hot
the best i ever use was......and bearing in my mind i was miles from anywhere ,,it was cold and no-one was around
the best i ever used was..........pee,,, wee urine :)
sorry but it is true and was great,,and DIDNT re-freeze the whole -10 c journey home
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www.storme.co.uk
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Spot on !.
One word of warning though,when i was working in Denmark a long time ago, the night temperatures got down to -28.
I had an old Land Rover so i did not mind climbing around it, and not being able to reach the winscreen from the ground had the bright idea of climbing up onto the bonnet and fell off.
Glen
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I don't use de-icer because it's bad for the paintwork :(
I think I might try the water though.
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Let me be the first to say....
I just open garage, start engine, and drive away....
Is it cold outside or something??
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I must admit that I had always been warned against using the hot/warm water trick as the sudden expansion could crack the glass - might give the Holts a try, although the fan heater on a timeswitch is a tempting option - but I am not organised enough to set it up the night before.... :-)
Yoby
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I'm as guilty as the rest of you in being un prepared - but some I know swear by the blanket over the winscreen method.
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HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
when the blanket sticks to the screen with frost...and is then pulled off...there are loads of fibres left on the screen
i'm with the previous post...just drive straight out of my centrally heated garage(boiler in garage)
also i have seen someone suggest and time clock and a heater..the reason is to heat the sump and water,,,therefore the car heats up much quicker,,,and less early start damage is caused because it get to operating temp much quicker....meaning more fuel efficient.................just more electricity bills !!
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www.storme.co.uk
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start engine, put on front and rear screen heaters. Go in and finish breakfast. Back out, quick flip of wipers, and away...Good old Mondeo...
Splodgeface
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MArk MARK!!!!!!!
Explain to the unwashed how real men deal with frosty cars......
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RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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The only de-icing I have to do is the padlock on the garage door.
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Take advantage of the warming shelter of buildings by parking as close as possible, front in.
Put a doormat on the windscreen over night -- one of the ribbed fabric ones, with the fabric to the glass and the rubber base to the air. Trap it with the wipers if necessary. Works every time.
Buy the Mercedes winter-kit pack from a main dealer and get the best scraper of the lot.
These days, my Kenlowe engine pre-heater is working a treat and has improved my average fuel consumption from about 26 to 27.5 mpg (3.2L engine).
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Just stay out late one night, hide outside Spldgefaces house, wait for him to start the Mondeo...then nick it, as he looks for the free gift in his Rice Crispies!!!!
VB
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Mondeo? I would far sooner nick the free gift from his rice crispies
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RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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Ha!, Tried the covering of the windscreen on Thursday night as I had to be out of the house at 4.45am on Friday and the neighbours might get a tad upset if I had left engine running for 15 minutes at that time in the morning. Came out, lifted off t-towels that were covering screen, nice and clear, so got in car, switched on engine and then realised that the windscreen was still iced up - but on the inside, so hade to scrape it off before I could go anywhere!!!
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How come in the year 2005 the vast majority of cars do not have heated front screens as standard? Do Ford hold the patent or something?
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Becuase they are the pits. I wont be taking a Ford because they have heated front screens.
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RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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Slodgeface. I hope you lock the car with the spare key. If someone nicks your car when left open the insurance company will say goodbye. Regards Peter
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agreed,,,always lock the car
these vehicle are called "puffers" and tealeaves will be on the look out for this sort of thing.....
no insurance company in the world would pay out
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www.storme.co.uk
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agreed,,,always lock the car these vehicle are called "puffers" and tealeaves will be on the look out for this sort of thing..... no insurance company in the world would pay out -- www.storme.co.uk
You lot worry too much. I see alot of blokes hiding behind hedges in temperatures of -3...
Splodgeface
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Becuase they are the pits. I wont be taking a Ford because they have heated front screens. -- RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
Why so? I could definately live without mine but wouldn't go so far as to say that.
They do fail after a while (although my last one was still perfect after 8 years) but they are handy.
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They are dangerous at night, causing all sorts of starburst patterns with lights
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RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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>>They are dangerous at night, causing all sorts of starburst patterns with lights>>
Such problems are why my son - who holds the IAM badge - would have had any heated front screen taken out of the Focus TDCI he bought a couple of years ago and a plain one substituted. However, it didn't have one and was spared the additional expense.
In case you are thinking there are thousands of Ford Focus TDCIs available that's true, but he wanted a three-door version and they were very scare at that time.
An eight week Internet search revealed just three on offer and the one he acquired was a Ford Direct example at a dealership some 150 miles away.
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& did you know, they had to develop a special 'magic' adhesive to bond the modern screens in?
Somewthing to do with all the elicrical wizardry & to keep it working right.
& not just heated screens & aerials - there's some Merc or other, that has sensors, in the glass, to activate the airbags, if the screen is struck!!
Wonder if these guys at Autoglass, know what that old piece of string, in their tool box was for!!
VB
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I must defend the heated windscreen! Really excellent piece of kit - demists in moments. I have never experienced starbursts at night with mine. You have to look very closely to even be able to see the elements during the day.
Will definitely be having it on next car!
Just my experience over 70k miles!
Yoby
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If you can justify the expense, a Kenlowe pre heater is brilliant.
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A french neighbour in the frozen Creuse of central France uses cheap wine heated up on the stove!
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Just an aside (but still related):
How cold do we think it will be this winter, by this I mean what would we expect the lowest temperature to be recorded.
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I predict minus -15. A mere frost for me. When it gets cold in our house, the mice move out.
The thing is though back in the UK we are not used to hard winters. So when one comes along we aren't prepared for it. That's at least 50% of the problem.
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Well the dogs appear to be moulting big time more so than normal, so appear to be preparing for a long cold one.
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RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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They are dangerous at night, causing all sorts of starburst patterns with lights
Our new Transit Connect van has one of these heated windscreens in at work. Forgotten how much these windscreens make my eyes ache after being behind the wheel for a period of time. Hate them with avengance.
Still it's nice of Ford to fit these accesories, along with a CD player, electric windows and heated mirrors; then scrimp on carpet and fit a slipery plastic floor tray instead so that when it's wet your footwear ends up sliding all over the place. Same with the cargo area in the back - slippery as ky jelly and anything placed in the back skates around all over the place. At least our previous Berlingo van had a proper rubber cargo liner and proper carpets.
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So your dogs are dropping hair everywhere too? I keep pulling huge clumps out of my dog, though she prefers to go for a ride in my car and let it drop out all over the seats.
Come to think of it, my dog is permanently moulting. Where were we? Oh yes, de-icing....
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THERES THE ANSWER!!!!
Apply 1 room temperature ready dog, to front & rear screens, allow to sleep there all night - no frosty screen!!
Also, dog hairs will be frozen stiff - thus easier to collect!!
Must get myself another German Sheperd, I new he'd have a use someday!!
VB
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A dog sleeping in the car? ye gods I would prefer one of those car air fresheners that smells like a public toilet.
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RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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RF - sorry if I didn't explain fully, apply dog to EXTERIOR surface of glass!!
VB
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The best de icer, and one that prevents the inside of the screen misting/freezing over is a credit card. Preferably the one belonging to SWMBO.
I now go and dig a hole
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To cover the car that is not in the garage, I use old shower curtains. Don't stick to the screen when frost strikes and if it rains instead, then they just lift off rather than being left with soaking blankets or newspaper print on the glass!
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I'm really lax when it comes to stuff like this. My morning usually unfolds like this:
1.Walk out to the car
2. Discover car is frozen solid
3.Shout "Muuuuuuuuuuuuuum? The car's frozen. Stick the kettle on!"
4. Wait till the water's just warm and pour over aforementioned car
5. Return kettle whilst making some witty joke about how I nearly slipped on some ice on the step
6. Get into car, start engine.
7. Marvel at how quick the screen clears
8. Make some comment to myself about how..."flaming" cold it is.
9. Drive off.
Simple!
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I always use warm tap water, have done for 30 years and never had any problems. As for the risk opf thermal shock cracking the glass - maybe so if it was -20 outside and one poured boiling water on the screen.
Cheers, SS
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I bought some Auto Glym stuff in Halfords, reduced because the label was damaged(!)
Seems to do the trick, and says it's safe on paint, rubber, etc.
It kills ice as soon as it lands on the screen.
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Tried cold water this morning. Bottom of screen started started to freeze by end of street. I'll stick to tap hot water in future.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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If you haven't got one of those absolutely brilliant Ford Quickclear heated front screens then you just need a little patience.
Start the engine, put the heater on maximum temperature and maximum airflow to screen, scrape the ice off all the windows, switch the wipers onto the "intermittent" setting and just sit patiently in the car until the screen warms up. Et voila! The whole procedure shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 minutes.
If you have got a heated front screen then switch it on after you've started the engine and then carry on with the rest of the above procedure and de-icing will be even quicker.
Be patient!
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L\'escargot.
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RF
Not just me then! I find these heated front screens incredibly irritating. At night I find it's like driving with a slightly greasy scren as the lights reflect of the wires.
As for frozen screens, I just put the car in the garage. If I have to leave it out, nothing beats a watering can of tepid water folowed by a flick of the wipers.
JS
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Yeah - I have the same problem with the wires in the heated screens; I often get distracted by them during the day, and night is much worse.
Warm water defrosts all the windows pretty fast - put the wipers on intermittent before pouring on the windscreen and they wipe the water off, which stops it freezing again.
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