Any shite de-icing tips for the frosty mornings?

[davidfowler2000]

Sometimes, though, the hot water is the only way to de-ice a windscreen properly. I've never found de-icer to be pleasant to use in the inside of a screen, and I've had enough cars with leaky floorpans to need this sort of treatment!

 

These are better than nowt:

 

I got one of these. They make no difference to the interior temperature of the car but it's enough to thaw the windscreen. I also happened to have a spare battery lying around and built myself a remote control relay for it. Now I can remotely switch on the wee heater, perched on the dash pointing at the window, from the house 10 mins before I have to leave and I can go out to a lovely ice free windscreen

[michael1703]

I've got a heater in my van but it hardly works, those ceramic 12v things are shit too, think I might leave a spare 3 bar fire in the back if I'm going far in it, froze my arse to the seat driving about in it this morning, the seat is water logged so I sit on a bin liner but my arse was so cold I didn't know it was wet

 

[walk]

God that looks bleak!

 

Does anyone still use those round paraffin heaters to keep the frost away? My Grandad put one under his new Viva in the 70s . He always said it made it easier to start and helped keep the windows clear on frosty mornings - unfortunately it had all but rusted away by 3 years old

[forddeliveryboy]

Doors freezing up is proper annoying. The BX is really bad for it. Might have to get the vaseline out, but I'm worried about it ending up on clothing as I get in. Mind you, when it gets really cold, the door handles themselves freeze up. Clearly Citroen in the 1980s didn't have access to a cold chamber, or didn't give a stuff.

 

Mind you, the 2CV can be as bad. Water trickles into the lock so you can't even get the key in. Quite often have to use my kettle of warm water just to get the door open (which then leaves lots of water in the lock ready for the next freeze).

 

At least the washer bottle on the 2CV is in the engine bay, so it actually thaws out as you drive along.

 

Never met any 2cv owner who locked his car - it just results in a torn roof or bent door if someone really wants to enter. The boot lock can invariably be beaten anyway, then it's easy to tip the rear seat forwards and open a rear door. (All highly incriminating )

 

My ZX was bloody awkward to get into this morning, almost pulled the handle off (not exactly heaving) before I forgot it was a Peugeot... better in every other way than a Golf, though. Wish manufacturers would take a little time to be clever, like they used to - Saab passing the cabin air over the inside of the rear screen to demist it, Mercedes with under-bonnet heat vented past the washer nozzles. All very well if you have the most comfortable ride and best handling, especially on slippery roads, but if you cannot see through the screen even if you've managed to get in then it makes it all seem a bit daft.

[Albert Ross]

God that looks bleak!

 

Does anyone still use those round paraffin heaters to keep the frost away? My Grandad put one under his new Viva in the 70s . He always said it made it easier to start and helped keep the windows clear on frosty mornings - unfortunately it had all but rusted away by 3 years old

 

 

The Viva or the heater?

 

Anyhoo. Vaseline on the door seals, blanket over the top of the engine, with a length of rope tied to the steering wheel, lest you forget. Park engine end against a wall or other car to lessen the cold on the working parts. That kind of "old man trick" was taught to me by my Grandad, bless his heart, and Humbers, with a Fiesta later in life.

[Lord Sterling]

I used to pour very warm water over my old Rover in the mornings as I didnt really have time to do anything else. I scrape most of it now off the front screens and used one of those rubber squeegee things to wipe away excess melted ice/water.

 

If I am parked somewhere away from the public highway I'll stick a cardboard on the front screen. I think I'll try that clingfilm thing though.

[purplebargeken]

Scraper for me! If feeling wussy then Tesco spray de-icer. Usually then sit in the car and let it all get toasty.

[Negative Creep]

I've started using Halfords Night Before De Icer. Although you still get ice on the screen, it isn't sold and can be scraped away very easily. Water works but the problem I've found is that it can quickly re freeze. After my locks froze solid I now carry a lighter with the theory that I can heat the key for a few seconds, but haven't had the chance to try this yet

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

A watering can with cold water from the tap. Just warm enough to melt the ice, quick flick of the wipers, job done.

[Richard]

Did anybody other than SAAB ever do an air-heated rear window?

[DSdriver]

Oh, and when the blizzards arrive make sure your car is parked with its nose into the wind so that the aerodynamics blow the snow over the car. With its back to the wind the snow will fill the engine bay which becomes a low pressure zone.

[Joseph]

I've started using Halfords Night Before De Icer. Although you still get ice on the screen, it isn't sold and can be scraped away very easily. Water works but the problem I've found is that it can quickly re freeze. After my locks froze solid I now carry a lighter with the theory that I can heat the key for a few seconds, but haven't had the chance to try this yet

 

The 'Night Before' De-Icer can be quite good - it's useless on a really hard frost, but works for the majority of the time.

 

The heating up the key with a lighter idea is quite effective, as long as the key doesn't have a transponder chip in it! My dad used to have a flip-out, battery operated lock de-icer thing, but haven't seen one for yonks. Might get one in a Christmas cracker this year!

[makum101]

A friend of mine bought a little 15watt tube heater and screwed its bracket clips onto the rear parcel shelf, its cable running out the drivers door (shuts on the cable fine) & through the kitchen window (also shuts on cable fine). He leaves it on all night which results in no Ice, melts snow and car is toasty warm when he gets in it in the morning. Apparently its not expensive as its thermostatic. But I have my doubts on that score.

[whitevanman]

Did anybody other than SAAB ever do an air-heated rear window?

 

 

Plymouth, my 1969 Canadian built Barracuda had a hot air fan for the rear screen

[warren t claim]

Did anybody other than SAAB ever do an air-heated rear window?

 

 

Plymouth, my 1969 Canadian built Barracuda had a hot air fan for the rear screen

 

Bristol IIRC.

[brickwall]

Range Rover has heated door locks - quite niffty really. Problem is inside; all the water that has leaked in freezes and I can have a 1/4 inch ice on the passenger side. V8 can be a little moody and I find just a rug or whatever over the bonnet can make a difference. A bit of carpet for a muff can be good too. It has Kenlowe fans so heats up quick.

[Cheggers]

A bit of carpet for a muff can be good too.

 

I know it's puerile, but this made me

[beko1987]

Doors freezing up is proper annoying. The BX is really bad for it. Might have to get the vaseline out, but I'm worried about it ending up on clothing as I get in. Mind you, when it gets really cold, the door handles themselves freeze up. Clearly Citroen in the 1980s didn't have access to a cold chamber, or didn't give a stuff.

 

Mind you, the 2CV can be as bad. Water trickles into the lock so you can't even get the key in. Quite often have to use my kettle of warm water just to get the door open (which then leaves lots of water in the lock ready for the next freeze).

 

At least the washer bottle on the 2CV is in the engine bay, so it actually thaws out as you drive along.

 

 

The passenger door won't unlock on my zx if its too cold. The boot can't keep itself up either at sub zero! Fires first turn of the key though

Never met any 2cv owner who locked his car - it just results in a torn roof or bent door if someone really wants to enter. The boot lock can invariably be beaten anyway, then it's easy to tip the rear seat forwards and open a rear door. (All highly incriminating )

 

My ZX was bloody awkward to get into this morning, almost pulled the handle off (not exactly heaving) before I forgot it was a Peugeot... better in every other way than a Golf, though. Wish manufacturers would take a little time to be clever, like they used to - Saab passing the cabin air over the inside of the rear screen to demist it, Mercedes with under-bonnet heat vented past the washer nozzles. All very well if you have the most comfortable ride and best handling, especially on slippery roads, but if you cannot see through the screen even if you've managed to get in then it makes it all seem a bit daft.

[beko1987]

Doors freezing up is proper annoying. The BX is really bad for it. Might have to get the vaseline out, but I'm worried about it ending up on clothing as I get in. Mind you, when it gets really cold, the door handles themselves freeze up. Clearly Citroen in the 1980s didn't have access to a cold chamber, or didn't give a stuff.

 

Mind you, the 2CV can be as bad. Water trickles into the lock so you can't even get the key in. Quite often have to use my kettle of warm water just to get the door open (which then leaves lots of water in the lock ready for the next freeze).

 

At least the washer bottle on the 2CV is in the engine bay, so it actually thaws out as you drive along.

 

 

The passenger door won't unlock on my zx if its too cold. The boot can't keep itself up either at sub zero! Fires first turn of the key though

Never met any 2cv owner who locked his car - it just results in a torn roof or bent door if someone really wants to enter. The boot lock can invariably be beaten anyway, then it's easy to tip the rear seat forwards and open a rear door. (All highly incriminating )

 

My ZX was bloody awkward to get into this morning, almost pulled the handle off (not exactly heaving) before I forgot it was a Peugeot... better in every other way than a Golf, though. Wish manufacturers would take a little time to be clever, like they used to - Saab passing the cabin air over the inside of the rear screen to demist it, Mercedes with under-bonnet heat vented past the washer nozzles. All very well if you have the most comfortable ride and best handling, especially on slippery roads, but if you cannot see through the screen even if you've managed to get in then it makes it all seem a bit daft.

[beko1987]

Doors freezing up is proper annoying. The BX is really bad for it. Might have to get the vaseline out, but I'm worried about it ending up on clothing as I get in. Mind you, when it gets really cold, the door handles themselves freeze up. Clearly Citroen in the 1980s didn't have access to a cold chamber, or didn't give a stuff.

 

Mind you, the 2CV can be as bad. Water trickles into the lock so you can't even get the key in. Quite often have to use my kettle of warm water just to get the door open (which then leaves lots of water in the lock ready for the next freeze).

 

At least the washer bottle on the 2CV is in the engine bay, so it actually thaws out as you drive along.

 

 

That didn't work! The passenger door won't unlock I'm my zx if its frozen up. I'm hoping it doesn't happen to the drivers door too

 

The passenger door won't unlock on my zx if its too cold. The boot can't keep itself up either at sub zero! Fires first turn of the key though

Never met any 2cv owner who locked his car - it just results in a torn roof or bent door if someone really wants to enter. The boot lock can invariably be beaten anyway, then it's easy to tip the rear seat forwards and open a rear door. (All highly incriminating )

 

My ZX was bloody awkward to get into this morning, almost pulled the handle off (not exactly heaving) before I forgot it was a Peugeot... better in every other way than a Golf, though. Wish manufacturers would take a little time to be clever, like they used to - Saab passing the cabin air over the inside of the rear screen to demist it, Mercedes with under-bonnet heat vented past the washer nozzles. All very well if you have the most comfortable ride and best handling, especially on slippery roads, but if you cannot see through the screen even if you've managed to get in then it makes it all seem a bit daft.

[beko1987]

Nexus does not like quoting shit.

 

The passenger door on the zx won't unlock if its sub zero

[Jack_Harpers_Teeth]

God that looks bleak!

 

Does anyone still use those round paraffin heaters to keep the frost away? My Grandad put one under his new Viva in the 70s . He always said it made it easier to start and helped keep the windows clear on frosty mornings - unfortunately it had all but rusted away by 3 years old

 

Dad had electric version, it was called a "Cab Heater" for heating cabs as well it would seem. He used to use it under his Morris 1300. Then one day he drove over it.

[GJR 11L]

I once saw a small but nonetheless entertaining conflagration happening in a local timber yard involving a paraffin heater, a truck that was loaded with logs ready to go out for Christmas and a small, red-faced man who knew too many swear words for a Primitive Methodist, so Dad said.

The 12 year old me found this all really quite funny as the small man grew redder still around the boat, Dad struggled with an ancient extinguisher that would eventually prove useless while a previously perfectly serviceable Thames Trader turned all black & crispy.

All of this was far better than going to the pictures, Dad's next intended destination after we'd filled the car with wood for the stove. Now that I'm 48, I realise that it might not have been intentionally funny and if that small, ruddy-faced Methodist is reading this I'd like to apologise for my juvenile bout of schadenfreude. Thanks to Mister red face for teaching me the C word though, a lesson that has proved useful many times since that day.

 

Sorry, de-icing tips you say? Here's a good one: Live in Egypt.

[Albert Ross]

Easy one. Look out of the window before you go for your morning piss. If it looks cold, save it. Get your cuppa and toast, and when you go to your car, piss on the locks.

[barefoot]

Fill hot water bottle with boiling water, place on top of dash. Go back indorrs, have cup of tea. Go back out and hey presto melted ice

 

Sorry, but this is complete bollocks - I've tried it.

 

 

 

Cup of tea?

Full fucking Scottish breakfast - tea & a fag.

 

 

I say again - bollocks.

[M'coli]

I found the hot water bottle spot-on, but I was popping it into the car when I took the dog out so it had a good 35-40 minutes to do its stuff.

[barefoot]

I was bitterly disappointed & I'm happy to give it another go, how far did you take your dog & did it shit more than twice?

[M'coli]

15 minutes out, fifteen minutes back, didn't see how many times he crimped as it was half-five and no lights, back into the house, pick up the flask and lunch etc. and back into the car - 35-40 minutes.

[Angrydicky]

I use Carplan spray de-icer. Got about 15 cans of the stuff from an old boy in the village who stopped to chat about my car one day and mentioned that he had given up driving and he had loads of tins of polish/oil/screenwash/paint etc in his garage that I was welcome to. Came back with the whole car stuffed full

 

A quick spray and the ice just disappears - great stuff and it saves all that scraping.